Utah State Can’t Afford To Be Starstruck Against Crimson Tide
Aug 31, 2022, 11:06 AM
TUSCALOOSA, AL - SEPTEMBER 22: Cheerleaders with The Alabama Crimson Tide waves to the crowd while playing against the Florida Atlantic Owls on September 22, 2012 at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Alabama defeated Florida Atlantic 40-7.
LOGAN, UT – Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Bryce Young and his teammates won’t be the only thing the Utah State Aggies will compete with on Saturday.
Utah State (1-0) head to Tuscaloosa, Alabama where they face the No. 1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday, September 3. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. (MST).
Aggie head coach Blake Anderson doesn’t have any illusions about what type of team Alabama is. “We make a trip to Tuscaloosa to play maybe the best team on the planet. We’ll find out real quick what we’re made of.”
"Just zero weaknesses. Just the most physical, fast football team that you're gonna play."
-Utah State HC @CHBAnderson gets real about the Aggies' Saturday opponent: Alabama pic.twitter.com/mHCpCPSLwr
— Jim Rome (@jimrome) August 29, 2022
Named after former school president George H. Denny and longtime Crimson Tide head coach Paul “Bear Bryant”, Bryant-Denny Stadium, home of the Crimson Tide, seats 100,077 fans from one of the most rabid crowd bases in college football. In terms of capacity, Bryant-Denny Stadium is the eighth-largest stadium in the United States and tenth-largest in the world.
Meaning from the moment the Aggies leave their locker room and step foot on the field, they’ll face a situation never before seen by many current Aggies.
Fortunately for USU, a pair of current Aggies have experienced what playing at Bryant-Denny Stadium is all about.
Game Week 😤😤 pic.twitter.com/M7y00Bkw4T
— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) August 29, 2022
Both head coach Blake Anderson and quarterback Logan Bonner were a part of the Arkansas State team that lost 57-7 against Alabama in 2018.
In his weekly press conference, Anderson stressed that Utah State can’t let the environment overwhelm them.
“Enjoy it. Who gets an opportunity to line up strap up with 100,000 people in the stands? So don’t don’t let it intimidate you. Let it fuel you.”
Anderson also emphasized familiarity, a la Norman Dale in Hoosiers. “The stadium is gonna still be the same length. We’re still gonna have to do the same things. But let that be an excitement. Don’t let it distract you from just doing the little things right.”
GAME 2️⃣ | at #1 Alabama
🏟 Bryant–Denny Stadium
⌚️ Saturday | 5:30 PM MT
📺 @SECNetworkNotes ➡️ https://t.co/QUanTPjj7C#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/85MUfVnSF3
— USU Football (@USUFootball) August 29, 2022
Bonner, a redshirt sophomore in 2018, shares a similar message with his teammates.
“We just need to go in there and play ball and treat it like a regular game. There’s no difference. Don’t be surprised when you make play. We’re on scholarship too. We can make plays too. Just be confident and know your job and do your best and see what happens.”
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Utah State (1-0) plays at perennial powerhouse No. 1 Alabama (0-0) in their season opener on Saturday, Sept. 3, at 5:30 p.m. (MST), in Tuscaloosa, Alabama in a game that will be televised on the SEC Network.
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.
