With just more than a week left in spring drills, Utah State football will hold its final scrimmage prior to its annual spring game on Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium on Thursday, March 29, at approximately 3:15 p.m.
Sixth-year head coach Matt Wells will run his team through a roughly 100-play scrimmage and wants to see continued improvement on both sides of the ball in execution and leadership.
“Tomorrow’s scrimmage is the second-biggest test of the spring,” said Wells. “As coaches, we want to continue to evaluate some of the competition battles between the defensive backs and the running backs. We also need some other receivers to step up to show us what they can do this fall. If a player is all-Mountain West, I need him to play like he’s all-Mountain West tomorrow. Every time we take the field in Maverik Stadium, it needs to be a special day that is improved on and played to our fullest potential.”
During the scrimmage, the No. 1 and No. 2 offenses will get the ball at their own 25 and 50-yard line with a six-play minimum scenario against the No. 1 and No. 2 defenses. USU will also run both groups through a pair of red zone periods from the 12 and 25-yard line, along with a pair of four-minute drills and a period inside their own red zone. The No. 3 offense and defense will also get 16-18 plays of live action during the scrimmage, while the special teams will work on punting, kickoffs and kickoff returns.
Utah State will practice next Tuesday from 3:30-5:30 p.m. and next Thursday from 6-8 a.m., before hosting its annual Blue vs. White Spring Game on Saturday, April 7, on Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium at 2 p.m. Admission to the spring game is free.
All practices are scheduled for Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium unless inclement weather pushes them to the Stan Laub Indoor Football Complex. All practice times and locations are subject to change.
Doug Hoffman is the associate athletic director for Utah State University Athletic Media Relations.