Ags hope to have defensive depth this season
An extra year of experience can do wonders for a team.
Just ask Mick Dennehy, head coach of Utah State University’s football team, who said he is confident a deeper Aggie defense will be much improved with another year of experience under USU’s defensive system.
“I know their [the players] understanding of where they need to get to when the ball has been snapped is way better than I’ve seen in the past,” he said. “They’ve [the players] been able to get from page 22 of the playbook to page 40 of the playbook and digest it and understand it way better.”
Although USU finished 105th in the country in total defense a year ago, the numbers are deceiving. USU faced four teams in the top 25 during the 2001 season, all of which had offenses statistically among the nation’s elite, including a BYU squad ranked No. 1.
With high-powered offensive attacks such as Nebraska, BYU and Boise State awaiting USU this season, senior linebacker Jesse Busta said it is imperative the Aggie D tackle well. Avoiding arm tackles is a must, he said.
“We’ve been practicing a lot on tackling,” he said. “As far as technique goes, I think we kind of got lazy sometimes last year in different instances.”
Defensive line
Experience for size – it is the tradeoff the Aggie defensive line is faced with this season.
Gone from last year’s D-line are defensive leaders Nick Onaindia, Ryan Duncan and Tyler Olsen, as well as Jared Solosabal. USU will also be without the services of defensive end Nate Putnam, who is recovering from shoulder surgery, “unless something crazy happens early in the season,” Dennehy said.
With the loss of experience, however, comes a beefier front line as Duncan, Olsen and Onaindia only weighed in the 230 pound range. Jeremy Guenter and Justin Jackson, Duncan and Onaindia’s likely replacements at defensive end, both weigh more than 260 pounds.
While the USU defense is faced with inexperience in the trenches, Dennehy said the Aggie defensive front has not only increased in size, but in depth due to Utah State’s ability to recruit D-linemen the last couple of years.
“I don’t think there’s any secret that we were undermanned [last season] not only numbers-wise but size-wise, and I think we are getting closer to where we’d like to be,” he said.
As inexperienced as the Aggies are at the defensive-end position, they are experienced in the middle.
Defensive tackles Jorge Tapia and Ronald Tupea return to anchor the interior of the line. With 26 starts between the two of them – 20 for Tapia and six for Tupea – Busta said they will be looked upon to lead the defensive line.
“Jorge and Ronald did a great job last year, and they’re looking real good in camp this year,” he said.
Dennehy said he has also been impressed with freshmen defensive ends John Chick and Jake Stewart, with both having chances to contribute immediately. James Robinson, Ryan DeQuillettes and Jim Fackrell add to USU’s depth.
Linebackers
Surrounded by all-conference linebackers Blake Eagel, Brent Passey and Tony Newson, his first three seasons at Utah State didn’t seem to faze Jesse Busta.
With back-to-back 100-plus tackle seasons, Busta has been one of USU’s most consistent performers on the Aggie defense the last couple of years, Dennehy said. This consistency and work ethic makes Busta the leader of this season’s Aggie D.
“Jesse’s got a lot of starts and a lot of experience and he has some accolades, and yet he had done it in a very quiet, unassuming way,” Dennehy said. “Jesse is a great example of how we would like everybody to compete on our football team.”
Joining Busta as projected starters are Robert Watts and Rodney Wilson. Known for his speed on the outside, Wilson started in six games last year, with Watts starting two.
Backing up the starting three are 2001 offensive scout team MVP Jared Johnstun, D.J. Brookter and Nathan Dandridge.
Redshirt freshman Jaison Carriger and freshmen Ryan Taylor, Nate Fredrick and Matt Rapley are also in the hunt of playing time.
Secondary
Despite the loss of four-year starter Tony Walker and Nathan Barber, the 2001 team leader in interceptions (four), the secondary will be one of USU’s deepest units this season.
Instrumental to the secondary’s success, Dennehy said, is the return of healthy starters Ade Jimoh and Jamar Glasper from injuries suffered during spring drills.
“[Jimoh and Glasper] are coming along real well,” Dennehy said. “I’m excited to finally have an opportunity to see both guys healthy.
“I think they have shown that at the times in their careers when they have been injury-free, that they’re truly outstanding players,” he said.
Winner of the 2001 Golden Helmet Award as the team’s hardest hitter, Glasper collected 77 tackles from his free-safety slot – good for second on the team. A two-year starter at cornerback, Jimoh will be looked upon to match his production from the 2000 season, in which he was named second-team all-Big West.
In addition to Glasper and Jimoh, the Aggies return several other players who saw considerable playing time last season in Derrek Shank, Bryan Jackson, Mark Estelle and Jerome Dennis. Estelle (cornerback) and Shank (strong safety) currently top the depth chart for the other starting spots in the secondary.
All four will see plenty of playing time for the Aggies this season, with special team stalwarts Andre Bala and Ross Luna expected to receive more playing time as well.
Junior college transfers Mike Rosencrans, Kevin Anderson, Marvin Clark and Ricky Crockett, as well as freshmen Joe Lindsay and Cornelius Lamb help give USU its deepest secondary in Dennehy’s three-year tenure as coach, he said.
Special Teams
Kevin Curtis isn’t the only All-American on USU’s roster.
Punter Steve Mullins, a 2001 honorable-mention All-American by The Football News and Ray Guy Award semifinalist, returns for his senior season to anchor a formidable Aggie special teams unit.
Not only did Mullins average a school-record tying 44.8 yards a punt last year, he enters the 2002 season as the nation’s leading returning punter.
Also returning for the Aggie special teams is senior placekicker Dane Kidman, who connected on seven-of-13 field goals during his junior year. Redshirt freshman Ben Chaet will back up both Mullins and Kidman.
Like it does at the punter and placekicker positions, USU also returns its top two kickoff returns from the 2001 season. Running backs Roger (Fernandez) Robinson and David Fiefia will handle both punts and kickoffs after averaging more than 22 yards per kickoff return apiece last year.
With Robinson, the Aggies have a proven a deep threat as the sophomore returned a punt 64 yards for a touchdown against the University of Utah, and nearly scored on a 70-yard kickoff return against BYU.
-Jasonwturner@cc.usu.edu