Utah State football: Aggies hope for Spartan cure

LOGAN — Limping along with a 2-7 record and fresh off a 49-36 beating at Hawaii, Utah State is a team much in need of getting well and San Jose State, losers of four in a row, might be just the team the Aggies need to see in Romney Stadium this afternoon.

But if getting well is what USU needs, it's not just on the scoreboard the Aggies will be looking for a cure.

A dozen USU starters, Aggie coach Gary Andersen said, were forced to the sidelines at Hawaii and several of those will not suit up for the Aggies again this season.

"I have never been in a football game like that in my life where as many different types of injuries and that many injuries happen," Andersen said. "There were busted out teeth, broken legs, knees, hurt shoulders, compound fractures. You name it, it came out in that football game. It was very unfortunate."

Senior receiver Nnamdi Gwacham suffered the broken leg and will be out for the rest of the season. Linebacker Reuben Willis lost teeth and suffered a concussion and will not be ready to play against San Jose State. Safety James Brindley, who pulled a hamstring a couple of weeks ago, also appears to be done for the season.

Injuries, though, are an expected part of football and even at 2-7, Andersen hesitates to blame the M*A*S*H unit for the team's woes.

"We need to be able to fight through injuries and at the end of the day, that is not why we did not win that football game," Andersen said. "... As bad as it went, we couldn't answer the bell. That is where we are as a football team and that is not what you want to be."

Today, the Aggies hope to piece together a lineup that will be effective against the Spartans.

San Jose State was expected to be a solid WAC team this year. But things have not gone as expected and SJSU is now rated among the worst programs in the country.

Winless in WAC play, the Spartans have been blown out by a combined score of 148-35. Throw in shellackings at Southern Cal and Stanford and SJSU is enduring a long, miserable season.

The Aggies, allowing a whopping 450.89 yards per game in defense (111th in the country), may be outdone by SJSU. The Spartans, after giving up 665 yards to Nevada last weekend, are giving up 479.6 yards per game.

It might be safe to assume that even in the chilly Cache Valley air there will be plenty of points scored.

Utah State's offense is among the best in the country — moving the ball for 437.7 yards per game and scoring 28 points per outing. San Jose State, on the other hand, is not nearly as efficient with only 14.1 points per game and just 276.2 yards of offense per game.