Aggies return all 11 defensive starters in '07

[IE]

8/29/07

A handful of things may be said of a 2006 Aggie defense that ranked 111th nationally against the rush, 112th guarding the pass, 116th in total yardage given up, and 117th in points allowed.


Unfortunately, not many of those things are enlightening to the ears of Aggie faithfuls.


Yes, looking back on last year's Aggie football campaign is a difficult and sour thing for any Aggie coach, player or fan to do.


But unlike Head Coach Brent Guy's first two seasons as the leader of the Aggies, this year all 11 of his defensive starters are back.


Even with that experience coming back, however, one large and unanswered question remains: How will these starters put a nightmare of a season behind them?


Sophomore linebacker and 2006 Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year Paul Igboeli said it's simple enough for him.


"I already have," the Grand Prairie, Texas, native said of forgetting about last year's defensive performance. "I couldn't even tell how you get (confidence) or how it happens. (It's) having a good year in the weight room and spring ball, and how fall camp started. Everybody's feeling pretty good about the little situation we've got going. You start fresh. You start anew. We're looking forward to that chance."


Luckily for this season's team, that kind of optimism seemed to be a general feeling of everyone involved during the annual Aggie Media Day held Aug. 10. Being positive is really the only option for a defense that gave up 38.5 points per game last season.


And Igboeli is just one of the signs of light returning on the defensive side at linebacker.


Defensive end Ben Calderwood, a junior from Smithfield, was Second-Team All WAC in 2006 and has already received a plethora of preseason hype.


He was put on the Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year Award Watch List as well as the All-WAC Preseason Team by Blue Ribbon, Lindy's, Sporting News, Street and Smith, cbs.sportsline.com, and Athlon Publications.


His mindset of the season reflects that of Igboeli.


"I think guys have tried to work harder on football and put some of their personal interests aside to benefit the team," Calderwood said. "We have to have a positive attitude and be confident in our abilities to achieve the success we're hoping for."


Other good tidings come with the news that middle linebacker Jake Hutton, a junior from Pocatello, Idaho, is back to full health. Hutton missed the final eight games of 2006 due to a foot injury during the team's loss at BYU. Before being sidelined, he was the team leader in tackles.


Guy said losing Hutton to injury was perhaps one of last year's most daunting and devastating losses of personnel for the team.


"When I first arrived here he was a walk-on who had not played a snap," Guy said. "That next fall he was the first Aggie freshman ever to lead the team in tackles. He finds the football. He's a very intelligent football player. He's strong and physical. It's hard to replace a guy like that. There's a lot of guys that learn it through method, but he has a lot of the natural instincts. We'll get that back."


Here's a brief look at each of USU's defensive positions:


Defensive Line


Calderwood headlines this area, along with seniors Ben Childs and Frank Maile.


Childs and Maile will again control the interior at the tackle positions. In 2006, Maile started eight games while recording 26 tackles. Childs started six, tallying 19 stops and one sack.


At defensive end, Calderwood (44 tackles in '06) will be joined by sophomore Darby Golden and senior Carl Singleton. Others joining them could include a score of freshmen, which is why, among all the areas of concern throughout the team, the defensive tackle position is the biggest headache for Guy right now.


"It's just awfully hard to ask a (freshman) to go in there and play," Guy said. "They have the body type but just don't have the experience. But you can't count on a true freshman in the trenches. We've had to do that in the past, and we've learned our lessons the hard way. It's just not productive because, physically, it's just so much different in there."



Linebacker


Igboeli and Hutton, health permitting, should be a force at this spot. According to the team media guide, Igboeli is the expected starter at strong-side linebacker, while Hutton will patrol the middle.


Other notables are Devon Hall, a junior who ranked third on the team in tackles (68) and recovered three fumbles last season. Hall is expected to start at the linebacker spot as well. Juniors Derrick Cumbee and Daryle Fields should also see playing time.



Secondary


The entire starting secondary is back for USU.


Marquis Charles and Kejon Murphy will again be the top cornerbacks. Charles, a junior, is one of only five Aggies from '06 to start every game. Murphy, a sophomore, was thrown in as a starter for the final four games of the season.


Senior Antonio Taylor, the returning team leader in tackles (74), is back at safety, along with Caleb Taylor. Taylor was fourth in tackles (64) and collected two interceptions.

 

[IE]

8/29/07

One is the loneliest number?
First win is critical

Study the schedules from the past 20 years of Aggie football and you find something very important: No. 1 is a big deal.


In only three of those 20 seasons have the Aggies won the first game.


It's a critical number when coupled with the fact that all three of those campaigns were winning ones, and in two of them USU qualified for bowl games.


Come Thursday at 6:05 p.m., the Aggies will be given another opportunity to snag that first game when the University of Nevada-Las Vegas Runnin' Rebels come to town.


"We've got to win the first one," USU Head Coach Brent Guy said. "It's a home opener. You look at the history of this school in the past two decades, with season opening wins has a huge impact on the outcome of that team. It's pretty dramatic when you look at the history of it. That's something we're going to talk about. We've got a great opportunity to play at home. Our focus is on the first game."


The circumstances are looking good for the Aggies ? at least on paper. Of the seven games the program has won over the past three years, two of those victories have come against the Runnin' Rebels. UNVL is 5-12 all time against USU. Plus, USU hasn't had a season opener at Romney Stadium since 2002 (a 23-3 loss to the University of Utah).


The Rebels are coming off a 2006 season that was similar to USU's. UNLV finished 2-10 overall and 0-6 in road games.


Notable changes in their roster include Travis Dixon, a red-shirt freshman, who will be the Rebels' starter at quarterback. Dixon is the fourth different quarterback for the team in as many seasons. Dixon replaces returning starter Rocky Hinds, who has been slow in recovering from an off-season knee injury.


USU is returning a quarterback who has experience, as well as all 11 defensive starters. But, the Aggies still haven't won a game since Oct. 7 of last year.


USU was picked in the preseason coaches' poll to finish eighth in the Western Athletic Conference. What are the feelings of team members on the chance of being the surprise WAC team that the San Jose State Spartans were a season ago?


"There's no reason we can't," said sophomore linebacker and 2006 Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year Paul Igboeli. "We lace up our shoes the same way Boise State, Nevada, Louisiana Tech and everybody else does. All we have to do is go out and compete. In high school, my team was picked dead last and finished first. The only thing you want to do is go out there and prove you're better than they think you are."


In an effort to boost team morale during the off-season, the Aggie coaching staff gave each player a white card with blue Block A on it. Why?


"When we win the Old Main hill is blue," senior starting tailback Aaron Lesue said. "That's a symbol for us. We want to be on the same page. That's important to us. The thing is, I don't think (winning) was as important last year to a lot of the players, but this year it is because we're getting a little older. We're a lot more mature. We have a lot more seniors this year and guys that want to win."


Since the end of last season, Guy has been straightforward and serious about what a win in Game 1 of '07 will mean for the remainder of the year, as well as what measures the team will take to get it. During Monday's press conference, his tone was no different.


"If we need to put in a freshman at the end of the game because of an injury, we will do whatever we have to in order to win this football game," Guy said.