Gridders wrap up spring with final scrimmage
Playing in USU’s annual Blue and White spring game, Borel was an effective 9-14 through the air, with four touchdown passes and no interceptions. Receiver Stanley Morrison led all rushers with three carries for 88 yards and a score, while also snagging three catches and a touchdown for the Aggie offense, which finished the afternoon’s action with 460 total yards and eight touchdowns (seven passing, one rushing). The afternoon encapsulated USU’s springtime offensive improvement, which continued even without the presence of second team all-WAC running Robert Turbin in the lineup.
‘Everybody came out and made plays,” Aggie quarterback Borel said. “Coach has been emphasizing to just keep it going to the last spring practice and spring game and to carry it on to the next time we get on the field.”
Borel continued, saying, “The offense is progressing in certain areas, making big plays and catching the ball and moving down the field. The offensive line and everybody has improved.”
The senior quarterback’s play in the spring game was no surprise for Aggie fans, who’ve come to expect the dual-threat signal caller to provide plenty of highlight reel moments. Yet the biggest surprise for the Aggie offense this season has been Morrison, who, after leading USU in all major receiving categories in 2010, has quietly stepped up to assume not only a leadership role on the offense, but an all-purpose role as a playmaking threat.
“A year ago I thought Stanley could really run,” said USU head coach Gary Andersen, who was coaching his second spring game with the Aggies. “He had great speed, but what we see now is someone that is making people miss, and he can catch the ball over the middle and I see him as a tremendous leader on this football team.”
With the loss of Turbin to an ACL injury this offseason, USU coordinator Dave Baldwin has been forced to come up with more and more innovative ways to work in the run game for the Aggie offense. Senior running backs Michael Smith and Derrvin Speight have proved effective for most of the spring, but on Saturday it was Morrison who showed off that he, too, can be counted on to run the ball for the Aggies in the fall. Lining up at the quarterback position to take a direct snap in the increasingly popular “wildcat” look that Arkansas made famous several years ago, Morrison raced 63 yards for a touchdown on USU’s first offensive possession on Saturday, showing off superior vision and quickness while outracing the Aggie defense. For Morrison, who played quarterback in high school, the chance to contribute in multiple facets of the offense has not only been gratifying, but fun as well.
“We’re just having fun out there,” Morrison said. “When you get the ball, you’ve just got to make a play. So when I get the ball, I just come in and make a play. That’s my job.”
“I always play loose out there,” added the junior. “I come out here to have fun.”
While the play of Morrison took center stage on Saturday, Utah State had plenty of players on both sides of the ball who stood out. Receiver Matt Austin cemented his place in the lineup after a solid spring, leading all Aggie receivers with two catches for 44 yards and a touchdown. Lightning quick JUCO wide receiver transfer Xavier Martin caught a 12-yard touchdown from senior quarterback Jeff Fisher for the second team offense, while senior running back Derrvin Speight took a 39-yard pass from Borel to the house to finish off the afternoon’s scoring fest. In all, USU’s first team offense clearly got the better of their second team defensive counterparts, with Borel leading the unit to no fewer than five scores.
Borel’s improved play this offseason has come from a number of factors, including a renewed effort to develop a “pass first” mentality in his second full year in coach Baldwin’s read-heavy offense. On Saturday, however, Borel testified to the importance of an often overlooked aspect of USU’s offense – the big guys up front.
“I feel like they are working hard,” Borel said of the line. “To switch positions is tough and they are working hard. Our center, Tyler Larsen, is stepping his game up. I don’t feel like we are going to miss a beat going into the season. I feel like the offensive line was blocking great today.”
After the spring game, coach Andersen singled out his new center, who is taking over for departed senior and former all-WAC performer Brennan McFadden.
“Tyler Larsen has started from the first day of spring camp and he’s done a tremendous job,” he said. “He’s a very good football player and he’s very smart. His ability to grasp the offense and handle the protections and everything else he’s done have been very impressive.”
It wasn’t all smiles for the Aggies on Saturday. While the defense saw several solid performances by members of the first-team unit (including an eight-tackle day from senior Maxim Dinka), they were unable to come up with the turnovers that Andersen’s pressure-oriented defense thrives upon.
“If there was a disappointment on the day, it was the one defense,” Andersen said. “We had an opportunity to get some more turnovers on defense, and, except the snaps, we got one turnover. That’s not enough for what we want. We want more turnovers from our defense.”
Andersen has seen consistent improvement from the defense all spring, including better play from the defensive line in its ability to generate pressure. Saying that the defensive line is much farther along than where it was at last year, Andersen referenced the unit’s need to continually improve as USU approaches its September opener with the Oklahoma Sooners.
“Defensive line is better, but we can’t think we’ve arrived there by any stretch of the imagination,” he said. “We’ve done a great job there, but we still have a long ways to go.”
Despite the play of the defense on Saturday, Andersen said the spring season was an overwhelming success and referenced the back-and-forth nature of the 15 practice sessions as an example for how the increased competition level in year two has improved the overall makeup of his team.
“The consistent effort and the way these kids played for 15 practices, I can’t look at one thing of a scrimmage or one practice at a time. I have to look at it as a whole,” Andersen said. “Last year it was completely one-sided when the offense dominated. Throughout the spring practices there has been give and take on both the offense and the defenses. I think that shows progress. Time will tell.”
– adam.nettina@aggiemail.usu.edu
