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LOGAN — The Utah State football team opens the 2018 season Aug. 31 at Michigan State.
But before the Aggies head to East Lansing, they’ll finish up fall camp and try to improve on a 6-7 finish in 2017.
Here’s a breakdown of the Aggies' preseason as part of KSL SportsBeat’s annual CFB Preview of each college football team in the state.
Are the Aggies underrated?
With 18 returning starters, including quarterback Jordan Love, it stands to reason that Utah State would improve on its 6-7 season in 2017 that included a loss to New Mexico State in the Arizona Bowl.
But when the Mountain West unveiled its preseason poll during the conference media summit in Las Vegas, the Aggies were projected to finish near the bottom of the Mountain division, coming in fourth behind Boise State, Wyoming and Colorado State.
Fresno State was picked to finish first in the West division, edging out San Diego State.
Opposing coaches aren’t taking the Aggies lightly, though.
"I've got a lot of respect for (Utah State)," Boise State coach Brian Harsin said. "A couple of years back, when we played there, Utah State went out and earned a win. They were extremely well prepared.
"That was one game that I learned a lot from. You can scratch it off as a bad game, but I’ve tried to use it to our advantage and have been ever since then."
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Come a long way
Of course, even being in the discussion for division accolades is a huge accomplishment, considering where the program was just two years ago.
But gone are the feelings of the 3-9 season in 2016, replaced instead by optimism in Love, a bowl appearance, and a 16-point home win over in-state rival BYU.
The next step, though, isn’t just winning a division title — it’s winning close games. The Aggies were 1-4 in games decided by two touchdowns or less in 2017.
"Everyone in this building is well aware of that," Wells said. "The key to having a great season, from a good season to a great season, is we have to win our share of close games. The emphasis of finishing, being exact, being detailed, dialing in at the end of a practice, end of a drill, end of a competitive drill is what’s going to come up this training camp. It’s something that we’re going to talk about. We’re going to learn how to do it mentally in several different ways."
All you need is Love
Everything in this year’s Aggie offense starts with Love.
The sophomore quarterback started the final six games of the 2017 season, setting a Utah State freshman record with 1,631 passing yards and eight touchdowns, to go along with 165 rushing yards and two scores.
But in 2018, he’ll start with the mantle of No. 1 quarterback on the Utah State depth chart.
"Being the No. 1 changes a little bit, but not too much," Love said. "When you’re the No. 2, you always have to prepare like you’re the starter — because you never know what is going to happen.
"Being the No. 1 guy means I have to keep preparing and keep working every day because you know there are other great quarterbacks on the team that want to do the same thing and pass me up."
On the other side of the ball, there are a few more question marks. The Aggies lost their two best secondary defenders to the NFL, when All-American cornerback Jalen Davis signed with the Miami Dolphins and safety Dallin Leavitt caught on with the Oakland Raiders.
"Those are two big guys, both dudes that I was pretty close with," Utah State safety Gaje Ferguson said. "But they are on to bigger and better things now. They both brought huge things to our defense and to this team. Dallin brought a crazy passion for football and love for the game.
"Jalen … always had a smile on his face. He really enjoyed football. He loved football. He never complained about being here; he just loved it. They are two guys who are hard to replace, but we definitely have guys who will step up to the plate."
How will Wells put the pieces together in 2018? Click the video above for the complete Utah State CFB Preview, plus the Aggies’ annual Pump Up Video.
