Aggie football is still back! Though it may not feel like a excitng time on campus after such a scary close win for the Aggies, they are still widely considered a underdog waiting for their chance to make noise in the College Football Playoff come the end of the year. It truly starts with the game this Friday in Salt Lake City.
USU played the SUU Thunderbirds in their season opener last Thursday at the newly re-branded Maverik Stadium. The final score was 12-9 in favor of the Aggies, in a scary game, with the team only getting 250 yards of total offense, as well as only 1 third down conversion against an SUU team who finished a mere 3-9 last season. The Aggies were without starting wide receivers Hunter Sharp (suspension) and Brandon Swindall (injury) as well as left guard Tyshon Mosely (suspension). This was glaringly obvious as the team struggled from the beginning. It did not help the cause when freshman receiver Zach Van Leeuwen went down on the first series. Though the offense struggled throughout the game, they minimized turnovers and wore down the SUU defense. The real stars of the game were the defensive unit, specifically the linebacker core, as well as special team standouts Andrew Rodriguez and Torrey Green.
The Utes took care of business at home against Michigan and new head coach Jim Harbaugh. The final score was 24-17. The offense was as impressive as expected with senior QB Travis Wilson putting up nearly 250 yards passing and the running backs lead by star running back Devontae Booker ran for 150 yards on a supposedly improved defense in Michigan. The Utes improved to #24 ranking in the nation with a statement victory in their opener.
The game will be broadcast on ESPN2 Friday night and you can catch all recaps on Aggie Radio all next week from 9-10 am. You can do this online or through the tune-in app.
