College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Utah State Aggies season with what you need to know.
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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– Utah State Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2019 Record: 7-6 overall, 6-2 in MW
Head Coach: Gary Andersen, 5th year overall with program, 33-30
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 88
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 46
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 72
No one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.
5. College Football News Preview 2020: Utah State Aggies Offense 3 Things To Know
– Considering the talent in place and the potential of what the offense could have done, 2019 was a disappointment.
It’s not every day that you have a quarterback the caliber of Jordan Love to work with.
The O was fine – averaging 431 yards and 29 points per game – but it stalled too often, wasn’t consistent, and it wasn’t able to establish any sort of an identity. Now the team presses on without Love and top running back Gerold Bright, but …
CFN in 60 Video: Washington State Preview
Washington State at Utah State, Sept. 3
– The offensive line has the potential to be terrific. It was good enough in pass protection and was okay at times for the running game, and now all five starters are expected back around Karter Shaw at one guard spot and 6-7, 310-pound junior Alfred Edwards at tackle.
Bright might be done, but Jaylen Warren is a great-looking back who should shine as the main man in the backfield. It’s a thin group of running backs, though, needing freshman Elelyon Noa and a few JUCO transfers to be instant factors.
– Can Henry Colombi replace Love and even do more? The passing game was fine, but Love threw too many interceptions – 17 – and the he took too long to kick in. He was great over the second half of the year, but there was a lull in the middle of the campaign.
Colombi doesn’t have the NFL tools of Love, but he has been around long enough to be able to step in and be fine. 6-2, 200-pound sophomore Andrew Peasley is the top other option.
Leading receiver Siaosi Mariner is done after coming up with 63 catches with ten scores, but Jordan Nathan is a good veteran who made 56 catches as a short-range target, 5-7 Deven Thompkins is a speedster who caught 40 passes with four scores, and star kick returner Savon Scarver needs to get the ball in his hands more on the offensive side.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Utah State Aggies Defense 3 Things To Know
4. College Football News Preview 2020: Utah State Aggies Defense 3 Things To Know
– The defense wasn’t quite as nasty as it probably should’ve been. It allowed over 440 yards and 29 points per game, it wasn’t nearly good enough against the run, and it had a hard time getting off the field. However, it was great at forcing takeaways. Five of the top eight tacklers are back, but seven of the top 12 are gone.
The front line takes the biggest hit with three starters done including top pass rusher Tips Galeai. The tackles have parts to fill in, and 255-pound senior Justin Te’i is back on one end, but UCLA transfer Marcus Moore needs to be an answer on one side.
– Star linebacker David Woodward is out of the mix, but 225-pound senior Kevin Meitzenheimer is back after making 89 tackles from his spot on the inside. 230-pound senior Eric Munoz missed half of last year, and now he should be a leading tackler on the inside.
– The pass defense has to be tighter. It wasn’t helped by much of a pass rush, but it still came up with plenty of picks and big plays. It also allowed 239 yards per game and got hit way too hard way too often.
The corners are the concern with JUCO transfers and underclassmen needing to form a good rotation early on, but the safeties are among the team’s biggest strength with Troy Lefeged and Shaq Bond among the Mountain West’s best.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Top Utah State Aggies Players
College Football News Preview 2020: Top Utah State Aggies Players
Best Utah State Aggies Offensive Player
RB Jaylen Warren, Sr.
The No. 2 guy in the rotation behind Gerold Bright, but now the great recruit from the JUCO world will get his shot to take over. He wasn’t quite healthy throughout last year, but the 5-8, 215-pound scooter ran for 569 yards and five scores with 15 catches, starting out the season with two 100-yard games. If he can stay in one piece, he’ll be a threat for 1,000 yards.
2. KR/WR Savon Scarver, Sr.
3. QB Henry Colombi, Jr.
4. OG Karter Shaw, Soph.
5. WR Jordan Nathan, Sr.
Best Utah State Aggies Defensive Player
S Troy Lefeged, Sr.
The Aggies needed help for the secondary, and it got it right away from the JUCO ranks with the 5-11, 195-pound Lefeged. The Maryland native was a nice get who turned into an instant star for the team with a team-high 104 tackles with two sacks and six tackles for loss.
He’s a good hitter with great range – he finished with 14 stops in the bowl loss to Kent State – and now he’ll be one of the Mountain West’s premier defensive backs.
2. S Shaq Bond, Sr.
3. DE Nick Heninger, Sr.
4. DE Justus Te’i, Sr.
5. S CJ Pollard, Jr.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Utah State Aggies Keys To The Season
College Football News Preview 2020: Utah State Aggies Keys To The Season
Biggest Key To The Utah State Aggies Offense
Score when there’s a chance. There are several pieces to the offense that need working on, but start by 1) controlling the clock better after finishing last in the nation in time of possession, and 2) putting the biscuit in the basket whenever there’s a shot.
There was no excuse to be so miserable in the red zone – Utah State was 119th in the nation and last in the Mountain West, scoring just 73% of the time.
The offense had enough firepower to have options inside the 20, and then-kicker Dominik Eberle nailed 21-of-24 field goals on the year. Even so, the team missed on 13 chances when getting in close, and it proved costly in the 38-35 loss in the opener against Wake Forest.
Biggest Key To The Utah State Aggies Defense
The run defense has GOT to be stronger. The run D that was such a key to the first Utah State run for Gary Andersen hasn’t shown up yet, finishing 110th in the nation allowing over 200 yards per game.
By comparison, last year’s defense allowed 2,265 yards and 29 scores. Andersen’s 2012 squad gave up 1,479 yards and just six touchdowns
Along with the 448 yards allowed to Air Force, the Aggies were making too many plays down the field as they allowed 200 rushing yards or more in five of the last seven games and two touchdown runs or more in nine of the 13 games.
23 of the 29 touchdown runs were given up in the last seven games. However, on the plus side, Andersen’s defenses from 2009 to 2011 were ripped up for lots and lots of scores, and then it pulled out the 2012 season.
Key Utah State Aggies Player To A Successful Season
QB Henry Colomi, Jr.
You know that guy who just got drafted to replace Aaron Rodgers? Yeah … replace him.
Jordan Love wasn’t perfect last season, but he’s a potential franchise NFL quarterback talent who made the offense his throughout the last few seasons. The 6-2, 205-pound Colombi got in a little work, and now he’ll add more of a rushing element to the mix.
He doesn’t have to be Love, but as long as he’s able to keep the interceptions down – something Love didn’t do – and if he can be efficient, he’ll be doing his job.
Key Game To The Utah State Aggies Season
San Diego State, Oct. 10
It’s going potentially be a rough start to the season with Washington State, at Washington, and at BYU in the first four games.
If the Aggies can’t do better than 1-3, then the Mountain West opener against San Diego State becomes a massive deal with a trip to Boise State up next starting a run of three road games in the next four.
Utah State lost ten straight in the series going back to 1967 before breaking through with last year’s 23-17 win. Now it has to do it again.
– Utah State Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2019 Utah State Fun Stats
– Utah State 2nd Quarter Scoring: 146 – Utah State 2nd Half Scoring: 143
– Fumbles: Opponents 24 (lost 13) – Utah State 15 (lost 8)
– Time of Possession: Opponents 35:01 – Utah State 24:53
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Utah State Aggies Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
1. College Football News Preview 2020: Utah State Aggies What Will Happen
Gary Andersen won as many games at Utah State last year as he did in his 2.5 seasons at Oregon State, and he won one fewer game than he did in his first two seasons at Utah State in the first go-round in 2009 and 2010.
But that doesn’t mean the team was good enough.
It was supposed to be a bit of a rebuilding year in some ways after the huge 2018 under now Texas Tech head coach Matt Wells, and it was promising early on before fizzling in the second half.
This year’s team doesn’t have the parts to win the Mountain West, but there’s more than enough in place to go bowling and come up with an upset or three along the way.
Missing UNLV and San Jose State from the West isn’t a positive, and going to Boise State, Nevada, Wyoming and Colorado State hurts, but a 5-3 run in Mountain West play is an easy goal to go for.
It’s another transitional season coming off a transitional season, getting back in the bowl mix has to be a given.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– Schedule Analysis
