Defense improving under Anderson
While last Saturday’s Blue and White Aggie football game was seemingly a one-sided offensive talent show, the defensive performance should not be completely ignored. The defensive numbers are not as impressive as those the offense posted, but they didn’t go the day without noteworthy achievements. A big question coming into the spring football season was whether Utah State could take last year’s poor defense and develop enough to be competitive against some of the stronger offenses in their league. Linebacker Junior Keiaho says he has seen the defensive progression.
“Last year it was kinda new to us and foreign, so we had to learn it. A season through it gives us experience and knowing the defense to the point where we can own it,” Keiaho said.
This seemed to be the general consensus about spring football defense. Head coach Gary Andersen seemed impressed with the entire team’s effort and achievements this spring. He commented continually throughout spring practices on how hard the athletes were working and the improvements he was seeing. On a whole, Anderson said the spring game’s diminished defensive performance was not a complete buzz kill of the spring practice’s accomplishments.
“Overall on the spring, I think it’s gone back and forth from offense to defense. Last year it was completely one-sided when the offense dominated,” Anderson said. “Throughout the spring practices there has been give and take on both the offense and the defenses. I think that shows progress.”
However, Andersen, who came to USU from a defensive coaching background, has higher expectations for his defensive squad.
“I’m disappointed that the No. 1 defense couldn’t give us a better stop in the red zone when they got in that third-down situation down near the goal line,” Andersen said. “If there was a disappointment on the day, it was the No. 1 defense. We had an opportunity to get some more turnovers on defense. Except the snaps, we got one turnover. That’s not enough for what we want. We want more turnovers from our defense.”
Even quarterback Diondre Borel was quick to praise the defense he played on Saturday, saying, “I feel like they are making more plays now. They are a lot more aggressive. That is what coach Andersen wanted. Walter McClenton is stepping up, corner Alfred Bowden and Chris Randle have been solid and Bobby Wagner – you guys know all the names. We’ve got more depth on defense. We won’t miss a beat on defense. The defensive line is playing a lot better.”
The defensive performance was highlighted by the achievements of many of the defensive players. Linebacker Devin Johnson had five tackles, one of which was for a loss of yards. Sophomore Forest Dabb had two tackles, one for a loss. Redshirt freshman Cameron Sanders, who was recently moved from the wide receiver to corner back position, pulled in the team’s only interception. The most impressive, however, was the performance by senior linebacker Maxim Dinka. Dinka had eight total tackles, two for a loss. He also had the team’s sole fumble recovery and sack.
Although he had an outstanding scrimmage, Dinka commented on the improvements that he still wanted to make before next season.
“I have high expectations of myself,” Dinka said, “and I won’t say I necessarily accomplished what I wanted to. I have so much more to accomplish. I did take steps and strides at getting better, but I feel like I have a long way to go.”
Dinka has had a lot to learn during the spring practices this year. Last year they moved him from position to position on defense, and this year he seems to finally have found his niche.
“Right now I am playing outside (linebacker) and defensive end. I feel like it’s an awesome position,” he said. “I love the position. Whatever position they put me in I’m going to go 100 percent and make the best I can out of it.”
Dinka wants to stay focused and has thought of things for him to personally work on during the offseason.
“For the position I’m playing, I feel like I need to put on more size,” he said.
Though Dinka has occasionally received scrutiny about his size for his position, especially his role at defensive end, he said he doesn’t let that bother him when he plays.
“It’s not about the size. It’s about the fight in you. I bring everything I can and try to give them a good look,” he said.
This upcoming year will be Maxim’s final season as an Aggie and his experience has made him a stand-out team leader this year. His years on the team has given him a reference point to compare this year’s upcoming team with previous years.
“Today I thought we came out pretty strong. It’s not the most aggressive scrimmage that we’ve had. This next season is looking very promising. I’m just happy to see that my teammates came out healthy, and we finished (spring practice) up well. I’m looking forward to the summer training,” Dinka said.
The team has seemed to flourish this spring under Andersen’s second year at Utah State. Dinka has seen that this year, not only for the defensive team, but the team as a whole.
“Previous springs there wasn’t as much team unity,” Dinka said,” even though you bond with certain players each year. Coach Andersen came in here and stressed team unity and bonding and doing things together. I’ve seen the team become really tight, and we do everything together on and off the field. We take care off each other, and even though we go against each other and it’s a war out there, we’ve got each other’s back.”
And that is something that Andersen agrees with. Andersen has especially seen an improvement in this team over the team he coached last year.
“I believe that the process is much simpler for the kids this year. There aren’t surprises day in and day out,” he said. “That has helped our leadership, and kids are able to except their leadership roles a little bit better.”
Next year when the Aggies suit up to take the football field, rival teams will not be facing the same Aggies they did a year ago. Besides carrying on an explosive offense led by veteran quarterback Diondre Borel, the Aggies will have added a tough, grind-it-out defense led by Dinka and other seniors on the team. There is still much work to be done before next year’s season opener against a tough Oklahoma Sooners football team, but rest assured that the Aggies will be prepared to make a statement about the quality football program that has begun to take root at Utah State.
– t.g.s@aggiemail.usu.edu