Stretching the ‘D’
The USU defense will get its last chance to solidify its starting lineup today as the Aggies – weather permitting – play the annual Blue-White game at 6:30 in Romney Stadium.
“We’re plugging along,” said defensive coordinator Kraig Paulson.
The defense is trying to improve on last year, which it finished 93rd in scoring defense
The Blue-White game will pit the Aggies’ No. 1 team vs. the No. 2 team.
“We’ve got to come out of the spring feeling confident,” Dennehy said of the entire team.
As for the defense, Dennehy said he could see the young defensive line coming together, and the secondary will be deep. Seven starters are returning from last year – plus linebacker Tony Newson and defensive back Aminifu Johnson, who would have been starters last year, return after season-ending injuries.
Paulson said the defense’s consistency level has steadily increased.
“There’ve been some good moments,” he said. But there have also been mistakes.
The good part of spring ball is coaches can correct mistakes, Paulson said. And the communications gap between the players and the coaches has been closed from last spring to this.
The coach, in his second year as defensive coordinator, likes how the potent Aggie offensive allows the defense to find weaknesses and correct them.
For example, in Monday’s scrimmage, fullback J.R. Suguturaga romped for 32 yards before he could be brought down. It was the first time the USU offense handed off to the full back in the three weeks of spring workouts.
“That’s a part of football,” Paulson said. “You have to be ready for anything.”
They might have to face everything tonight in what will be the second-to-last spring football workout, as they will have a make-upon Monday.
Paulson said the coaches will look at film and decide what corrections they should work on for Monday.