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LOGAN — The expectations for Utah State football have changed drastically.
No longer is it just alright to go to a bowl game; no longer is it acceptable to win half your games. Now, Utah State is expected to play as an elite program, always ready to pounce on an opponent at a moment’s notice. And, Utah State coach Matt Wells is all right with those expectations, as it gives him leverage to influence his players to raise their level of competition.
Right now, with two weeks of spring practice behind him, Wells said the Aggies still have a great deal of work that needs to be done.
“There were some bright spots, and there were some not-so-good spots,” said Wells, who is entering his second season as the Aggie head coach. “I think the biggest thing right now is our leadership, and our seniors have got to make sure that we tighten things down on both sides of the ball. I’m happy with their effort, and I’m happy with their attitude. There is just some stuff we’ve got to really clean up and tighten this thing down right now.”
With quarterback Chuckie Keeton still recovering from a knee injury suffered against BYU, quarterback Darell Garretson is getting the majority of the snaps, with Craig Harrison and other backups splitting the rest. The Aggies are hoping to add continuity to their offensive attack, and Garretson said he is focused on making that happen.
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“Everyone, as a whole, has progressed on offense,” said Garretson, who is 6-1 as a starter at Utah State. “I’m really happy with the offensive line, with what they’ve done so far. They’ve really picked up some nasty blitzes from our defense that they can bring. I think everyone, as a whole, has worked their butt off in the weight room and on the field with extra work.”
Wells said the offense hasn’t been as consistent as he would like.
“It’s too sporadic; it’s like popcorn right now,” said Wells, who previously served as the team’s offensive coördinator.
As for whether there will be a quarterback controversy when Keeton returns for fall camp, Garretson said the decision is out of his hands.
“That’s honestly up to the coaches (who is the starter),” he stated. “It is what it is. I’m just going to do what they ask me right now, and we’ll go from there.”
Defensively, Utah State has ranked near the top of the nation in several categories, specifically red zone defense. With the Aggies missing several defensive stalwarts from last year’s team, linebacker Kyler Fackrell said spring practice has revealed both positive and negative points.
“I think we’ve made a lot of improvements,” he said. “The spring has been really good for us, because we have a lot of youth. All the practice, putting the pads on has been really good. I think at the beginning everybody is juiced up, but right now, it’s getting into the middle of it where people are getting tired and banged up. So, (we need to) continually try to be great each practice and fight through the soreness.”
Wells said he is looking for veteran players to hold to the program’s expectations.
“The biggest thing that I want to see is I want to see some seniors, some veterans tighten some things down,” he said. “And, I want to see the first and second-ranked red zone defense in the last two years, play like the first and second-ranked red zone defense out here every single time. It hasn’t been the case at times. (It’s) good for the offense, not so good for red zone defense.”
