LOGAN — Lets get this out of the way: the 2019 season was a success for the Utah State Aggies.
Not exactly a stirring one to be sure — uncompetitive loses to Air Force, Boise State and BYU prevented that — but a success nonetheless. Successful is not the same as great, however, and great seasons — any year with eight or more wins qualifies, according to Utah State head coach Gary Andersen — have been rare in Logan.
Since 1917, the first year USU played eight or more games in a season, the Aggies have only won eight-plus games 12 times. Only four of those campaigns have come since 2000, in 2012 (11-2), 2013 (9-5) and 2014 (10-4), as well as 2018 (11-2).
That history is what makes Friday night’s Frisco Bowl contest against the Kent State Golden Flashes so meaningful. Currently 7-5 on the year, the Aggies are a win away from a great season. In an era of college football that has seen bowl season steadily lose its luster — for which blame falls squarely on the BCS and even more so the CFP — the outcome of the Frisco Bowl could not matter more to USU.
“It’s really important. Knowing that it’s my last game here as an Aggie, wearing that uniform, it’s really important for me to just go out there and ball out, and have fun with my brothers this last time.” — Utah State quarterback Jordan Love
“A six and seven (win season) is good. Eight and nine is great. Double digits is elite. I’ll believe that forever and ever,” said Andersen. “It (the Frisco Bowl) gives us the chance to take another step to get to eight victories, and again, to win a championship. It’s a big step. To get an eighth win ... that championship trophy is going to be here forever if you get it.”
“An eight-win season is great,” senior defensive lineman Jacoby Wildman added. “It helps with recruiting, it helps with funding, it helps with everything. It’s to help build the program and we’re really excited to give the university and everybody that’s come before us, and those that are coming after us, the opportunity for that.”
Wildman is one of 15 seniors on the USU roster, along with the likes of defensive end Tipa Galeai, cornerbacks Cam Haney and DJ Williams, defensive tackle Devon Anderson and running back Gerold Bright, to name a few.
An eight win-season, coupled with the team’s 11-win campaign in 2018, would make those departing Aggies responsible for one of the most successful two-year runs in school history.
“It’s big for us seniors,” said Wildman.
Also for junior quarterback Jordan Love. Love declared for the 2020 NFL draft a week ago, amid reports that he was contemplating a graduate transfer. Those reports, it turns out, were completely unfounded.
“We had just gotten out of workouts when I saw it,” Love said. “My mom sent it to me just saying, ‘Here people go saying stuff again.’ I don’t know about any of those schools that they had on there like Oklahoma, Houston and Texas Tech. I don’t know where they got it from.”
Love’s decision to forgo his senior season and enter the draft makes the Frisco Bowl his final game in an Aggie uniform, just like the team’s seniors. As such, the game holds a similar weight for him.
“It’s really important,” he said. “Knowing that it’s my last game here as an Aggie, wearing that uniform, it’s really important for me to just go out there and ball out, and have fun with my brothers this last time.”
Love will play Friday. A university spokesman confirmed the news with the Deseret News Wednesday morning, noting that Love, Bright and wide receiver Sean Carter, each of whom was charged in Logan Justice Court on Tuesday, Dec. 17 with marijuana possession, a class B misdemeanor, will all be eligible to play in the Frisco Bowl.
Andersen expects the team to play for those departing players, Love included.
“It’s a major responsibility for every young man that is not (playing) their last game at Utah State to put their best foot forward,” he said. “If they’re on scout team, if they’re a starter, if they’re second team or third team, if they play one play of special teams or 20 plays on special teams, they owe it to those seniors to give it everything they’ve got in this last game. … There is always going to be a little extra edge when you’re playing for your seniors in your last game, and that’s exactly what Jordan is now. Is he a senior? No, but it’s his last game. So, yes, he is a senior and we need to go and represent those kids as well as we can.”
And if all goes well against Kent State, the 2019 Aggies will increase the number of great teams in school history to 13.
2019 Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl
Utah State (7-5) vs. Kent State (6-6)
Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas
Friday, Dec. 20, 5:30 p.m. MST
TV: ESPN 2
Radio: KZNS AM 1280