Sept. 3, 2010

NORMAN, Okla -

Complete Utah State at #7 Oklahoma Supplemental Notes in PDF Format

UTAH STATE FOOTBALLSupplemental Game Day Notesat #7 Oklahoma - Sept. 4, 2010

POSTGAME -- Utah State's locker room is closed to the media. After a brief cooling off period, head coach Gary Andersen and selected players will be available at a designated area. All player requests should be made to Zach Fisher prior to the five-minute mark of the fourth quarter.

ON TV -- Saturday's match-up between the Aggies and Sooners will be televised on Fox Sports Pay Per View... Bill Jones will handle play-by-play duties while Dean Blevins will provide analysis, while the pride of Great Falls, Mont., Elissa Walker Campbell, will be the sideline reporter.

ON THE AIR -- All Utah State football games are carried live 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.

LIVE STATS -- Fans can follow Saturday's game by clicking on the "Live Stats" link on USU web site at www.UtahStateAggies.com, which will connect to OU's live stats updates on play-by-play and statistics throughout the game.

112 / 118 -- USU is taking the field for the 112th season of football in 118 years. The Aggies beat Utah, 12-0, in 1892, but then did not field a team until 1896, when they again only played one game but then played every year since with the exceptions of 1918 when to World War I and influenza cancelled the season and 1943 due to World War II.

NEW LOOK HELMETS/HELMET STICKERS -- Utah State's helmets got a new look this summer, as the white helmet with larger navy blue metallic paint flakes is an upgrade from the white helmet with small silver metallic flakes last year, while the navy blue facemasks replace white masks that have adorned the white helmet with U-State logo since the mid-90's.

Additionally, helmet stickers will be awarded to players, with a "Block A" for academic achievement and community service and a bull head for athletic recognition. All helmets will also have a "71" sticker on the back, honoring USU legend Merlin Olsen, who passed away March 11, 2010.

A USU WIN WOULD...•    Give Utah State its first-ever win over at Top 10 team, as the Aggies enter Saturday with an 0-20 mark when their opposition is in the Top 10.•    Be the Aggies' first win over a Top 25 team since 1991, snapping a 26-game losing streak to a Top 25 team, and improve Utah State to 2-51 against a ranked foe.•    Give USU its first 1-0 record to start a season since 1997, snapping a 12-season opening game losing skid.•    Be Utah State's first season-opening win against a ranked foe in eight tries, as USU has lost its previous seven season-openers against ranked teams.•    Earn USU its first win over Oklahoma in six tries.•    Be USU's first win over a Big 12 team since 1992, halting a 10-game losing skein to teams from the conference.•    Give USU back-to-back road wins (W at Idaho in 2009 season-finale) for the first time since 2007.•    Break the Aggies' two-game losing streak in games played on Sept. 4, as USU takes a 1-3 record on the date into Saturday's game.•    Be USU's first win on Oklahoma soil in six tries, as the Aggies enter Saturday with an 0-5 ledger in games played in the Sooner State.•    Earn Utah State its first-ever win over a No. 7 ranked team in four tries.•    Make USU head coach Gary Andersen the 13th Aggie coach to start his second year at the helm of the USU program with a win.•    Be USU's second-straight win in the month of September.•    Turn the "A" Blue, which just received a upgrade with some new, environmentally-safe LED lights this week.
A USU LOSS WOULD...•    Be USU's 13th-straight season-opening loss.•    Deal Utah State its seventh season-opening loss when facing a ranked team in the first game of the year.•    Slide the Aggies to 0-5 vs. the Sooners all-time.•    Move USU to 0-6 in games played on Oklahoma soil.•    Be USU's third-straight loss on Sept. 4, moving to 1-4 on the date.•    Drop Utah State to 0-8 in season-openers against ranked teams.•    Deal USU its 27th-consecutive loss against ranked foes, falling to 1-52 all time.• As always, be not as good as a win.

WE'RE GOING STREAKING -- Several Utah State players and the Aggie team take streaks into Saturday's game:

Eric Moats     At least one catch in 12-straight gamesDiondre Borel    Started 21-straight games        Passed for 200+ yards in two-straight games        Completed 18 passes in two-straight gamesBobby Wagner    Started 15-straight games        Tallied at least nine tackles in four-straight gamesPeter Caldwell    Boomed at least a 45-yard punt in three-straight games        Pinned a punt inside the 20 in three-straight gamesUtah State    Scored at least 14 points in 18-straight games, dating        back to 2008

IT'S DIVISION I FOOTBALL BROTHER -- A total of 22 players on Utah State's travel roster to Oklahoma will be playing in their first Division I football game... Of those 22, eight are true freshmen, seven are redshirt-freshmen, one is a redshirt-sophomore, two are sophomore transfers from junior college and four are junior transfers from junior college.

No.    Name    Pos.    Ht.    Wt.    Cl.    Exp.    Hometown (High School/Last School)    1    Xavier Martin    WR    5-11    195    JR    TR    Baltimore, Md. (Joppatowne HS/Grossmont JC)    2    Cameron Sanders    CB    5-10    168    FR    RS    Oklahoma City, Okla. (Millwood HS)    6    Nevin Lawson    CB    5-11    180    FR    HS    Lauderhill, Fla. (Piper HS)13    Jeremy Higgins    QB    6-1    195    FR    HS    Hawaii Kai, Hawaii (St. Louis HS)    14    Alex Hart    QB    6-2    185    FR    HS    Draper, Utah (Jordan HS)    17    Matt Austin    WR    6-2    198    JR    RS    Monrovia, Calif. (Charter Oak HS/Mt. San Antonio JC)    18    Rashard Stewart    WR/CB    5-11    170    FR    HS    Miami, Fla. (Miami Jackson HS)    26    Gavin Jones    LB    6-2    191    JR    TR    Orem, Utah (Orem HS/Snow JC)    28    Joey DeMartino    RB    5-11    198    SO    TR    San Diego, Calif. (Mt. Carmel HS/Grossmont JC)    29    Alfred Bowden    CB    5-11    188    JR    TR    Glendale, Ariz. (Deer Valley HS/Phoenix CC)    32    Braeden Loveless    PK    5-9    159    FR    HS    South Jordan, Utah (Bingham HS)    36    McKade Brady    CB    5-11    184    SO    RS    Cove, Utah (Sky View HS/BYU)51    Jake Doughty    LB    6-0    217    FR    RS    Draper, Utah (Juan Diego HS)57    Nate Needham    LB/LS    6-3    220    FR    HS    St. George, Utah (Pine View HS)    64    Jamie Markosian    OL    6-2    293    FR    RS    Salt Lake City, Utah (Juan Diego HS)    66    Eric Schultz    OL    6-4    301    FR    RS    Connell, Wash. (Connell HS)    75    Tyler Larsen    OC    6-4    298    FR    RS    Salt Lake City, Utah (Jordan HS)    80    Travis Reynolds    WR    6-0     169    FR     HS     Lauderdale Lakes, Fla. (Boyd Anderson HS)85    Dontel Watkins    WR    6-2    193    SO    TR    Nashville, Tenn. (Antioch HS/Butler CC)    86    Brad Theurer    TE    6-3    213    FR    RS    Logan, Utah (Logan HS)    90    Jason Fanaika    DE    6-2    250    FR    HS    Pleasant Grove, Utah (Pleasant Grove HS)    91    D.J. Tialavea    DE    6-4    265    FR    RS    West Jordan, Utah (West Jordan HS)
Pronunciation Guide    64    Jamie Markosian = Mar-koozian    86    Brad Theurer = Tire    90    Jason Fanaika = Fuh-nica (like formica)    95    D.J. Tialavea = Tee-al-uh-vah-uh

TEXAS TWO-STEPPERS -- Of Utah State's eight players from the state of Texas, four of them are on the Aggies' travel roster:

No.    Name    Pos.    Ht.    Wt.    Cl.    Exp.    Hometown (High School/Last School)    4     Walter McClenton     S     5-11     193     JR    1L     Arlington, Texas (Bowie HS)    20     Maxim Dinka-Mba     LB     5-11     218     SR    3L     Plano, Texas (Plano HS)    21     Derrvin Speight     RB     5-9     209     SR    2L     Irving, Texas (MacArthur HS)    79     Robert Hill     OL     6-2     285     JR    2L     Southlake, Texas (Carroll HS)
Pronunciation Guide    20     Maxim Dinka-Mba = Max-um Dink-uh Mm-bah    21     Derrvin Speight = Spate

KING OF THE HILL -- One of the four tall Texans making the trip to the Sooner State is junior OT Robert Hill... It is unknown if he is the namesake for the character Bobby Hill from the animated series "King of the Hill," however USU's Hill does have a strong resemblance to the TV Hill... The human Hill played high school football against Oklahoma sophomore DE R.J. Washington in high school in 2006... Hill's Southlake Carroll team won the match-up with Washington's Keller Fossil Ridge squad contest en route to Southlake Carroll's 2006 16-0 record and a Texas 5A state football championship.

USU HEAD COACHES TO START YEAR TWO -- With a win Saturday, Utah State head coach Gary Andersen would become the 13th Aggie head coach to win the opener of their second season... Andersen would join Dave Arslanian in 1999, Charlie Weatherbie in 1993, Bruce Snyder in 1977, Phil Krueger in 1974, Chuck Mills in 1968, John Ralston in 1960, Ev Faunce in 1956, John O. Roning in 1951, George Melinkovich in 1950, E. Lowell Romney in 1920, Jack Watson in 1917, Fred M. Walker in 1908 and George P. Campbell in 1903.

CURRENT AGGIE COACHES VS. OKLAHOMA -- Utah State has four members of its coaching staff that have faced Oklahoma as a coach with another team or a player, as is the case for USU defensive administrative assistant Hunter Teafatiller, who faced Oklahoma during his playing days at Nebraska... USU offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin and defensive coordinator Bill Busch have faced OU, with Busch having the most experience vs. the Sooners, facing them three times, all while special teams coordinator and safeties coach at Nebraska... Overall, those four members are a combined 0-9 vs. OU.

Name    Utah State Position    Other Position    Years-Results
Dave Baldwin    Offensive Coord./WR's    Baylor Off. Coord./QB    2002-L, 9-49(0-1 vs. OU)
Bill Busch    Defensive Coord./S's    Nebraska Spc.Tm./Safeties    2006-L, 7-21(0-3 vs. OU)            2005-L, 24-31            2004-L, 3-30
Hunter Teafatiller    Defensive Admin. Asst.    Nebraska Player-TE    2008-L, 28-62(0-3 vs. OU)            2006-L, 7-21            2005-L, 24-31
Brad Vonnahme    Defensive Admin. Asst.    Nebraska Student Asst.    2008-L, 28-62(0-2 vs. OU)            2006-L, 7-21

UTAH STATE-OKLAHOMA BY THE NUMB3R5 -- A closer look at notables about Saturday's clash of the Aggies and Sooners:

0    Players from the state of Utah on Oklahoma's roster1    Players from the state of Oklahoma on Utah State's roster -  redshirt-    freshman cornerback Cameron Sanders, who is from Oklahoma City,    Okla. (Millwood HS).2    USU players that had 100-yard outings against Oklahoma in USU's    55-21 loss to OU in 1991 - Tracey Jenkins with 132 yards on eight    catches and Rod Moore with 118 yards on seven receptions.5    Times that USU has faced OU.5    Times that the Aggies have faced a Sooners squad ranked in the    Top 10  (#4 in 1972, #3 in 1974, #7 in 1991, #3 in 2007 and #7 in 2010).5    Utah State losses against teams from the state of Oklahoma (0-4 vs.    Oklahoma, 0-1 vs. Oklahoma State (L, 31-17 in 1996)5    Oklahoma wins against teams from the state of Utah (4-0 vs. Utah    State, 1-0 vs. Utah, W, 62-24 in 1977).13    Ranking on single-game passing list that USU ranked after throwing    for 390 yards vs. Oklahoma in 1996's69    Scoring margin between USU and Oklahoma in 1974 (72-3), largest    scoring margin loss in school history.87    Distance between Utah State's Romney Stadium and site of its 2009    season-opener at Utah, Rice-Eccles Stadium.1,214    Distance between Utah State's Romney Stadium and site of its 2010    season-opener at Oklahoma, Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

USU BESTS VS. OKLAHOMA -- Here is a look at some of the top USU statistical individual performances against the Sooners over the years: Ron Lopez had 314 yards passing (21-of-44) against Oklahoma in USU's 55-21 loss to OU in 1991... In that game, two Aggie receivers had 100-yard receiving outings, Tracey Jenkins with 132 yards on eight catches and Rod Moore with 118 yards on seven receptions.

EACH OTHER'S LAST TIME LIST -- On Utah State's "Last Time" list, Oklahoma is referenced once: The last Aggie opponent with an 80-yard TD run was OU's Demarco Murray with a 92-yard scamper in the 2007 match-up when he was a freshman... That is the only Utah State reference on Oklahoma's Individual Career Bests list, as it is Murray's career-long rush.

USU IN SEPTEMBER -- Utah State is seeking its second-straight September win, as the Aggies have lost 14 of their last 16 games in calendar's ninth month... USU is 8-28 during September in the 2000's... This is the third-straight season that the Aggies have three games in September, going 1-2 in the ninth month the last two seasons, after dropping all four of its September games in 2007 and all five games in September in 2006.

USU VS. OU -- While Saturday marks the fifth meeting between Utah State and Oklahoma on the gridiron, the Aggies and Sooners have faced each other in other sports, as few as one time (men's basketball and women's volleyball) and as many as 21 meetings (softball)... Utah State has a winning record vs. Oklahoma in two sports (softball and volleyball).

Sport    Series History    Last Meeting    Last USU WinM. Basketball    0-1    1938-39    NeverW. Basketball    0-0    Never    NeverGymnastics    8-13-0    2008    1994Softball    6-2    2001    1992Volleyball    1-0    2000    2000

FOOTBALL ISN'T JUST AMERICA'S GAME -- USU has four players who were born internationally... Senior LB Jerome Barbour (Germany), senior OL Tariq Polley (England), sophomore WR Emmanual Ojeriakhi (Nigeria) and freshman LB Connor Williams (Canada) all were born outside of the United States.

TRANSFER-MERS -- USU has 21 junior college transfers, as well as nine players who transferred from another four-year school on the 2010 roster... Three players on the roster came to USU from Snow College: senior DT Casey Davis, senior LB Joey Schrader, junior LB Gavin Jones... Three were teammates at El Camino JC: senior DT's Sean Enesi and Kamaloni Vainikola and junior LB Reuben Willis... Two were teammates at Grossmont JC: junior WR Xavier Martin and sophomore RB Joey DeMartino.

VISITING FAN RECOGNITION -- Utah State fan Chris Wilson (USU class of 1983), will be recognized Saturday as the "Oklahoma Visiting Fan of the Game"... Chris is a second generation Utah State Aggie donor, and his family has supplied Aggie Athletics with courtesy cars for over 40 years through their Logan, Utah car dealership... The "Oklahoma Visiting Fan of the Game" is the same honor that Aggie fan Del Niederhauser received during USU's last visit to Norman in 2007.