COLUMN: Winning week for Aggies
To have a particular university win all the time in every single athletic program is relatively impossible, but to have a strong week where nearly every team currently competing wins is definitely possible.
In case you didn’t notice, the month of November has been pretty successful for Utah State athletics. From Nov. 4-12, with the exception of volleyball, USU showed why it deserves some respect in the world of collegiate athletics. Although Aggie basketball tends to gain the most attention of any sports, several teams represented USU well during that time period.
The impressive win streak began with women’s basketball beating up on Western New Mexico in its only exhibition game of the season. Since exhibition games mean nothing, the women’s basketball team went on to prove the team is much better with a win on the road against Wyoming, who took it to the Aggies at home last season with an 80-50 blowout. The Aggies fell to South Dakota State on Sunday, but the Jackrabbits are perennial attendees at the NCAA Tournament.
Women’s soccer began the week of winning with a solid 1-0 victory over Idaho in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament, before notching an improbable and impressive victory over Fresno State — the match was in Fresno, Calif. — to advance to its first-ever NCAA Tournament. The Aggies fell in the tough road match against the Southeastern Conference regular season champs in the Auburn Tigers, during the first round.
Despite the fact that volleyball went 2-1 in its matches during that week of winning for every other sport, including a five-set heartbreaker during Senior Night where USU held a 2-1 lead but couldn’t close out Idaho, the team is seeded fourth in its WAC Tournament and deserves kudos for its season after losing four solid seniors. The volleyball heads to the WAC Tournament in Las Vegas, in less than a week and deserves support from Aggie fans.
Brian McKenna rounded out the dominating week in Aggie athletics as he qualified for nationals in cross-country. McKenna is one of just three athletes to qualify for nationals from the WAC. He also qualified for nationals in 2009 as a sophomore.
What may be most impressive about the week of winning is the team who began the domination. USU football made an improbable comeback victory over Hawaii on the road, and followed up that win with another fourth-quarter comeback at home against San Jose State.
The win against San Jose State marked the second time in as many years USU has won back-to-back games. What is more important, however, is that USU’s bowl hopes are still alive. Those hopes have dwindled much earlier in the season in the past.
The win that captured the attention of many people across the nation during the winning streak is unarguably the men’s basketball victory over Brigham Young in its home opener. The students who spent days camping outside the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum gained praise not only by media members but from the people who count the most — USU players and coaches. Brady Jardine, Brockeith Pane and head coach Stew Morrill couldn’t say enough about the fan support before and during the game.
All those wins in Aggie athletics should make each and every student that much more motivated to not just support basketball. You never know what might happen.
– Tyler Huskinson is a senior majoring in broadcast journalism. He is also a sports writer for The Herald Journal. Follow his Twitter feed @TDHuskiSports or send comments to ty.d.hus@aggiemail.usu.edu.