Will Utah State provide some answers?
No one expects Utah State to shock the world Saturday night on Owen Field. But the Aggies are a better team than given credit, a veteran team with 17 returning starters that could expose some areas that need work before the Sooners begin a challenging four-week stretch against Florida State, Air Force, Cincinnati and Texas.
Utah State was 4-8 last season but OU coach Bob Stoops said Dave Andersen did a remarkable job his first season. Four of the losses were by eight points or less. The Aggies showed so much improvement in Andersen’s first season they’re talking possible bowl game in Logan, Utah.
The Sooners, a 31-point favorite, should romp. It’s the easiest of OU’s four non-conference game. The Aggies, though, certainly aren’t vanilla.
Stoops said Utah State’s offense runs “a million formations.” Defensive coordinator Brent Venables said quarterback Diondre Borel and the Aggie offense will be a test “mentally as much as physically.”
Borel, a senior, set Utah State’s single-season school record with 3,343 yards from scrimmage last year. A dual threat, Borel is one of 30 quarterbacks on the Manning award preseason watch list.
“Their quarterback can cause you fits,” Venables said. “He’s a great scrambler and threw only four interceptions last year. Their offense broke every school record with close to 5,300 yards of offense, a remarkable number.
“(Borel) is a threat throwing. He’s a threat running. He’s a bigger threat when he’s scrambling and throwing. We have to do a good job of keeping him in the pocket, not get real comfortable and have eyes on him, and not have anyone get free on the back end.”
Defensively, Utah State will take chances. It should lead to some big plays for the Sooners. But there also could be a few negative plays if OU’s revamped offensive line doesn’t recognize a myriad of blitzes.
Utah State’s defense was one of the worst in the country. But with nine starters returning on defense the Aggies have some experience, led by All-WAC first team linebacker Bobby Wagner, who recorded 115 tackles.
The biggest mismatch is upfront. The Aggies allowed 205.5 rushing yards per game. OU senior running back DeMarco Murray should have a huge game. But Utah State will try to keep the Sooners guessing.
“They’ll get off the bus wanting to bring pressure, blitz and mix it up,” said OU offensive line coach James Patton. “They’re going to attack. They bring guys off the edge. They had 19 snaps against Boise (State) they didn’t even have a down lineman. They stood around in a radar defense, putting guys in gaps.”
Utah State doesn’t have the personnel to shock the Sooners like TCU did in 2005 or BYU in last year’s opener in Arlington, Texas. But the Aggies are a program on the rise, a team that at least could provide OU’s staff some areas that need work before Florida State plays in Norman next week.
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Comments
I don’t see Utah State having the beef up front to stop OU’s offense. The big-boy sets will give them fit’s. I think their offense could very well keep the Aggies in the game until the 3rd quarter. There have been some mobile qb’s that have taken advantage of OU zone blitz packages. I think OU will run a vanilla 4-3 with emphasis on containment and execution depending upon his athletes and not showing a lot. The loss of Turbin is devastating. They don’t have the athletic depth to hang around for 4 quarters. OU_41 USU_20
SERIOUSLY? SOONERS WILL WON THIS EASILY BY 5 TOUCHDOWNS OR MORE.. THEY HAVE A QB YEA BUT HE IS LINED UP WITH ONE OF THE NATIONS TOP DEFENSES… THIS IS JUST ANOTHER CHATTANOOGA.. IN NO WAY WILL THEY SCORE 3 TD’S…
Aggies won’t lose by 30 that’s for sure the Utah state aggies will open some eyes in upcoming season and will give you guys fits.