Sun Belt foe awaits Aggies
With the recent announcement of its acceptance to join the Sun Belt Conference, it is only fitting that the Utah State University Aggies will face off this weekend against future conference foe, the University of Louisiana Monroe.
Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. Saturday in Monroe, La.
After last week’s dramatic win, the Aggies face an embattled Indians team that lost its head coach to resignation after an 0-3 start, and is 1-5 on the season. The Aggies, who currently have a record of 2-5, are facing the Indians for the first time in what will soon be a yearly rivalry.
The Indians may not seem to be much of a threat, but the Aggies are not looking past anybody on their schedule.
“I am sure that the University of Louisiana Monroe is a team that, much like our team, is getting better every week,” said USU Head Coach Mick Dennehy in his weekly press conference. “They have been pretty impressive the last three ball games in terms of them believing in themselves, them working hard [and] them being close to winning. I think they are a team, from that standpoint, that is very, very dangerous, especially with a tough road trip on our part.”
The Aggies will look to play the role of spoiler, as this week will be the Indians homecoming game.
“It’s one of the biggest games because we know the student body and all the parents are there,” said La-Monroe cornerback Seneca Lee in Louisiana Monroe’s weekly press conference. “Especially since Utah State will be in our conference next year, we can’t let them come into our house and let them think they will win conference next year,”
This game will be the Aggies’ first look at a Sun Belt team this season. All-time, the Aggies hold a 43-20-2 record against Sun Belt teams. This game will be the first of two games the Aggies will play against Sun Belt teams they have never faced before.
“It gives us the opportunity to find out what kind of team Utah State has, other than film,” said Indians’ Interim Head Coach Mike Collins during the press conference. “We’ll find out what kind of football team they are, and maybe they’ll find the kind of players they need to compete for a conference championship. That’s what we’re hoping.”
Collins took over the head coaching position at Louisiana Monroe when former Head Coach Bobby Keasler voluntarily stepped down. Keasler decided it was time for him to resign, and said he hoped his resignation would bring new life to the program.
Keasler announced his decision on Sept. 18, and Collins was immediately named interim head coach for the rest of the season. Collins was previously the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator.
If history is any indication, the Aggies should fare well in this first meeting, as the team is 3-1 during Dennehy’s tenure when they face a new opponent.
This weekend will also be a reunion as current Indian receivers coach Mike Trevathan will have the opportunity to face off against his old team, the Aggies. Trevathan was an assistant coach with the Aggies in 2000 and 2001.
Wide receiver Kevin Curtis will have the opportunity to move up the team’s receiving lists with a big game. Curtis needs 26 catches and 460 yards in USU’s last four games to become the Aggies’ all-time leading receiver. Currently, Kendal Smith, who played for the Aggies from 1985-88, holds the record. Curtis can set the record in 22 games, while Smith set his records in 44 games.
Aggie linebacker Jesse Busta can also continue his climb up the leader board this weekend. With nine tackles, he will move into fourth place on the all-time list. If Busta can amass 96 tackles in the last four games, he too can claim the top spot in Aggie history as the all-time leading tackler. With 16 tackles he will become the third Aggie in history to record three 100-tackle seasons.
All records aside, the Aggies still have one thing in mind, to win the game.
“We need to make sure this is not the end-all,” Dennehy said. “This is not as good as it gets. The kids are excited, but hopefully this is just the beginning and we need to look at it that way, obviously.
“We have some challenges ahead of us that we haven’t been able to accomplish at certain points this year [and] that is to win on the road,” he said.
-jwhigg@cc.usu.edu