2015 CFB Preview – Utah State


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Now Utah State is established. The horrible run of awful football is well in the past with the success now sustained over the last four years.

By Pete Fiutak | @PeteFiutak

More importantly, the transition from Gary Andersen to Matt Wells showed that the program can keep things rolling despite a coaching change.

Now it’s up to the Aggies to keep it all going.

Utah State might have been blown away late in the season by Boise State, but it managed to come up with the second double-digit winning campaign in three years, came up with a bowl win, and it proved that it’s one of the Mountain West’s best players.

Even more impressively, the Aggies were able to get the job done despite having to deal with a slew of key injuries. Ohio State fans kept asking which team could survive the loss of its top two quarterbacks. Utah State lost its two top guys and ended up playing four quarterbacks on the year and still managed to come up with a special season.

The program has been built up on defense, the offense still works running the ball, and this continues to be a good, sound, fundamental team overall. It’s been great at beating the mediocre to bad teams, and it comes up with just enough BYU and Air Force wins here and there to look impressive. But can this be a Mountain West champion?

Getting back QB Chuckie Keeton for a sixth year is the major bonus, but he needs to stay healthy with the other top quarterback options from last year taking off. The defense should continue to be the Utah State defense, hoping for another tremendous year against the run despite the loss of LB Zach Vigil and some key parts of the front seven.

The program has figured out its rhythm and its groove, but are the last four years a building block to more established greatness, or is this the ceiling? Either way, considering the program went from 1961 to 2012 without a nine-win season, no one would complain with another ten-win campaign.

What You Need To Know About The Offense: Can Chuckie stay healthy? Coming off his second torn ACL injury in as many years, QB Chuckie Keeton is back and ready to roll as the leader and star of the attack. If he can stay in one piece, the attack that struggled at times throughout last year should be far more consistent. The line is solid with four starters returning, and the backs are in place with LaJuan Hunt leading a decent rotation. Hunter Sharp and three of the top five targets are returning to help make Keeton shine – and vice versa.

What You Need To Know About The Defense: Even with the loss of LB Zach Vigil and some other key parts, don’t expect any sort of a drop-off from a D that finished 12th in the nation in scoring D and 30th overall. Zach’s brother, Nick, should be a Mountain West superstar, and the pass rush should be even better with the return of Kyler Fackrell from a torn ACL. The secondary has to come up with three new starters, but Jalen Davis is an excellent young corner and Devin Centers is ready to do more at safety. The front three has the size to hold up and let the linebackers do their thing.

What to watch for on offense: Chuckie Keeton is back. After suffering a season-ending knee injury for the second straight season, the star quarterback is back and looking like normal again. The positive part of last year’s injury was the timing. Last offseason he still wasn’t quite right, but this spring he was ready to rip and now might be the player who made so much noise early in his career. As long as he’s healthy, the offense should be among the most dangerous in the Mountain West, but if he goes down, the backup situation isn’t as strong as it was last season.

What to watch for on defense: How fast can the secondary come together? The front seven should be fantastic with the return of Kyler Fackrell from an early season torn ACL and with Nick Vigil one of the Mountain West’s top linebackers anchoring the terrific run D. Now the secondary has to do its part. Devin Centers will get even more of a role at safety, and Jalen Davis is a good young corner, but the other parts have to come together in a hurry for a pass defense that was a brick wall at times. With Utah, Washington, Colorado State, Fresno State, Boise State and San Diego State coming up in rapid-fire succession, it’ll be trial by fire.

The team will be far better if … the offense can keep the chains moving. Having Chuckie Keeton back should help in a big way on third downs after having a world of problems. There were times when the O rolled, but for the most part, the time of possession wasn’t in USU’s favor because the third down conversion percentage was miserable. Absolutely dominant over the previous three seasons, the Aggies converted 48% of their third down tries in 2011, 45% in 2012, and 45% in 2013. Last year, mainly because of the rotation at quarterback, the Aggies converted just 33% of their chances including a painful 1-of-10 day against Boise State.

The schedule: There’s a chance the Aggies face the toughest non-conference schedule of anyone in the MW. Southern Utah is a winnable opener, but going to Utah and Washington in back-to-back weeks will be tough, and closing out against BYU won’t be a layup.
– Making matters worse will be dealing with the likely three top teams from the West playing Fresno State, Nevada and San Diego State.
– USU has a rough run of three games in four weeks on the road, and the home game in the stretch is Colorado State. What’s coming right after? Boise State followed up by a trip to San Diego State.

– WATCH OUT FOR … the back-to-back road games at New Mexico and Air Force. The Aggie run D had better be in decent shape by the time November starts, or it’s going to be a rough run, especially with Nevada to follow.

Best offensive player: Senior QB Chuckie Keeton. One of the most dynamic all-around quarterbacks in college football when healthy, he hasn’t been healthy. In 2012 he dominated with 619 rushing yards and hitting 68% of his passes leading the team to an 11-win season. Knocked out midway through the 2013 season and early in 2014, he hasn’t had any injury luck. The team will be holding its collective breath every time he takes a pop, but when he’s right, Utah State can hang with just about anyone.

Best defensive player: Junior LB Nick Vigil. His brother Zach Vigil was the star of the defense last year with 154 tackles with nine sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss along with a pick six, but Nick wasn’t bad, either. Another do-it-all Vigil, Nick is also terrific at getting around the ball and finding his way into the backfield with the speed to play on the outside and the toughness to work inside. Can he do even more now as the main man for the linebacking corps? The motor will never, ever stop.

Key player to a successful season: Redshirt freshman QB D.J. Nelson. Call it a case of expecting the best but preparing for the worst with Chuckie Keeton’s health. When Keeton went down last year, Darell Garretson stepped in and was solid. He got hurt, and now he’s out of the program looking to transfer. Kent Myers stepped in as a true freshman and kept the team afloat, but now he’s moving to wide receiver. Myers could certainly step back in under center if something happens to Keeton again, but at the moment, the 5-9, 200-pound Nelson is likely the next option up if something happens to Keeton again.

The season will be a success if … the Aggies win eight games. The team is as strong as ever, especially with Chuckie back, but the schedule is way, way too brutal to think about a ten-win season unless this becomes a magical campaign. With the road games at Utah and Washington, the regular season finale against BYU, and the horrific Mountain West slate handed to them, the Aggies will have to fight to come up with a big year.

Key game: Oct. 3 vs. Colorado State. With a three game run against Fresno State on the road, Boise State at home, and San Diego State on the road, and with a road game at Air Force and a home date against Nevada coming up, the Aggies have to get off to a hot start in Mountain West play. CSU won last year 16-13, but this year’s Utah State team should be stronger.

2014 Fun Stats:
– Fourth Down Conversions: Opponents 13-of-29 (45%) – Utah State 2-of-13 (15%)
– Sacks: Utah State 50 for 346 yards – Opponents 28 for 154 yards
– Second Quarter Scoring: Utah State 122 – Opponents 66

Players You Need To Know

1. QB Chuckie Keeton, Sr.
Getting a sixth year of eligibility, Keeton is ready to go coming off his second torn ACL in as many years. The brilliant all-star quarterback was on his way to a huge 2013 before suffering his knee injury, and he was never quite right last year before getting hurt again, completing just 55% of his throws for 426 yards and two touchdowns with four picks, and running for a mere 81 yards and a score. At 6-2 and 200 pounds he’s not small, but he’s not built to take a huge pounding. Even so, he’s a dangerous runner on the move and is far more accurate and efficient a passer than he showed last year. At his best when the play breaks down and he has to do something to make things happen, he’s a weapon who can make things happen on his own. Now, though, he has to stay in one piece. Along with the knee injuries, he missed the second half of his freshman season with a scary neck injury/stinger, but now he gets one final shot to show what he can do.

2. LB Nick Vigil, Jr.
The talent was there, and then came the production and explosion. The all-star linebacker came up with a fantastic all-around season on the defensive side and served as a short-yardage runner, pounding for 152 yards and three scores. His real job now is as the star and leader of the defensive front after making 123 stops with seven sacks, 17 tackles for loss and with five forced fumbles – and that’s even though he missed a game. A machine, he came up with double-digit tackles in six games highlighted by a three game run to end the regular season making 38 stops. At 6-2 and 230 pounds he has the size, he has the high school running back athleticism, and now he’ll have the spotlight.

3. LB Kyler Fackrell, Sr.
He’s back and ready to roll. One of the nation’s best all-around defenders when healthy, the 6-5, 245-pound outside linebacker was dominant in 2013 with 82 tackles, five sacks, 13 tackles for loss, and a 99-yard pick six. Able to play inside or out, but at his best as an outside linebacker, he took over the starting job right away when he came to Utah State and never let it go before getting hurt. Fortunately, he suffered the knee injury so early last year that he should be 100% now in what should be a huge year as a pass rusher and all-around playmaker for the linebacking corps.

4. DE Jordan Nielson, Jr.
The 6-5, 270-pound senior has great size and a good enough step to get into the backfield from time to time, he only came up with two sacks with 6.5 tackles for loss, but he was terrific against the run coming up with 52 stops. Very tough and very consistent, he’s always going full tilt and is always working to get in on a play. While he’s not a pure pass rusher, he holds up well for what the defense needs in the 3-4.

5. S Devin Centers, Jr.
While he’s not necessarily huge for a strong safety, he can bring a pop when he gets around the ball making 74 tackles highlighted by an 11-stop game against Arkansas State. More than that, he’s a great athlete who can make big things happen whenever the ball is in the air with ten broken up passes and one pick. The guy just finds a way to make things happen, returning two fumbles for touchdowns and always getting in on the action. Just 5-9 and 190 pounds, he’s a baller who can jump out of the stadium – he can do it all.

6. WR Hunter Sharp, Sr.
The team’s leading receiver will have to do even more now that JoJo Natson is out of the mix. Sharp destroyed Wake Forest with 12 catches for 138 yards and hit Air Force for 164 yards and two scores on 12 grabs to end a run of four 100-yard games. While he was okay the rest of the way, he failed to hit the 100-yard mark over the final eight games finishing with 939 yards and seven scores on 66 grabs. The 6-0, 200-pound former JUCO transfer can return kicks, but he’s a No. 1 receiver.

7. OT Jake Simonich, Jr.
The 6-5, 295-pound junior worked last year at right tackle in a good, solid season. A great pass protector and terrific on the move, he earned all-star honors as a steady, tough all-around blocker. Very smart, he doesn’t make mistakes, grading out as one of the team’s most consistent producers. With Kevin Whimpey gone from the line, Simonich should be the star.

8. C Austin Stephens, Jr.
The main man in the middle, the former JUCO transfer sat out his first season before taking over as the quarterback of the line. It was a lot to ask, stepping in for star Tyler Larsen in the middle, but he earned All-Mountain West honors with a rock solid season. At 6-3 and 305 pounds he has good size and excellent quickness off the ball. He’s a technician.

9. CB Jalen Davis, Soph.
Thrown to the wolves as a true freshman, the 5-10, 170-pound speedster started every game at corner and came up with a huge year. Great at getting around the ball, he came up with 61 tackles as one of the Mountain West’s most physical corners, and he get into the backfield from time to time. With two picks and seven broken up passes he made his share of plays, but he could do even more with good hands and the ability to get after the ball. He won’t be challenged much this year, but he’ll get the assignment of dealing with most No. 1 targets.

10. RB LaJuan Hunt, Soph.
The part-time starter will now be the main man in the rotation. The Aggies will use several running backs, but the 5-8, 195-pound Fort Lauderdale native should be the most effective after coming up with a team-leading 540 yards and a score. A decent receiver with ten catches for 99 yards and a touchdown, he could be used far more out of the backfield and should see time as a kick returner. He won’t be a workhorse, but he should be among the team’s most dangerous all-around weapons.

Head Coach: Matt Wells
3rd year: 19-9
Schedule
Sept. 3 Southern Utah
Sept. 12 at Utah
Sept. 19 at Washington
Sept. 26 OPEN DATE
Oct. 3 Colorado State
Oct. 10 at Fresno State
Oct. 17 Boise State
Oct. 24 at San Diego State
Oct. 31 Wyoming
Nov. 7 at New Mexico
Nov. 14 at Air Force
Nov. 21 Nevada
Nov. 28 BYU
Ten Best Utah State Players
1. QB Chuckie Keeton, Sr.
2. LB Nick Vigil, Jr.
3. LB Kyler Fackrell, Sr.
4. DE Jordan Nielson, Jr.
5. SS Devin Centers, Jr.
6. WR Hunter Sharp, Sr.
7. OT Jake Simonich, Jr.
8. C Austin Stephens, Jr.
9. CB Jalen Davis, Soph.
10. RB LaJuan Hunt, Soph.