Sept. 2, 2004
UTAH STATE AGGIES Game-Day Notes at Alabama, Sept. 4, 2004
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HERE TO HELP - Associate Media Relations Director Doug Hoffman and Assistant Director Todd Johnson are here to assist you in your coverage of Utah State at tonight's game if they are not too stuffed from eating barbecue at Dreamland Friday night. Please do not hesitate to call on either for assistance during and after the game. POSTGAME - The Utah State lockerroom is closed to the media. After a brief cooling off period Coach Mick Dennehy will be available at a designated area. Players will then be made available as well. All player requests should be made to Hoffman and Johnson prior to the 10 minute mark of the fourth quarter. SEASON AND GAME CAPTAINS -- The USU football team has selected season captains for the second straight year. QB Travis Cox (#4) will represent the offense, LB Robert Watts (#30) will represent the defense and CB/KOR Jerome Dennis (#20) will represent the special teams. Game captains for Saturday's game against Alabama are OL Elliott Tupea ((#78) and CB Cornelius Lamb (#29) An USU Win Would...
• Give USU a 1-0 start to a season for the first time since 1997 (the Aggies have lost six straight season openers).• Stop an eight-game road losing streak (last road win was at Troy State in 2002).• Stop a six-game non-conference losing streak since beating Troy State in 2002.• Be its second ever against a Southeastern Conference opponent (beat Kentucky in 1970).
An USU Loss Would...
• Mark the seventh straight season USU has lost its season opener.• Mark USU's ninth straight road loss.• Be less good than a win.
THINGS TO LOOK FOR IN TONIGHT'S GAME
• DL Ronald Tupea should make his team-best 31st consecutive start as well as his team-best 31st career start.• TB Chris Forbes and/or WR Kevin Robinson could become just the second and/or third true freshmen in 11 years to start a season opener. The only other true freshman to start a season opener since Pratt Lyons started on the defensive line in the 1993 lid-lifter, was current Aggie junior linebacker John Chick, who started the 2002 season opener at Utah on the defensive line.• QB Travis Cox has not thrown an interception in two straight games (65 attempts) and only one in the last five games (167 attempts in his last five games). In that time he has thrown nine touchdown passes to the one interception.• Cox needs just 186 passing yards for 3,000 in his career. He threw for 12 yards as a freshman, 11 as a sophomore and 2,791 as a junior.• LB Robert Watts has a streak of three straight games with double-digit tackles as he closed last season with 14 stops against New Mexico State, 17 against Troy State and 15 against Idaho.• While USU's defense recorded 14 interceptions last year, its most in the last six seasons, the Aggies did not record a pickoff in any of the last three games of the year.
USU VS. RANKED TEAMS AND THOSE RECEIVING VOTES - While Alabama is receiving votes in the two major polls, here is a look at how Utah State has fared against teams in the polls:
• USU is 1-38 against ranked teams (lone win was against #25 Fresno State in 1991).• USU is 6-21 against teams that are receiving votes. The latest win against a team receiving votes was a 21-17 win at Utah in 1997.• Since that win against Utah, USU has lost six straight games to teams receiving votes as well as 12 consecutive games to teams actually in the top 25.
A LOOK AT THE TRAVEL ROSTER -- Here is a breakdown of the 67-man travel roster for this game:
By Class By ExperienceFreshmen 22 3 Letters 6Sophomores 8 2 Letters 14Juniors 21 1 Letter 18Seniors 16 Junior College 7 Redshirts 10 High School 12
PROJECTED STARTERS BY CLASS - Here is a look at Saturday's possible starters by class according to the depth chart (offense lists 14 positions due to their number of formations) Class Offense Defense Notes
Seniors 5 4 93 career starts in this group.Juniors 5 5 70 career starts.Sophomores 2 2 11 career starts.
Freshmen 2 0 TB Chris Forbes and WR Kevin Robinson. YOUNG BACKUPS - Looking deeper into the depth chart, here is a look at the classification of the team's second string: Class Offense Defense Notes
Seniors 1 2 Sr. TB Peter Shields is in first year at USU.Juniors 2 6 5 of 6 on defense have lettered here.Sophomores 1 1 LB Kelly Poppinga could start.Freshmen 8 2 Yipes, they are young.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - Saturday marks the 22nd birthday for Aggie defensive lineman Eric Rapley as well as USU tight end Ryan Wilson, who turns 20. Mel Strauss, father of USU SID Mike Strauss, will celebrate his birthday on Saturday watching his beloved Colorado Buffaloes hosting Colorado State. Injured Aggie tailback Tyrone McKinney turns 21 on Sunday, Sept. 5. CLOSE TO HOME - While Utah State does not have any players on its roster from the state of Alabama, there are several Aggies from the southeastern part of the country. Here is a look:
TB Chris Forbes, Miami, Fla.QB Eric Sobolewski, Versailles, Ky.WR Rod McNeal, Lakeland, Fla.CB Andre Bala, Houston, TexasTB/FB/TE Peter Shields, Seminole, Fla.FB Gabe London, Lakeland, Fla.OL Chad Foote, Hattiesburg, Miss.WR Rob Myers, Houston, TexasDT Michael Gates, Arlington, TexasDT Ben Childs, Spring, TexasDT Casey Cooper, Springfield, Va.
USU NOTE-ABLE - Last year USU was 3-1 when scoring first and 0-8 when the opponent got on the board first... USU is 9-24 against non-conference opponents in the Mick Dennehy era... Alabama is the first of two opponents that the Aggies will be meeting for the first time in history this season (USU will play at Clemson in October). USU is 4-3 in first meetings in the Mick Dennehy era (2000-present) with wins against Southern Utah (2000), Central Florida (2001), Connecticut (2001), and Troy State (2002) and losses against South Florida (2001), Middle Tennessee (2002), and UL-Monroe (2002)... USU is just 4-19 in night games in the Mick Dennehy era as opposed to 12-10 in day games. Career Bests By Some Current Veteran Aggies
Rushing Yards, Opponent, Year NotesBryan Black, QB 9 yards vs. Troy, 2003 Played five games in his careerBen Chaet, P 3 yards vs. Troy, 2003 The team punterTravis Cox, QB 34 yards vs. UL-Monroe, 2003 Also had 32 rushing yards vs. IdahoRaymond Hicks, WR 14 yards vs. UL-Monroe, 2003 One carry in only start at TBTyrone McKinney, TB 13 yards vs. UL-Monroe, 2003 Injured and will not playTony Pennyman, WR 7 yards vs. N.M. State, 2003 Wide receiverPassingBryan Black, QB 56 yards vs. Troy State, 2003 Has thrown passes in just three gamesTravis Cox, QB 322 yards vs. Idaho, 2003 Has three 300-plus yard gamesMatt Crivello, QB 4 yards vs. New Mexico, 2003 Has played in just three gamesReceivingRaymond Hicks, WR 67 yards vs. Middle Tennessee, 2003 Had 59 yards vs. North TexasPatrick McNutt, TE 2 yards vs. Wyoming, 2003 Missed last six games of last yearTony Pennyman, WR 24 yards vs. Arkansas State, 2003 Also had 21 yard effort against Arizona StateJason Stephens, TE 21 yards vs. Nebraska, 2003 Has had four 10-plus yard catches in his career.
TUESDAY PRESS CONFERENCE -- Utah State will hold its weekly press conference at the Copper Mill Restaurant on Tuesday due to Labor Day. The press conference will feature Dennehy and two players at 11:30 a.m. MITEY MITE UPDATE - The Logan Mitey Mites (8-9-10 year olds) have opened their season 2-0 with a huge battle coming up against Plain City this Saturday. Logan defeated Plain City 26-14 in the Northern Utah Mini Bowl last season. Quarterbacked by the young Brad Strauss, son of USU media relations director Mike Strauss, the Mites opened this year with a 20-0 win at Sky View on August 21. The young Strauss rushed nine times for 89 yards and one touchdown and had four tackles from his safety spot in that game. In an 18-0 win at Brigham City on August 28, Strauss rushed 10 times for a career-high 132 yards and two touchdowns of 35 and 30 yards. He also had one tackle and one missed tackle that resulted in a 57-yard run for Brigham City.
