Plenty at stake as USU travels to play Lousiana Tech Saturday
Hard as it may be, Gary Andersen and his Utah State (2-3, 0-1 WAC) Aggies will look to move on from the program’s historic win over Brigham Young last Friday night, traveling to play the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (1-4, 0-1 WAC) on Saturday in an early season conference clash that could make or break USU’s bowl game hopes.
For the Aggies, the prospect of evening their record at 3-3 would not only represent the best first half of a USU football season since the 1983 season, but it would be the first time since 2007 in which the team has put together consecutive wins. A victory in Ruston, which would bring the Aggies to within three wins of bowl eligibility, would also alleviate Andersen’s team from one of its perennial failings – winning on the road.
“This is a WAC game, and a very important game,” Andersen said at his Monday press conference. “It is a home game for (Louisiana Tech), and we have to go on the road and play where we haven’t played well. We have won one road game since we have been here as a staff. The young men in this program have not had success on the road.”
Utah State’s one win on the road during Andersen’s tenure came against Idaho in the season finale last season, although after the first month of the 2010 season, the Aggies would appear to be the favorite heading into Saturday’s tangle with the Bulldogs. Not only did USU defeat a bowl-bound Louisiana Tech team by a final score of 23-21 in Logan last season, but Andersen’s Aggies will be facing a struggling Tech team this season.
After a promising start to the year with a win over Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) member Grambling, the Bulldogs have dropped four straight games, including a 41-21 loss at Hawaii last Saturday. The Bulldogs have had a tough time adjusting to first-year head coach Sonny Dykes’ spread offensive system, and continue to experience instability at the quarterback position. Both sophomore Colby Cameron and Tarik Hakmi have seen time at the position for Dykes, but both quarterbacks have thrown more interceptions than touchdowns so far this season.
“We have tried to find the best combination of players at certain positions and the quarterback position is not any different,” Dykes said when asked about his quarterbacks’ struggles. “I think that has probably slowed our growth a little bit.”
Dykes has yet to name a starter for Saturday’s game, but the former Arizona offensive coordinator will likely turn to senior Ross Jenkins for at least a period of Saturday’s game. Jenkins performed admirably when he came off the bench against Hawaii last week, hitting 19-of-26 passes for 215 yards and two scores.
Despite the fact that the Bulldogs have lost four straight games and face continued uncertainty at the quarterback position, Dykes said his team will not be lost for motivation when it comes to playing the Aggies.
“Our kids are going to be excited to be home and I think we’ll play well,” Dykes said. “We’re hungry and our guys feel like they haven’t played as well as they are capable of playing up to this point.”
All of Tech’s four losses have come to teams which currently have winning records, a point not lost on Utah State’s head coach.
“What I see is a team that is much better than their record in my opinion,” Andersen said. “They have played some tough teams, and have been hanging in there and playing extremely hard. I don’t see it being any different when we go in there to their place.”
Andersen cautioned about putting too much into his team’s win over BYU and the Aggies’ improved record. With injuries continuing to pile up – including the announcement that senior running back Michael Smith will not be returning this season – Andersen said talent alone will not guarantee victory come Saturday.
“We are not a team that can sit back and say ‘well, our athletic ability will get us through this game,'” Andersen said. “In no way, shape or form are we even close to that form. We need to get our best guys on the field, and be creative with our game plans as a coaching staff.”
Aside from not having Smith in the lineup against the Bulldogs, Andersen also announced that USU will be without defensive lineman Daniel Gurrola. Injured starters or not, Andersen isn’t making excuses for any potential letdown the Aggies might have on Saturday, and maintains that as long as the players execute the gameplans on offense, defense and special teams, his team will be successful.
“We keep getting those starters hit, and taken out of the starting lineup, but it is an opportunity for more young men to step up and play. It is not easy to deal with, but it is the way it is,” he said.
Andersen continued, saying, “If the Aggies go out and take care of the Aggies, execute, and play as a team, we will have a chance to beat anyone on our schedule.”
Saturday’s game will begin at 2 p.m. MST and can be seen locally on the Altitude television network, and also viewed online at ESPN3.com.
– adamnettina@aggiemail.usu.edu