USU HC Blake Anderson: I Hate To See The BYU Rivalry Game Go
Sep 27, 2022, 2:15 PM
Head coach Blake Anderson of the Utah State Aggies talks in his headset during their game against the North Dakota Fighting Hawks at Maverick Stadium on September 10, 2021 in Logan, Utah. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah State head coach Blake Anderson is sad to see the rivalry game with BYU go but it is giving him and his team more motivation going into Provo.
For the final time in the foreseeable future, BYU and Utah State will square off in Provo on Thursday, September 29.
In his weekly press conference on Monday, Anderson talked about the rivalry going away.
“It’s a great rivalry,” said Anderson. “I understand what is going on. I think we all saw this potentially coming with their move to the Big 12. Rivalry football is what college football is all about. I absolutely love it. I have not always been able to be a part of it but some of my most enjoyable experiences have been in these types of games. I hate to see it go. You like to think that it will come back around at some point. That we will be able to get it sorted out where this game comes back in the future. But for a while, this is going to be the last one. I can’t think of a better time to play our best ball and get a win than to go down there and find a way to be these guys. That’s a huge challenge, they are a phenomenal football team. It would be huge for us and give us a tremendous amount of momentum moving forward.”
The rest of the series was canceled after BYU accepted an invitation to the Big 12, which limits the amount of non-conference games the Cougars will have.
GAME WEEK INFO 👇
— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) September 26, 2022
Utah State Preparing For BYU QB Jaren Hall
Blake Anderson didn’t get a chance to see Jaren Hall last season in Logan due to injury but Hall is healthy entering the 2022 clash in Provo. Anderson is very impressed with what he has seen on film from Hall.
“He’s been somewhat flawless,” Anderson stated. “I know they have a loss on their record and he may be frustrated about his play. What he has done in terms of accuracy, ability to move the pocket, extend plays, and then reach the wide side of the field so effectively, that’s not something everybody can do. They run the ball extremely well and that takes a tremendous amount of pressure. It doesn’t matter which running back they put on the field, they are effective at running the ball. He (Hall) can reach every area of the field and can hurt you with his feet. He’s the total package. He’s playing a very high level.”
Utah State and BYU will kickoff at 6:00 p.m. MT on Thursday. The game can be seen on ESPN and heard on the KSL Sports Zone.
