Football team looks forward to Cougars
More than pride is on the line for the Aggies as they take the field at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
Last year Utah State won the Old Wagon Wheel, the traveling trophy awarded to the winner of the USU vs. Brigham Young University, for the first time in 17 years. This year, BYU has a chance to take it back.
USU head coach Gary Andersen said his team is excited to play.
“We won the last one, and we look forward to the opportunity to play against them,” Andersen said, who is in his third year as USU head coach. “I think that it will have a little more to it because of that.”
BYU has won the last 15 games held in Provo, a hometown to several Utah State players, including left guard Funaki Asisi.
“I have been looking forward to it for a while,” the 6-foot-2 Provo High School graduate said. “My hometown — I know a lot of people down there in that area. Basically, when you come out of it, it is a lot of bragging rights. I’m definitely looking forward to this one. Going down there as a starter, I definitely want to bring my “A” game.”
The 2-2 Cougars are coming off of a 27-14 win over the University of Central Florida. Aggie junior safety McKade Brady, who ran track at BYU before transferring to USU as a football player, said the Cougars have some great weapons on their team.
“I know JJ DiLuigi is a really good player,” the former track star said. “They have got some great wide receivers, they look really talented. Their offensive line is always huge, so they are really talented all the way around. Their quarterback Jake Heaps is a good player. All around they are a good offense from what I have seen, so far.”
Aggie running back Robert Turbin has led the USU ground game, so far, this season. The redshirt junior needs one touchdown to take sole possession of the No. 3 spot on Utah State’s all-time rushing touchdown list and has rushed for over 100 yards in each of his last two games played.
“I think Robert has a great knack and that is natural ability to me,” Andersen said. “There are times where we ask him to be able to hit it down in, and there is other times where he bounces it
out and obviously turns itself into a big play. I think as a back you have to be able to do both.”
What to watch for:
The running game will be important for the Aggies to control. The Cougars are currently No. 116 in the Football Bowl Subdivision, with an average of 68 yards per game, while the Utah State defense allows an average of 82.7 yards per game on the ground.
BYU quarterback Jake Heaps will have to have a good night with the Cougars, to get the win. USU allowed an average of 197 yards through the air in their two close losses to Auburn and Colorado State. If Heaps beats the Aggie secondary, USU will have a tough time getting the win.
USU will have to find a way to bounce back from the heartbreaking double-overtime loss to Colorado State last week on Homecoming.
“It was a tough loss,” said USU wide receiver Austin Alder, who graduated from Provo High School. “As a team, we just have to come together, bounce back from it and we
are ready to play BYU. We are excited.”
– tavin.stucki@aggiemail.usu.edu