USU Coach Blake Anderson Talks Enjoying, Focusing On Bowl Game
Dec 14, 2021, 3:48 PM | Updated: 3:50 pm
Head coach Blake Anderson of the Utah State Aggies looks on during the first half of his team's game against the New Mexico Lobos at University Stadium on November 26, 2021 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images)
(Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah State head coach Blake Anderson broke down how the Aggies can enjoy their upcoming bowl game while still having a “business trip” approach to the contest.
Anderson discussed USU’s trip to the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl during an interview with Hans Olsen and Scott Garrard on The Zone Sports Network.
Garrard asked Anderson, “How do you walk the line between an enjoyable fun celebration of a season and also a business trip?”
Anderson responded, “Very delicately.”
.@USUFootball head coach @CHbanderson discussed balancing fun and focus at the @LABowlGame with @975Hans and @ScottyGZone.
📰: https://t.co/8RdV473vZV
📻: @ZoneSportsNet
📷: Getty Images#AggiesAllTheWay #JimmyKimmelLABowl pic.twitter.com/NStI0DCE88— KSL Sports (@kslsports) December 14, 2021
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The first-year Utah State coach described the balance of enjoying the postseason and focusing on win the contest as “a challenge for everybody that goes to a bowl game.”
“Obviously you want them to have a blast,” Anderson said. “They’ve earned their way there, won a title, 10-3 [record], you’re there and you want to take advantage of every opportunity that the bowl presents. So there’s a tremendous amount of maturity and discipline that needs to be in place to be able to focus when you need to. When we go to a meeting room, we got to lock-in. We got practice, we got to get something out of it, and really get the details ironed out.”
Anderson added that while there are times of focus, there is also a place to “have a good time” and enjoy the bowl experience.
“It’s okay to laugh and cut up and have a good time because you earn the opportunity to be there,” the USU head coach said. “I think bowl games are about who wants to be there, who wants to enjoy it, who wants to be competitive on game day. You don’t always see that. You see teams go to bowl games every year, and they’ve either come off a big disappointment or they’re really not excited about being there. I think our kids are beyond excited about the opportunity and I do expect that we’ll enjoy it but be ready when the job comes.”
Utah State will play the Oregon State Beavers in the LA Bowl on December 18 at 5:30 p.m. (MDT) on ABC and The Zone Sports Network.
