Utah State football to begin Spring practice on Tuesday, March 19

Utah State's new quarter back Jordan Love gets ready to throw the ball at Maverik Stadium in Logan, Utah on Sept. 08, 2018. This was the first home football game of the season for Utah State. Utah State won the game 60 to 13 against New Mexico State. (Megan Nielsen)

LOGAN, Utah – Under the direction of first-year head coach Gary Andersen, Utah State football will begin spring practice on Tuesday, March 19, at 2:15 p.m. All practices will be held at the Stan Laub Indoor Football Complex or on Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium.

During the five-week period, the Aggies will participate in 15 spring practice sessions, including their annual Blue vs. White Spring Game on Saturday, April 13, on Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium, at noon. In all, eight practices will be open to the public this spring – March 19, 22, 23, 28, 30 and April 4, 9 and 13. Furthermore, media interviews will be available upon request following any practice.

Andersen is returning to Utah State after initially coaching the Aggies for four seasons from 2009-12, as he led the team to a 26-24 record, including a school-best 11-2 mark in his final season in 2012, as the Aggies went 6-0 in Western Athletic Conference play to claim its first outright league championship since 1936. USU ended the 2012 season ranked 16th in the final Associated Press (AP) poll, 17th in the final ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ poll and 22nd in the final Bowl Championship Series (BCS) standings.

This spring, Utah State returns nine starters (O-2, D-7) as part of 35 letterwinners (O-15, D-18, S-2), including two All-Americans and eight players that earned various all-Mountain West honors, from last year’s team that ended the season ranked 21st in the final Amway Coaches poll and 22nd in the final AP poll as it tied the school record for wins and best record with an 11-2 mark following its 52-13 win against North Texas in the New Mexico Bowl. USU also tied for first place in the Mountain Division of the Mountain West with a 7-1 record.

Highlighting Utah State’s returners in 2019 are two players who earned All-America honors a season ago in junior WR/KR Savon Scarver and junior LB David Woodward. Scarver was named a first-team All-American from the Walter Camp Football Foundation, the Football Writers Association of America and Phil Steele’s Magazine, and earned second-team All-American honors from the American Football Coaches Association, while Woodward was named a first-team All-American by ProFootballFocus.com and a third-team All-American by The Associated Press. Scarver was also named first-team all-Mountain West as a kick returner, while Woodward earned second-team all-conference accolades.

Six other returning Aggies earned various all-Mountain West honors a year ago as senior LB Tipa Galeai and junior QB Jordan Love were both named to the second team, while senior PK Dominik Eberle, senior DE Fua Leilua, senior DT Christopher ’Unga and senior CB DJ Williams all garnered honorable mention honors.

Love finished his sophomore campaign by completing 21-of-43 passes for 359 yards and four touchdowns in Utah State’s 52-13 win against North Texas in the New Mexico Bowl. Love, who was named the Offensive Most Valuable Player of the bowl game, also scored a rushing touchdown against the Mean Green.

The product of Liberty High School in Bakersfield, Calif., set USU bowl game records with his 359 passing yards and four touchdowns, along with his 362 yards of total offense.

Love set five school records in 2018, including 32 touchdown passes, 3,567 passing yards, seven 300-yard passing games, 234 points responsible for and being named the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week five times. Love also tied the single-season school record with a pair of 400-yard passing games. Furthermore, Love also tied the single-game school record for touchdown passes with five against both UNLV and San José State, becoming just the fifth quarterback in school history to accomplish the feat.

Nationally, Love finished the season ranked first in the Mountain West and 10th in the nation in passing efficiency (158.3), second in the MW and eighth in the nation in passing touchdowns with 32 (2.5 pg), second in the MW and 10th in the nation in points responsible for with 234 (18.0 pg), third in the MW and 31st in the nation in completion percentage (.640), fourth in the MW and 13th in the nation in passing (274.4 ypg), fifth in the MW and 20th in the nation in total offense (279.2 ypg), and fifth in the MW and 26th in the nation in completions (20.5 pg).

Woodward finished his sophomore season by recording 10 tackles and one interception against North Texas in the New Mexico Bowl for his eighth double-digit tackle outing of the year. For the season, Woodward led the team with 134 tackles and ranked 11th nationally with his 11.2 tackles per game average. The native of Olympia High School in Olympia, Wash., also ranked second on the team in both sacks (5.0) and tackles for loss (12.5), while adding two forced fumbles and two interceptions.

Additionally, Utah State returns three other starters in senior DE Devon Anderson, junior S Shaq Bond and sophomore OL Alfred Edwards.

Utah State also welcomes back 29 players (O-14, D-12, S-3) that redshirted last season, to go along with 13 more players (O-6, D-5, S-2) that were members of the team in 2018. Of those 42 players listed above, 26 saw action last season with 24 appearing in multiple games. USU also welcomes 14 newcomers to the squad this spring, which includes five junior college transfers and nine incoming freshmen.

Season ticket renewals are currently being accepted. To renew, fans should visit www.utahstateaggies.com or do so in person or by phone through the USU Ticket Office during regular business hours (435-797-0305). New season ticket orders can also be made.

Fans can follow the Aggie football program at twitter.com/USUFootball or on Facebook at Utah State Football, as well as on Instagram at instagram.com/USUFootball. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program at twitter.com/USUAthletics or on Facebook at Utah State University Athletics.

 

2019 Utah State Football Spring Practice Dates

Tuesday, March 19 – 2:15 – 4:30 p.m. – No Pads (Open to Public and Media)

Thursday, March 21 – (Closed)

Friday, March 22 – 3:15 – 5:30 p.m. (Open to Public and Media)

Saturday, March 23 – 10:45 – 1 p.m. (Open to Public and Media)

Tuesday, March 26 – (Closed)

Thursday, March 28 – 2:15 – 4:30 p.m. (Open to Public and Media)

Saturday, March 30 – 10:45 – 1 p.m. – Scrimmage (Open to Public and Media)

Tuesday, April 2 – (Closed)

Thursday, April 4 – 2:15 – 4:30 p.m. (Open to Public and Media)

Saturday, April 6 – (Closed)

Tuesday, April 9 – 2:15 – 4:30 p.m. (Open to Public and Media)

Thursday, April 11 – (Closed)

Saturday, April 13 – Noon – Blue vs. White Spring Game (Open to Public and Media)

Monday, April 15 – (Closed)

Tuesday, April 16 – (Closed)

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