LOGAN — The kicking game is now settled and instead of being a liability, Utah State football coach Brent Guy is hoping it will be a weapon.
Instead of punting from the opponent's 24 yard-line, as they did last year instead of attempting a chip-shot field goal, the Aggies now have viable kickers in Chris Ulinski and freshman Peter Caldwell.
Justin Hamblin and Bryan Shields combined to make just 2 of 5 field-goal attempts last season. The Aggies were the last team in the nation to record their first field goal when Shields drilled a 46-yarder against Hawaii in Week 9.
Caldwell, who prepped at Davis High, will handle the field goals, while Ulinski, a walk-on, will handle the kickoff and extra points, but the decision didn't come until after a tight race during the fall.
Both made three field goals and both missed one during the two Utah State scrimmages. Caldwell, who hit 15 of 16 with the long a 57 in high school last year, drilled a long of 36, while Ulinski hit a 35-yarder.
"We felt like giving both of them a starting role because it would be the best thing for them so they will be prepared for exactly the situation they are going to see during a game," Guy said.
Ulinksi, a former rugby player at the University of Nevada, has shown great skill in kicking off by putting the ball just inside the end zone or just before it.
Kickers now have an extra five yards as the NCAA moved kickoffs back from the 35 to the 30.
Starting quarterback Leon Jackson III will punt.
He averaged 37.7 yards per punt and dropped 16 inside the 20.
SINGLED OUT: With 11 returning defensive starters, Utah State is the only team in the Western Athletic Conference to return an entire unit on offense or defense.
AUGUST LID-LIFTERS: Utah State has played in August only five times since 1957 and Thursday's home and season opener with UNLV will be the sixth.
The Aggies are 2-3 all-time in August, but they are 2-0 at home.
WEEKDAY BLUES: The Aggies have lost 10 straight games when the game is played on a day other than Saturday. They have lost the last three played on Thursday.
Utah State's last win on a weekday came in 1993 when it beat Ball State in the Las Vegas Bowl.
SPEAKING OF THURSDAY: The Aggies will treat the day like a regular school day. The players will attend their classes and try to keep their regular routine.
"As far as the freshness of our team, mentally and physically, it is just a matter of routine and playing a Thursday schedule,' Guy said. "We're just going to have regular day and then come down and get ready to play the game.'
ALL ALONE: Utah State running back Aaron Lesue is the only member of the Aggies who hails from Nevada.
"I was never seriously recruited by them or really never really interested in going there,' Lesue said. "I have a lot of friends from high school that go to UNLV that will be watching the game, so it will interested to step on the field knowing that people are watching and to show them there's a difference here at Utah State.'
Lesue is from Fallon, Nevada, which is located just outside Reno.
BUMPS AND BRUISES: Guy said one of the bright points from camp is they came out it without in major injuries or surgeries.
"We have a few guys banged up that would possibly be in special teams roles, but we have no one that is going to miss any extended time,' he said. "So we're thankful to come out of came with a major knee injury or shoulder injury.