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LOGAN -- It was a tale of two halves on Saturday for Utah State during their 54-17 blowout victory over the Weber State Wildcats. During the first half, the Aggies played much like they did against Auburn last week. The second half was a showing of offensive firepower and defensive toughness that head coach Gary Andersen is expecting from his team. Let's take a closer look at each position and the overall performance of the Aggies.
Quarterback: A
Chuckie Keeton started out slowly, but caught his stride in the second half. The true freshman only had 10 yards passing through the midpoint of the second quarter. Keeton revved up the jets in the passing game, completing 10 of 15 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns. Keeton also ran nine times for 70 yards and a score. Keeton was poised in the pocket and made smart decisions once again this week.
Running Backs/Full Backs: A+
An A+ for the rushing game is an understatement. We knew that Utah State had a strong rushing game this year, but what they did on Saturday was impressive. The Aggies ran 47 times for 440 yards and four touchdowns. The yards gained by the Aggies rushing attack was the fourth best in school history and the most gained since 1960. Robert Turbin had a huge night, rushing 18 times for 181 yards and two touchdowns.
Wide Receiver/Tight End: A
#box
The wide receivers definitely got in on the action tonight, making several clutch plays and difficult receptions to seal the deal for the Aggies tonight. Chuck Jacobs and Matt Austin both caught touchdown passes and complemented the rushing attack by keeping the Weber State defense honest by forcing them to not load up the box.
Offensive Line: A-
The offensive line did a fantastic job in the second half against Weber State, keeping the Wildcats at bay and protecting the quarterback. The Aggies' offensive line would have received an A grade for their performance tonight had it not been for the first half struggles against the Weber State defense. The O-line allowed two sacks tonight, both of which turned into fumbles.
Overall Offense: A
No matter how poorly the offense played in spurts during the first half, you couldn't ask for much more during that staggering second half for the Aggies, where they scored 44 straight unanswered points dating back to midway through the second quarter. Utah State compiled 635 yards of total offense while running only 64 plays. That means that the Aggies averaged a shade less than 10 yards per play.
Defensive Line: B+
The defensive line played great football, especially in the second half. The first half was mired with penalties, with Utah State being levied 60 yards worth of penalties alone in the second quarter. Weber State was able to push their way through the Aggies front early on until Utah State took control in the second half. Weber State gained very little yardage in the second half.
Linebackers: B+
Bobby Wagner and Kyle Gallagher led the linebackers tonight once again. Much like the defensive line, the linebackers struggled in the first half, allowing the Wildcats to do whatever they wanted against the Aggies on offense. Once the second half came around, the linebackers brought the heat and didn't allow Weber State to score again.
Defensive Backs: B
The defensive backs' coverage was less than stellar in the first half, as Weber State quarterback Mike Hoke was able to find receivers all over the field. Once the second half came around, the Wildcats were able to move the ball through the air on a few medium length routes. The Aggies defensive backs held the aerial attack in check for most of the second half.
Overall Defense: B+
The offense swung the momentum for the Aggies and the defense kept the momentum going. Once the defense decided to all play together at the same time, the Wildcats had a difficult time moving the ball and couldn't get anything going to halt the scoring. The Aggies defense had quick stops which allowed the Utah State offense to stay on the field and wear down the Wildcats defense.
Special Teams: B+
The special teams looked much improved this week as they were able to limit the amount of extra yards gained by Weber State. The kicking and punting game looked excellent and you could feel the confidence level of the special teams unit growing each time they made a play on the field.
Overall Team: A-
Coming off of a heartbreaking loss last week required a lot of focus and determination from the Aggies to make sure they hit the win column this week. The Aggies second half surge pummelled the Wildcats on both sides of the football. Utah State will need to work on starting out stronger and making sure they are playing as a complete unit for the future. Head coach Gary Andersen's squad made an impressive debut to the Aggie faithful as he continues to change the culture of the program.
Email: onlinesports@ksl.com
