Blake Anderson Confident Aggies Aren’t ‘Comfortable’ After Bowl Win
Aug 23, 2022, 11:37 AM
Utah State head football coach Blake Anderson (Courtesy of Utah State Athletics)
(Courtesy of Utah State Athletics)
SALT LAKE CITY – As the Utah State Aggies flip from fall camp to game prep mode this week, Blake Anderson is confident in the standard they’ve set.
The Aggies’ head coach made his weekly appearance on the Zone Sports Network DJ and PK show Monday, August 22.
Entering his second season in Logan, Anderson wasn’t sure if anybody was ready when fall camp opened in late July, but that concern quickly evaporated. “Once you get going and guys start popping each other, it’s hard not to be fired up.”
GAME WEEK 😈 @USUFootball pic.twitter.com/nsIEruP5TA
— Jacob Garcia (@_jacob_garcia__) August 22, 2022
After more than three weeks of practice and a pair of scrimmages, Anderson is optimistic that this years team will be able to quickly gel.
“Last season, we were really fortunate to have an amazing group of kids that kind of gravitated to how we wanted to do things,” Anderson said of the 11-3 2021 Aggie team.
“I’m hoping that we’re able to find the same match this year. It looks like we’ve got a very similar locker room. In that they don’t let each other down and they enjoy each other’s company. You can’t tell who’s new and who’s old, who’s a transfer, who’s a veteran. I’m hoping that we get out on the field and you see a group of guys that really care about each other and play hard for each other.”
With 12 starters and 32 letter-winners returning from a team that tied the school record for wins, the Aggies will lean on veterans to set the tone in the locker room and on the field.
“I do think there was a standard set that these guys, they feel they can feel what is expected.”
It is through that standard that Anderson believes the Aggies haven’t become satisfied with success already realized.
“Human nature is to get comfortable. We’ve pushed him really hard. We dialed it up another notch as best we could, in a safe way, but really tried our best to heat it up and they’ve handled it really well.”
Get your popcorn ready, the show is about to begin🎥
𝗪𝗘𝗔𝗥 𝗪𝗛𝗜𝗧𝗘
𝘽𝙀 𝙇𝙊𝙐𝘿
𝗕𝗘𝗔𝗧 𝗨𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗡 pic.twitter.com/4q1u5uYm48— USU Football (@USUFootball) August 22, 2022
Recently released preseason polls only reinforced the Aggies underdog mentality.
“I think we need to keep a chip on our shoulder. Nobody’s really expecting a whole lot of us except ourselves. And I don’t think it’s a bad place to be.”
Week Zero
The Aggies open their 125th season of football at home against the Connecticut Huskies with a 2:05 p.m. (MST) kickoff on Saturday, August 27.
Every Utah State football game can be heard on the KSL Sports Zone with Scott Garrard and former Aggie quarterback Kevin White on the call.
