Utah State looking to end 52-year losing run to Aztecs
There are four undefeated football teams left in the Mountain West heading into week four. On Saturday, Utah State football travels to San Diego to take on one of them.
San Diego State is riding a three-game win streak with wins against Weber State, UCLA and New Mexico State. Those three schools are a combined 1-8, so the 3-0 start comes with a slight asterisk. However, don’t let the poor opposition fool you into thinking that the Aztecs aren’t a good team. On the defensive side of the ball, the team still might be the most feared in the Mountain West.
“They catch you behind the line of scrimmage, they tip a pass, they pop a gap on you in those situations and those settings,” Utah State head coach Gary Andersen said. “So it’s difficult to prepare for and hopefully our offense can do a nice job of protecting the quarterback and getting something going in the run game. I think that’s a huge part of this game for us.”
It might seem daunting to face a defense that’s only giving up 42.3 yards per game on the ground, but Utah State has some really capable running backs. The two-headed attack from last season lives on through senior Gerold Bright and junior Jaylen Warren, who have 355 yards gained and five touchdowns between them. This amount of rushing support will be much welcomed this go-around because the Aggies had no rushing attack the last time these two teams crossed paths, or any true semblance of an offense at all.
It was late October 2016, at then Romney Stadium in Logan, Utah and the home team gained just 71 yards on the ground, and 181 through the air. San Diego State on the other hand rushed for 400 yards and threw for an impressively low 14 yards on 10 attempts. Bright, a redshirt freshman at the time, didn’t have any rushing attempts in that contest, but he did return a few kickoffs. Bright said he remembers the atmosphere surrounding the game.
“As I watch film from the last time I played them my redshirt freshman year, it was a cold day. It was rough,” he said. “We turned the ball over like four times. Then, they had that guy in the backfield just doing amazing things. It was a cold night. We’ve changed. We’ve gotten better. Our goals are still the same. We’re looking forward to getting this win.”
As Bright mentioned, quite a few things have changed about these programs, it’s just the nature of the sport in some ways. Here’s what to expect from 2019’s edition of the Aztecs.
San Diego State’s Rashaad Penny runs for a touchdown during the second quarter against San Jose State at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego on Friday, Oct. 21, 2016. (Hayne Palmour IV/San Diego Union-Tribune/TNS)
Offense
Don’t expect this team to throw the ball just 10 times and only complete four of those attempts for less yards than a first down and a half. Senior quarterback Ryan Agnew is athletic, mobile and isn’t afraid to throw the ball on the run. Through three games this season, Agnew is averaging 29 attempts per contest and completing 64% of those passes. But although improved, the pass won’t be what the Aztecs rely on. San Diego State runs the ball an average of 47 times per game, the 13th most in the nation, and have been dominant in doing so. Even without star running back Juwan Washington — who is currently listed as questionable and missed this past week’s game — the team amassed 292 yards on the ground against New Mexico St. The carries were split mostly between sophomores Jordan Byrd and Chance Bell, but regardless of whom’s in the backfield, Andersen believes it will be a tough task to stop them.
“That’s the biggest thing, whether they’re in three wides and one back, or they’re in two tight ends, or three tight ends, or two tight ends and one of them is a fullback, they’re good football schemes,” he said. “That reputation for having good running backs at San Diego State has been there for a long, long time and it’s there again this year. You all know my opinion on that, it’s nice to have two or three backs.”
Defense
Head coach Rocky Long is in his ninth season with San Diego State and has cultivated one of the best defensive units in the conference for another year. This edition of the defense is led by senior linebacker Kyahva Tezino, who led the Aztecs in tackles this past season with 127. Tezino is an explosive, powerful linebacker who plays similarly, in some ways, to Utah State’s star linebacker, David Woodward.
“Like so many kids on that team, he’s just fundamentally sound, loves to play football. That’s obvious when you see what he does and how he goes about it,” Andersen said. “He’s physical, knows his assignment, plays his role, fits where he needs to be able to fit. He’s a tremendous, gifted athlete who does special things and you better deal with them, you better know what’s happening.”
Through three games this season, the Aztecs are giving up the third least yards rushing per game in the nation. But there could be a small hole in the secondary for which the Aggies could exploit. Long’s defense is a hybrid and will line up typically in a 3-3-5, which allows for more movement between the front seven and secondary. The implementation of a quicker, more athletic back-five means the Aztecs are able to cover more ground in the pass game — but when they cheat to try and stop the run — sometimes that leaves them vulnerable to the pass.
Weakness might be harsh in describing this unit, because the players in the secondary are some of the best in the conference, but Utah State is miles ahead of any team San Diego State has faced this season in the pass game. With star junior Quarterback Jordan Love and the receivers he has at his disposal, the Aggies could still find a rhythm through the air. Even with as good as the backs are for Utah State, it won’t be surprising if the team ends up with 40-plus passing attempts. Letting Love use his quick release and decisiveness could possibly be what wins the game for the Aggies when the Aztecs come crashing down at the line of scrimmage.