Going 0-8 a USU rarity
The last time the USU football program lost eight straight games in one season, World War II was underway and the University of Minnesota had the best college football team.
Yes, it has been that long.
The year was 1941. The Aggies, under the direction of Head Coach E. Lowell Romney, played only eight games. Four of those were against schools the current Aggie team has on its schedule. Now, 66 years later, that 1941 squad is still the only USU team to ever lose eight straight in a single season.
The 2007 squad could become the second team to do so Saturday. USU (0-7, 0-3 in Western Athletic Conference play) hosts the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (2-5, 1-3) at 1:05 p.m. in Romney Stadium.
USU Head Coach Brent Guy is still confident. He pointed out the Aggies’ resilience in last Saturday’s loss. Though down 14-0 early to the Nevada Wolf Pack, USU scored 21 unanswered points.
“That does, even though we haven’t won a game, still instill confidence in me that my football team is still listening, still passionate about playing and still competing,” Guy said. “A year ago had we got down 14, it would have ended up the same score as at Nevada last year, 42-zip.”
USU junior offensive tackle Derek Hoke, who netted only two rushing yards in the second half Saturday, is right there with Guy.
“I feel that no matter what the challenge is, not matter who the team we play, that if we go out and we play our game and we dominate up front, we’ll have a god outcome, and that’s what we look forward to,” Hoke said.
The Aggies will be in search for a complete game. It has been a mix of defensive and offensive mistakes throughout the season that has been costly. This Saturday the game play for a victory won’t be much different than it has the previous seven games.
“If we just make those plays and step up at the end, we’ll be able to do it,” Hoke said. “A lot of that is experience. When you win a game you know how to do it, and it gets easier. When we haven’t won a game yet, it’s a little bit harder to take that step. But I think we can do it.”
THE BULLDOGS
“Louisiana Tech is, I think, the talented sleeping giant of this league,” Guy said. “I just think they may be as talented of a team that’s come to Romney this season in the WAC that we’ve seen as far as size and speed and guys that run around.”
The Bulldogs have hung with the WAC’s best, losing Sept. 8 at home to No. 14 Hawaii, 45-44, and falling last week to a visiting Boise State squad, 45-31. Against Boise State, the Bulldogs tied the score at 24-all late in the third quarter before the Broncos reeled off 21 unanswered.
In the same game, Bulldog senior quarterback Zac Champion completed 24-of-42 passes for 255 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.
The Bulldog running game ranks fifth in the WAC at 155.7 yards per game. The passing game is eighth with 181.1 yards.
Bulldog Head Coach Derek Dooley is in his first season.
-samuel.hislop@aggiemail.usu.edu