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<title>Frank Maile Archives - The Utah Statesman</title>
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<title>Frank Maile Archives - The Utah Statesman</title>
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<title>Report: Aggie players opt-out of Saturday’s game due to USU President’s alleged comments</title>
<link>https://usustatesman.com/report-aggie-players-opt-out-of-saturdays-game-due-to-usu-presidents-comments/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jacob Nielson]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sat, 12 Dec 2020 00:10:40 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[All]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Football]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Aggie football]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Blake Anderson]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Frank Maile]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Noelle Cockett]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[USU Football]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Utah State]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://usustatesman.com/?p=22112841</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Editor’s note: This story was updated to include comments from Utah State University. The Utah State football players have opted…</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/report-aggie-players-opt-out-of-saturdays-game-due-to-usu-presidents-comments/">Report: Aggie players opt-out of Saturday’s game due to USU President’s alleged comments</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Editor’s note: This story was updated to include comments from Utah State University.</em></p>
<p>The Utah State football players have opted to not play its final game which was scheduled for Saturday at Colorado State, stemming from comments that were allegedly made by Utah State president Noelle Cockett.</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://watchstadium.com/utah-state-players-opt-out-of-final-game-due-to-presidents-comments-12-11-2020/">Brett McMurphy of Stadium sports reported in a story Friday afternoon</a> that Aggie football players have opted out due to comments made by Cockett in a conference call Tuesday where she allegedly voiced concerns about interim head coach Frank Maile’s suitability to be the school’s new head coach due to his “faith and cultural background.” </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Maile is Polynesian and a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the predominant religion in the state of Utah. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to McMurphy, players were so “dumbfounded” by Cockett’s comments that they organized a players-only meeting on Friday in which they unanimously agreed to boycott Saturday’s game. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The team issued the following statement to Stadium:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The Utah State football players have decided to opt-out of our game against Colorado State due to ongoing inequality and prejudicial issues between the players, coaches, and the USU administration.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">On Tuesday, December 8th, the Utah State University Football Leadership Council held a zoom meeting with Noelle Cockett, President of USU, and John Hartwell, the Athletic Director. The purpose of the meeting was to have a say in the search for our new head coach. During the meeting, we voiced our support for Interim Head Coach Frank Maile. In response to our comments, their primary concern was his religious and cultural background. Players, stating their diverse faiths and backgrounds, then jumped to Coach Frank Maile’s defense in treating everyone with love, equality, and fairness.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The players added that it was not the first incident of discrimination within the program, sighting a situation just last season. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It is not the first time issues of repeated discrimination have happened. In December 2019, our head equipment manager used a racial slur against one of our African-American teammates. After disregarding the incident, pressure resurfaced to investigate in the summer of 2020. After the investigation, the administration concluded he would continue to be employed.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Yesterday, reports surfaced that Utah State would hire Blake Anderson of Arkansas State to replace Gary Andersen — who was fired on November 7 — to be the head coach of Aggie football. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The players mentioned that the situation had “nothing to do with the hiring of Coach Blake Anderson,” and that they, “look forward to meeting him and his staff.” </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The university released a statement and series of tweets about an hour after the reports surfaced.</span></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The university will take this time to meet with players and hear their concerns in an open dialogue so it can address them.</p>
<p>— Utah State University (@USUAggies) <a href="https://twitter.com/USUAggies/status/1337550404834377728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">“Throughout my professional career and, especially, as president of USU, I have welcomed the opportunity to meet directly and often with students about their experiences."</p>
<p>— Utah State University (@USUAggies) <a href="https://twitter.com/USUAggies/status/1337550406390403073?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">USU also takes issues of racial discrimination seriously, including the incident mentioned in the statement about a USU Athletics employee. USU hired an outside investigator to look into the incident, and took disciplinary action.</p>
<p>— Utah State University (@USUAggies) <a href="https://twitter.com/USUAggies/status/1337550407938162689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>sports@usustatesman.com</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/report-aggie-players-opt-out-of-saturdays-game-due-to-usu-presidents-comments/">Report: Aggie players opt-out of Saturday’s game due to USU President’s alleged comments</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
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<title>Aggies Suffer Another Blowout Loss Against Air Force</title>
<link>https://usustatesman.com/aggies-suffer-another-blowout-loss-against-air-force/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jacob Nielson]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Fri, 04 Dec 2020 08:48:07 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[All]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Football]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Air Force]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Frank Maile]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Jordan Nathan]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[USU Football]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://usustatesman.com/?p=22112685</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>The Air Force Falcons were flying high all night long Thursday, and there didn’t seem to be much Utah State…</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/aggies-suffer-another-blowout-loss-against-air-force/">Aggies Suffer Another Blowout Loss Against Air Force</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p dir="ltr">The Air Force Falcons were flying high all night long Thursday, and there didn’t seem to be much Utah State could do about it.</p>
<p dir="ltr">AFA scored touchdowns on five of their seven drives, utilizing their esteemed option offense to rack up 320 rushing yards to roll to a 35-7 win over an overwhelmed Aggie football team on a freezing December night in Logan.</p>
<p dir="ltr">USU’s offense – which was without starting running back Devontae Henry-Cole and receiver Savon Scarver due to COVID issues – was affected by self-inflicting wounds all night long and failed to sustain drives, resulting in just seven points – tied for their lowest point total of the season.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“The effort was really good by our guys, but the execution wasn’t as good.” said head coach Frank Maile. “With these guys man they eat up the clock and that’s what they do for a living and so it just wasn’t good enough tonight. As the game went on – the offense kind of lost their mojo a little bit as far as trying to be on the field and controlling the clock. Defensively we had opportunities to get off the football field but we couldn’t do it and we left them on the field longer than we wanted to.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The Aggie defense looked committed to stopping the option offense, and appeared like they had a shot at early on- but the big plays killed them. A first-quarter, 23-yard touchdown run by sophomore running back Brad Roberts – who finished with 98 yards on the ground. A second-quarter, 49-yard touchdown pass from sophomore QB Haaziq Daniels to senior receiver Ben Peterson. And another second-quarter touchdown from Daniels, this time a 37-yard touchdown run.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“It’s Air Force so you gotta be disciplined,” said senior linebacker Nick Heninger. You can’t win games if you’re 90 or 95 percent disciplined because if you give up a big play they score, they capitalize and they had three of those in the first half.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">An added element to an already effective rushing attack was Air Force’s passing game Daniels finished with a season-high 127 yards passing on just nine attempts. This kept the Aggie defense unbalanced and unsure what to expect all night long.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“It wasn’t what Air Force usually does,” said Heninger. “We still prepared for any and all situations, but that was for sure an unorthodox game plan for them to pass as much as you did. When you see early success with something, you don’t stop. So they just kept going back to it.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">Offensively things started well for the Aggies. The opening drive was a 15-play 65-yard drive that shaved 8:04 of the clock. Freshman Elelyon Noa was running the ball effectively, and junior quarterback Andrew Peasley – who finished 17/32 on his completions, good for 123 passing yards – was hitting open receivers. The Aggies went 5/5 on third downs, the fifth being a four-yard touchdown pass from Peasley to senior wide receiver Jordan Nathan with 6:56 to go in the quarter.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“I was really impressed,” Maile said about the opening drive. “The touchdown was big time.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">But self-inflicting wounds would hurt the young Aggie offense. Two personal fouls in the first half, an illegal motion penalty, several missed passes, and an interception that negated a potential field goal attempt to end the half – just to name a few mistakes continually got in the Aggies way.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“It was a lot of mental things that we were doing wrong,” said senior receiver Jordan Nathan. “We were dropping balls, trading penalties, and you can’t do that against a team like Air Force.</p>
<p dir="ltr">A pivotal play – if there was such a thing in this game – came with 12:37 left in the third quarter. After the Aggie D had forced Air Force to punt the ball for the first time, USU got the ball back down 21-7 and were putting together a favorable drive. Facing fourth and four from the 29 yard-line, they went for it, but the play blew up, resulted in a turnover on downs.</p>
<p dir="ltr">11 played and 71 yards later, AFA was in the endzone, terminating any aspirations for an Aggie comeback and extending their lead to 28-7 with 4:43 left in the third quarter. After that drive, the USU offense did little, ending drives with a punt, an interception, and a turnover on downs. The Aggies finished the game with a humble 123 passing yards and 109 rushing yards.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“It was a lack of execution,” said Maile about the offense struggles. “Everybody plays a part in that offensively, and so the bottom line is we didn’t execute the way we needed to, and we gave those guys opportunities to get back on the football field, and we played the price for it.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">After yet another blowout loss on this forgettable 2020 season, the 1-5 Aggies now focus on their final game of the season next Saturday at Colorado State.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“We need to get better as a unit and finish out the season strong,” said Nathan. “We need to come to practice prepared, in order to do the right things to win. We are a tough unit, but we are a young unit, so you know when everything going bad you see finger-pointing you see heads down and you can’t have that.”</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/aggies-suffer-another-blowout-loss-against-air-force/">Aggies Suffer Another Blowout Loss Against Air Force</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
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<title>USU football feasts on its first win of the season on Thanksgiving</title>
<link>https://usustatesman.com/usu-football-feasts-on-its-first-win-of-the-season-on-thanksgiving/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Dalton Renshaw]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Fri, 27 Nov 2020 06:03:39 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[All]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Football]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[andrew peasley]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Frank Maile]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Mountain West football]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[New Mexico]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[USU Football]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Utah State]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://usustatesman.com/?p=22112617</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Utah State football carved up the New Mexico defense on Thursday night to take home a Thanksgiving victory, the first…</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/usu-football-feasts-on-its-first-win-of-the-season-on-thanksgiving/">USU football feasts on its first win of the season on Thanksgiving</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Utah State football carved up the New Mexico defense on Thursday night to take home a Thanksgiving victory, the first of the season for the Aggies, by a score of 41-27. Sophomore quarterback Andrew Peasley sauced all over the Lobos and stuffed the New Mexico defense with a career-high 118 yards rushing and 239 yards passing.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the first start of his college career, Peasley breathed some much-needed life into the USU offense after a hugely disappointing opening four games. The sophomore was the catalyst in many fruitful drives for the Aggies in the second half. Utah State trailed 13-6 at the half, but Peasley led the team an unprecedented series of three straight scoring drives in the third quarter. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I thought the offense came out driving the ball, just like we prepared for,” Peasley said. “It’s a really good feeling to be successful as a team, not just the offense, but everyone. A win feels really, really good.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It all started with a 36-yard connection between Peasley and receiver Justin McGriff on a wide-open post route that looked eerily similar to the pattern that McGriff ran just a few weeks ago when he dropped a pass in the endzone against Fresno State. On the next drive, Utah State went 69 yards in just four plays which ended with a 26-yard strike from Peasley to senior receiver Savon Scarver, who broke through the seam to find himself open in the endzone. The third quarter offensive explosion was capped off with a 25-yard pass-and-catch in which tight end Carson Terrell bounced off a tackle at the line of scrimmage and was able to escape to the sideline to put the Aggies up 27-13.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The offense may have been finished scoring, but on the Lobos’ next possession the Aggies forced a fumble and were able to scoop-and-score from 14 yards out, all thanks to Nick Heniger and Shaq Bond who forced the fumble and Kina Maile picked it up and took it to the house. Utah State was rolling, and for the first time this season, had all the confidence and momentum on its side.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s hard to win football games, but any time you can do it as a team in all three phases – offense, defense and special teams – it’s a great feeling,” said interim USU head coach Frank Maile. “I’m proud of our guys. They continue to stay focused and stay hungry. The preparation was awesome this week; they did a great job staying locked in with all the ups and downs that we faced. I couldn’t be prouder to be in charge of this team right now. I love these guys and I’m grateful I’m in charge of them for the time being.” </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">New Mexico fought back in the fourth quarter and closed the gap to 34-27 with 7:08 left in the game, and the Aggie offense cooled down after the pyroclastic display in the third quarter. This was never a worry for Frank Maile, but something to improve on going forward.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The fourth quarter got a little bit tighter than we wanted it to,” Frank Maile said. “Ball security was an issue. We have to continue to harp that and how important that is in winning football games. We gave up too many touchdowns on defense, but finished the game the right way with a takeaway.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Two major plays helped secure the win for Utah State, showing a rise through adversity that hadn’t been shown earlier in the season. After nearly being sacked to force a fourth down punt, Peasley took off scrambling and burst through the New Mexico front seven and past the secondary for a 62-yard score. On the next drive, as New Mexico was driving, third-string quarterback Connor Genal threw a long ball that floated over the receiver and into the hands of freshman safety Luke Marion and the Aggies were able to run out the clock from there.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Utah State will have six days to prepare for its next opponent, Air Force, which comes to Logan Dec. 3 for another Thursday night Mountain West showdown.</span></p>
<hr />
<p>@dren_sports</p>
<p>—sports@usustatesman.com</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/usu-football-feasts-on-its-first-win-of-the-season-on-thanksgiving/">USU football feasts on its first win of the season on Thanksgiving</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
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<title>USU football lands first 0-4 start since 2007</title>
<link>https://usustatesman.com/usu-football-lands-first-0-4-start-since-2007/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jacob Nielson]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 15 Nov 2020 02:29:17 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[All]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Football]]></category>
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<category><![CDATA[Frank Maile]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[fresno state football]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Jason Shelley]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[jaylen warren]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Mountain West]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Utah State Football]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://usustatesman.com/?p=22112295</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>The beginning of the Frank Maile era went similar to the final three games of the Gary Andersen era: A…</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/usu-football-lands-first-0-4-start-since-2007/">USU football lands first 0-4 start since 2007</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The beginning of the Frank Maile era went similar to the final three games of the Gary Andersen era: A double-digit loss at the hands of a conference foe. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Utah State fell to Fresno State 35-16 on Saturday in Logan; the Aggies are now 0-4 on the season for the first time since 2007. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Utah State had a season-high 343 total yards of offense, thanks in part to two first-quarter big plays: An 86-yard touchdown run by Jaylen Warren and a 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Savon Scarver (which doesn’t count toward total yards). But critical mistakes, a lackadaisical pass defense, and utterly incompetent offensive performance in the second half ultimately doomed the Aggies. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It obviously wasn’t the outcome we expected,” said new interim coach Maile. “I thought we started the game strong but it was a little inconsistent in between…we have to do better.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Utah State defense was picked apart by Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener, who went 29-38 passing, good for 4 touchdowns and 422 yards.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Utah State’s quarterback play was less than satisfactory, as junior Jason Shelley threw for an abysmal 9-24 passing, 144 yards and zero touchdowns. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And it certainly did not help that the play-callers on both sides of the ball were out with Covid-19.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Bodie Reeder tested positive so he was out for this week,” said Maile. “Coach (Stacy) Collins who’s been calling the defense tested positive as well.” </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Things went the Aggies way out of the gate as they managed to come up with some big plays. On the first possession of the game, senior Shaq Bond intercepted a pass from Haener in the red zone — the first Aggie-forced turnover of the year — which set the USU offense up at its own 14-yard line. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The subsequent play, senior running back Jaylen Warren found a hole up front, slashed through the Bulldog secondary, and took off 86-yards down the field for the touchdown. To that point, it was the longest touchdown of the season. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fresno State’s offense responded, going 13 plays and 75 yards to the endzone, capping things off with a Heaner nine-yard pass to sophomore Jalen Cropper for the score. Cropper ended the day with 10 receptions for 202 yards and three touchdowns. </span></p>
<div id="attachment_22112300" style="width: 610px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-22112300" class="wp-image-22112300 size-medium" src="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/mg_7820-600x403.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="403" srcset="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/mg_7820-600x403.jpg 600w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/mg_7820-1000x671.jpg 1000w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/mg_7820-300x201.jpg 300w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/mg_7820-1536x1031.jpg 1536w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/mg_7820-1080x725.jpg 1080w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/mg_7820-335x225.jpg 335w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/mg_7820-1050x704.jpg 1050w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/mg_7820-150x101.jpg 150w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/mg_7820-500x335.jpg 500w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/mg_7820.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /><p id="caption-attachment-22112300" class="wp-caption-text">Photo by Dalton Renshaw</p></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The excitement continued, as Savon Scarver returned Fresno’s kickoff 94 yards to the house — his sixth kick return for a Touchdown in his Aggie career, a school record.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I thought we started the game super strong with special teams and the offense,” Maile said. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The next Bulldog possession the Aggies brought pressure, with both cornerback Cameron Lampinks and Elijah Shelton getting to the quarterback. The offense got the ball back up 13-7 at the start of the second quarter. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But that’s when things started to take a turn for the worse. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Warren — who would finish the game with a game-high 136 rushing yards — took off for a 47-yard gain. But at the end of the play, Fresno defensive back Evan Williams forced the ball out, and the Bulldogs recovered, tilting the momentum in the game.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The goal offensively was to protect the football,” Maile said. “It’s unfortunate we weren’t able to do a good job with that.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A gassed Aggie defense (which was on the field for 18 of the 30 minutes in the first half) proceeded to give up a 54-yard touchdown reception from Haener to Cropper to make the score 14-13. </span></p>
<div id="attachment_22112311" style="width: 760px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-22112311" class="wp-image-22112311" src="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/mg_7899-3-600x313.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="391" srcset="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/mg_7899-3-600x313.jpg 600w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/mg_7899-3-1000x521.jpg 1000w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/mg_7899-3-300x156.jpg 300w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/mg_7899-3-1536x801.jpg 1536w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/mg_7899-3-1080x563.jpg 1080w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/mg_7899-3-335x175.jpg 335w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/mg_7899-3-1050x548.jpg 1050w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/mg_7899-3-150x78.jpg 150w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/mg_7899-3-500x261.jpg 500w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/mg_7899-3.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /><p id="caption-attachment-22112311" class="wp-caption-text">Photo by Dalton Renshaw</p></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fresno State scored two more touchdowns in the second quarter, including a 71-yard touchdown pass from Haener to redshirt freshman Josh Kelly. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We needed to stop the big plays and the explosive plays,” said Aggie linebacker A.J. Vongphachanh. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The USU offense tried to narrow a 21-13 gap late in the quarter, as Shelley hit junior receiver Deven Thompkins for a 45-yard completion, just one yard shy of the endzone. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But self-inflicted wounds struck again, as center Demytrick Ali’fua snapped the ball over Shelley’s head, resulting in a 15-yard loss. The Aggies settled for a field goal, and Fresno State took the ball back and cruised down the field in seven plays to make the score 28-16 by halftime. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the third quarter, things got ugly. The Aggie offense was completely inept, mustering just 20 yards of total offense and punted four times. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The root of the problem was the passing game, with Shelley gaining zero yards passing in the quarter and couldn’t seem to evade the Bulldogs’ pressure. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We got to do a better job at the quarterback position,” Maile said. “(Shelley) needs to understand that if he doesn’t feel like he has time he can run…with his legs he’s athletic, he causes people problems.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Knowing the passing game was virtually nonexistent, Fresno State was able to load the box and stop the rushing game. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Warren had just five rushing yards on six carries the rest of the game. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“As long as we’re moving the ball in the air I could care less,” said Warren. “But it’s pretty frustrating when neither is happening.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But the Aggie defense came out in the second half with a higher level of intensity and held Fresno St. to just 50 yards of total offense in the third quarter. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We had a couple of halftime adjustments,” Vongphachanh said. “But overall it was just the little things: communication, being aligned correctly, and limiting the big plays.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The great defensive play kept USU in the game into the 4th quarter, down just twelve points. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">And for a minute it looked like the offense might make it a one-score game. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">With 9:28 to go, Shelley lobbed it up to Thompkins, who managed to climb the latter and make a contested catch for a 38 yard gain. The Aggies were just 29 yards from the endzone. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But for the second time of the day, the Aggies fumbled away a scoring opportunity as Fresno State defensive end David Perales forced the ball out of running back Devontae Henry-Cole’s hands and recovered it with 8:33 to play — terminating any hope of winning USU still retained. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Bulldogs then decided to put a bow on the game, as Heaner connected with Cropper once again, this time for a 44-yard reception with just 5:29 left in the game to go up 35-16, a score that would hold final. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Aggie’s offensive drives in the second half went: Punt, punt, punt, punt, punt, fumble, and turnover on downs. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">But despite the offensive woes, Maile said that switching up the offense this late in the season, “was not an option.” </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Aggies will now try to get their first win of the season Thursday night at Wyoming. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I think we’re close,” said Vongphachanh. “It’s just a matter of cleaning up the little things, evaluate ourselves, and work on the small details that can determine a game.”</span></p>
<hr />
<p>@jacobnielson12</p>
<p>— sports@usustatesman.com</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/usu-football-lands-first-0-4-start-since-2007/">USU football lands first 0-4 start since 2007</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
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<title>Takeaways from Thursday’s USU football press conference</title>
<link>https://usustatesman.com/utah-state-football-offensive-defensive-coordinator-bodie-reeder-stacy-collins-frank-maile-justin-ena/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jason Walker]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 16 Jan 2020 21:36:18 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[All]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Football]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[bodie reeder]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Frank Maile]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Gary Andersen]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Stacy Collins]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://usustatesman.com/?p=22107069</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>On Thursday morning, Utah State football hosted a press conference to introduce new offensive coordinator Bodie Reeder and re-introduce Frank…</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/utah-state-football-offensive-defensive-coordinator-bodie-reeder-stacy-collins-frank-maile-justin-ena/">Takeaways from Thursday’s USU football press conference</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>On Thursday morning, Utah State football hosted a press conference to introduce new offensive coordinator Bodie Reeder and re-introduce Frank Maile and Stacy Collins, who will take over as co-defensive coordinators for Justin Ena. It lasted a little under 20 minutes but there was plenty of information disseminated through Anderson and his newly hired/promoted coordinators.</p>
<p>Here’s some of the highlights.</p>
<h2>Taking his time, thinking it over</h2>
<p>Andersen admitted he isn’t one to overthink his options, a personality trait he said bleeds into his hiring of new staff members.</p>
<p>“Anybody that knows me very well knows I usually make decisions very quickly, and I don’t take a lot of time to think about hires, usually,” Anderson said.</p>
<p>Apparently that changed in his search to fill Mike Sanford Jr.’s vacated offensive coordinator position. Hiring Sanford’s replacement, Reeder, technically was a shorter process than hiring Sanford. It took 22 days after USU re-hired Andersen in 2018 until Sanford hopped on board on New Year’s Eve. Anderson shaved 10 days off that time in hiring Reeder with only 12 days passing after Sanford’s Jan. 3 departure for Minnesota.</p>
<p>Despite this technicality, it seemed to feel longer to Andersen, who called it “a long process” that involved “a bigger group of coaches.” On this go around, Andersen apparently wanted to put more thought into this process than previous tries.</p>
<p>“This time, I thought it was very important that I did everything I could to take my time,” Andersen said.</p>
<p>As far as why Reeder ultimately stood out, Andersen talked about Reeder’s approach to managing the offense in the offseason as well as during the season.</p>
<p>“He looks at the opportunity to be the general manager of the offense as a great opportunity,” Andersen said. “That has to do with recruiting, that has to do with daily communication with not just the quarterbacks but with the offensive line, with the wide receivers and building those relationships. It has to do with being able to look at me and say ‘Listen coach, this is what we’ve got to get today out of practice. We’ve got to be able to do this.’ Building our football school, which is a huge part of our offseason this year.”</p>
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<h2>No more high tempo</h2>
<p>Okay, that isn’t entirely true. When asked about what his offensive style would be, Reeder said the offense would have “multiple tempos,” which could include high tempo at times. But the main implication of that statement Aggies fans should take away is that the 2018 “One minute or less” scoring offense will now be a figment of the past. Instead, Reeder will mold his offense around the skills present in the locker room.</p>
<p>“I want to take advantage of the guys that we have in the room,” Reeder said. “I want to play to the strengths of our offense. We’re going to have multiple tempos, multiple personnel’s and make sure we’re getting the balls to our playmakers in space and the correct fashion in which they need to get it.”</p>
<p>That word, “multiple” came up again a few moments later as Reeder explained he doesn’t believe in having one exact system or book that he carries around and implements with each offense he works with. In short, his offensive system varies.</p>
<p>“We’re going to make sure that we’re multiple and we’ll make sure that we have different schemes that can attack the defense from sideline to sideline and vertically down the field,” Reeder said. “We’re going to have a couple of different run schemes that we can run the ball inside in our zone schemes and outside in our zone schemes and take advantage of gap runs.”</p>
<h2>Quarterback weapons</h2>
<p>For the first time in several years, there will be something of a quarterback battle. When Andersen first walked in the doors and took over in 2018, he left no doubts that Love was the starter and no one else had a shot at beating him out for the first start in 2019 barring injury. Henry Colombi, Love’s backup for the last two years, is now the incumbent starter with Love departing for the draft; but Andersen left the door open this time.</p>
<p>“Right now, Henry is (the starter) because he’s got the upper hand when we go through spring because he’s got those reps,” Andersen said. “But Andrew (Peasley)’s not going to say ‘I don’t want to compete.'”</p>
<p>Peasley, who will be a redshirt sophomore (Colombi a redshirt junior), is coming off a 2019 season-ending injury. Before he went down, Peasley had showed tremendous improvement from his redshirt 2018 season. Two other quarterbacks are also currently on the roster. Freshmen Cooper Legas and Josh Calvin, both three-star QB recruits, just completed their redshirt seasons in 2019 and have a solid year of development under their belts.</p>
<p>Even if Colombi takes advantage of his head start in the QB battle and makes it boring by running away with it in spring ball and fall camp, there’s a possibility for things to still be rather interesting under center. Andersen went out of his way to talk about the athletic ability of both Peasley and Legas.</p>
<p>“There’s some unique athletic ability with two of our quarterbacks,” Andersen said. “They’re elite athletically as far as quarterbacks go.”</p>
<p>The point Andersen tried to make was that, even though Colombi stands as the incumbent, there’s a chance for the offense to use its two very athletically gifted quarterbacks “as a vicious weapon” against opposing defenses. Maybe Andersen spent some time watching the New Orleans Saints since the end of the Aggies’ season.</p>
<h2>Back to co-defensive coordinators</h2>
<p>Last season, with Ena as the lone defensive coordinator, was actually the first time since 2015 that Utah State had just one DC. In 2016 and 2017, Kendrick Shaver and Frank Maile shared those duties, and in 2018 Maile was co-DC with Keith Patterson. The move to a collaboration on defense was a move back to the familiar.</p>
<p>“It’s always been a collaborative effort here and it always will be,” Collins said. “We’ll collaborate with it, we’ll put a gameplan together with it and when we hit those game days on Saturdays, there’ll have a definitive plan of how we’re calling it and working with it, but it will always be a collaborative job with an unbelievable staff.”</p>
<p>Maile and Collins will also be moving back to the defense after being out of position, so to speak. This past season, Maile coached the tight ends while Collins, the inside linebackers coach from 2016-2018, led the running backs and special teams in 2019.</p>
<h2>Base defense shift</h2>
<p>Last season, Utah State consistently ran a 3-3-5 defensive front; three defensive lineman, three linebackers and five defensive backs. It wasn’t technically new as the Aggies had run the front in 2018, but that season also saw plenty of 3-4 fronts. When asked if there would be any changes to the base defense, Maile said the defense would go back to more of the 3-4 fronts seen in 2018.</p>
<p>The main shift that would occur with that change comes with the linebackers and how the defense attacks through them. It’s not just that the defense will go from having three to four LBs, how those linebackers play is altered significantly and affects how the rest of the D operates. The two outside linebackers become edge rushing/containing forces with limited coverage duties. It could help the Aggies generate more of a pass rush and improve outside run defense. Consider that as more of a 3-4 linebacker in 2018, Tipa Galeai had 65 tackles, 13.5 TFLs and 10.0 sacks, but as a rusher in a 3-3-5 base D, he finished the year with just 55 tackles, 9.0 TFLs and 5.0 QB takedowns.</p>
<p>“We really want to bring the attacking style of defense back,” Collins said. “Hard emphasis on the takeaways — we were fortunate in 2018 to lead the nation in takeaways. Three-and-outs, get ourselves off the field and give the offense a chance to get back on, change those paces, put the stress on other defenses. TFLs and sacks and playing great red zone defense.”</p>
<p>Utah State won’t have Galeai to reprise his role from 2018, but Anderson did note that the new defensive approach will be aided by recruiting. Not from this offseason but from this time last year.</p>
<p>“All those young linebackers are now growing and maturing,” Andersen said, “and you saw some of them get many opportunities, especially after (David Woodward) went down. You saw some young faces hop in those spots.”</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>Twitter: @thejwalk67</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/utah-state-football-offensive-defensive-coordinator-bodie-reeder-stacy-collins-frank-maile-justin-ena/">Takeaways from Thursday’s USU football press conference</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
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<title>Udder domination: Utah State defeats North Texas 52-13 to claim New Mexico Bowl title</title>
<link>https://usustatesman.com/udder-domination-utah-state-defeats-north-texas-52-13-to-claim-new-mexico-bowl-title/</link>
<comments>https://usustatesman.com/udder-domination-utah-state-defeats-north-texas-52-13-to-claim-new-mexico-bowl-title/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Daniel Hansen]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 16 Dec 2018 00:47:24 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[All]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Football]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Darwin Thompson]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[David Woodward]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[DJ Williams]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Frank Maile]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Gerold Bright]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Jalen Greene]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Jordan Love]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[New Mexico Bowl]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[North Texas]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Tipa Galea'i]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[USU]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Utah State Aggies]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Utah State Football]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://usustatesman.com/?p=22097156</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>“This is the best team I’ve ever been on.” Utah State backed up junior cornerback DJ Williams’ assessment, dominating in…</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/udder-domination-utah-state-defeats-north-texas-52-13-to-claim-new-mexico-bowl-title/">Udder domination: Utah State defeats North Texas 52-13 to claim New Mexico Bowl title</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This is the best team I’ve ever been on.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Utah State backed up junior cornerback DJ Williams’ assessment, dominating in all facets of the game en route to a 52-13 victory over North Texas to claim the 2018 New Mexico Bowl trophy. Jordan Love led the Aggies with 359 yards on 21 of 43 passing with four TDs and one interception, winning Offensive MVP. Williams nabbed two interceptions to claim Defensive MVP honors.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Winning felt great, so the way we won was really all due to these kids right here,” interim head coach Frank Maile said. “Their preparation and focus with all the changes that went down is really a credit to them and how they want to continue to do what we had been doing all year long. They stuck to the blueprint and that was the outcome of the game.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The fireworks started quickly, with sophomore QB Jordan Love finding senior Aaren Vaughns down the left sideline for a 72-yard touchdown to go up 7-0 in the opening minute. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">North Texas later answered with a penalty-aided drive capped off by a 2-yard TD run by DeAndre Torrey to even the score. On the drive, however, starting QB Mason Fine went down with a hamstring injury, which eventually forced him to leave the game and hampered the Mean Green offense for the remainder of the first half, gaining only 112 yards of offense.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With North Texas’ offense greatly hindered, Utah State began to take control with 31 unanswered points to close out the first half. Senior Gerold Bright scored on a 26-yard run to open the onslaught, with Love shortly following the score with a 9-yard TD run of his own to open the scoring in the second quarter. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After a three-and-out possession from UNT, Vaughns hauled in a 67-yard TD pass from Love for his second TD reception of the day. completing a 67-yard pass to a wide open Jalen Greene for Love’s third TD pass of the half. Kicker Dominik Eberle closed the first half with a 42-yard field goal that put USU up 38-7 heading into the locker room.</span></p>
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<img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-22097161" class="wp-image-22097161 size-medium" src="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/december1518_bowl-game-first-half_01-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/december1518_bowl-game-first-half_01-300x200.jpg 300w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/december1518_bowl-game-first-half_01-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/december1518_bowl-game-first-half_01-500x333.jpg 500w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/december1518_bowl-game-first-half_01-800x533.jpg 800w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/december1518_bowl-game-first-half_01-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/december1518_bowl-game-first-half_01-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/december1518_bowl-game-first-half_01-335x223.jpg 335w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/december1518_bowl-game-first-half_01-1050x700.jpg 1050w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><span class="media-credit"></span> </div>
<p id="caption-attachment-22097161" class="wp-caption-text">Gerold Bright runs the ball into the endzone for USU’s second touchdown of the game against North Texas.</p></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I don’t really feel that we did anything different,” Williams said. “I feel like our captains really stepped up even more. They’ve been stepping up season, but we have real good leaders and our seniors, like Gaje (Ferguson) and (Jontrell Rocquemore), they really stepped up and helped coach.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the deficit, North Texas came out in the second half attempting to spark a comeback. Backup quarterback Kason Martin found WR Jalen Guyton for a 75-yard TD on the first play of the second half. With NT threatening a comeback, a strip sack by junior Tipa Galeai and fourth-down stop by the Aggies derailed any momentum for the Mean Green.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A 3-yard TD run from Bright followed by a 13-yard TD throw from Love to senior Ron’quavion Tarver pushed the Aggies’ lead to 52-13, the seventh time this season that USU eclipsed the 50-point mark for a single game. As the clock ran out, the team spilled onto the field to celebrate and hoist the New Mexico Bowl trophy.</span></p>
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<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-22097158" class="size-medium wp-image-22097158" src="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/december1518_bowl-game-first-half_06-241x300.jpg" alt="" width="241" height="300" srcset="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/december1518_bowl-game-first-half_06-241x300.jpg 241w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/december1518_bowl-game-first-half_06-802x1000.jpg 802w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/december1518_bowl-game-first-half_06-500x623.jpg 500w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/december1518_bowl-game-first-half_06-800x998.jpg 800w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/december1518_bowl-game-first-half_06-1280x1596.jpg 1280w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/december1518_bowl-game-first-half_06-1920x2394.jpg 1920w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/december1518_bowl-game-first-half_06-335x418.jpg 335w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/december1518_bowl-game-first-half_06-1050x1309.jpg 1050w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 241px) 100vw, 241px" /><span class="media-credit"></span> </div>
<p id="caption-attachment-22097158" class="wp-caption-text">Jalen Greene makes a touchdown after a long pass from quarterback, Jordan Love, during their game against North Texas in the New Mexico Bowl Game.</p></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“RIght now, they’re going crazy in the locker room and so hopefully the celebration has calmed down so we can leave,” Maile said. “But those guys have done a great job leaving a legacy behind and something for the younger guys to move forward on as they continue their climb and their journey and leaving their mark and their legacy here at Utah State… I appreciate our seniors and their leadership and their commitment level to excellence and assisting us and getting us to where we are today.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bright and junior Darwin Thompson finished with 103 and 93 yards rushing, respectively, to lead the Aggies in rushing, with Bright also adding two TDs. Greene led USU in receiving with a career-high 151 yards receiving on six receptions, while Vaughns added 109 yards receiving on two catches.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sophomore David Woodward led the Aggie defense with 10 total tackles, plus an interception. Junior Tipa Galeai, despite playing only the second half due to suspension, finished with two sacks in the game to bring his season total to 10.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The defense is set up for everybody to make plays, so as long as everybody does their job, everyone gets a piece of the pie,” Maile said. “That’s what it was built to do and it starts up front and works its way to the back. It’s a defensive thing. It’s it’s a brotherhood. These guys have put in a lot of work and a lot of emphasis into doing their job and doing it fast and that’s the outcome you see today.”</span></p>
<div id="attachment_22097157" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignnone"> <div class="media-credit-container alignnone" style="max-width: 310px">
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-22097157" class="wp-image-22097157 size-medium" src="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/december1518_bowl-game-full-game_21-300x267.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="267" srcset="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/december1518_bowl-game-full-game_21-300x267.jpg 300w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/december1518_bowl-game-full-game_21-1000x889.jpg 1000w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/december1518_bowl-game-full-game_21-500x444.jpg 500w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/december1518_bowl-game-full-game_21-800x711.jpg 800w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/december1518_bowl-game-full-game_21-1280x1137.jpg 1280w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/december1518_bowl-game-full-game_21-1920x1706.jpg 1920w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/december1518_bowl-game-full-game_21-335x298.jpg 335w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/december1518_bowl-game-full-game_21-1050x933.jpg 1050w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><span class="media-credit"></span> </div>
<p id="caption-attachment-22097157" class="wp-caption-text">Aaron Wade catches an interception during the third quarter of the New Mexico Bowl Game.</p></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The offense set several records during the game, with Love setting the all-time program record for touchdowns responsible for with 39 TDs, and Eberle setting the program record for total points scored with 141.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We have explosive playmakers everywhere,” Love said. “It’s hard to stop. It’s also hard to stop our tempo. We’ve been doing it all year. Our offense is just able to really demolish some defenses and this is just fun to be part of.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The win ties the program record for wins in a season with 11, and gives Utah State their first bowl victory since 2014, when the Aggies also won the New Mexico Bowl with a 21-6 win over UTEP. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I think this is gonna be a season,” Love said, “that everybody on this team will be able to look back on their whole life and be able to think ‘we did a great job the whole season…’ Finishing with 11 wins and a bowl game, it’s great feeling.”</span></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/udder-domination-utah-state-defeats-north-texas-52-13-to-claim-new-mexico-bowl-title/">Udder domination: Utah State defeats North Texas 52-13 to claim New Mexico Bowl title</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
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<title>Utah State football set to play North Texas in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl</title>
<link>https://usustatesman.com/utah-state-football-set-to-play-north-texas-in-the-gildan-new-mexico-bowl/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Daniel Hansen]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 02 Dec 2018 20:41:33 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[All]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Football]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Frank Maile]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Matt Wells]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[New Mexico Bowl]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[North Texas football]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[North Texas Mean Green]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Seth Littrell]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[USU]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Utah State Aggies]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Utah State Football]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://usustatesman.com/?p=22096734</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>After finishing the regular season at 10-2, Utah State is scheduled to play in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl on…</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/utah-state-football-set-to-play-north-texas-in-the-gildan-new-mexico-bowl/">Utah State football set to play North Texas in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
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<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After finishing the regular season at 10-2, Utah State is scheduled to play in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl on December 15th versus North Texas. It’s the Aggies’ seventh bowl berth in eight seasons.</span></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/15.0.3/72x72/1f6a8.png" alt="🚨" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />2018 New Mexico Bowl<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/15.0.3/72x72/1f6a8.png" alt="🚨" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /></p>
<p><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/15.0.3/72x72/1f3c8.png" alt="🏈" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /><a href="https://twitter.com/USUFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USUFootball</a> vs <a href="https://twitter.com/MeanGreenFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MeanGreenFB</a><br />
<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/15.0.3/72x72/1f4c5.png" alt="📅" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />Saturday, Dec. 15th<br />
<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/15.0.3/72x72/1f551.png" alt="🕑" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> Noon MST<br />
<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/15.0.3/72x72/1f4cd.png" alt="📍" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />Dreamstyle Stadium<br />
<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/15.0.3/72x72/1f4fa.png" alt="📺" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /><a href="https://twitter.com/espn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@espn</a> <a href="https://t.co/xwuW9PMaDf">pic.twitter.com/xwuW9PMaDf</a></p>
<p>— New Mexico Bowl (@NMBowl) <a href="https://twitter.com/NMBowl/status/1069330444930318336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2018</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The match-up poses a rematch of former conference opponents, as Utah State played North Texas a total of seven times from 1996 through 2004 as members of the Big West Conference and the Sun Belt Conference. USU leads the all-time series 4-3.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Aggies only other trip to the New Mexico Bowl came in 2014, when USU defeated UTEP 21-6 to finish 10-4 on the season. QB Kent Myers and LB Zach Vigil were named MVPs of the game.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">North Texas finished the season 9-3, including wins over Arkansas and Florida Atlantic, the second straight season the Mean Green have finished with at least nine wins. This will be North Texas’ third straight bowl in as many seasons, and the program’s first trip to the New Mexico Bowl.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Utah State will be coached by interim head coach Frank Maile for the game, after head coach Matt Wells departed for the same position at Texas Tech last week. According to USU athletic director John Hartwell, Wells will still be involved in the team’s bowl preparation.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kickoff is scheduled for Saturday, December 15th at noon. The game will be televised on ESPN.</span></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/utah-state-football-set-to-play-north-texas-in-the-gildan-new-mexico-bowl/">Utah State football set to play North Texas in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
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<title>Utah State football adds seven to staff</title>
<link>https://usustatesman.com/utah-state-football-adds-seven-to-staff-2/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Thomas Sorenson]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 11 Feb 2016 02:01:11 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[All]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Football]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Aggie football]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[David Kotulski]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Frank Maile]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Javon Bouknight]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Julius Brown]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Kendrick Shaver]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Luke Wells]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Matt Wells]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Stever Farmer]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[USU Aggies]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[USU Athletics]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Utah State Football]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://usustatesman.com/?p=22005272</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>The Utah State football team continues to overhaul its coaching staff after a flurry of changes this offseason. Wednesday USU…</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/utah-state-football-adds-seven-to-staff-2/">Utah State football adds seven to staff</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Utah State football team continues to overhaul its coaching staff after a flurry of changes this offseason.</p>
<p>Wednesday USU announced the hiring of Julius Brown as the team’s new cornerbacks coach.</p>
<p>Tuesday the Aggies announced the hiring of Steve Farmer as the offensive line coach and the promotion of Jovon Bouknight to co-offensive coordinator along with Luke Wells. Wells will now coach the quarterbacks instead of the tight ends.</p>
<p>Utah State is still without a running back coach and director of player personnel. In all, USU has announced seven additions or promotions to its 15-member staff since Jan. 14. Last year, the coaching staff had 22 members.</p>
<p>Brown played at Boise State before working on the team as a graduate assistant from 2006-2008. In 2009 he became the director of player personnel. Brown left that position in 2012 to be cornerbacks coach at Troy before moving to Arkansas State for the same position and recruiting coordinator in 2013. Brown then moved back to Boise as the secondary coach and recruiting coordinator for two seasons before accepting the job at Utah State.</p>
<p>“We are excited to add Julius to the Aggie football family,” said Aggie head coach Matt Wells. “He brings a lot of experience to our staff and team as both a secondary coach and former defensive back, and also has a reputation as an outstanding recruiter. He possesses key knowledge of the Mountain West that will aid us moving forward in our quest to win a conference championship.”</p>
<p>During Brown’s other coaching experiences, he has been a part of five conference championships and nine bowl games.</p>
<p>“I am thrilled to get the opportunity to work with Utah State football, Coach Wells and his staff,” Brown said. “Utah State has a tradition of developing and producing NFL talent in the secondary and on the defensive side of the ball, and my goal will be to continue that trend moving forward as we strive to win the Mountain West Championship.”</p>
<div id="attachment_22005264" style="width: 160px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/steve-farmer.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-22005264"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-22005264" class="aligncenter wp-image-22005264" src="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/steve-farmer-150x150.jpg" alt="Steve Farmer.jpg" width="150" height="150" data-uniq-id="abfd5" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-22005264" class="wp-caption-text">Steve Farmer Photo credit: Emerald Harris/ULM Photo Services</p></div>
<p>Farmer brings 17 years of coaching experience – including nine as an offensive coordinator – to the USU staff. He spent the past five seasons as the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at Louisiana-Monroe.</p>
<p>“Steve has an extensive background in playing and <span class="il">coaching</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> the offensive line, as well as success as an offensive coordinator,” Matt Wells said. “He fits very well into our scheme and has had experience in spread offenses and coordinating the run game.</span>”</p>
<p>Farmer played center for Northeastern Oklahoma A&M junior college before transferring to Illinois State for his final two seasons. He was named first-team all-Missouri Valley Football Conference as a center following his senior season.</p>
<p>In addition to his role as offensive coordinator, Farmer spent the past four seasons as the offensive line coach and he has coached the line for 12 of the past 15 years.</p>
<p>“I am excited to have the opportunity to be a part of Utah State <span class="il">football</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> and </span><span class="il">coach</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> in the Mountain West,” Farmer said. “I am impressed with the success the </span><span class="il">football program has had under </span><span class="il">Coach (Matt) </span><span class="apple-converted-space">Wells and I am very grateful to be a part of Aggie Nation.”</span></p>
<p>Bouknight has been a member of the USU coaching staff for the past eight seasons, working with the wide receivers for the past six. He will continue to work with the receivers while joining Luke Wells as co-offensive coordinator.</p>
<div id="attachment_22005265" style="width: 160px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/jovon-bouknight7a2271.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-22005265"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-22005265" class="aligncenter wp-image-22005265" src="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/jovon-bouknight7a2271-150x150.jpg" alt="Jovon Bouknight7A2271.jpg" width="150" height="150" data-uniq-id="f607a" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-22005265" class="wp-caption-text">Jovon Bouknight Photo credit: Utah State Football</p></div>
<p>“We are excited to announce Jovon and Luke as our co-offensive coordinators,” Matt Wells said. “They both have extensive experience in our offense and have been successful position coaches during their time at Utah State.”</p>
<div id="attachment_22005266" style="width: 160px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/luke-wells3b8727.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-22005266"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-22005266" class="aligncenter wp-image-22005266" src="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/luke-wells3b8727-150x150.jpg" alt="Luke Wells3B8727.jpg" width="150" height="150" data-uniq-id="d000a" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-22005266" class="wp-caption-text">Luke Wells Photo credit: Utah State Football</p></div>
<p>Luke Wells, who has worked as the tight ends coach the past three seasons in addition to his responsibilities as co-offensive coordinator, will now work as the quarterbacks coach.</p>
<p>Utah State announced other changes to the staff in January.</p>
<p>Frank Maile and Kendrick Shaver were announced as co-defensive coordinators, while David Kotulski was announced as the team’s linebackers coach.</p>
<p>Maile, who graduated from USU in 2007, spent the past two seasons as the defensive line coach at Vanderbilt. He was on the USU coaching staff from 2009-13, the first two years as a graduate assistant and the last two as defensive line coach, before his time in Tennessee.</p>
<div id="attachment_22005267" style="width: 160px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/0020.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-22005267"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-22005267" class="aligncenter wp-image-22005267" src="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/0020-150x150.jpg" alt="0020" width="150" height="150" data-uniq-id="56d1d" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-22005267" class="wp-caption-text">Frank Maile Photo credit: Utah State Football</p></div>
<p>“Frank did a tremendous job at Vanderbilt helping to improve that defense and I have great confidence that he will continue to do special things here with our Aggie defense moving forward,” Wells said.</p>
<p>Shaver has been the cornerbacks coach at USU since 2011. He will move to safeties coach along with his promotion to co-defensive coordinator.</p>
<div id="attachment_22005268" style="width: 160px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/kendrick-shaver.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-22005268"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-22005268" class="aligncenter wp-image-22005268" src="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/kendrick-shaver-150x150.jpg" alt="Kendrick Shaver.jpg" width="150" height="150" data-uniq-id="64cf0" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-22005268" class="wp-caption-text">Kendrick Shaver Photo credit: Utah State Football</p></div>
<p>“I’m excited to also announce the position of co-defensive coordinator to Kendrick Shaver,” Matt Wells said. “It’s a reflection of his tremendous work in the secondary with our defensive backs, his knowledge of our system and his loyalty to this program.”</p>
<p>Kotulski’s hiring is also a homecoming of sorts as he spent two seasons as the defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach at USU in 2003 and 2004.</p>
<div id="attachment_22005269" style="width: 160px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/david-kotulski.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-22005269"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-22005269" class="aligncenter wp-image-22005269" src="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/david-kotulski-150x150.jpg" alt="David Kotulski.jpg" width="150" height="150" data-uniq-id="864e7" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-22005269" class="wp-caption-text">David Kotulski Photo credit: Utah State Football</p></div>
<p>Most recently, Kotulski spent the 2014 season as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Vanderbilt with Maile. Prior to that, Kotulski was the linebackers coach at Stanford. The Cardinal appeared in consecutive Rose Bowls in his two seasons as a coach there.</p>
<p>“I’m excited to come back to Cache Valley and be part of all the positive things that have been accomplished with this great program in the recent past,” Kotulski said.</p>
<p>The Aggies will begin spring practices in March. The opening game of the 2016 season will be in Logan against Weber State on Sept. 1.</p>
<p><i>— thomas.sorenson@aggiemail.usu.edu</i></p>
<p><i> Twitter: @tomcat340</i></p>
<p><i>— kalen.s.taylor@gmail.com</i></p>
<p><i>Twitte: @kalen_taylor</i></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/utah-state-football-adds-seven-to-staff-2/">Utah State football adds seven to staff</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
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