COLUMN: State your case
Who wins tonight’s game?
Brigham Young (1-3) or Utah State (1-3)
The Statesman sports writers weigh in. Do you have an opinion? Let everyone know with a comment on the article at www.utahstatesman.com
BYU still too strong
Mark Israelsen, Staff Writer
First of all, let’s get one thing straight: I want USU to win this game. However, if BYU were to win the game, here are the reasons why:
The Aggie-Cougar rivalry goes way back, and BYU has a history of beating Utah State. Today’s game marks the 80th time these teams have squared off and BYU has the overall edge at 43-33-3. The Cougars have won 10 straight games against USU and in many cases, football included, old habits die hard. Despite its bad start this year, BYU has all the confidence and swagger going into this game because of its past dominance.
Going down in week three with a shoulder injury was the worst thing to happen to QB Riley Nelson’s season, but it may just have been the best thing to happen to the Cougars’ season. Losing Nelson gave coach Bronco Mendenhall no choice but to start true freshman Jake Heaps, solving his quarterback conundrum and allowing Heaps to gain valuable experience. Since Nelson went down, Heaps has been steadily improving and now has a chance for a break-out game against an Aggie secondary that was shredded by San Diego State QB Ryan Lindley for 362 yards and 3 TDs.
Utah State’s defense has definitely been sub-par this season, allowing 32.5 points per game and now BYU has the chance to come in and get their offense back in sync. BYU running back J.J. Di Luigi has been solid this year averaging 133 yards of total offense per game, and look for him to have a big game against the Aggies “D.”
Tyler Huskinson, Web Editor
First and foremost, this game officially lost all excitement for me as of last Saturday evening, after both teams fell to 1-3. I know it’s an in-state rival, but you might as well fork that thing over to the Utes right now. As a final disclaimer, I absolutely loathe the Brigham Young Cougars (1-3, 0-1 MWC), end of story.
However, when the fourth quarter is over on Friday night, BYU will have defeated the Utah State Aggies (1-3, 0-1). The injury bug has not been in favor of the Aggies and several key players will most likely not be playing on Friday. Even if they are, they won’t be performing at 100 percent. The injuries may be the final and fatal tipping point. The Aggies will be without many of their key players and will be relying on many inexperienced players including true freshmen.
Statistically, the Aggies have many advantages over the Cougars. Over four games they have averaged 379 yards per game and just over 23 points per game while the Cougars have average 300 yards per game while only scoring about 15 points per game. Both teams have serious defensive issues, but the Aggies have struggled the most, allowing opponents to score about 32 points per game. The Cougars aren’t much better though, allowing 28 points per game.
The true tipping point of this game will occur on special teams, and until the Aggies prove otherwise, they are in deep trouble. Don’t throw the tomatoes or any other rotten food at me, but the Cougars will come out on top on the national stage Friday night, 27-24.
Tavin Stucki, Staff Writer
Come on guys, I have as much or more school pride than any other blue-blooded Aggie, but let’s be realistic here. Yeah, BYU is having a down year, but the quarterback mess has been cleaned up. Jake Heaps is taking all the snaps for the Cougars now, and he’s getting better fast. BYU wouldn’t start a true freshman unless he was the real deal, even if they were in a rebuilding year, and even if Riley Nelson got injured. Let’s face it, the three teams BYU has lost to this season are good teams. Except for the loss at Oklahoma, Florida State has only allowed 16 points, Nevada is now ranked No. 25 in the AP poll, and Air Force only lost to Oklahoma by a field goal.
Utah State hasn’t even been good enough to go to a bowl game since 1997! The Aggies are on the rise with coach Andersen, but even in an “up” year in Logan, it’s still not good enough to beat BYU in a down year. Diondre Borel and the team looked good the first two weeks, but what have they done since then? Utah State just isn’t there yet. With last week’s embarrassment at San Diego State (41-7) and the loss two weeks ago against Fresno State (41-24), the blowout against Idaho State and the close game at Oklahoma don’t seem all that impressive anymore. All this talk about a bowl game had me excited, but it’s just an inspiring dream that gets all of us USU students excited to go to Romney Stadium. Honestly, how many people would even be going to the game this weekend if it wasn’t against the team that everyone loves to hate?
It pains me as much to say it as it does everyone else to hear it, but the Aggies are facing their fourth loss of the season, and kissing their bowl game chances goodbye. BYU wins in front of a huge visiting crowd wearing stolen Cougar blue, 35-14.
Kayla Clark, Staff Writer
It would certainly be exciting to see Utah State beat the Cougars this season. However, I am a realist – not a traitor. If I were to put money on the game, I would have to put it on BYU.
When was the last time USU beat BYU? It was in 1993, and the score was 58-56. Since then, the Cougars have dominated our football team every year USU has played them – losing by an average of 25.3 points. That’s not a lucky touchdown – that’s a talent difference.
Qualcomm stadium last week was, to say the least, an ugly sight. Coach Gary Anderson even said that there were no redeeming spots for USU, which managed only 245 total offensive yards.
BYU is already a nerve-racking game for the USU football players. Heaven knows how badly every student wants them to crush the Y, and for all ESPN viewers to see. That’s a lot of pressure, and coming back after a defeat like the team had at SDSU last weekend, the morale of USU football team is not going to be red-hot. Granted, BYU had a pretty bad loss last weekend as well. But worse than 41-7? I’m afraid not. They only lost 27-13.
BYU’s 1-3 record is promising to Aggie fans, no doubt. But a win? I’m sorry. Don’t hold your breath.
Aggies finally break through
Matt Sonnenberg, Assistant Sports Editor
Most years, seeing Utah State at a record of 1-3 wouldn’t feel at all like a disappointment. Along those same lines, seeing BYU at 1-3 would appear to be a massive failure given how their program has performed in recent years.
The year 2010 isn’t most years, though, and in many ways, it can be argued that Utah State has indeed fallen a bit short of expectations by only notching one victory over the first four games of the season. On that same hand, given BYU’s schedule, they almost have to be happy with 1-3 given how close they were to being 0-4.
One team is out to prove that its program is indeed seeing a long-sought resurgence, while one is out to prove that its program isn’t in a free-fall during its last year before going independent and taking on a whole different kind of challenge as a program.
Just like last week, I am sticking to the team with a chip on its shoulder.
Despite the injuries, Utah State’s players and coaches know that a win Friday could be the kind of victory that shifts the momentum strong enough in the Aggies’ favor to make this program’s resurgence a certainty, rather than a question that remains to be answered. The team knows that its name will be remembered for a long time as the team to knock BYU down to third in the pecking order of college football in the state of Utah.
That chip on the shoulder should be just enough to combine with USU’s coaching and talent to make for a special night in Logan.
Adam Nettina, Sports Editor
Pardon me, but I have to go incredibly old school on all of you. At the risk of exposing my regular and preferred Friday night pastime of watching Disney movies, I feel it necessary to quote the Little Giants: “One time.”
It doesn’t just apply to Danny O’Shea beating his big, gum-chewing brother, Kevin, up Cherry Tree Lane in a bike rice, or the lovable Giants running the “Annexation of Puerto Rico” to perfection against a defense composed of future marines, but it will also apply tonight, when Utah State upsets Brigham Young. And make no mistake about it, because even at 1-3, BYU is still a formidable foe, and a USU win would still constitute an upset.
The Aggies have suffered some devastating injuries, to be sure, but so has BYU. Both teams have struggled with ball control at times this year, and have made mental lapses on special teams. So what will the X-factor be?
Quarterback play. And when given the choice between atheltic, veteran Diondre Borel playing in front on supporters, and a true (albeit very talented) freshman in BYU’s Jake Heaps, I’ll take the former any day of the week. Hey, BYU will be back on top soon enough, and when it comes to future games, the team with the national recruiting base likely wins out. But they don’t make Disney movies for no reason, folks. Mark it down: one time.
Steve Schwartzman, Staff Writer
Now, I’m not saying this is going to be anything near a cakewalk, and in reality the game could go either way. But if the Aggies ever have any chance to properly down the Cougars on turf – and not the hardwood – that time is now.
Although Diondre Borel’s boys have suffered two tough losses in a row, they are still a competitive team and have shown they can hold up with big teams on a good night. Let’s look at the pros and cons.
Pros: BYU is a struggling team which can’t seem to get its feet on the ground, not to mention being stuck in a major quarterback fiasco. The Aggies are playing on home soil, which should gain some extra advantage this week – a visit from our friends in Happy Valley may cause Romney Stadium to feel a little more Spectrum-esque. To top it off, the Aggies have a smarter quarterback than they’ve had in years, a stronger receiver set than they’ve had in a while, and a beefier offensive line than possibly, well, ever.
Cons: BYU is a smart team which may be able to perform well amid the crowd. If the Aggies show the same playing style as the last two weeks, converting on third down may be a doozy with a Cougar D-line that usually looks more like a Polynesian luau. Worst of all is the possibility Jake Heaps, as just a true freshman, suddenly turns into the second coming of Ty Detmer. Then we’re all doomed.
All in all, the Aggies have a BYU squad they can match up with if they play on all cylinders. Throw in a roaring crowd, a few Gary Andersen fist pumps, and a little fairy dust and I’ll take USU over BYU, 27-24.
Jace Miller, Staff Writer
USU will bring its “A-game” and come out on top against BYU this week. BYU is in total free-fall right now at 1-3. While the Aggies are also 1-3, consider this: BYU got pushed around by a Florida State team, 34-10, while FSU got absolutely embarrassed by No. 8 Oklahoma 47-17. USU kept it close with Oklahoma with a score of 24-31 and almost got the upset. If the Aggies can harness the energy and will that they had against OU, then there’s no way they can’t beat the Cougars. That energy shouldn’t be hard to obtain since everyone on the football team and all the fans want to stick it to BYU, especially at home.
On another note, BYU lost Riley Nelson for the season with a shoulder injury, forcing them to start true freshman Jake Heaps. BYU is 100th in overall offense a week after the loss of Nelson, who shared snaps with Heaps until that point in the season. USU, on the other hand, is 50th in the nation in total offense and that’s after the loss to San Diego last week. The team has done that despite injuries to Robert Turbin, Stanley Morrison, and Matt Austin – the three best offensive weapons at USU besides Diondre Borel. This will be a good matchup and will come down to the wire, but the Aggies have the edge in this one.