Freshmen contributing for football team
Western Athletic Conference, but that’s not all. New players have invaded the Aggie depth chart en masse, making contributions on offense, defense and special teams.
“The adjustments have been huge. In high school I played defensive tackle and it’s almost a different game on the offensive line. The speed is amazing. The players are all so much stronger and faster,” Derek Hoke, starting offensive tackle and true freshman, said. Also making the jump to the starting lineup as freshmen are Ryan Bohm and Lynwood Johnson, who play halfback and fullback respectively. Like Hoke, they have been playing big on Saturday while still learning on the job.
Bohm’s number 17 jersey is familiar to Cache Valley football fans since it’s the same number he wore when he was winning state titles and being heaped with accolades as a two-way standout at Logan High School. This year, he’s the second leading rusher for the university whose stadium hosted many of the triumphs of his high school career.
“It’s definitely a different atmosphere, everything is bigger. There are more people watching, you could be on TV and you’re playing against people that are a lot better,” Bohm said about the transition from playing in Romney for the Grizzlies to playing in Romney for the Aggies. With freshmen starting all over the place, some Aggie fans are already getting excited about watching their football team in three years, but not Bohm, who said, “We have a bright future, but our goal is to be good right now.”
The fullback position isn’t utilized as much now as it was in the days of the wishbone offense, but that doesn’t bother Lynwood Johnson.
Johnson has yet to carry the football in a game this season, but the lead blocks he throws for the other Aggie backs are invaluable to the rushing attack. If opposing defenses are lulled into thinking he’s on the field strictly as a blocker, Johnson will make them pay for it and it appears that he can do that as a receiver, averaging 11 yards a catch.
“The fullback is a great weapon. If you forget about him, he could hurt you. I like it when that happens. I can help the team win,” said Johnson, who won two state championships playing for Northridge as a fullback and defensive end in high school.
Derek Hoke is a towering 6-foot-9-inch former walk-on who was only supposed to “provide depth on the line” according USU’s football media guide. Instead, he jumped ahead of several veterans to become a starting tackle opposite Donald Penn.
“I have learned a lot from Donald Penn. He’s a great player, he has a lot of experience. He has kind of taken me under his wing a little bit. He has helped me out, especially with my technique. He’s just trying to pass what he’s learned on to me,” Hoke said.
Like Bohm, Hoke doesn’t spend too much time dreaming about winning bowl games in 2008.
“We try to focus on this year and making a bowl game this year because our seniors don’t have time to wait for next year. But we do realize we have a lot of great young players and we’re just going to keep getting better,” Hoke said.
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