For the first time in the memory of even sixth-year senior center Warren Bowers, Utah State's football team opened a season with a win. A Big West Conference victory, even.
And the Aggies did it with one hand tied behind their backs. They didn't play very well for much of the game last week but came out 21 points ahead - of the 105th-best (worst?) team in NCAA football.Beating Southwestern Louisiana was nice, but the Cajuns kept throwing the ball to Utah State. Admits USU coach Charlie Weatherbie, "Three of our six interceptions were thrown to us as receivers, it looked like." Even then, the Aggies couldn't score often, at least until the second half, after their sixth interception finally gave the offense enough practice.
Quarterback Anthony Calvillo went on to set three Cajun Stadium records - for passes completed and pass yardage (362) and for total yards (366) by an opponent, yet he said of the first half, "I was lagging."
Even their punting, which looks statistically impressive, averaging 44 yards with zero returns, was really just "very fortunate," Weatherbie says. The punts were too short to be caught and just bounced the Aggies' way, he says.
So, having lurched past the Cajun test, the 1-0 Aggies will almost have to double their effort Saturday night to win their second game. They are at Rice Stadium at 7 p.m. to meet 0-1 Utah, which has beaten them five straight and eight of the last 10 times they played and which is coming off a humiliating shutout at Arizona State.
"I don't think Arizona State had a lot to do with that, as much as Utah stubbing their toe," says Weatherbie.
The last two years, the Ags thought going into the Utah game they were good enough to win. Two years ago, they gave an admittedly lame effort. Last year, Calvillo (new to the program and a non-starter) was intercepted three times in the second half, and three defensive backs were out with cramps or actual injury. They led 12-11 at the half and were down by two after three periods only to fall 42-18.
"The last two years," says Aggie offensive tackle Jed DeVries, an Ogden native once recruited by Utah, "we've fallen into a lull where, well, Utah gets a lot of hype, and they get momentum that way, and we start falling into that."
This year, says Weatherbie, "that won't be an excuse."
Adds DeVries, "It's like we're right there, ready to break over the hump, but we haven't been able to do it."
The entire USU starting offensive line, DeVries points out, is made up of seniors who've never beaten the Utes.
"We feel like it's time we put Logan on the map - and we can do it," he says. "This year, we're a lot more focused."
And Calvillo is a lot better than at this point last year. As a starter, he has a 6-3 record.
He may be without top receiver Jim Ray, who has hobbled on a foot injury for more than a week. He tried to play at USL but missed most of the game. "We're hoping he can play, but right now he's a backup," Weatherbie said Thursday night.
Tight end Aubrey Thompson and Ray's backup, Cotie McMahon, now the starter at split end, made the big plays last week. Thompson caught five passes for 113 yards, and McMahon caught five for 84. Mike Lee, the H-back, had nine receptions for 74.
Sophomore James Dye (37 yards) and freshman Profail Grier (40 yards) get their second cracks at running back during the season-long absence of Abu Wilson (795 yards last year, knee surgery in August).