More than a win on the line for USU, BYU
As if the 80th meeting of Brigham Young and Utah State could get any more intriguing, the Cougars (1-3, 0-1 MWC) and Aggies (1-3, 0-1 WAC) will lace up the cleats tonight with the knowledge that a loss could spell a swift end to any hope for a postseason berth.
Just don’t tell the coaches from the two teams, who have downplayed the importance of the fiercely contested rivalry.
“In my mind, (this) is not a make-or-break game,” said Cougar head coach Bronco Mendenhall, who has come under fire this season for employing a two-quarterback system with freshman Jake Heaps and former Utah State quarterback Riley Nelson. Nelson is out for the season because of injury; Heaps will start against the Aggies.
“Certainly a win is what we’re shooting for and what we will prepare for, but I have said all along that I think this is going to be a longer process than what many would like it to be, but I think the direction is the right direction,” Mendenhall added.
Utah State defensive coordinator Bill Busch was singing a similar tune at Monday’s press conference, warning against putting too much significance in the opponent and the setting while maintaining that tonight’s game is just as important as any other game on the schedule.
“It is a home game, it is a big game,” Busch said. “It doesn’t matter who the opponent is, all we really care about is the Aggies.”
Despite playing it cool, the stakes couldn’t be higher for Mendenhall or Andersen, who are each leading injury-riddled teams in the nationally televised matchup. For Utah State, tonight’s game represents a chance to break a 10-game losing streak to its in-state foe. For Brigham Young, a win would give the Cougars much-needed momentum heading into conference play. It’s momentum the Cougars could desperately use given their slow start to the season, the program’s worst since 2005.
BYU’s problems – which have been highlighted by an anemic and turnover-prone offense – were only compounded after last Saturday’s 27-13 loss to Nevada. The Cougars lost two key defensive starters in that game, linebacker Jameson Frazier (15 tackles, 1.5 for a loss) and tackle Romney Fuga (15 tackles, 0.5 sacks). The loss of the 6’2”, 307-pound Fuga figures to hit the Cougars especially hard, and leaves the middle of BYU’s otherwise stout defense susceptible to the Aggie running attack.
Aside from the two defensive injuries, the Cougars will also be without tight end O’Neill Chambers, who will be serving the second game of a two-game suspension. The junior, who was moved to tight end from wide receiver prior to the team’s week three matchup against Florida State, had caught five balls this season.
While Utah State will be facing a wounded and slumping Cougar team, the Aggies aren’t in much better shape. The optimism after the team’s near-upset of nationally ranked Oklahoma in week one has since faded in back to back losses to Fresno State and San Diego State, with the most recent setback occurring in blowout fashion. Not only did the Aggies give up 28 unanswered points to the Aztecs to begin the game, but the team suffered another major injury when left tackle Spencer Johnson went down.
Johnson, a four-year starter and USU’s best offensive lineman, is expected to miss a significant amount of time due to the injury. According to USU center Tyler Larsen, Johnson’s injury is a major setback for a team that lost its top running back and wide receiver even before the year began, although the members of the offensive line have confidence that they can move on with the season.
“Obviously it’s a big loss for us,” Larsen said. “We have confidence in everyone who plays on the field with us. If one guy goes down we know that there is another talented player coming in to replace him. We are very comfortable with our offensive line.”
The Aggies have several other personnel question marks going into the game, including the status of linebacker Junior Keiaho, who missed last Saturday’s game while serving a suspension. Likewise, kicker/punter Peter Caldwell’s status remains up in the air, while it remains to be seen if banged-up defensive backs Chris Randle and Rajric Coleman will be able to play the entire game. Even with the injury toll, Busch said there is no excuse for not executing, and refused to attribute USU’s lack of success this season to injuries.
“We have a lot of injuries, there is no doubt about that,” he said. “There are a lot of guys not playing in the game, but that will never come up in our conversation. We get 11 guys out there and they just need to play.”
Beating BYU would be the ideal place to start if Utah State is to turn the season around. With No. 3 Boise State and No. 25 Nevada still on the schedule, the Aggies face a daunting second half of the season, with each win now becoming all the more important if the Aggies are going to get to the prerequisite six wins to become bowl eligible.
Nevertheless, even with the feeling that the clock may be ticking on their once-promising start, USU’s players are taking the season one game at a time, and attempting to stay even-keel even amidst the excitement of playing one of the school’s biggest rivals.
“It’s a big game,” Larsen said. “It’s been a long time since Utah State would dominate and win these games. Right now we need this game to bounce back. Obviously it’s an in-state rival and we want to start winning these games.”
– adamnettina@aggiemail.usu.edu
(CAPTION: UTAH STATE DEFENDERS chase down BYU running back Harvey Unga during last year’s game in Provo. The Aggies have lost ten straight games to BYU, including a 35-17 loss to the Cougars in Provo last season. BYU (1-3) is off to its worst start since 2005 this year, and without Unga, who was dismissed from the team prior to the season because of an honor code violation. Statesman file photo)