Utah

3 takeaways from USU's win against Hawai'i

Published

2 months ago

November 16, 2024

3 takeaways from USU's win against Hawai'i

Utah State got back to winning in about as dominant a fashion as it could Saturday in Logan.

The Aggies dominated the visiting Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors from opening kick to final whistle en route to a 55-10 victory.

It is USU’s third win on the season and has the Aggies 2-3 in Mountain West Conference play with two more games to go. Believe it or not a winning record in conference play is possible for Utah State.

There was no shortage of standouts or areas of excellence. Outside of two interceptions thrown by starting quarterback Spencer Petras, the Aggies were close to flawless in nearly every aspect.

Here are three takeaways from Utah State’s latest victory.

Rahsul Faison is the best Aggie running back since…

There have been some good running backs who have gone through the Utah State football program.

All-time definitely, but in recent history, too.

There was Darwin Thompson in 2018, who rushed for 1,044 yards (6.8 yards per carry) and 14 touchdowns and caught 23 passes for 351 yards (15.3 yards per reception) and two touchdowns in his lone season as an Aggie.

There was Gerold Bright, who in four years playing for the Aggies ran for over 2,000 yards (2,145) and 22 touchdowns.

There was Calvin Tyler Jr., who in two years with Utah State rushed for 2,006 yards on 449 carries. In his final season in Logan, Tyler Jr., rushed for 1,122 yards alone.

When all is said and done, Rahsul Faison may deserve to be considered better than all of them.

Back in action after being sidelined against Washington State with a knee injury, Faison was his usual electric self Saturday. He rushed for a career-high 191 yards and two touchdowns, averaging nearly 10 yards per touch.

With two games remaining this season, he is now nine yards away from the 1,000 yard mark on the year and has now rushed for 100 yards or more in five games this season now, seven in his USU career.

Faison has it all. Explosiveness and speed (both of his touchdowns against Hawai’i went for 30-plus yards). Power. Elusiveness. Vision. Patience.

You name it, and Faison has it as a running back.

Faison still has a chance to make program history, entering the top 10 in multiple rushing categories in only two season played at Utah State.

Will he go down as the best ever at USU?

No, but he is arguably the best Aggie running back in the last five years, if not more.

You get an interception, you get an interception, you get an interception

Entering the season, there was a lot of hope (maybe even hype) regarding Utah State’s secondary.

With Ike Larsen back at safety along with Avante Dickerson, JD Drew at cornerback/nickel back and the arrival of safety Jordan Vincent and cornerback DJ Graham, the Aggies’ secondary was expected to be the strength of the USU defense.

Strength has not been a good descriptor for Utah State’s defense this season, and while the secondary has had its moments, it has also struggled.

Entering the game against Hawaii, USU ranked eighth in the MW in passing defense and sixth in interceptions (with seven).

Against the Rainbow Warriors, the Aggie secondary finally showcased its real potential and then some as USU registered five interceptions. Vincent had two and Drew had another, as did nickel back Torren Union and cornerback Noah Flores.

Time and again, the Aggies’ defensive backs were in the right place at the right time, and more importantly they made the plays that have so often been lacking this year for Utah State.

In total, Utah State won the turnover battle 5-2, a plus-3 differential has been pretty rare for USU for a couple of seasons now.

The Aggies may or may not be able to replicate their performance against Hawai’i in upcoming games against San Diego State and Colorado State, but for a game the USU secondary showed its real potential all at once.

Hello, tight ends

If there has been one real criticism of the Aggies’ offense the last few seasons under Blake Anderson and now offensive coordinator Kyle Cefalo’s direction, it has been the absence of the tight ends.

Utah State has had solid tight ends on the roster, guys like Broc Lane, Josh Sterzer and Will Monney for multiple seasons, but they haven’t been a featured part of the Aggies’ passing game, or even really slight contributors.

Utah State has relied almost exclusively on its wideouts in the passing game, and slot receivers especially until the emergence of Jalen Royals on the outside.

Against Hawaii, though, USU utilized its tight ends, and to great effect.

Sterzer and Monney combined for 11 receptions (Sterzer had a team-high seven catches) for 117 yards and three touchdowns. Each player was nearly perfect, as Sterzer was targeted eight times and Monney targeted five times (he had four receptions).

Against Hawaii’s zone defense, both Sterzer and Monney proved the perfect safety valves for Petras, often in the middle of the field.

Neither player went down easy when hit, either. The pair combined for 55 yards after the catch. With the tight ends so effective, Petras had open receivers on the outside again and again (he hit some, missed others).

And when the Rainbow Warriors dropped linebackers more into coverage to handle the tight ends in the passing game, Faison and fellow running backs Herschel Turner, Derrick Jameson and Nick Floyd made Hawai’i pay on the ground (that quartet combined to rush for 299 yards in the game.

Will the Aggies’ tight ends be utilized as much going forward? Ever again? Who knows, but they showed their value in the passing game against Hawaii.

Source link

Utah

Utah State Running Back Transfer Commits To South Carolina Over Florida State

Published

5 hours ago

January 7, 2025

Press Room

Utah State Running Back Transfer Commits To South Carolina Over Florida State

Florida State came up short in its pursuit of a top running back transfer.

On Tuesday, Utah State running back transfer Rahsul Faison announced he was committing to South Carolina. Faison chose the Gamecocks over FSU, Alabama, North Carolina, UCLA, and UCF.

The Seminoles hosted Faison for a visit last weekend but he continued to take trips elsewhere. Florida State could very well kick the tires on another transfer during the spring window.

Faison spent two seasons with the Aggies and had a career year in 2024 where he rushed 198 times for 1,109 yards and eight touchdowns while catching 22 passes for 99 yards. He had five games of 100+ rushing yards, including a season-high 20 carries for 191 yards and a touchdown in a 55-10 victory against Hawaii on November 16. He was named second-team All-Mountain West for his performance last fall.

During his first season at Utah State, Faison rushed 118 times for 736 yards and five touchdowns. In total, he appeared in 25 games, making 13 starts, and totaled 316 carries for 1,845 yards and 13 touchdowns. Faison also caught 33 passes for 151 yards.

The Pennsylvania native signed with Marshall as a two-star prospect in 2019. He ultimately spent that season at the junior college level at Lackawanna College and was with the Thundering Herd in 2020. Faison didn’t appear in a game with either program and elected to go back to the JUCO level with Snow College. He rushed 88 times for 355 yards and six touchdowns prior to transferring to Utah State.

The 5-foot-11, 200-pound running back has at least one season of eligibility remaining due to the new junior college ruling.

READ MORE: Elite FSU Quarterback Commitment Gets First Chance To Meet New OC Gus Malzahn

Florida State has six scholarship running backs eligible to return in 2025; redshirt senior Roydell Williams, redshirt senior Caziah Holmes, redshirt junior Jaylin Lucas, redshirt sophomore Samuel Singleton Jr., sophomore Kam Davis, and redshirt freshman Micahi Danzy.

The Seminoles signed four-star Ousmane Kromah during the Early Signing Period.

READ MORE: Standout Utah State Running Back Transfer Lists Florida State In Top-Six

Stick with NoleGameday for more FREE coverage of Florida State Football throughout the offseason

Follow NoleGameday on and Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok

• Florida State Adds FCS Quarterbacks Coach To Off-Field Staff

• Florida State Lands Explosive Tennessee Wide Receiver Transfer Squirrel White

• Florida State Secures Veteran Memphis Linebacker Transfer Elijah Herring

• Former FSU Defensive End, Seminole Legacy Transferring To Third School In Three Years

Source link

Utah

Utah junior high teacher arrested for alleged possession of child porn

Published

13 hours ago

January 7, 2025

Press Room

Utah junior high teacher arrested for alleged possession of child porn

PROVO, Utah — A teacher within the Alpine School District is facing charges of sexual exploitation of a minor after allegedly uploading child porn to the internet. Travis Adamson, 49, is currently being held without bail.

According to court documents obtained by FOX 13 News, investigators were first notified of the potential crime at the end of April 2023. Adobe Inc. reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children via CyberTip that a user had uploaded files containing depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct on their account.

The CyberTip also included account information regarding the suspect user, including an IP address and email address that belonged to a teacher within the Alpine School District. Detectives used geo-location to trace the suspect’s IP address and found it was located within or near the city limits of Provo.

The school district confirmed to investigators that Adamson was still an employee within the district.

On Monday, detectives interviewed Adamson at the school where he confirmed that he was the sole user of the Adobe account and admitted to viewing child sexual abuse material.

Adamson also told detectives that he had downloaded several thousand images and videos onto his hard drive which is located at his home. He denied ever photographing or doing anything sexual or inappropriate with his students or other kids.

Detectives are now working to get access to Adamson’s hard drive and more charges could be coming.

Source link

Utah

Utah cracks AP Top 25 Women’s Basketball poll before key matchups

Published

21 hours ago

January 7, 2025

Press Room

Utah cracks AP Top 25 Women’s Basketball poll before key matchups

The Utah Utes have made headlines by cracking the AP Top 25 at No. 22 for the first time this season, following a hard-fought 75-67 win over Iowa State. This marks Utah’s third consecutive season being ranked, despite an unexpected coaching change early in the season. Head coach Lynne Roberts departed for the WNBA, leaving longtime assistant Gavin Petersen to step in. Under Petersen’s leadership, Utah has thrived, demonstrating resilience and cohesion.

Petersen credited the team’s ability to stay focused and overcome adversity. “Our resilient crew has stepped up and faced the adversity that’s in front of them,” Petersen said. Utah’s win over Notre Dame during a Thanksgiving tournament was a pivotal moment that signaled their strength and potential.

Utah has ‘big money’ problem with a billionaire calling NIL shots for rival

The competition for dominance in women’s college basketball continues to intensify as the Big Ten and SEC assert themselves as the sport’s premier leagues. This week’s Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll highlights the strength of both conferences, with each boasting seven ranked teams, including four in the top 10.

The Big Ten’s recent expansion with the addition of No. 1 UCLA and No. 4 USC has bolstered its claim as the top league. UCLA’s consistent performances, including a victory over South Carolina, solidify their place at the top of the rankings, earning 30 of 32 first-place votes. Meanwhile, the SEC has also grown stronger with No. 5 Texas and No. 10 Oklahoma joining the conference. South Carolina, a perennial powerhouse, remains No. 2 and will face Texas in a highly anticipated showdown.

This week, the Utes prepare for a marquee matchup, hosting No. 12 Kansas State at the Huntsman Center. This game not only pits two top-25 teams against each other but also serves as a litmus test for Utah’s aspirations in the Big 12.

As Utah continues its unbeaten run in conference play, upcoming matchups against No. 11 TCU and No. 17 West Virginia will provide further opportunities to climb the rankings and solidify their standing among the nation’s elite.

Source link