USU defensive coaches scrutinize game films on Sunday and come up with their own set of stats that the school considers official, rather than those listed by volunteer stat keepers on Saturdays. (Coaches know the players best, and, with film, can rerun plays.)
Junior LB David Gill, credited Saturday with an impressive 22 tackles (three solo, 19 assists) was even more impressive on film.Upon further review, Gill was credited with a USU-record 25 tackles Saturday at Utah, 14 solos and 11 assists. He also had a pass breakup and that 39-yard fumble-return touchdown.
Gill's been named Big West Conference Defensive Player of the Week for the second time in two weeks.
At 6-foot, 239 pounds, Gill is undersized, but it hardly matters.
"He has a heart as big as his body," says coach John L. Smith, noting that Gill "was bruised from head to toe" following the U. game against a 274-pound running back.
Gill leads USU at 118 tackles for the season, 14.75 a game; he had 108 through his first two seasons. He needs 49 more through the final three games to break the USU season record held by Al Smith (166). With a year and three games left, he's 10th in career tackles with 226; with 28 more, he'll surpass Phil Olsen (253) for eighth.
He has started a team-high 21 straight games.
Free safety Spencer Waggoner had a huge game Saturday, too: 20 tackles, 10 solo, 10 assists. LB Kenyatta Green was credited by coaches with 15 tackles.
HALL OF FAME: The third class to be inducted this week by the USU Hall of Fame consists of seven members:
- Tony Adams, who still holds or shares 16 USU football records including career marks for passing TDs and total-offense yards (6,587). He played four years with the NFL Kansas City Chiefs.
- PGA golfer Jay Don Blake, winner of the 1980 NCAA championship, runner-up in '81. PGA Tour putting leader in '91.
- Karolyn Kirby, currently the world's No. 1-ranked pro volleyball player. She helped the Ags to three top-10 national team placings including runner-up (1979) and third ('81).
- Nine-year NFL lineman Clark Miller, a two-year starter at tackle on USU's back-to-back bowl teams ('60, '61) that had a combined record of 18-3-1. He played in four college postseason all-star games and spent six years with the San Francisco 49ers.
- Four-season NFL defensive lineman Bill Staley, an Aggie All-American in football and track.
- The late Conley Watts, a two-year basketball letterman who went on to a strong prep coaching career in northern Utah, named the state's coach of the year in 1942.
- The late Glen Worthington, another legendary prep coach who earned 10 USU varsity letters (football/track/basketball, 1926-29).
TOLL ROAD: Utah took a toll on some great Ag stats. The Utes sacked Ag QBs three times; through eight games, the mix-'n'-patch USU line has allowed just 14 sacks to 39 in 11 games in '94 . . . With 78 yards at Utah, Abu Wilson's per-game rush average dropped 8.3, but he still leads the Big West by nearly 18 ypg and ranks eighth in the NCAA; in all-purpose yards (186.0), he's No. 3/NCAA, No. 2/BWC.