State Your Case: USU becoming a football school?
It has been a long time coming, but I feel confident this season that Utah State is in fact a football school. Last year, the Aggies went to a bowl game for the first time since 1997. Many of the freshman on campus were barely potty-trained for that 1997 bowl game.
Last year, I would have been hesitant to call us a football school. This year, however, we deserve the title. We had three players drafted into the NFL last season, and even with those losses we are looking even better than last year.
The Aggies are bowl eligible for the second-straight season and on track to have a nine or ten-win season. Not to mention, we are one of the favorites to win the WAC championship.
If you would have told me this back when I was a freshman, I’d have laughed orange juice out of my nose.
Utah State is also now relevant in the in-state recruiting battle against Utah and that other school down South. Top recruits from Utah are looking at Utah State as their favorite, whereas in previous years they would only consider the Aggies if they didn’t receive offers from U of U and
BYU.
Not to take anything away from our basketball program: We all know they are amazing and are looking to have an absolutely stellar year again this year. That being said, we aren’t just a basketball school anymore. Coach Andersen, our Athletics Director Scott Barnes and President Albrecht have put a lot of money and effort into the football program, and it’s definitely paying off.
Disagree? Tweet at me bro.
– kylekheywood@gmail.com
Twitter: @heywood_kyle
A few years ago, the Utah State Athletic Department made one of numerous concentrated efforts over time to “civilize” the Spectrum a little more. The classic “you suck” cheer was banned, with the kinder “you fail” replacing it.
I’ll let your inquiring minds fill in the blanks as to the sound when both cheers were mixed, but the result reminded us of a simple truth: You just can’t beat the Spectrum.
I’ll admit: This year, I counted down two weeks for basketball instead of all the usual fall football-enduring months. But where did the cheers come from? What do we compare the fan support to? How long has the fanaticism been going? What do they still know us the nationwide for?
Don’t get me wrong. As a lifelong Aggie fan, I doubt few have enjoyed our recent success on the gridiron as much as I have. But football needs to beat out the “you fail” stage before we claim ourselves a football school and all-around sports juggernaut.
Several things need to happen before we level the playing field.
1. Gary Andersen stays for the duration of his contract, becoming an Aggie legend and joining Stew Morrill and Merlin Olsen in the Holy Trinity of Aggie sports.
2. ESPN lists Romney Stadium as one of the toughest places to play, including during the zero degree weather and snow that is coming.
3. We win a conference that has more than two other non-pee-wee teams.
4. We consistently go to bowl games that aren’t named after a vegetable and win them.
5. I get married – meaning this could take a long time.
Until these events happen, I’m sticking with the Spectrum and Aggie basketball.
– m.hop@aggiemail.usu.edu
Twitter: @LegendaryMHops