With the nightmare part of their schedule now history, the Utah State football team can look forward to a fair fight in each of their last five games against Big West opponents.
A lot of people wonder, as they do every year, why the Aggies subject themselves to such abuse every season with the brutal nonleague schedules they play. This year's might have been the worst ever, with games against Kansas State, Georgia, BYU and Utah, four teams that are off to a combined 21-3 start and currently own the No. 7, 14, 19 and 30th rankings in the country.But if you ask almost any player on the team, he'll tell you a major reason why he came to Utah State was to play such big schools.
"Ever since I was little I dreamed about playing teams like that," said USU back Demario Brown, a thought echoed by many of his teammates.
"Our players look forward to playing the kind of teams we get to play," said coach Dave Arslanian. "It's part of Aggie tradition. Hopefully the time will come when we can break through and win some of these games."
QB SHORTAGE: In a matter of days, the Aggies went from having a surplus of quarterbacks to being dangerously close to not having enough QBs.
All season, the Aggies have listed five quarterbacks -- starter Jeff Crosbie, backup Jose Fuentes, last year's backup Logan Galli, 1997 backup Brian Benza and Steve Mullins, who doubles as the team's punter.
However in last Wednesday's practice, the Aggies lost Benza and Galli within five minutes of each other when Benza broke his hand and Galli tore the ACL in his knee. Then late in Saturday's game, Fuentes injured his shoulder. Benza and Galli are likely out for the year, while Fuentes is questionable for this week.
So who is the Aggies' No. 3 quarterback now?
Arslanian said it would either be sophomore wide receiver Eric Bracken or freshman defensive back Kyle Langston, both of whom played quarterback in high school. With the sudden lack of QBs, one will have to be the scout team quarterback this week.
NEW CENTER: Another position where the Aggies have been injury-prone is at center. Two backups, Brian Shaffer and Matt Jenkins, were hurt early in the season; Saturday at Kansas State, starter Junior Pututau tore a knee ligament in the third quarter. That meant Vincent Gargalikis, who began the season as a third-string guard, took over as the starting center. He'll be there Saturday against Idaho.
"Vincent had a good camp and will do a good job for us," said Arslanian.
AG NOTES: Saturday's game with Idaho will be played at Washington State's Martin Stadium, which holds 37,600. The Vandals are holding all of their home games there this year in an effort to boost their attendance to NCAA Division I-A standards. . . . Emmett White moved up to No. 3 in the country in punt returns, thanks to his 65-yarder against Kansas State. . . . Despite their low numbers against the K-State defense, Demario Brown, Aaron Jones and Jeff Crosbie remained among the nation's leaders. Brown is 14th in all-purpose running and 15th in rushing, Jones in eighth in receptions and 21st in receiving yards, while Crosbie is 31st in total offense. Also, Steve Mullins is 25th in punting and Brad Bohn is 25th in field goals.