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LOGAN -- Coming off a bye week, the Utah State Aggies now prepare for the Rams of Colorado State. The Rams come to Logan for the USU Homecoming game reeling from a 28-14 loss at the hands of in-state rival Colorado.
The Rams had a difficult time stopping the Buffs, allowing 360 yards of total offense (215 passing / 145 rushing) this past Saturday, but were able to amass 243 yards of total offense themselves on 20-30 passing for 176 yards through the air. This appears to be a great matchup for head coach Gary Andersen and the Aggies.
The Rams roster begins with two players who will not be available for Colorado State on Saturday; senior linebacker Mychal Sisson, who is out with a broken right ankle, and pass-rushing junior defensive end Broderick Sargent who tore an ACL in the first game of the season. Although those two defensive stars are out, another star is rising. Sophomore defensive end Nordly Capi has six sacks on the season (through only three games) and with one more he will match the most sacks by a CSU player since 2003. The good news for Aggie faithful is the fact that Utah State has an amazing offensive line and a running game that can really open up passing lanes for true-freshman quarterback Chuckie Keeton.
The biggest threats for USU will be junior cornerback/punt returner Momo Thomas who is entering the game averaging 11.7 yards per punt return, which is good enough for 19th in the nation, and senior running back/kick returner Derek Good who is tied for 18th in the nation with a 29.0-yard average on kick returns. Those two stats do not bode well for Coach Andersen's special teams who have struggles so far this season.
Another Ram that the Aggies will need to keep an eye on is sophomore tight end Crockett Gillmore who against Colorado caught five passes for 84 yards and a touchdown. Look for the solid USU linebacking core to cause problems and press Colorado State into keeping Gillmore in pass coverage and away from the football.
The bottom line for Utah State is to keep sophomore quarterback Pete Thomas in check and prevent him from completing big plays down field and they will be successful. The Aggies have shown that they can score in a number of ways and that they are able to shut down the run, but Coach Andersen will need to find a way to defend the pass and keep the Rams from creating problems on special teams. In the end, expect the Aggies to come out on top and go 3-0 on the season.
Email: onlinesports@ksl.com
