Aggies ‘Not A Finished Product’ Following Second Fall Scrimmage
Aug 14, 2022, 5:47 PM
Utah State defensive tackle Hale Motu’apuaka (Courtesy of USU Athletics)
(Courtesy of USU Athletics)
LOGAN, UTAH – With a number of offensive lineman being held out, it was the Aggie defense that took center stage in the final scrimmage of fall camp.
Fans got their first look at the Aggie football team as they hosted the first open scrimmage of fall camp just two weeks ahead of their season opener against UConn on August 27.
Yesterday was a great day for Football, Family, & Fun. Thank you Aggie Nation!
We can’t wait for you to pack the Mav on Aug 27 for Game 1 🏈#BeatUCONN | #AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/EcMwxciSUN
— USU Football (@USUFootball) August 14, 2022
“We’re not a finished product by any means and we still have a lot of work to do,” said second-year head coach Blake Anderson. “We got to look at a lot of guys today. There were a ton of different rotations and we were trying to get a last look at a handful of guys to see if they could help us.”
Three of the Aggies top seven offensive lineman were held out of the scrimmage. This paved the way for six Aggies to record a sack on the way to eight team sacks. Junior defensive end Patrick Joyner Jr. led with 11 tackles, including three sacks.
The Aggie defense also forced three turnovers on the day. Senior defensive tackle Hale Motu’apuaka recovered a fumble in the end zone. Senior cornerback Michael Anyanwu and redshirt freshman safety Ike Larsen each finished with an interception.
“The defense had just a little bit more juice than the offense today. They’re all beat down, exhausted and tired, but we’re not quite done yet. Three more days of camp before we turn the page to start looking at game one.’
Workin’ #AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/z5qxjHbrQw
— USU Football (@USUFootball) August 11, 2022
Offensively, 10 different players receive a carry on the way to 77 rushes for 237 yards and five scores.
Junior John Gentry’s 58 yards on six carries led the team while senior Pailate Makakona gained 50 yards on 13 carries. Graduate senior Calvin Tyler Jr. ended up with 10 carries for 45 yards and two touchdowns. Fresno State transfer Jordan Wilmore finished with 39 yards on 10 carries.
Junior tight end Josh Sterzer and junior wide receiver Terrell Vaughn scored the Aggies only receiving touchdowns of the afternoon.
Sophomore quarterback and Wyoming transfer Levi Williams led Aggie passers with 68 yards and two scores on 6-of-14 passing.
Anderson and his coaching staff are ready to look at the tape from the scrimmage to tighten things up before the season opens.
‘The film will be really good to learn from. I’m not sure we did anything really, really well today. Hopefully, from amidst all of the chaos and all the transitions from one group to the next and substitutions, hopefully, we’re going to find a few guys who showed up in a way today that we can count on as we start leaning toward game time.”
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On The Horizon
Utah State will open the 2022 season on Saturday, August 27 against UConn in a game that will be nationally televised on Fox Sports 1 at 2 p.m. (MST). That game and every Utah State football game can be heard on the KSL Sports Zone.
For Aggie football ticket information, fans can contact the USU Athletics Ticket Office over the phone by calling 1-888-USTATE-1 or 435-797-0305 during regular hours of operation. Fans can also buy their tickets in person at the USU Ticket Office inside the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum or online by clicking on the “Buy Tickets” tab at www.UtahStateAggies.com.
