Competitiveness Isn’t The Issue With Utah State, It’s The Individual Matchups

LOGAN, Utah – After starting the season with an 0-2 record, the Utah State football team is searching for their first win in 2020.

They lost their first two games by a combined score of 80-20, Utah State has received criticism for the lack of competitiveness in their games thus far.

According to head coach Gary Andersen, that competitiveness and effort is there.

Competitiveness Is There

“The competitiveness of this team, as far as effort, want to, preparation care factor, that’s all been there,” said Andersen. “Our struggles have been what we’ve talked about many times is a battle within individual matchups that have been tough sledding. That’s not competitiveness. That’s where we sit and where we are. That cannot creep into anybody’s mind to be, ‘Oh, this is an excuse, or this is that or whatever it may be. Because I’m a young player, because I’m not that strong. Because this guy’s been there before,’ whatever it may be, those things aren’t even speakable in my opinion, with the young men.

📸 Images from the home opener against San Diego State.

🔗: https://t.co/HCuoYdbq7w#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/NejOouQJlh

— USU Football (@USUFootball) November 3, 2020

“I would sum it up by saying the challenge of the coaches in this season will continue to be to put the kids in the best position they can to do what they can do physically and teach them, get the repetitions to do it in practice, and then let it show up on Saturdays for where we sit and where we’re going. These guys came in here again last night and again, we don’t run from anything. We flat talked about it to make sure that you’re in for this fight, and you’re in for the situation,  I know they’re gonna compete and I think they can handle tough words sometimes you don’t really like to hear. But I think it’s important to let them know what we’re trying to get done and where we sit so they can learn for today, and they can learn for the future.”

Need To Get Both Sides Of Ball Going

In their two losses, Utah State has racked up 418 yards of total offense, 204 passing and 214 rushing. They have allowed 1,020 total yards of offense, 442 passing, 578 rushing.

Their next opponent, Nevada, is 2-0 and has scored 37 points in each of their first two games. The Wolfpack has posted 993 yards of total offense, 770 passing, 223 rushing.

On defense, Nevada held their opponents to 709 yards of total offense, 455 passing, 254 rushing.

The Aggies will face Nevada on Thursday, Nov. 5 at 4 p.m. MT on FS1.