Arsenal on ‘O’
These are the guys you’ve all been waiting for. The players who score touchdowns, break 90-yard runs and throw the deep ball. In this last of a three-part series previewing Utah State football, take a look at the guys who make it all happen — at least when they are not injured on the sideline — the skill guys.
Quarterback:
If you know who the starting quarterback is, you must be gazing into a crystal ball, because nobody else knows yet. Junior transfer Adam Kennedy and true freshman Chuckie Keeton have been splitting the practice reps exactly in half, and one of them will be named the starter as the Aggies take the field against Auburn, Sept. 3.
Kennedy was brought in from San Joaquin Delta College to compete for the starting spot with Alex Hart and Jeremy Higgins, both of whom have since left the team. The job is Kennedy’s to lose, but he has not separated himself from Keeton, a highly talented and sought after recruit from Cypress Creek High School in Houston, Texas. The two QB’s play with very different styles; Kennedy is more of a traditional pocket passer, while Keeton is the dual-threat-type quarterback similar to Diondre Borel, who took snaps for the Aggies since 2008.
Kennedy said the offense will not change much, regardless of which man gets the nod.
“I think in the overall scheme of things,” Kennedy said. “It won’t have too much of an effect on our offense as a whole.”
There is not as high of a need for USU to have an all-powerful standout at quarterback this year, he said. The team just needs someone to run the offense and get the ball to one of the many offensive weapons at running back and wide receiver.
“It definitely takes a lot of pressure off of me,” Keeton said. “I know I have reliable receivers and I know our running backs can run the ball as much as they want to throughout the game, and we can still come out on top.”
Running Back:
The day has come: Robert Turbin has returned. The 5-foot-10, 216-pound junior from Fremont, California, sustained a knee injury last season. In 2009, he ranked third in the WAC and 20th in the Football Bowl Series with 108 yards per game.
“I’m good, I’m 100 percent,” Turbin said. “I love the game of football and it was hard not to play. I’ve been keeping count of how many days it’s been since I’ve played in my last football game — Nov. 29, 2009.”
When the Utah State squad takes the field against Auburn on Sept. 3, Turbin will reach a count of 644 days.
Turbin wasn’t the only one injured last year. Senior Michael Smith hurt his foot in the third game of the season and was awarded a redshirt for the lost season. This year, look for both to make a big impact in the backfield. Junior Kerwynn Williams will also make good things happen for the Aggies whether he is running back kickoffs for touchdowns, lining up as a slot receiver or taking handoffs. The multiple-threat athlete from Las Vegas set the FBS record for single-season kick return yards, racking up 1,444 yards last year.
Wide Receivers:
The Aggies scored a meager eight touchdowns through the air and averaged nearly 180 yards passing, per game. With the addition of Chuck Jacobs, a transfer from Laney Junior College, and the return of Matt Austin, who was injured in the game against Oklahoma last year, the receiver corps will be vastly improved from the 2010 season.
Jacobs joined the USU football team days before fall training camp started and won the No. 1 receiver spot.
“It’s very challenging,” Jacobs said of competing for the starting position. “It’s more of a fast pace and everything is on the fly. I came in, and they kinda threw me into the fire. I learned everything very quick.”
This season might be the deepest the Aggies have been in the wideout position, in several years. Anderson said Austin is a receiver worth noting on the field.
“Matt Austin… played very well against Oklahoma last year,” Anderson said. “He was a dynamic player, did some nice things for us. He’s been hurt twice in our program and both were very unfortunate injuries.”
The key to success for the passing game in Logan will be execution. The receivers are good enough to go up and catch a ball in the air or outrun a cornerback, but the question will be How well do they run their routes, and how much communication will they have with the quarterback?
In addition to Jacobs and Austin, look for junior Dontel Watkins and sophomore Travis Van Leeuwen to make an impact in the games.
“We all bring something different to the team,” Jacobs said of the receivers. “We’ve got the speed guys; me, Stan and a few other guys. Matt is bigger and more of a physical receiver who can catch the ball in traffic. It’s pretty good, we all challenge each other in different ways.”
— tavin.stucki@aggiemail.usu.edu