Jackson keeping his word
Preseason football hype in Aggie land went something like this: The defense would be deeper with all starters back, the kicking game would have more leg and distance, and the offense under a new coordinator would be making more visits to the end zone.
But there’s something else to mention here on a more personal player level. Quarterback Leon Jackson III declared we would all see that the 2007 Aggie campaign will be a different one for him – one for the better.
“Past failures don’t dictate future successes,” Jackson said Aug. 10.
Of all the afore-mentioned predictions, Jackson’s statement of his own personal effort is the only one closest to exactness after one game. Against UNLV, an extra point was missed, big plays were given up late in the game by the defense, and the offense fumbled four times.
What about Jackson? Go back with me for a moment to last September. It’s all pretty plain.
The Aggie football team – particularly the offense – was struggling. Though USU was down only 10-7 until the final seconds of the third quarter to the Wyoming Cowboys in the season opener, the defense finally fell apart at the seams in the fourth, and the game was lost 38-7. The Aggies’ lone touchdown came from the defense – a 45-yard interception return by Antonio Taylor.
That offensive scoring drought would continue for three more games. In that four-game span, Jackson threw four interceptions that were all taken straight into the end zone by the other side.
This thorny stretch perhaps reached its peak in Game 3 vs. the University of Utah. The weather was a perfect reflection of the play on the field – absolutely dismal. Just over a minute into the game, Jackson was intercepted the by the Utes’ Eric Shyne, who waltzed 21 yards for a score.
Near the end of the third quarter, Jackson was picked again by the Ute defense. It was returned 45 yards for another touchdown. Head Coach Brent Guy had seen enough, and for the first time in the season, Jackson was benched.
Two games later in a home game against the University of Idaho, Jackson began by completing his first seven passes. But later on, he racked up two more interceptions (one of which was taken back 98 yards for a score). That prompted Guy to replace Jackson with true freshman Riley Nelson for the majority of the remaining season.
Now fast-forward to the present. In the Game 1 loss to UNLV, Jackson completed 13 of 19 passes for 137 yards and zero interceptions. In only one other game of 2006 did Jackson pass for more yardage.
In the second quarter, Jackson completed a critical 27-yard pass to tailback Aaron Lesue that put USU at the UNLV two-yard line, setting up a rushing touchdown by Lesue.
In the final quarter, it was Jackson running for the Aggies’ second and final touchdown of the game. Remember, last season the Aggie offense didn’t see the end zone until the fifth game.
“We had that emotion. There was no thought we were going to lose the game,” Jackson said.
When asked if he thought he played well, Jackson did all he could to defer the attention.
“No. Not really,” he said. “I just play the game. It’s just me out there. I’m not worrying about what happens or anything. All that is the past. The next play is the most important play. I don’t really care about thoughts. Who cares about how I play? I don’t care. We put points on the board and gave ourselves an opportunity to win the game late in the game.”
In the grand scheme of things, it’s only one game of course, but a tempo has been set. If Jackson can keep this up, the 2007 season will certainly be a far cry from last year’s 1-11 nightmare.