Oct. 6, 2008
Press Conference Quotes
LOGAN, Utah -
Complete USU at San Jose State Notes in PDF Format 
QUICKLY -- After a month at home, Utah State (1-4, 1-0 WAC) returns to the road and resumes Western Athletic Conference action by heading to San Jose, Calif. to face San Jose State (3-2, 1-0 WAC) on Saturday, Oct. 11... Kickoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. (MT) at SJSU's Spartan Stadium (30,456)... The showdown between the Aggies and the Spartans will be televised by ESPNU (Ch. 614 on DirectTV and Ch. 148 on DISH Network)... First-place in the WAC standings is at stake, as USU and SJSU are currently part of a four-team logjam atop the league standing with 1-0 conference records, joined by Boise State and Nevada.
GAMETIME CHANGE -- Saturday's USU-SJSU game time was changed to 5:30 p.m. (MT) to accommodate the ESPNU Broadcast, available on Ch. 614 on DirectTV and Ch. 148 on DISH Network... ESPNU was launched in March 2005. The network features extensive studio programming and live coverage of games, including college football, college basketball and other Olympic sports from over 20 Division I conferences.
LONGEST IN THE WAC -- Utah State takes the WAC's longest league-game winning streak into Saturday's match-up, as the Aggies have won three conference games in a row, dating back to last season... USU won its last two WAC contests of the 2007 season and the Aggies won this season's league opener with a 42-17 win over Idaho on Sept. 20... San Jose State and Nevada are second with two-game league winning streaks.
LIVE FROM SAN JOSE, ITS SATURDAY NIGHT -- In honor of the debut of "Saturday Night Live" on Oct. 11, 1975, USU returns to Saturday night action after its lone non-Saturday game of the season last Friday night in a 34-14 loss to No. 8 BYU... USU plays on Saturday in its final seven games of the year.
BACK ON THE ROAD -- Utah State last played a road game on Sept. 6 at Oregon, a span of over a month... The Aggies had three home games and a bye in that stretch.
USU IN CONFERENCE ROAD OPENERS -- Utah State has lost its last five conference road openers... USU's last win in its first conference road game was a 17-12 win in 2000 at North Texas (whose head coach was current USU offensive coordinator Darrell Dickey)... Saturday is the second time in three years that USU has played its conference road opener at San Jose, losing 21-13 in 2006... Here's a look at the Aggies' first conference road games in the 2000's:
Oct. 14, 2000 - W 17-12 at North Texas (Big West)2001 & 2002 - IndependentOct. 18, 2003 - L 27-37 at North Texas (Sun Belt)Oct. 2, 2004 - L 21-49 at Troy (Sun Belt)Oct. 1, 2005 - L 21-53 at Idaho (WAC)Oct. 14, 2006 - L 13-21 at San Jose State (WAC)Oct. 6, 2007 - L 37-52 at #15 Hawai'i (WAC)
ON THE AIR -- All Utah State football games are carried on KVNU 610 AM and KLZX 95.9 FM in Logan; 1230 AM in Salt Lake City; on KLZX 105.3 FM in Montpelier, Idaho, and on the Internet at www.UtahStateAggies.com by clicking on "Listen Live"... Al Lewis handles the play-by-play duties and Craig Hislop provides analysis.
ON THE INTERNET -- Saturday's USU-SJSU game is streamed on the Internet by clicking on the "Watch Live" link at www.UtahStateAggies.com.
LIVE STATS - Fans can follow Saturday's game through live stats by clicking on "Live Stats" on the USU web site at www.UtahStateAggies.com.
COACHES SHOW ON THE ROAD -- For the fourth-straight year the Brent Guy radio show will be held at different locations on campus on Thursday nights (6:05-6:45 p.m. on 610 AM KVNU). The show gives USU students an opportunity to ask questions and interact with Coach Guy and players. Food will be available at each show at a reduced rate from University Food Services.
Upcoming Coaches Show Schedule: Oct. 9 (Laub Athletics-Academics Complex)
UP NEXT -- Utah State continues its two-game road stretch by traveling to Reno, Nev. to face the Nevada Wolf Pack on Saturday, Oct. 18 at 2 p.m. (MT).
THREE OUT OF FOUR VS. RANKED OPPONENTS -- Last Friday's game vs. No. 8 BYU was Utah State's third ranked opponent in four games after playing 18th-ranked Oregon (L, 24-66) on Sept. 6, then 22nd-ranked Utah on Sept. 13 (L, 10-58) and then unranked Idaho on Sept. 20 (W, 42-17)... This season is the first time since 2001 that USU faced three ranked opponents in a span of four games, playing at No. 13 LSU (L, 14-31), then playing unranked Wyoming on Sept. 22 (L, 42-43) before taking on 6th-ranked Oregon on Sept. 29 (L 21-38) and at No. 18 BYU on Oct. 5 (L, 34-54)... USU played three ranked opponent this season for the second year in a row, after not playing three in one season since 2001.
2008 RANKED OPPONENTS -- There are currently three USU opponents in the Top 25:
9. Brigham Young (L 14-34, Oct. 3)
14. Utah (L 10-58 - Sept. 13)
15. Boise State (Nov. 8)
RV. Fresno State (Oct. 25)
RV. Oregon (L 24-66 - Sept. 6)
If any upcoming opponent is ranked when USU faces them, it will mark the first time since 2001 that the Aggies will face four ranked opponents in the same season and if both are still ranked, it will mark the first time ever that USU has taken on five ranked opponents.
USU IN OCTOBER -- Utah State has a six-game losing streak in October and has lost 17 of its last 20 games in the Canadian Thanksgiving month (which is on Monday, Oct. 13)... USU won its first game of the month in 2006, edging Fresno State, 13-12, on Oct. 7, but has lost six in row in October since... Saturday is the Aggies' first game on Oct. 11 since 2003 when USU lost at home to Wyoming, 48-21... Overall, USU is 5-7-1 on Oct. 11, since 1914, currently on a three-game losing streak in games on Oct. 11... The Aggies are 1-4 on Oct. 11 on the road and 0-1 on Oct. 11 vs. San Jose State, losing on the road in 1986... Here's a look at how USU has fared on Oct. 11:
1919 - W, 136-0 vs. Idaho State 1969 - L, 33-37 vs. Colorado State1921 - W, 14-3 vs. Wyoming 1975 - W, 21-17 vs. West Texas A&M1930 - T, 0-0 vs. Colorado 1980 - W, 28-17 at Cal State Fullerton1941 - L, 7-13 at Colorado 1986 - L, 28-38 at San Jose State1947 - W, 13-7 vs. Montana 1997 - L, 16-24 at Oregon State1952 - L, 3-6 vs. Idaho 2003 - L, 21-48 vs. Wyoming1958 - L, 14-34 at New Mexico
OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN -- Each week Utah State will select game captains. Those selected for the San Jose State game will be announced later in the week.
ROAD WOE-IORS -- Life on the road has been tough for the Aggies, who are 3-20 under head coach Brent Guy... The win at New Mexico State on Nov. 17, 2007 snapped a 13-game road losing skid, as two of USU's three road wins are at NMSU, with the 35-17 victory last year plus winning on the road in the 2005 season finale at New Mexico State, 24-21, along with the 24-19 win at Idaho on Nov. 24 of last year.
SWEET HOME? -- Utah State has just two home wins in its last 15 home games, as the win over Idaho on Sept. 20 snapped a seven-game home losing skein, after USU had last won on its home turf on Oct. 7, 2006 with a 13-12 win over Fresno State... The Aggies are 4-14 at home under head coach Brent Guy.
USU-SJSU SERIES -- San Jose State leads the all-time series by a 19-10-1 count, with the Spartans holding a 10-3-1 advantage in games played at San Jose... USU has lost seven-straight in the series on the Spartans' turf... The two programs had not met on the football field for 10 years prior to the 2005 WAC meeting... The Aggies claimed that contest in Logan 24-17 after San Jose State had won eight-straight from 1986-95 when both were members of the Big West Conference... SJSU won last year's meeting, 23-20, in Logan, scoring the game-winning TD with 53 seconds remaining... The last five meetings between the Aggies and the Spartans have been decided by one score in each and a total of 21 points.
USU-SJSU LAST TIME - Sept. 22, 2007 - LOGAN -- For the third time of the season, Utah State lost a lead late in the football game, as the Aggies fell to San Jose State, 23-20, on Sept. 22 on USU's Homecoming at a damp and rainy Romney Stadium. In a match-up of 0-3 teams, San Jose State scored a 31-yard TD pass from Adam Tafralis to David Richmond with :53 seconds left and Jared Strubeck's PAT put the Spartans ahead 23-20. SJSU was flagged for excessive celebration and kicked off from their own 15 into the wind. Strubeck's kick hung in the air and dropped straight down at midfield and was covered up by the Spartans. Tafralis took three knees to run out the clock and give SJSU a win in the Western Athletic Conference opener for both teams. The last five meetings between the Aggies and the Spartans have been decided by one score in each and a total of 21 points. SJSU now leads the all-time series, 19-10-1, having won two in a row and 10 of the last 11, and the Spartans now lead 8-7 in games at Logan. The loss rained on USU's parade for Homecoming games, snapping their two-game Homecoming streak and moving USU to 48-27-2 all-time in its games on Homecoming. The last minute rally by the Spartans ruined the banner night for USU redshirt freshman Derrvin Speight, who had career-highs of 22 carries for 99 yards and a one-yard TD run with 6:12 to play in the game that put USU ahead, 20-16. Speight's TD capped an eye-bulging 18-play, 92-yard drive that ate 8:23 off the clock, all season longs, in which 17 of the 18 plays were rushes including 10 by Speight for a total of 39 yards. USU rallied from a 9-0 deficit on an 82-yard kickoff return by senior WR/KR Kevin Robinson, which was his first kick return for a TD since his freshman season of 2004, with a 94-yard return against Louisiana-Monroe. The Spartans rang up 524 yards of total offense, marking the second time in as many games that the Aggie defense yielded over 500 yards after allowing 617 at Oklahoma in the previous week. Tafralis was 35-of-48 passing for 426 yards with three TDs, but the USU defense picked him off twice, by junior safeties Roy Hurst and Caleb Taylor. USU's offense mustered 253 yards with 175 on the ground and just 78 through the air. Senior QB/P Leon Jackson III was 11-of-21 and was also picked off twice by SJSU. Jackson did eclipse the 3,000 yard mark of his career with an 8-yard pass to Robinson at 5:53 of the first quarter, becoming the 10th player in USU history to reach that milestone. Robinson had a season-high 276 all-purpose yards on the night, as he had also had a 53-yard punt return. Defensively, USU was led by junior LB De'von Hall's game-high tying 11 tackles, including one tackle for loss and one pass break-up.
AGGIES-SPARTANS LAST TIME AT SAN JOSE - Oct. 14, 2006 -- San Jose State capped an 11-play, 81-yard drive with a Patrick Perry three-yard run with 3:56 remaining to post a 21-14 come-from-behind victory against Utah State. Against the Spartans, the Aggies held a 14-0 advantage until midway through the second quarter. San Jose State scored on two long passes in the second and third quarters as Yonus Davis hauled in a 33-yard pass in the second quarter and James Jones scored on a 50-yard pass to tie the game with 2:01 left in the third period. Perry provided the game's final points with just under four minutes remaining. The Aggies had one last chance, just like its game the week before against Fresno State, when USU marched 80 yards for the game-winning score with just :55 left after the Bulldogs had pulled ahead 12-7 with 3:56 left in that game. USU started its final drive at its own 24-yard line with 3:56 as Aggie quarterback Riley Nelson hit Ryan Bohm for a nine-yard gain and then broke a long run down the USU sideline on the next play. However, the Aggies were called for holding and the ball was set at the USU 35-yard line. Nelson then hit Xavier Bowman and Antraun McDaniel for gains of eight and four respectively before connecting with Kevin Robinson for 23 yards to get to the San Jose State 30-yard line. After USU gained seven yards on its next three plays, the Aggies faced fourth and three at the SJSU 23-yard line. Nelson threw a screen to Aggie tight end Rob Myers, who was tackled for a loss of three to end USU's chances of a come-back win. Nelson hit 21-of-24 attempts for a school record single-game pass percentage of .875. The previous mark was .823 by Travis Cox, who hit 23-of-27 against New Mexico State in 2004. The Aggies produced 301 yards for its second-best offensive output of the year, just four yards short of the 305 vs. Idaho.
USU-SJSU SERIES NOTE-ABLE -- The 1979 USU-SJSU game, which ended in a 49-49 tie, is the second-highest scoring tie game in NCAA history behind only a 52-52 tie between San Diego State and BYU in 1991... USU's last four wins in the series have all been by one touchdown or less... USU defensive coordinator Mark Johnson spent the 1996 season coaching running backs at San Jose State... Johnson and SJSU offensive coordinator Steve Morton worked together at Nevada in 2001... USU defensive line coach Danilo Robinson set two USU school records with five sacks and six tackles for loss against San Jose State while playing as an Aggie in 1995... Former Aggie head coach John Ralston (1959-62), was the head coach at San Jose State (1993-96) and was an assistant athletics director at the Bay area school before becoming special assistant for the football program... Chuck Bell was Utah State athletics director from 1993-97 before taking the same post at San Jose State until retiring in 2004 but then became the AD at Delaware State in 2005, retiring again at the end of 2006... John Glass worked with Bell as associate athletics director at both USU and SJSU.
USU SINGLE-GAME BESTS VS. SJSU -- Louie Aguiar has the longest punt in school history with an 85-yarder in 1988 against San Jose State... Dene Garner has the second-longest field goal in USU history with a 58-yarder in 1985... In the 1988 meeting, Brent Snyder threw for 412 yards vs. San Jose State, ranking eighth on USU's single-game passing list... Snyder also has the 13th-best mark with 384 yards against SJSU the previous season... Bob Gagliano had 366 yards against the Spartans in 1980 for the 20th-best passing mark, while Eric Hipple has the 21st-best ranking with 364 yards passing vs. SJSU in 1979... Robert Scott had 208 receiving yards in the 1988 match-up to rank 12th on the single-game receiving yards list... Kevin Robinson has the third-longest punt return in school history with an 87-yarder in the 2005 meeting with SJSU... Guy McClure has the ninth-longest punt with a 73-yarder vs. San Jose State in 1978... As a team, USU logged its ninth-best passing performance with 412 yards vs. SJSU in 1988 and the 15th-best mark with 384 in 1987... In 1966, the Aggie defense held the Spartans to 119 yards of total offense, ranking as the 15th-best total defense mark... The 1985 USU defense held SJSU to -15 yards rushing for the fourth-best rushing defense total.
ABOUT UTAH STATE -- USU won its first game of the season on Sept. 20 with a 42-17 win over Idaho to improve to 1-0 in WAC action... The Aggies are 1-4 overall after losing to No. 8 BYU, 34-14, on Oct. 3... USU ranks fourth in the WAC and 68th in the NCAA in rushing offense (142.2 ypg) and eighth in the league and 91st in the nation in passing offense (185.4 ypg) to rank fifth in the conference and 86th in the country in total offense (327.6 ypg)... Defensively, the Aggie rank seventh in the league and 103rd in the nation in rushing defense (195.0 ypg) and sixth in the conference and 94th in the country in passing defense (240.8 ypg) to rank seventh in the WAC and 108th in the NCAA in total defense (435.8 ypg)... USU is fifth in the league and 89th in the nation in scoring offense (21.4 ppg) and eighth in the conference and 114th in the country in scoring defense (40.4 ppg)... Individually, sophomore QB Diondre Borel is sixth in the WAC and 55th in the NCAA in passing efficiency (128.4) and is seventh in the league and 86th in the nation in total offense (172.2 ypg)... Defensively, senior LB Jake Hutton is sixth in the WAC and tied for 44th in the NCAA in tackles with 8.6 pg... Sophomore K/P Peter Caldwell remains perfect (14-of-14) on PAT's and is seventh in the conference and tied for 87th in the country in field goals (0.6 pg) and is seventh in the league and 72nd in the nation in punting (38.6 ypp) with four over 50 yards and six inside the 20... Junior K Chris Ulinski has five touchbacks and has kept opponents inside the 25 a total of 12 times.
PERFECT PETE -- Sophomore PK/P Peter Caldwell now has 38 career PAT's, (38-of-38), remaining in a tie for first with Willie Beecher (64-of-64, 1981-84) and Russ Moody (44-of-44, 1988-89) as the only three USU kickers with a perfect career PAT percentage (1.000).
AGGIE IMPROVEMENTS -- USU's two interceptions was the second game in a row with multiple interceptions and fourth time in last seven games dating back to last season... Redshirt freshman RB Robert Turbin's 40-yard rush in the BYU game was USU's fourth rushing TD of over 20 yards after having no rushing TD's of over 20 yards last season... Overall, that was the Aggies' fifth offensive TD of 20 yards or more this season compared to six all of last year... Turbin now leads USU with three rushing TD's this season, matching last season's for most by a running back (Derrvin Speight)... USU now has six different receivers with TD catches, compared to only five different receivers with scoring catches last year... The Aggies have scored 107 points this season through five games, compared to only 75 points at this point last season... USU did not reach 107 points until week seven against Nevada.
ABOUT SJSU -- The Spartans are 3-2 overall and 1-0 in WAC action, returning to action after a bye week following a 20-17 win at Hawai'i on Sept. 27, hitting two field goals from over 47 yards in the final 9:32 of the game, the game-winner coming with 1:49... SJSU is seventh in the WAC and 98th in the NCAA in rushing offense (117.0 ypg) and also seventh in the conference and 79th in the country in passing offense (194.6 ypg) to rank ninth in the league and 101st in the nation in total offense (311.6)... On the defensive side of the ball, the Spartans are second in the conference and 22nd in the country in rushing defense (100.2 ypg) and third in the league and 42nd in passing defense (186.6 ypg) to rank first in the WAC and 22nd in the NCAA in total defense (286.8 ypg)... SJSU is eighth in the league and 106th in the nation in scoring offense (18.0 ppg) and second in the conference and 40th in the country in scoring defense (19.0 ppg)... Individually, junior QB Kyle Reed is fifth in the WAC and 44th in the NCAA in passing efficiency (134.9) and is sixth in the league and 85th in the nation in total offense (172.6 ypg)... The Spartan defense is led by junior DE Carl Ihenacho, who is tied for first in the WAC and tied for fifth in the NCAA in sacks (1.0 spg) as well as tied for 24th in the WAC with 6.2 tackles per game... Senior PK Jared Strubeck is tied for fourth in the league and tied for 53rd in the nation in field goals (1.0 pg).
TONNEMACHER ON RIMINGTON TROPHY WATCH LIST -- For the second year in a row, offensive center Ryan Tonnemacher has been named to the Rimington Trophy Watch List, given annually to the nation's most outstanding center in college football.
Tonnemacher (pronounced Tawn-uh-mawker), a 6-3, 292-pound senior from Chandler, Ariz. (Hamilton HS), is one of 43 players named to the Watch List. Tonnemacher is one of four centers from the WAC to be recognized, as he's joined by John Estes from Hawai'i, Adam Korby of Idaho and Nevada's Dominic Green.
Tonnemacher is the only center from the state of Utah on this season's list.
As a junior last season, Tonnemacher started all 12 games at center, one of eight Aggies to start every contest. His 759 offensive plays tied him with offensive guard Shawn Murphy and offensive tackle Derek Hoke for most on the offense and were the fourth-most on the team.
Tonnemacher entered his senior season with a team-leading 24 consecutive starts after starting all 12 games in both 2006 and 2007. He is a three-year letterwinner after starting three games as a freshman in 2005.
A total of 17 centers were repeat selections from last year's preseason Watch List, including Tonnemacher, Korby and Green, as well as last year's winner, Jonathan Luigs from Arkansas. The Rimington Trophy has not had a repeat winner in its history.
HUTTON AND IGBOELI ON BUTKUS TROPHY WATCH LIST -- Utah State linebackers Jake Hutton and Paul Igboeli were both named to the 2008 Butkus Award watch list, given annually to the top linebacker in college football, announced by the Butkus Foundation.
Hutton, a senior, and Igboeli, a junior, were one of 10 sets of teammates on the 66 player list. The Aggie duo were two of four Western Athletic Conference players on the watch list, joining Adam Leonard of Hawai'i and Josh Mauga of Nevada. Hutton and Igboeli are also two of the three players from Utah schools, joining Utah's Stevenson Sylvester.
Hutton, a native of Pocatello, Idaho (Pocatello HS), earned second-team all-WAC honors last year after he led USU and ranked eighth in the WAC as well as tied for 71st in the NCAA with 102 tackles, including 58 solo stops. The 58 solo tackles ranked tied for fifth in the league. His 58 solo tackles were also the most for an Aggie since Jesse Busta had 64 in 2002. Hutton registered a USU single-game season-best 16 stops at New Mexico State.
Igboeli (pronounced Ig-bo-lee), a Grand Prairie, Texas (South Grand Prairie HS) native was second on the team and 13th in the WAC with 95 tackles, including 51 solo stops, which ranked among the top 15 in league. He was tied for second on the team with eight tackles for loss and also tallied three pass break-ups and one fumble recovery. Igboeli posted two of USU's top five tackle outings on the year with 15 at New Mexico State and 12 at Fresno State. In 2006, Igboeli was the WAC Freshman of the Year.
HEAD COACH Brent Guy -- Brent Guy (Oklahoma State, 1983) is in his fourth year as head coach after coming to Utah State from Arizona State where he was the defensive coordinator for four years. Guy was an assistant coach (linebackers) at Utah State from 1992-94 under then head coach Charlie Weatherbie. During that time, USU posted its only bowl victory in school history, claiming the 1993 Las Vegas Bowl. Guy was involved in eight bowl games in 19 years as a collegiate assistant coach. Previous stops include Oklahoma State (1986-91 - graduate assistant 1986-87, recruiting coordinator 1988, linebackers 1989-91), Utah State (1992-94 - linebackers), Oklahoma State (1995-97 - linebackers), Boise State (1998-2000 - defensive coordinator) and Arizona State (2001-04 - defensive coordinator) before being named the Aggies' 25th head coach in December of 2004. In his first year at USU, the Aggies were 3-8 overall and 2-6 in the Western Athletic Conference.
Utah State Head Coach All WAC2005 3-8 2-62006 1-11 1-72007 2-10 2-62008 1-3 1-0Total 7-32 6-19
Assistant Totals Record NotesOklahoma State (1986-91, 95-97) 51-51-1 3 BowlsUtah State (1992-94) 15-19-0 1 BowlBoise State (1998-99) 26-10-0 2 Bowls, 2 10-win seasonsArizona State (2001-04) 13-19-0 2 BowlsTotals (19 years) 118-103-1 8 Bowls, 10 winning seasons
GUY VS. SJSU -- Aggie head coach Brent Guy is 2-3 all-time vs. San Jose State, currently 1-2 as head coach and was 1-1 when an assistant coach, going 0-1 as a USU assistant and 1-0 when at Arizona State... Here is a closer look:
1992 (USU Assistant) - L 25-27 at Logan2001 (Ariz. St. Asst.) - W 53-13 at Tempe2005 (USU Head Coach) - W 24-17 at Logan2006 (USU Head Coach) - L 14-21 at San Jose2007 (USU Head Coach) - L 20-23 at Logan
DID YOU KNOW? -- Utah State offensive coordinator Darrell Dickey did not play San Jose State while head coach at North Texas.
AGGIE ASSISTANT COACHES -- Utah State had one changes on its coaching staff from last year, as Thomas Dunson joined the staff.
Offensive Coordinator - Darrell Dickey (Kansas State, 1984, 2nd Year)... Former head coach at North Texas... Guided Mean Green to four consecutive conference championships from 2001-04.
Wide Receivers - Greg Stevens (Eastern Oregon, 1992, 4th Year)... Former offensive coordinator at S.F. Austin... USU interim off. coord. for eight games.
Running Backs - Shaun Johnson (Utah State, 1995, 3rd Year)... Former Aggie wide receiver, coached Division I-AA rushing leader at Brown in 2005.
Tight Ends - Tracy Smith (LSU, 2003, 3rd Year)... Worked with LSU quarterbacks in 2005... Is son of former Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Carl Smith.
Offensive Line - Vance Vice (Oklahoma State, 1990, 4th Year)... As an Oklahoma State tight end was a key to Barry Sanders winning the Heisman in 1988.
Def. Coord./LB - Mark Johnson (UC Davis, 1990, 4th Year)... Has coached at four different WAC schools (San Jose State, Boise State, Nevada and USU).
Def. Line - Danilo Robinson (Utah State, 1997, 4th Year)... Holds USU single-game sacks record with five vs. San Jose State in 1995.
Safeties - Jeff Copp (Boise State, 2001, 4th Year)... Was an all-conference defensive end while playing at Boise State.
Cornerbacks - John Rushing (Washington State, 1995, 6th Year)... Was a freshman All-America corner at Washington State... Older brother of former USU WR Kevin Robinson.
GA-Offense - Thomas Dunson (LSU, 2003, 1st Year)... Comes to USU after one season at Rice... Was on Darrell Dickey's staff at North Texas for three seasons (2004- 06).
GA-Defense/Special Teams - Tony Flores (Utah State, 3rd Year)... Moved up from serving as a work study in the football office in 2005.
DID YOU KNOW? -- USU head coach Brent Guy and offensive coordinator Darrell Dickey played against each other when Guy was a linebacker at Oklahoma State and Dickey was a quarterback at Kansas State... Oklahoma State won all four meetings during Guy and Dickey's tenures, winning 42-15 in 1979, 10-0 in 1980, 31-10 in '81 and 24-16 in '82... Oct. 20 marked the 25th anniversary of Guy and Dickey's last meeting of 1982 when Oklahoma State hosts Kansas State... In the 1982 Cowboy-Wildcat clash, Guy had 18 tackles, including one TFL and two pass break-ups while Dickey was 17-of-35 passing for 185 yards with two TD's and one INT.
USU NOTE-ABLE --
OFFENSIVE NOTES -- The Aggie offense did not have a turnover in the Oregon game, marking the first time since Oct. 7, 2006 vs. Fresno State that USU did not have a turnover... The USU offense has had eight different players rush the ball (five different ball-carriers at UNLV, six at Oregon, five vs. Utah, eight vs. Idaho and six vs. BYU), as well as 13 different players with a reception (seven at UNLV, 10 at Oregon, seven vs. Utah, including OL Tariq Polley making the rare offensive lineman reception on a deflected pass, eight vs. Idaho and seven vs. BYU)... The Aggies had a season-high 580 yards of total offense against Idaho, including season-bests 356 rushing yards and 224 passing yards... Individually, USU had four of its top five rushing outputs in the Idaho game at the time, led by redshirt-freshman RB Robert Turbin's 123 yards to became USU's first 100-yard rusher since Marcus Cross had 127 at BYU on Sept. 23, 2006... USU's 580 yards of total offense was the most since 684 vs. Weber State on Nov. 17, 2001... It was the most against a Division I team since 595 at Boise State, Nov. 11, 2000... The 356 rushing yards was USU's first 300-yard rushing game since 322 vs. New Mexico State on Nov. 4, 2000... The 356 rushing yards were the most since 388 at Nevada on Nov. 20, 1999... Turbin now has two of the top three rushing outings after 74 vs. BYU... Senior WR Otis Nelson tied his career-high for the second time this season and third overall with 72 receiving yards in the BYU game.
DEFENSIVE NOTES -- After forcing three turnovers in the Utah game, two against Idaho and two against BYU, the Aggie defense has caused at least two turnovers six times in last seven games and 12th time in last 16 games dating back to last season... Also dating back to last year, the Aggie defense has at least one interception in 13 of their last 17 games... Junior LB Paul Igboeli snared his first career INT in the Utah game... USU's two interceptions in the BYU game marked the second game in a row with multiple interceptions and fourth time in last seven games dating back to last season... Five different players have one interception each, compared to a total of nine players all of last season... A total of 33 different players have recorded a tackle, including 14 with double-digit stops... The Aggie defense limited Idaho to 271 yards of total offense, the lowest total since 234, which was also vs. Idaho on Sept. 11, 2004... USU's two interceptions was the second game in a row with multiple interceptions and fourth time in last seven games dating back to last season.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES -- Utah State's game at Oregon marked the first time since Nov. 11, 2006 at Nevada that USU did not have a kickoff return of at least 20 yards... The Aggies remain perfect on the season in both PAT's (12-of-12))... The Utah game was the first time that USU did not have a punt return since at Idaho last season (Nov. 24, 2007)... In the Idaho game, USU only punted once, marking the first time since 2002 that the Aggies only had to punt once... USU fumbled a kickoff for the second time in three games after fumbling in the Utah and BYU games... The blocked field goal in the BYU game was the first time since Oct. 7, 2005 vs. San Jose State that the Aggies had blocked a field goal.
USU TIDBITS --
A CHANGE IN ALTITUDE -- There are nine Division I schools that are located in cities with an elevation of at least 4,000 feet about sea level... Utah State's home of Logan ranks seventh on the list with an elevation of 4,534 feet... This season the Aggies will play at only one of those other locations giving USU seven games this season at 4,000 feet above sea level after playing eight in 2006 and seven last year. USU will play at Reno, Nev. (#8 at 4,505 feet) against Nevada on Oct. 18... The Aggies will face two of the other teams on the list in #6 BYU (Oct. 3) and #9 Utah (Sept. 13).
School City, State Elevation1. Wyoming Laramie, Wyo. 7,2202. Air Force Colorado Springs, Colo. 6,0103. Colorado Boulder, Colo. 5,3284. Colorado State Fort Collins, Colo. 5,0035. New Mexico Albuquerque, N.M. 4,9576. Brigham Young Provo, Utah 4,5507. UTAH STATE LOGAN, UTAH 4,5348. Nevada Reno, Nev. 4,5059. Utah Salt Lake City, Utah 4,262
RECORD BOOK WATCH -- Senior linebacker Jake Hutton entered his final season in Aggie blue and white with 218 career tackles, in need of 95 more to reach USU's top 10 list, as Blake Eagal currently holds the No. 10 spot with 313 career stops from 1997-2000... After 10 tackles in the BYU game, Hutton currently has 261 career tackles, leaving him 52 shy of cracking the top 10.
Junior CB James Brindley's 32-yard interception return in the Idaho game gives him 130 interception return yards for his career, moving him to No. 8 on USU's career INT return yardage list.
NUMBER CHANGES -- Utah State had several jersey number changes prior to this season and/or from the media guide:
Doug Barbour from 80 to 87 Brian Mason from 91 to 49 James Brindley from 26 to 3 Kejon Murphy from 9 to 1 Marquis Butler from 19 to 13 Emmanual Ojeriakhi from 88 to 19 Peter Caldwell from 38 to 8 Jake Poulson from 20 to 30 Marquise Charles from 3 to 26 Chris Randle from 24 to 7 Greg Clark from 93 to 91 Robert Turbin from 30 to 6 Levi Koskan from 91 to 93 Chris Williams from 10 to 9 Junior Keiaho from 92 to 59 Zac Zimmerman from 70 to 48
VETERAN EXPERIENCE -- USU has 17 seniors on its roster which matches last season as the biggest senior class in head coach Brent Guy's three seasons at USU and the largest Aggie senior class since 1999's 21 seniors.
THREE "A" AGGIES -- Out of the 17 seniors on the roster, 12 of them are three-year letterwinners.
TIME TRAVELERS -- Utah State will play in three different time zones this season: Central (at Louisiana Tech on Nov. 15), Mountain (all home games, at Boise State on Nov. 8) and Pacific (at UNLV on Aug. 30, at Oregon on Sept. 6, at San Jose State on Oct. 11 and at Nevada on Oct. 18).
While Utah State only plays in three different time zones this season, the Aggies have at least one player from five different time zones, Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific and Hawaiian-Aleutian.
BEEHIVE BUNCH -- Utah State has 23 players from the state of Utah on its roster.
TALL HOKE -- Senior offensive tackle Derek Hoke is the tallest player on USU's roster at 6'9" - Hoke is one of seven players on the Aggie roster listed at 6'5" or taller... He is also unofficially, the second-tallest player in NCAA Division I this season, behind 6'10" Alejandro Villanueva of Army.
BIG BOOKENDS -- Utah State's bookends at offensive tackle, senior Derek Hoke on the left and sophomore Spencer Johnson on the right, are two of the combined tallest tackles in the country, with Hoke towering at 6'9" and Johnson at 6'5"... The Aggie duo's combined height of 13'2" unofficially trails the 13'5" Colorado tandem of Nate Solder (6'8") and Ryan Miller (6'7") and the 13'3" Wisconsin duo of Gabe Carimi (6'8") and Eric Vanden Heuvel (6'7").
BIRTHDAY BOYS -- In all 20 Aggie players have birthdays from the time camp opened on Aug. 1 to the end of the season... Two Aggies have a birthday on a football game day: senior RB Chris Forbes (Sept. 13 vs Utah) and senior DE Gregg Clark (Oct. 11 at San Jose State).
SEVEN 2008 OPPONENTS WENT BOWLING -- USU will face seven teams that went to a bowl game last year, including a stretch a four weeks in a row.
Oregon (Sept. 6) - Sun Bowl vs. South Florida - W, 56-21
Utah (Sept. 13) - San Diego Co. Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl vs. Navy - W, 35-32
BYU (Oct. 3) - Las Vegas Bowl vs. UCLA - W, 17-16
Nevada (Oct. 18) - New Mexico Bowl vs. New Mexico - L, 22-0
Fresno State (Oct. 25) - Roady's Truckstop Humanitarian Bowl vs. Georgia Tech - W, 40-28
Hawai'i (Nov. 1) - Allstate Sugar Bowl vs. Georgia - L, 41-10
Boise State (Nov. 8) - Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl vs. East Carolina - L, 41-38
USU is one of four WAC teams to play three non-conference games against a team that was in bowl game last year, joining Boise State, Fresno State and Hawai'i.
2008 OPPONENTS IN THE POLLS -- Utah State will face three teams ranked in the top 25, though the four different polls have different teams, with the two constants in all four major polls, USA Today, Sports Illustrated, ESPN and AP, with BYU and Oregon the constants, while Fresno State is ranked in both the USA Today and ESPN polls but not by Sports Illustrated and is among others receiving votes in the AP poll, while Hawai'i is only in the Sports Illustrated poll and is also among others receiving votes in the AP poll... Other USU opponents in the others receiving votes list include Utah and Boise State.
Utah State and Nevada are the only two WAC teams to play more than one preseason Top 25 team in the AP poll, the "official" poll of college football... The Aggies tangle with No. 16 BYU (Oct. 3) and 21st-ranked Oregon (Sept. 6), while the Wolf Pack of Nevada plays sixth-ranked Missouri and No. 12 Texas Tech... Four other conference teams play one AP Top 25 team: Boise State (No. 21 Oregon), Fresno State (No. 13 Wisconsin), Hawai'i (No. 5 Florida) and Louisiana Tech (No. 14 Kansas).
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