Utah
Utah State limps into much-needed bye week
Utah State operating again Calvin Tyler Jr. (4) carries the ball in opposition to BYU in the course of the first half of an NCAA school soccer sport Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, in Provo, Utah. (Rick Bowmer, Related Pr)
Estimated learn time: 4-5 minutes
LOGAN — The quarterback group for Utah State was a sight to behold as all six members walked onto Jonah Discipline at Struggle Memorial Stadium an hour previous to kickoff in opposition to Wyoming on Saturday evening.
The unit’s chief, the Aggies’ beginning quarterback and broken-footed Logan Bonner, scooted his manner throughout the sphere; and concussed QB2, Cooper Legas, rocked a hoodie underneath his padless jersey and cruised alongside. Ankle-hampered QB3 Levi Williams wore full pads and regarded able to undergo his regular warmup routine, regardless of realizing full properly he wasn’t taking part in.
Rounding out the group was a fully-padded trio of underclassmen: QB4 and true freshman Bishop Davenport, QB5 sophomore Garrtt Larson, who had taken his first apply reps of the season days earlier, and QB6 true freshman Chase Tuatagalo, who wasn’t on the journey squad every week prior.
Not a perfect state of affairs for a group that entered the sport with convention championship aspirations on the road.
To make issues worse, within the second quarter of the sport, the Aggies’ main tackler MJ Tafisi rolled round on the turf writhing in ache. The protection, which was already lacking beginning defensive finish Byron Vaughns, and the Aggies’ chief in compelled turnovers, nook AJ Carter, was noticeably depleted from that time ahead.
The shorthandeness on each side finally contributed to Utah State’s 28-14 loss to Wyoming.
There have been loads of causes for the loss — particularly surrounding the offense — however the accidents performed a large position. If Utah State had been to tweet out a complete damage report, they’d run over the 280 character restrict.
Legas, Vaughn and offensive lineman Falepule Alo had been out with concussion protocol. Carter, who was in a boot, has a foot damage that can preserve him out for “two to 3 week, doubtlessly the season,” head coach Blake Anderson mentioned.
Tafisi exited the sport with what Anderson known as a “neck and arm and nerve challenge,” and beginning defensive finish Daniel Grekiak went down late within the fourth quarter, too.
“Lots of people went down,” linebacker AJ Vongphachanh mentioned after the sport on Saturday.
A number of different gamers, together with defensive sort out Poukesi Vakuata, who’s battling a foot damage, performed by means of ache.
Consider, the Aggies already misplaced 4 contributing gamers — Bonner, Kyle Van Leeuwen, Seni Tuiaki and Phil Paea — who all suffered season-ending accidents earlier within the yr.
Between the lacking items and energy to mitigate accidents, the depth chart has opened up, particularly on the defensive aspect of the ball. Towards Wyoming, freshmen defensive lineman Bo Maile and Enoka Migao, and freshman linebackers Sione Moa and Max Alford all performed significant snaps on Saturday.
“We did (run) out of our bodies, and you may see it down the stretch,” Anderson mentioned. “Younger guys on the sphere that simply hadn’t performed a lot.”
So, yeah, the Aggies (3-5, 2-2 Mountain West) are a bit quick handed as they enter the bye week. Fortuitously for the group, they get a second bye week earlier than the ultimate 4 video games.
“We’d like it,” Anderson mentioned. “It comes at a superb time. We have gotta get recent and wholesome and attempt to make a run down the stretch.”
Probably the most essential factor, arguably, is getting Legas again and wholesome. In Legas’ two full video games, the Aggies averaged 30 factors and 403 yards of offense. In six video games with out Legas, Utah State averaged 15.5 factors per sport and 331.5 yards per sport. There isn’t a query Legas’ mobility, passing accuracy and decision-making is a sport changer for the offense.
Operating again Calvin Tyler Jr.’s highest yards per common video games got here within the BYU and Air Pressure video games with Legas at quarterback; and two of receiver Brian Cobbs’ three high reception video games had been in the identical video games.
Defensively, giving Tafisi and Vaughns time to heal, whereas resting everybody else could provide some rejuvenation to a protection that regarded exhausted in opposition to Wyoming.
Whereas the trail to the Mountain West title sport is extra cumbersome than Essential Road in Logan at rush hour, bowl aspirations are in attain if the Aggies play their greatest soccer in November. Video games in opposition to lowly New Mexico and Hawaii are should wins, however they should upset both San Jose State or Boise State to get there.
“The following factor on the desk is to discover a strategy to win three video games to get there,” Anderson mentioned. “We have 4 alternatives to do it. Should you do this, then you definately put yourselves able to make this factor form of loopy down the stretch. We’d like assist, clearly, we want some (groups) within the league to beat one another up somewhat bit (to win the division), however that is what occurred a yr in the past and it obtained somewhat loopy down the stretch.”
“We will solely management what we will management on the finish of the day,” Vongphachanh mentioned. “So we’re gonna need to be taught from this construct off of it, and hope for the perfect.”
If the group is as depleted because it was on Saturday evening, issues will not work out in its favor; but when they return to kind, a fifteenth bowl look from this system remains to be within the image.