Deseret News | Utah State football: Visit to paradise nightmarish for Ags

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Utah State football: Visit to paradise nightmarish for Ags

HINDSIGHT | 12:40 a.m. Nov. 8, 2009

Coach Anderson:

The wolves are at the door.

You gave up UTAH for utah state?

wait a second | 12:40 a.m. Nov. 8, 2009

I though Coach Anderson was supposed to be a tough guy and a miracle worker. Looks like the Aggies are worse this year. Even with players he didn't recruit, I would expect a little better performance. USU is a football black hole.

Defense | 1:21 a.m. Nov. 8, 2009

Utah State needs to work on their defense.

Comments continue below

Anybody smell that? | 3:16 a.m. Nov. 8, 2009

That's the smell of basketball season just around the corner! Finally! The light at the end of the tunnel has arrived!

SJ Bobkins | 4:13 a.m. Nov. 8, 2009

Sorry Guys, this one HAS to really hurt. Hawaii was thought by some incapable of winning another game. I know its hard to keep your hopes high, I admire Aggie fans for coming out to the games and maintaining their interest. I have all the respect in the world for those who do and nothing but contempt for those who talk big but fall off the band wagon with an embarrassing loss. A coaching change has been given way too much credit, it takes so much more and those writers who kept up the bowl game and 8 win season hype, should have their chalk boards taken back. If you can improve 1 to 2 games a year, without going to the JC-quick heal pile, you will get back in the hunt for conference championships and respect.

Put Caldwell in. | 7:02 a.m. Nov. 8, 2009

If Brent Guy ever did anything better than Anderson it was that he had Peter Caldwell kicking field goals instead of Ulinski.

Who's Coaching The D? | 7:33 a.m. Nov. 8, 2009

I think the defensive coaches were at the beach. That was the worst defense I have ever seen in my life!

Dallas Aggie | 7:47 a.m. Nov. 8, 2009

Congrats to Hawaii, their players and coaching staff. It must feel great for them.

I truly appreciate our new coach and how hard the players are playing, but boy was I getting frustrated with the fact that we have constantly been giving the ball over on 4th and short. We have punted every time the last 5 games or so, and every time the opposing team has crushed us with large plays. Our defense can't be on the field for so much time and expect to have any energy. That is why we got hammered in the first half.

I am so proud of the players and coaches for "winning" the second half. We haven't scored in the second half very much of late, and for them to come out and dominate was impressive. One of the big reasons why is they went for it on 4th and short, and KEPT the ball! Frustrating, yet fun, game to watch in a sense with all the scoring. We are improving!

Go Aggies and thanks Coach Anderson for helping teach our guys to NEVER give up!

usu99 | 8:46 a.m. Nov. 8, 2009

our defense is soo bad it is pathetic. big play after big play for hawaii with nobody within 10 yards.

Moral Victory | 8:49 a.m. Nov. 8, 2009

Another moral victory in our quest (wrong word, wrong school???) for the "promised land". We could have and should have won this game.

Watch and see, things will be different next year.

Two bad teams | 8:53 a.m. Nov. 8, 2009

but Utah State is on the rise.

Heart | 8:54 a.m. Nov. 8, 2009

Many of our defensive players looked like they didn't care or didn't have enough heart to stop anything...very frustrating.

My goodness... | 9:06 a.m. Nov. 8, 2009

You have to give Coach Anderson at least a couple of years before you call for his head. He is a good coach. Give him a reasonable chance to prove it.

D Coordinator isn't cutting it.. | 9:27 a.m. Nov. 8, 2009

Fire the D coordinator.

Kohnor loosle | 9:28 a.m. Nov. 8, 2009

Hindsight and wait a second, Obviously you havent been to a home game Utah state is turning around i didnt watch this game but i have seen everyother game and i do know that if they had a little more depth they would be sitting at a a-lot better record. I say thanks coach anderson your doing things with this team and i am excited to see what the aggies will do in a few years! GO AGGIES!

Defense | 10:43 a.m. Nov. 8, 2009

Not sure what is going on here, but the Aggies need a change in the defense. Hawaii walked all over them.

Coach Who? | 12:38 p.m. Nov. 8, 2009

It's not AndersOn...it's AndersEn. Give us Danes a break...I'm sure the coach could use one.

Improvement????? | 2:19 p.m. Nov. 8, 2009

If the Aggies are improving then I am blind. If anything, the Aggies are worse. 49 points to a team they were favored to defeat. What little success the Aggies have had over the last ?? years came when they had a offensive coach at the helm. Right now the Aggies have a defensive coach at the helm that can't even teach defense, much less offense. The Aggies are ten times better at offense than defense. But the defense is so bad the Aggies can even out score their opponents when they score 35 points, which should more than enough to win any game. If Aggie fans think this game was a deseaster, wait until Boise State rolls into Logan and the Aggies travel to Moscow. The Aggies will lose to these two teams much worse than they lost to Hawaii. I would like to say the Aggies just lost to the worse team in the WAC, but I can't, the Aggies are the worse team in the WAC, if not the NCAA. And as a life long Aggie fan, I'm really fed up with the whole situation in Logan. It's gone on for so long.

Joe Moe | 3:50 p.m. Nov. 8, 2009

They're clearly better than last year, but clearly not by as much as hoped.

Here's hoping the upward trend holds, even if it can't be faster.

Dallas Aggie | 4:12 p.m. Nov. 8, 2009

The only game that I have missed this year, due to my brother getting married which was fantastic, was the NMSU game. Last year I watched every single game I could, even had friends over during the crushing defeat at SJSU. I can honestly say that we are vastly improved in one major area of the game: WE NEVER GIVE UP!

Last year, if a team rolled us in the first half, there was NO FIGHT LEFT in us. This year, we have been competitive and fought till the last breath in each game. We will start to consistently win and soon. Anyone calling for Andersen's head is ignorant, or just a troll from another school.

Though I am sure the players wish they would have won even more than any fan, I am grateful for their effort and glad they showed up in the second half. We believe in you guys and if we can get our guys back to full speed on defense (brindley, murphy, igboeli etc) we will be able to beat any of the remaining teams on our schedule.

Go Aggies!

I was wrong | 4:32 p.m. Nov. 8, 2009

I thought the Aggies could win this game at 32-28 or so.

Defense is the key! Look at TCU. Their defense keeps the other team scoreless so they really don't have to score on every possession in order to win.

Work on the defense!!!!!!! This is the key to 8 win seasons. For USU, that would be like dessert with every meal.

Anonymous | 4:49 p.m. Nov. 8, 2009

Same record as USU had last year at this time. Look, ags, it isn't the coaching. USU should go to the FCS, where they can compete, and have success, and have fun again. FCS! Logan will never again be able to compete in the big leagues, as mush as they would like to, they can't.
1. Geographically they are in a bad spot, high, cold, isolated Logan, nobody wants to go there to play.
2. They cannot compete with BYU and Utah for the best players, so thy must go outside the state, and they can't compete for the best players in California, or Idaho, or Nevada, or Colorado. Where are they going to recruit from? They're in a bad spot. FCS!

Anonymous | 5:11 p.m. Nov. 8, 2009

Aggie fans... come on. If we have learned any lesson in the past 20 years it should be that hiring a new coach every 4 years doesn't do anything.

Give Anderson the chance he deserves. That should mean 3 seasons BEFORE you even start talking about letting the guy go.

Aggie Watcher | 5:21 p.m. Nov. 8, 2009

USU HAS LOST DOUBLE DIGIT STARTERS THIS YEAR AT DIFFERENT POSITIONS. The kids that are playing are busting their butts. USU has some real good skilled guys on this team. USU's O and D lines are out weighed by 30 to 80 lbs per man. The majority of kids on this roster were the old staff's recruits. It's going to take time to put strength and weight on this team. Be a fan and cheer and support.

EastCoastAggieFan | 6:01 p.m. Nov. 8, 2009

I agree with Aggie Watcher. There are reasons we're not quite there yet.

You have to admit all the games this year have been "nail bitters". We're so close to winning - much more so than last year. Give 'em this year to learn, re-build and get confidence. Next season will be a winning one - Bowl Bound 2010!! Go Aggies!

AggFan99 | 7:13 p.m. Nov. 8, 2009

I agree with anonymous 4:49 FCS! FCS! FCS now! Let's go where we are competitive.

Dallas Aggie re: FCS Ideas | 8:39 p.m. Nov. 8, 2009

If BYU is just so incredible, why can't they compete with top 25 teams? They have won 1 game...against a Oklahoma team that is no longer even ranked...so? Review your own record before talking.

USU will never go down to FCS. We are extremely competitive and will start winning shortly. Thanks for adding to our board. You must enjoy learning about us, as you comment on our articles. I think in all the years I have lived, I have commented on an opponents board less than 5 times, and usually around a game that we played against them. Oh well, says something about the naysayers.

Dallas Aggie re: FCS ideas | 8:40 p.m. Nov. 8, 2009

Always easy to kick a program when they are down. By the way, did you know that Lavell Edwards was a USU grad? I am sure we will be able to find the talent to come and play at Logan. 1. Beautiful 2. Safe. 3. High rankings in student athlete graduation rates and gpa's 4. Basketball team is the best team in the state. 5. Incredible fans! The list goes on and on.

Keep dreamin' naysayers. Your time is quickly coming to an end of owning Utah in football.

I support Coach Anderson and our current players. They are playing with their hearts and the wins will come. I know they will. Go Aggies!

Schedule happens | 9:40 p.m. Nov. 8, 2009

Aggies don't play cupcakes as many assume just because they are in the WAC.

Utah - Top 25 bowl eligible
Texas A@M Will be bowl eligible
BYU - Top 25 Bowl eligible
Nevada - 6 and 3 Bowl eligible
Fresno State Top 30- 6 and 4 Bowl eligible
Idaho - once Top 30 7 and 3 Bowl eligible
Boise State #6 - 9-0 Bowl eligible

This is a tough schedule and the Ags did score enough points to win most games. The D just didn't get it done.

Next year will be different and Coach Andersen should be proud of how this team performed this year.

RE: Schedule happens | 9:11 a.m. Nov. 9, 2009

To EVERY TEAM IN AMERICA! Stop making excuses! Coach A just didn't get it done this year !! No Excuses.

LV Aggie | 10:47 a.m. Nov. 9, 2009

I can't beleive anyone does not think this team would not beat last years team by 35 points.

Coach Anderson is doing the a great job with what he had to work with.

Oh by the way the Aggies were playing with a lot of second and third stringers on defence.

The Aggies are better and will be better next year.

It's always good to hear from ute and cougar fans it shows that they are very concerned about the Aggies in the future.

Andersen never said.. | 10:58 a.m. Nov. 9, 2009

That he would "get it done this year". It takes time and proper management to RE-build a struggling program. All of you that think that an immediate turn-around is measured by W's is a true 'armchair quarterback'and an idiot. It's a process that no one but a true coach will ever understand.

Houston Aggie | 12:42 p.m. Nov. 9, 2009

You know people, I am happy with the way the team has improved. When you are rebuilding with a new head coach, I don't know if you can look at just the win-loss columns. Of course in the grand scheme of things that is what counts. But I would rather watch a team competing and playing hard in every game than watch a quick-fixed team that wins 8 games the first year but never really has a foundation. I was hopeful for a quick turnaround under Coach A but it just doesn't happen that quickly. I am hopeful for the future though and hope the momentum the Aggies will build in basketball will translate into the football team come fall 2010. Until then, we'll have to be patient.

Come on Aggies | 12:54 p.m. Nov. 9, 2009

Get that 3rd win. I love it when every few years we have a successful year and win 3 games. I can't imagine if we ever get to 4 wins, that would be AWESOME. My Grandfather told me about the good ole days, when USU would win like 5 or 6. Wow, that would be cool.

Aggie for life | 3:09 p.m. Nov. 9, 2009

All i have to say is Utah state is getting there GO look at choach andersons recruits for the next 2 years, Give it two years just cause we brought in a new coach doesnt mean it is magically gonna be a winning look how they faired this year against BYU AND U of U no to bad i would say for nationally ranked teams, Give it 3 years and i say it will be a good match against the in state rivals. But as i was saying stop complaining about it and give the coach a break you stound like a idiot yelling about a coach not being able to turn a program around in a year, cause honestly there are very few coaches that would be able to do that. let him get his own guys in and then lets talk about how bad they suck...

Hey Aggie for Life... | 4:40 p.m. Nov. 9, 2009

Looks like you graduated from USU.

competitive? | 4:56 p.m. Nov. 9, 2009

The only place the Aggies need to be concerned about being competitive is against WAC teams. So far they have done this. They have shown all year that they can do this but have come just short.
I am disappointed in this season. I thought we'd see 4-5 wins. But I still say Andersen is the man.

Ralph | 5:22 p.m. Nov. 9, 2009

You don't have to look that hard for improvement. I think the Ags scored more points in yesterdays game than they did all season long last year. Ok, so the defense is still suspect. The offense is dramatically improved. Defense to follow. Let's get on the bus with Coach A instead of throwing him under it. He's the best coach we've had in a very long time.....

Cougar fan | 8:36 a.m. Nov. 10, 2009

Give Coach Andersen a break. He is a new head coach and the team he coaches is not his. Things will get better for the Aggies, but don't beat up your very good coach in his first year.

Hey Dallas Aggie | 3:20 p.m. Nov. 10, 2009

Seems that you have a fixation on BYU. Good judgment. Whatever the topic, you always circle back to BYU.

Bear Laker | 9:27 p.m. Nov. 10, 2009

We will beat you at round ball too. Go Cougars!

Historian | 6:50 p.m. Nov. 11, 2009

Rome wasn't built in a day and football programs aren't either. Coach A has done a lot of recruiting and will do much more this year. The Aggies need talent. With the efforts going into the program now the future looks bright. The Aggies will be back so some of you instate wonders better not look over your shoulders because someone will be gaining on you.

Word to the wise | 1:27 p.m. Nov. 12, 2009

Aggie football fans - focus on basketball. This year is a bust.

Re: Bear Lake | 12:57 a.m. Nov. 13, 2009

Good luck with that plan. BYU has terrible matchups on their "best" players if you can call Tavernari good. Fredette will have Pooh Williams who has been called one of the top defenders in the WAC and Jared Quayle guarding him. And Tavernari has Wesley on him. Wesley is much stronger and just as quick as Tavernari, besides, if Tavernari isn't hot he will account for 10 - 12 misses by himself. Im just glad Utah State's best players are consistently good.

Dallas Aggie re: Hey Dallas Agg | 8:33 a.m. Nov. 13, 2009

Actually, the only reason I even spoke of BYU, is because no one else would suggest that USU move down to FCS besides a BYU fan....I hope the Cougars finish strong on the year. I hope U of U finishes strong and beats TCU.

Do I like BYU fans...not really. I am a member of the Church and honestly some of the things BYU fans say and do could honestly affect the testimonies of many non-BYU members. Just read the boards. Oh well, no one is perfect and I am sure they are doing their best. I still stand behind the thought process that BYU is not that strong of a team, as they can't beat top 25 teams. Are they good, yes. Are they great and top 25 consistently? I dare say no. Oklahoma is nothing this year.

Thanks Coach Anderson and the players for giving it your all. The wins will come and our competitors will be foolish to overlook us. I can't wait for the next few games! Go Aggies!

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