Utah State was one of the surprise teams of 2012 that came out of nowhere and impressed. They finished the season 11-2, beating teams like San Jose State and a ranked Louisiana Tech, and took Wisconsin to the wire, eventually losing 16-14. They finished the great season with a 41-15 win over Toledo in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
Now entering 2013, even with the losses of running back Kerwynn Williams and cornerback Will Davis, now in the NFL, as well as the loss of head coach Gary Anderson, now at Wisconsin, expectations are still high for the Aggies. They are projected to finish second in the Mountain West’s Mountain division. However, with the talent they still have, they have a legitimate chance to become Mountain West Champions. They started off the season on a wrong note, blowing a lead and eventually losing 30-26 to in-state rival, Utah. However, there were a lot of good things that came out of that game.
Here are three reasons why Utah State has the ability to become Mountain West Champions.
1. Chuckie Keeton
Keeton broke out last year as a redshirt freshman, totaling almost 4,000 yards of total offense and 35 total touchdowns, and led the Aggies to an 11-2 record, including a win in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
Against Utah, Keeton showed no signs of slowing down from his 2012 campaign, passing for 314 yards, rushing for 85, and scoring three total touchdowns.
Keeton is the leader of this offense, and the rest of the offense will rely heavily on his play and composure to help lead them to a conference championship.
2. Strong Offensive Play
Keeton is obviously the key part of the offense, but he received a lot of help from the rest of his offense. While many of the passes against Utah were short passes, the receivers found ways to get open downfield and make plays. The key receivers were Travis Van Leeuwen, who had five receptions for over 100 yards, and Bruce Natson, who caught nine passes for 83 yards.
Keeton also received solid protection from his offensive line, led by senior center Tyler Larsen.
3. Swarming Defense
Whenever a Utah ball carrier was tackled on Thursday, it always seemed like there was at least three defenders around him. It was impressive how quickly Utah State was able to swarm the ball and minimize short passes and runs from turning into big gains. Utah only averaged 3.4 yards/carry for the game. If the Aggies can keep that intensity up, their run defense will a force in the Mountain West.
While there were many good things about the Utah game, here are some aspects that Utah State will have to address as they move ahead into the 2013 season.
1. Stop Taking Bad Penalties
Utah State took seven penalties for 94 yards, and most of them could have been easily avoided. They were simple penalties, such as continuing play without a helmet (although, it is a good testament to the intensity and will power of the Utah State defense), a pass interference and multiple personal foul calls.
If Utah State wants to contend, they can not give away free yards.
2. Shore Up Pass Defense
Will Davis's presence was definitely missed on Thursday night. Utah quarterback Travis Wilson did a good job dissecting the Aggies’ pass defense, throwing for over 300 yards, while completing 61 percent of his passes. With a conference schedule that will force them to face quarterbacks like David Fales and Brett Smith, as well as possibly facing Derek Carr in the conference championship, Utah State will need to find a way to shore up their pass defense if they want a chance to contend.
3. Finish Better
This applies to both their offense and defense.
On offense, it seemed like every possession was a legitimate drive. They were always moving down the field, as they racked up almost 500 yards of total offense, but they would eventually slow down and were kept out of the endzone. They were forced to settle for two field goals and punted five times. They also missed an extra point, which will never help when trying to win.
On defense, while they did a great job of swarming the ball carrier, they often missed tackles. There were multiple occasions where the Aggies’ defenders missed opportunities to sack Travis Wilson, or allowed ball carriers to get a few extra yards. And with the schedule they have to play, with teams like USC, San Jose State, and Boise State they will not be able to afford giving away a few extra yards.