Utah State 2012 Recruiting

2012 Utah State Aggies ... Head Coach: Gary Andersen

Utah State Aggies

2011 Record: 7-6

Sept. 3 at Auburn L 42-38
Sept. 10 Weber State W 54-17
Sept. 17 OPEN DATE
Sept. 24 Colorado St L 35-34 2OT
Sept. 30 at BYU L 27-24
Oct. 8 Wyoming W 63-19
Oct. 15 at Fresno State L 31-21
Oct. 22 Louisiana Tech L 24-17
Oct. 29 OPEN DATE
Nov. 5 at Hawaii W 35-31
Nov. 12 San Jose State W 34-33
Nov. 19 at Idaho W 49-42 2OT
Nov. 26 Nevada W 21-17
Dec. 3 at NMSU W 24-21
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Dec. 17 Ohio L 24-23

2010 CFN Prediction: 4-8
2010 Record: 4-8

Sept. 4 at Oklahoma L 31-24
Sept. 11 Idaho St
Sept. 18 Fresno St L 41-24
Sept. 25 at San Diego St L 41-7
Oct. 1 BYU W 31-16
Oct. 9 at Louisiana Tech L 24-6
Oct. 16 OPEN DATE
Oct. 23 Hawaii L 45-7
Oct. 30 at Nevada L 56-42
Nov. 6 New Mexico St W 27-22
Nov. 13 at San Jose St W 38-34
Nov. 20 Idaho L 28-6
Nov. 27 OPEN DATE
Dec. 4 at Boise State L 50-14
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The Entire 2012 Recruiting Class

Top 5 Utah State Recruits To Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. RB Tavarreon Dickerson
5-9, 165, Scout.com 104th ranked, thee-star running back.

2. OT Patrick Ward
6-5, 285, Scout.com three-star JUCO transfer.

3. OT Jake Simonich
6-6, 270, Scout.com, 162nd ranked, two-star tackle.

4. RB Nick Vigil
6-2, 180, Scout.com 6-2, 180, two-star running back.

5. CB Devontae Glover-Wright
6-0, 185, JUCO transfer.

The 2012 Class Was Heavy On... The Aggies need to upgrade the running back corps with Robert Turbin and Michael Smith gone. The depth needs to be developed and any newcomers will get every shot to see time right away. After going heavy on the JUCO transfers over the last few years, head coach Gary Andersen is in a more secure position and the program can go after more freshmen options to build for down the road.

Team Concerns For 2012: Besides running back, the Aggies need help on the ends with Levi Koskan and Quinn Garner gone. The bigger problem, though, is at inside linebacker with tackling-machine Bobby Wagner and Kyle Gallagher gone. The help might not be there right away from this class, but next year the prospects will have to come. This class will be to try to fill in a few gaps.

Looking Ahead To The 2012 Season: The Aggies lose star running back Robert Turbin to the NFL a year early and won’t have Michael Smith to pick up the slack. Speedy Kerwynn Williams has to be the new star of the running game. Adam Kennedy is back at quarterback after starting late in the season, but Chuckie Keeton it the team’s most dangerous playmaker in the backfield. Both starting guards are gone, but Tyler Larsen is one of the WAC’s best centers. The defense that made tremendous strides last year loses heart-and-soul tackling linebackers Bobby Wagner and Kyle Gallagher, and end Levi Koskan and Quinn Garner are gone off the 3-4. Free safety Alfred Bowden is the only starter gone in the secondary.

2011 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 100. That Class Was Heavy On ... JUCO. Gary Andersen went went the JUCO route to provide some instant pop in 2009, and after dealing with the future last year, he’s going back to the secondary schools for help. True freshman QB Chuck Keeton needs to be the star of the class with his athleticism, but the point of this haul was to load up on plays with three JUCO corners, led by speedy William Davis, while Tyler Bennett could be a major boost for the punting game.

2010 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 107. That Class Was Heavy On ... The passing game. Gary Andersen spent his first season loading up on players getting JUCO transfer after JUCO transfer, but this recruiting season is about building for the future. Diondre Borel is the starting quarterback this year without question, so Alex Hart, Trevor Brown, and Jeremy Higgins will get time to develop. However, a few of the new receivers will be asked to produce early on. JUCO transfers Xavier Martin and Dontel Watkins will give Borel targets, but Shaan Johnson will end up being the start of the passing attack.

2009 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 104. That Class Was Heavy On ... JUCO. New head coach Gary Andersen is looking to make an impact early on, and he needed more bodies to do it. While the incoming junior college players will mostly be used for depth, the program needed players to push for spots and to provide more competition. OT Christian Browne-Frazier and LB Reuben Willis will do that.

2011 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Ohio 24 … Utah State 23
- CFN Thoughts on the Game 

Utah State: RB Michael Smith ran 12 times for 157 yards and two scores, and Robert Turbin ran 20 times for 101 yards. … Chuckie Keeton came in and ran just once for ten yards, while Adam Kennedy completed 11-of-18 passes for 63 yards and a score while running six times for 11 yards. … WR Stanley Morrison caught four passes for 25 yards … LB Kyle Gallagher led the team with nine tackles, but Bobby Wagner became the WAC’s all-time leading tackler after making seven stops.

(AP) BOISE, Idaho -- Tyler Tettleton's late heroics helped Ohio erase decades of misery in the postseason. The sophomore calmly led a 61-yard drive in the final 2:02 and scored on a 1-yard keeper with 13 seconds left to give Ohio its first bowl victory, 24-23 over Utah State on Saturday in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

Ohio had been winless in five bowl appearances, including setbacks the last two seasons.

But Tettleton changed all that, going 3 of 4 passing in the final drive, including a 14-yard completion to LaVon Brazill on fourth down to give Ohio a first down inside the 1 with 37 seconds left.

After getting stuffed on his first attempt to punch the ball in, Tettleton rolled right on the next play and outran two defenders to cap the comeback and set a new course for Ohio's postseason future.

"There's been a lot of great wins here, and I appreciate every one," Ohio coach Frank Solich said. "This one obviously is kind of an answer to what these guys wanted to get done at the beginning of the year, and what we all wanted in terms of winning a bowl game. To accomplish that and get the first win in the history of Ohio football was meaningful to me, these players and this staff."

The victory also gave Ohio its first 10-win season since 1968 and helped blunt the bitterness of letting Northern Illinois rally from a 20-point deficit in the Mid-American Conference title game two weeks ago.

Tettleton, the son of former major league catcher Mickey Tettleton, was effective throughout the game and kept the Bobcats close enough with his legs and arm.

Tettleton was 19 of 26 passing for 220 yards and two touchdowns and rushed 16 times for 31 yards. He was only sacked twice and spread his completions around to seven receivers and the Bobcats had 345 total yards on offense.

For Utah State, the loss was a heartbreaker.

The Aggies dominated the first half and extended their lead to 23-10 in the third quarter behind a bruising rushing attack that kept Tettleton off the field and rolled up 345 yards. The Aggies came into the game with the nation's sixth-best rushing attack, averaging 277 yards per game.

Michael Smith rushed for a career-best 157 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries, including a 63-yard scoring run early in the third quarter that put Utah State up 16-10. Smith scored later in the third on an 11-yard run up the middle, giving the Aggies (7-6) a 13-point lead.

Robert Turbin added for 101 yards on 20 carries, and Kerwynn Williams had 69 yards on nine carries.

But Utah State, which finished second in the Western Athletic Conference and was making its first bowl appearance since 1997, failed to close the deal and paid a price for missing two scoring chances early in the game.

On their first possession, the Aggies (7-6) drove to the 1, but Turbin was stopped short of the goal line on fourth down. The Aggies missed another chance late in the second quarter when a 39-yard field-goal attempt by Josh Thompson sailed wide right.

Still, head coach Gary Andersen, whose team closed the season with five straight wins to earn the school's first bowl invitation since 1997, believes there is plenty to feel good about and even more to build upon.

"It's been the most gratifying season of my career, hands down," Andersen said. "This is unbelievably gratifying to get to this point. This crew of kids will be in my mind for the rest of my life. We're excited to represent all three classes of seniors that have been there. Tonight was for them, and we'll look forward to the future."

The Aggies had a chance to ice the game when they took possession at their own 7 with 4:23 to go. But Ohio's defense stopped the Aggies on three straight running plays to force a punt.

On the winning drive, Tettleton scrambled for 14 yards and completed passes of 19, 7 and 14 yards to Brazill. The last reception was initially ruled a touchdown, but a review concluded he was down before the end zone, giving Ohio a first down inside the 1 and setting up Tettleton's big play.

"It was designed as a fake quarterback sneak and we were going to have two guys on the flat to the left," Tettleton said about his last-second score. "I got a rush up the middle and tried to make something happen after that and I was wide open to the end zone."

Brazill, who was voted MVP for the game, led the Bobcats with eight catches for 108 yards, including a 44-yard touchdown pass from Tettleton that pulled Ohio to 23-17 with 3:45 left in the third quarter.

The Aggies had just two possessions in the fourth quarter, but managed just two first downs, putting the onus on a defense that had let leads slip away in the last minute in games against Auburn and Brigham Young.

"This season has been a grind. Pretty much every single game we've played in has been a close game," Turbin said. "Unfortunately, you win some and you lose some and we lost tonight."

Nov. 26 at Utah State 21 … Nevada 17  

Nov. 19 Utah State 49 … at Idaho 42 2OT

Nov. 12 at Utah State 34 … San Jose State 33

Nov. 5 Utah State 35 ... at Hawaii 31

Oct. 22 Louisiana Tech 24 … at Utah State 17
CFN Analysis: For so much promise and potential, the season has turned lousy in a big hurry. Just when it seemed like things had turned around with the blowout over Wyoming, the Aggies blew their first two WAC games losing to Fresno State and Louisiana Tech to all but end any title chances and throw a wrench into dreams of going bowling. The running game couldn’t quite get going, with Robert Turbin coming up with 81 yards, and the passing attack couldn’t pick up the slack with Chuckie Keeton bottled up and throwing his first pick of his career. There’s still time to turn things around, but there’s little margin for error with Hawaii and Nevada still to deal with. 

Oct. 15 at Fresno State 31 … Utah State 21
CFN Analysis: After looking so great in the first half with 21 points, the offense started to fall flat as Chuckie Keaton looking like a freshman for the first time completing 15-of-31 passes for 194 yards and a score. Robert Turbin continues to be fantastic with 155 yards and a score on just 16 carries, but the Aggies were bottled up late and Turbin couldn’t get going. There’s still plenty of time to come up with a good season, but beating Louisiana Tech next week is a must. 3-4 means a bowl game is still on the table. 2-5 means the season is all but over. To get the win, the team needs to come up with a full sixty minutes like it did against Wyoming a few weeks ago. 

Oct. 8 at Utah State 63 … Wyoming 19
CFN Analysis: Finally, the Aggie offense didn’t have any problems blowing up and putting a team away, and the defense didn’t need to come up with a final fourth quarter stop. The running game was a thing of beauty with Robert Turbin continuing to roll and the five players running for 44 yards or more, including Chuckie Keeton, who also threw five touchdown passes to five different receivers. The Aggies never let the Cowboys breathe by holding on to the ball drive after drive converting 8-of-11 third down chances. The momentum has to keep on rolling with the WAC opener at Fresno State up next, and while the pass defense hasn’t been bad so far, it hasn’t faced a good passing game since Auburn. 
 
Sept. 30 at BYU 27 … Utah State 24
CFN Analysis: Again? Utah State should be 4-0, but it simply can’t close. Up 11 in the fourth quarter and with BYU pinned on the four, and then down to the one after a sack, the defense collapsed for a third time in four games. As frustrating and as painful as this all might be, the Aggies have to try to remember that it might not take too much to truly turn a corner and be terrific. Eventually, the running game will control the fourth quarter to close things out, and eventually, the defense will come up with a meaningful stop in the final seconds. This is still a young team overall and the schedule isn’t all that bad. There’s still time to turn things around, Robert Turbin is running like a superstar, Chuckie Keeton was decent at spreading the ball around, and Utah State was close. Utah State has to be tired of being close.

Sept. 24 Colorado State 35 … at Utah State 34 2OT
CFN Analysis: Utah State should be 3-0. Not only did it gag away the Auburn game, but now it gave up the overtime loss to Colorado State with four fumbles and a second defensive collapse on a final drive in three games. Bobby Wagner came up with a huge game, making 18 tackles, and Robert Turbin was phenomenal with 115 yards and four touchdowns on 24 carries, but the turnovers were too costly and the defense has to be stronger in the fourth quarter. The offense might be playing well, but with a date at BYU looming, the Aggies desperately need to pull off the road upset.

Sept. 10 at Utah State 54 … Weber State 17
CFN Analysis: Chuckie Keeton picked up where he left off against Auburn and the running game rolled at will cranking out 440 yards and five scores. Keeton ran for 53 yards and a score, and he was sharp through the air, too, completing 10-of-15 passes for 166 yards and two scores. Robert Turbin looked like his pre-injury self with 180 yards and two scores, averaging ten yards per carry, while the offense hit on big play after big play. The defensive front stuffed Weber State allowing just 46 yards on the ground and coming up with four sacks and eight tackles for loss in a dominant performance, but the start of the season is all about the offense. Colorado State will bring the pressure from the defensive front, and BYU has a strong D, but with the way Keeton and the Aggies are playing, they’re winnable games. 

Sept. 3 at Auburn 42 … Utah State 38
CFN Analysis:  How do you possibly come back from a crushing loss like this? Utah State had Auburn dead, but couldn’t come up with an onside kick recovery and was picked apart late for the kick-in-the-gut loss. Forgetting how soul-crushing this was, there’s a lot to be really, really excited about with Chuckie Keeton coming up with a tremendous all-around performance, completing 21-of-30 passes for 212 yards while running for 33 yards and two scores, and the offensive line was fantastic. Now, with home games against Weber State and Colorado State up next, the Agies have to use this as a confidence builder rather than just-miss. 

The 2011 Class Is Heavy On … JUCO. Gary Andersen went went the JUCO route to provide some instant pop in 2009, and after dealing with the future last year, he’s going back to the secondary schools for help. True freshman QB Chuck Keeton needs to be the star of the class with his athleticism, but the point of this haul was to load up on plays with three JUCO corners, led by speedy William Davis, while Tyler Bennett could be a major boost for the punting game.

Five Utah State Recruits You Should Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. QB Chuck Keaton
Very good athlete playing quarterback, he has a strong arm but is not very accurate. Tries to do too much by himself and that gets him in trouble at times. He can be deadly running the ball. Tries to throw a fastball rather than a catchable pass, needs to learn some touch on his passes.

2. S Peni Vea
6-0, 175, Scout.com’s 109th ranked cornerback. Three-star prospect.

3. CB Ladale Jackson
5-11, 160, Scout.com’s 127th ranked cornerback

4. S Bridger Peck
6-2, 205, Scout.com’s 116th ranked safety

5. OT Stetson Tenney
6-5, 295, Two-star JUCO transfer

2011 Entire Recruiting Class

Austin Albrecht OL 6-5 260 FR HS Sandy, Utah (Alta HS)
Maurice Alexander LB 6-2 209 JR TR Saint Louis, Mo. (Eureka HS/Arizona Western College)
Terrence Alston CB 5-10 175 JR TR Richmond, Calif. (Vanden HS/Solano CC)
Tyler Bennett P 5-11 213 JR TR Phoenix, Ariz. (North Canyon HS/Phoenix College)
Will Davis CB 5-11 169 JR TR Spokane, Wash. (Central Valley HS/De Anza College)
Bojay Filimoeatu LB 6-2 250 JR TR West Valley City, Utah (Granger HS/Mt. San Antonio College)
Taani Fisilau OL 6-3 315 FR HS Glendale, Utah (Cottonwood HS)
La'Bradford Harold S 5-10 197 FR HS Crowley, Texas (Crowley HS)
Parker Hausknecht LB 6-0 214 FR HS Draper, Utah (Alta HS)
Jordan Hicks OL 6-5 290 FR HS South Jordan, Utah (Bingham HS)
Ladale Jackson CB 5-10 166 FR HS Las Vegas, Nev. (Silverado HS)
Chuckie Keeton QB 6-2 185 FR HS Houston, Texas (Cypress Creek HS)
Derek Keller LB 6-3 221 FR HS Draper, Utah (Alta HS)
Adam Kennedy QB 6-5 210 JR TR Elk Grove, Calif. (Franklin HS/San Joaquin Delta College)
Al Lapuaho DL 6-3 280 JR TR West Valley City, Utah (Granger HS/Snow JC)
Havea Lasike DL 6-1 305 JR TR Sunnyvale, Calif. (Lincoln HS/Foothill JC)
Ian Maguire OL 6-5 270 JR TR San Francisco, Calif. (Lowell HS/City College of San Francisco)
Jorden Mattinson TE 6-5 259 FR HS Spanish Fork, Utah (Spanish Fork HS)
Bridger Peck LB 6-1 206 FR HS South Jordan, Utah (Bingham HS)
Paul Piukala DL 6-4 234 JR TR Oakland, Calif. (Castlemont HS/Laney CC)
Jumanne Robertson CB 5-10 176 JR TR Phoenix, Ariz. (Deer Valley HS/Phoenix CC)
Travis Seefeldt DL 6-2 310 FR HS Sun City, Ariz. (Liberty HS)
Stetson Tenney OL 6-6 310 JR TR Show Low, Ariz. (Show Low HS/Eastern Arizona JC)
Reuben Thomas WR 6-0 164 JR TR Pasadena, Calif. (John Muir HS/Pasadena City College)
Terell Thompson CB 6-2 215 JR TR Aurora, Colo. (Eaglecrest HS/Glendale CC)
Peni Vea S 6-1 190 FR HS Kailua-Kona, Hawaii (Kealakehe HS)
Kevin Whimpey DL 6-5 254 SO TR Highland, Utah (Lone Peak HS/Idaho State)
Kyle Whimpey OL 6-5 296 SO TR Highland, Utah (Lone Peak HS/Idaho State)