Utah State's reputation as a football power has improved, but it's not quite up to unseating the traditional Big West Conference big boys in the preseason polls yet.
The Aggies picked up 13 first-place media-poll votes Thursday. Obviously they've swayed some non-Utah folks since that's far more than the number of Utahns attending the BWC Media Day.The Ags still finished behind San Jose State and Fresno State on both the preseason media and coaches' polls conducted Thursday.
Not that far behind, though.
In the media poll, San Jose had 19 first-place votes and 374 points to Fresno's 20 first-place votes and 373 points. Utah State had 351 points, 90 ahead of fourth-place Pacific, which got the only other first-place media vote.
In the coaches' poll, Fresno was the winner with 62 points and six first-place votes, followed by San Jose with one first-place vote and 54 points. Utah State, with its one first-place vote, was just three points behind the Spartans at 51 points, while Pacific had 35 points.
"Based upon San Jose's and Fresno State's history, they certainly deserve that kind of recognition," said Utah State Coach Chuck Shelton, who's anxious to get this season going because he has "the best team we've had. There's not an area I'm concerned about," Shelton says, adding the team has exceeded his expectations of how far along it might be at this point.
He has virtually the whole offense back from a team that averaged 37 points a game in conference play last year plus most of the defense and both kicking specialists returning.
"I don't know the criteria people use to make their decision, but they wouldn't be far off," Shelton said of the way the voting went.
Clearly, however, Shelton intends to finish higher, although the first five games will probably dictate what the Aggies do in conference play. The Aggies open at Utah, travel to Nebraska and Oklahoma, have San Jose at home and then go to Brigham Young.
"My biggest concern is where San Jose sits on our schedule," Shelton says.
Shelton sees Pacific as a "dark horse," but the Tigers are changing their defense to rely on speed with five linebackers and two linemen, and that makes them a question mark as well as a threat.
From USU on down, the coaches' and media polls agree with UNLV fifth, Long Beach sixth, New Mexico State seventh and Cal-Fullerton eighth.
Fresno Coach Jim Sweeney and San Jose Coach Terry Shea each lobbied for their teams prior to the voting.
"We're going to be a stronger football team by far than last year," said Sweeney, whose 1991 team was 8-2-1 overall and 5-1-1 and tied with USU for second behind 9-2-1, 7-0 San Jose, the Raisin Bowl champion.
Said Shea, "After the loss to Cal (35-34 at Cal on Oct. 6, 1990), we didn't lose again. We were playing really well. That attitude still permeates. I saw it in spring practice; I feel it now."
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(Additional information)
Big West coaches' poll
1st-place
Team Pts. votes
1. Fresno State 62 6
2. San Jose State 54 1
3. Utah State 51 1
4. Pacific 35 5. UNLV 27 6. Long Beach State 24 7. New Mexico State 21 8. Cal-Fullerton 14\ Media poll
1. San Jose State 374 19
2. Fresno State 373 20
3. Utah State 351 13
4. Pacific 261 1
5. UNLV 197
6. Long Beach State 162
7. New Mexico State 121
8. Cal-Fullerton 69