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LOGAN -- With the bye week securely in the rear view mirror for the Aggies of Utah State, head coach Gary Andersen now has his team readying for the Homecoming game with Colorado State. While most would say that having a bye week after a game like the Aggies had against visiting Weber State (winning 54-17 while rushing for 440 yards), Coach Andersen had a different view using this time to get his team healthy and prepare for the visiting Rams.
Colorado State is coming off a difficult loss to in-state rival Colorado (14-28) and is looking to rebound against the Aggies. This will be particularly difficult considering they will be missing two very important cogs on defense; senior linebacker Mychal Sisson (broken right ankle) and pass-rushing junior defensive end Broderick Sargent (torn ACL). After an impressive performance verses Weber State and a bye week, look for the Aggies to have a great day running the ball.
What did we learn about USU against Weber State?
- Utah State has a very good and experienced (for the most part) offense. While quarterback Chuckie Keeton may be a true-freshman, he is being protected by a talented offensive line and is handing off or throwing to a skilled group of running backs and receivers allowing Coach Andersen to set Keeton free at times to make plays with his arm and legs. Againt Weber State Keeton threw for two scores and rushed for one more making the Aggie coaching staff look like geniuses for electing to start him over junior college transfer quarterback Adam Kennedy.
- The Aggie's linebacking core makes plays and shuts down the run. We saw a very limited attack from an Auburn team that has since opened the flood gates rushing in weeks two and three and Weber State was only able to scrap together 46 rushing yards against Utah State. That linebacking core is led by defending WAC Defensive Player of the Year, senior linebacker Bobby Wagner. Alongside senior linebacker Kyle Gallagher, Wagner (who again leads the WAC with 10.0 tackles-per-game) held Auburn to 78 yards rushing and Weber State to just 46 yards on the ground. When USU has been beat, it has been through the air, but Coach Andersen (who is also the defensive coordinator for the Aggies) has had an additional week to sure up his secondary. Look for a confident Utah State defense to control the game against Colorado State.
What questions do we have about USU? The Aggies can run, they can throw and they can stop the run but the question all season long has been can they defend against the pass? With Utah State's powerful defensive linemen and talented linebackers one could assume that the defense is dominating, which they would be if they could only make a few less mistakes in the secondary. Colorado State will be a good test for the Aggies because the Rams enjoy throwing the ball, which they will have to do if they hope to make a game of it in Logan.
What can USU expect from Colorado State?
- The Aggies will need to be aggressive against the Rams on Saturday. Colorado State currently ranks 36th among Division I schools allowing just 17.3 points per game. Of course Utah State ranks 9th in overall points scored at 46.0 points per game. Coach Andersen should expect the Rams to play hard and look to cut down on a running game that produced 440 yards against Weber State.
- Expect the Rams to look to run, but ultimately rely on the passing game. Colorado State averages 133.3 yards on the ground but against USU's stingy run defense the more important stat is the 204.3 passing yards per game they average. Sophomore quarterback Pete Thomas can throw the ball and has some quality receivers to throw to. Coach Andersen will look to keep his offense on the field as much as possible and score every time they get the ball to take pressure off of his defensive secondary.
What can we expect from USU vs. Colorado State? This is certainly a game that can go either way, Utah State could run away with another easy victory or the Rams could solidify the front seven and keep this a close game. Either way, if junior running back Robert Turbin can have half the game against CSU as he had against Weber State look for another Aggie victory.
Miscellaneous:
- The Aggies are 49-29-2 (.625) in Homecoming games.
- Junior RB Turbin is currently 8th on USU career rushing yards list and 6th in career rushing touchdowns. Turbing needs 158 yards to move into 7th and only four touchdowns separate him from 3rd on the touchdown list.
- Senior LB Wagner needs only eight more tackles to break into the USU career tackles top ten list.
Conclusion: The Aggies played well against Auburn, but couldn't hold onto a late lead. The offense was dominate with Weber State in town scoring 44 unanswered points in the second half, but this will be a true test of where true-freshman quarterback Chuckie Keeton and USU as a team are this season. CSU has a good run defense so Coach Andersen will need Keeton to be on his game throwing the ball to allow the offensive line do what they do best, push around defensive linemen and open up holes for the running backs. When all is said and done, the Aggies should end Homecoming weekend 2-1 on the season.
Email: onlinesports@ksl.com
