LOGAN, Utah – Utah State football held its final scrimmage of fall camp Saturday afternoon on Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium as part of the 14th annual Aggie Football Family Fun Day, sponsored by Maceys, and the Aggies performed well on both sides of the ball.
 
"It was a good day and it was a good run for the kids," said USU head coach Gary Andersen. "The young kids got to compete and play some live (football), and it was kind of a practice for the older guys. They had their scrimmage yesterday and it was a good go. We'll take tomorrow off and get ourselves back on Monday and start preparing for Wake Forest."
 
Offensive highlights during the controlled scrimmage included a touchdown pass from junior QB Jordan Love to junior WR Taylor Compton. Love finished the night completing 13-of-21 passes, while Compton had four receptions, including his touchdown. Fellow junior WR Jordan Nathan had three receptions, as did sophomore WR Deven Thompkins.
 
"It was a good day," said Love. "The offense did what we had to, and the defense did a good job as well. Everybody on the offense has been on the same page during fall camp. We have made a lot of strides and we are continuing to get better and better."
 
The Aggie defense intercepted three passes during the scrimmage, which was limited to thud tackling with the first- and second units. Junior S Shaq Bond recorded two of those picks, including returning one for a touchdown, while freshman CB Dominic Tatum notched the third interception.
 
"I think the defense played great today," said Bond. "We had a lot of intensity, a lot of guys falling onto the ball, and a lot of people doing their assignments and not trying to do too much. Everybody played great today."
 
One area that Andersen has been pleased with during fall camp is the leadership of his team, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
 
"There's a few of those guys that are stepping up. Fua (Leilua) and Devon (Anderson) do a nice job and Tipa (Galeai) does an excellent job. Tipa is a captain and he's expected to do that. David Woodward is always going to lead in his own way. Kevin Meitzenheimer is starting to have a voice and really understand what his role is on the defense. Those are a few of those kids that have stepped up in a good way," added Andersen.
 
Other Aggies with multiple receptions on Saturday included graduate transfer tight end Caleb Repp, junior WR Savon Scarver, junior TE Carson Terrell, junior WR Derek Wright and redshirt freshman WR Tim Patrick Jr.
 
Saturday was the 15th of 24 practices for the Aggies leading up to their season-opening game at Wake Forest on Friday, Aug. 30, at 6 p.m. (MT), in a game that will be nationally televised on the ACC Network. Utah State will then begin its home season the following weekend against Stony Brook on Saturday, Sept. 7, at 5:30 p.m., in a game that will air exclusively on Facebook. Mountain West play begins two weeks later as USU travels to San Diego State on Saturday, Sept. 21, in a game that will be televised nationally CBS Sports Network at 8:30 p.m. (MT).
 
Utah State is picked to finish second in the Mountain Division of the Mountain West, as voted on by media members that cover the league. Furthermore, junior quarterback Jordan Love was named the Conference's Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while senior defensive end Tipa Galeai, senior cornerback DJ Williams, junior kickoff returner Savon Scarver and junior linebacker David Woodward joined Love on the preseason all-MW team.
 
For Aggie football ticket information, fans can contact the USU Athletics Ticket Office over the phone by calling 1-888-USTATE-1 or 435-797-0305 during regular hours of operation. Fans can also buy their tickets in person at the USU Ticket Office inside the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum or online by clicking on the "Buy Tickets" tab at www.UtahStateAggies.com.
 
Fans can follow the Aggie football program at @USUFootball or on Facebook at Utah State Football, as well as on Instagram at instagram.com/USUFootball. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program at @USUAthletics or on Facebook at Utah State University Athletics.
 
All practice reports during fall camp will be brought to you by Farm Bureau Insurance.