COLUMN: Don’t give up hope
There is still a lot of season to be played. I know this may be a difficult concept, but let’s not count the Aggies out just yet.
Now that my heart made its way out of my stomach and back to its regular position, I feel I can calmly discuss the heart-wrenching loss Aggie football suffered Saturday.
I still have one problem, though. I still haven’t decided what to make of the game.
Yes, it was painful. A team that has endured so much heart break over the years had a program-defining victory in its grasp.
The Aggies lead with three minutes to play in what is supposed to be a body-bag game. Chuckie Keeton delivered what is perhaps the best performance a true freshman at quarterback ever has.
For a while, the Aggies were trending on Twitter and had the Nation’s captive eye. The roller coaster ride ended in a freefall that left the Aggies wondering why they couldn’t recover an onside kick or make a tackle in the open field.
If you were to ask SEC homer and ESPN personality Colin Cowherd, the answer would be simple. The SEC is just better — no need for further explanation.
At the post-game press conference, USU head coach Gary Andersen echoed the same sentiments saying that Auburn was very athletic and hard to deal with, especially on special teams. He didn’t use it as an excuse, though. He told the media that the Aggies are finished with moral victories. They don’t exist anymore. There is only winning and losing, and USU football will only except wins.
It was interesting to see after the game how many people who I will term as “fair-weather fans” — and I won’t name names, for several good reasons — became haters the moment the game ended. Phrases such as “It is Aggie football after all” began to surface, and I almost went along with it. But then I reflected on a decade’s worth of disappointment from USU football, and I stood with the assessment I made while the Aggies were holding their own against an SEC powerhouse: This is the best Aggie football team I have seen in my lifetime.
I will not speculate on how the Aggies will end their season. For all I know, they could go 4-8 and make Aggie fans wish they could fast forward to basketball season.
I will say this, though. The Aggies do not have another team of the same caliber as Auburn on the remainder of the schedule. From the results of week one in the FBS, Hawaii seems to be the toughest opponent the Ags should face the rest of the year.
That being said, don’t count the Aggies out just yet. If the Aggies can sustain long drives and make big plays against a team like Auburn, who knows what they will do to a team that isn’t nearly as talented or athletic.
The Aggies have a very important game coming up against Weber State. After that game we will have a better idea of what kind of a team the Aggies will be. We’ll have an even better idea of how they should be after they host Colorado State for Homecoming.
Why do I even mention Weber State? Shouldn’t it be considered as an automatic win?
Not so fast.
The Wildcats nearly upset Wyoming on the road Sept. 3, and will be hungry to rebound from the disappointing loss as well.
Just wait until after this Saturday, Sept. 10, before you give up on Aggie football. They may just surprise you.
Tyler Huskinson is a senior majoring in broadcast journalism. He is also a sports writer for the Logan Herald Journal. You can follow him on twitter @TDHuskiSports or send any comments to ty.d.hus@aggiemail.usu.edu.