Show W2 — The Herald Journal Logan Utah Saturday November 15 2003 CD mlar UdJcmm L W Cooley plans on playing on Overall Conference L W ft® ' By Shawn Harrison sports editor hen Nii X‘) geis the hall: thy a is micMirL' thing-—- ' he js not going to go down ' Today's Games Troy State at Utah State La Lafayette at Middle Tenm Arkansas St at North Texas New Mexico St at Arkansas Idaho at l: easy i ' ' ' - ' ‘ ? t t'" Next Week's Games fy ' Utah State at Idaho ''V North Texas at New Mexico St Middle Tennat Arkansas State at Troy State - fixVt-hal- : Did you know? when trailing Utah State is after three quarters in the Mick Den-' nehy era with one of the behind wins against Troy State last year (trailed 16-- 7 afterthree) The other game was Idaho State in 2001 - In fact Utah State senior lighlend Chris C(W)ley gets mad every lime he does eventually get hnrughf down It is rare the first would-b- e tackier is able to do the job alone ""When I eaieh the hall I never ' think' ahiuit going down" Cooley 'said "It started in little league would drag guys lip and down the field I never want to he tackled Pm pissed every time f gb down" Which when you look at thi rium- her of catches he has this year prob- ahly means he is upset a lot The Logan High grad lyads the team with 47 Feeeptionsand also leads all tight ends in the country in receptions per game with 5 XX which ranks 27th Eli LuceroHerald Journal for all players Only three other tight I in (X) rank the top ends 'Cooley was Utah State senior tight end Chris Cooley left takes off downfield after making a catch in front of Middle Tennessee's Randy Arnold Cooley is the top receiving tight end in the country with 588 catches per game recently named the nation’s top tight end by CBS sportslinecom "I don't want lb make stats balls third best on the tearri This" ' another score while making three today wiljbe against Troy State I ‘:If I remember right I made a tackles when called upon to play important hut yeah want to he year he has left little doubt who quar- No 1' Cooley said 2 tcrback Travis Gox!s main target is ' to keep a play bn a special teams Ddn't for d minute think he doessHe has done this in' eight games' said of last “He can be a big threat guy but ' drive dooley going" ' - more than n't care about the team He takes State "We ended is he a possesgame year's Troy anything Cooley missed two games with a ’ 'sibn receiver'' Dennehy said He broken bonein his foot every loss hard Cooley just wants up getting in a ton of to be the guy making plays to help situations I would get’to' the sticks “It was awful I've never had to’' has ki nd of become our go-t- o guy" ( the team succeed sit arid watch a game ever in my turn anfund marker) Lynch firstdoyri agreed And he has done ihat '"We feel he creates mismatches' arid catch the ball" '' careen" Cooley said "It killed me ' ' '' ' ' When the Aggies needacluteh play Then Of course he wouldn't go with linebackers because of his abili- to watch” ' ' is down easily! to get open" Lynch said“Then he His recovery was also incredible yoii eanbelhe usually going togef his number dalled:Like last yetir at “He is passionate about not get- - V- catches the balk He does not drop Originally Dennehy said hiSstart-- V Troy Staie wherc he caught seven very often He has great hands ing tight end would probably miss ting tackled" Aggie tight ends ' ' halls for a etircer-hig- h 34 yaixls- £ coach Mike Lyncli sajd “He wants: ' He wants to be the go-t-o guyand will ' up to six weeks He was back jn which just happens to he the most ever to turn an averagie play info a big ' action in three missing only two ' fight for a first dowti every time” ' determined-Vend USU scored He Last h week is an he caught a career-higby Aggie tight play very garnes thanks to a bye week twice in the final three minutes to- nine passes at New Mexico' State for V j “It didn't surprise me because I Jt also helps he is strong Cooley force overtime arid Otibley made sey- holds the school record iji the power 97 yards including several on third- - understand my body and where I arid-loneral crucial catches on those drives clean' at 431 poundsis pretFor the year he has 559 vj v am" Cooley said "I guess it ’"USU head coach Mick Dennehy become a year ago was to si receiving yards and a team-hig- h ty fast! felt like I could will it betcredited Cooley with being a big the Aggies' go-(- 0 guy even with cur--' ter as much as anything" receiving touchdowns The 'iv'V v rent NFL wick receiver Kevin Curtis ' also has rushed the f jdart of that road victory It just so " “ hall three times for 2 tyards arid V SeeCCk)LEYonW4 happens Ctwley's final home game - on the team Ctniley did catch 31 : -- 3 come-from- O Aggie wide receiver Kenny Coleman's first play at Utah State was a touchdown reception at ' Troy State last season He is the only Aggie to have caught a' pass in all 10 games this season rd third-arid-1- ’ 0 l1 1 third-and-lo- ' ' Utah State ranks 25th in the NCAA in passing defense The last time USU had a defensive ranking in V the top 25 nationally was 1 998 when the Aggies finished 24th in total defense and 24th jn rushing defense - the-bal- - 1 0 ' Troy State iis making its third--- v' longest road trip jn school history The Trojans will travel 1 997 miles to will only be the get to Logan-Thithird time this: year thefrojans have played on natural grass 5 i: " V - s - : g: 'His-goa- 252-pound- er O The Troy State defense has forced at least one turnover in 14 straight games and in 43 of its last 47: '' i V:t & l v y i Us games- The Trojans have intercepted at least one pass in 1 0 of Jheir last l 3 - 4 v ' Qivo- - and 0 'A Former Wyoming head coach Koeoning is now the defensive "coordinator for Troy State' He took‘(f ic " s& T - y i' 0 This is the second season the have be6ri gfull Division vf member They are one of four indef pehdenlschools in thecountry join-- j ing Navy Notre Dame and UConp1 ' 4 I ‘ v If Aggie tailback David Fiefia ’ : it wiU ' he hais':-- ' rUshes forlOQ yards today mike1 games accomplished that feat The lasttime : an Aggierush'ed for 100 yards in three consecutive games was ' V "Emmett White in 2001 three-straigh- nV: t 0 fiefia is the only player’ the Sun Bel Conference with more than 100 yardsJn each of the ' - in yardage categories (832 rushing 257 receiving 119 on punt returns and 202 on kickoff returns) He ranks sec- ond in the league behind North Texas running back Patrick Cobbs in allpurpose yardage average Fiefia averages-141yards per game while Cobbs averages 1491 Cobbs has atotal of 1126 rushing yards-- 9 ' receiving eight on purit returns and 40 kickoff return yards : l O USU tight end Chris Cooley has ' recorded at least two receptions in 1 5 straight games and has had at least four catches in 11 of his last 12 games O Utah State has held the opponent to less than 300 yards passing jn 13 straight games 0 Aggie safetyTerrance Washington's 72 tackles per game are the 11th most by a freshman in the nation and second among rookie ' defensive backs behind Indiana safe' ty Will Meyers who averages 74 ' tackles per contest 0 USU quarterback Travis Cox has thrown a touchdown pass in 10 straight games and leads the Sun Beit in passing with 2334 per game O Aggie nose guard Ronald Tupea Should make his - team-hig- h secutive start today 29th con- TROJANS TROJANS DEFENSE " OFFENSE MULTIPLE Left tackle 4-- 3 Left end' 86 Cedrig Phillips 6Q 92JamaalHolt Nose tackle Torre Lankford 77 Franklin Lloyd 59 Lee Milliner - Strong safety 16 Rayshun Reed 32 Arthur Adams Free safety 10 Derrick Ansley 28 Brannon Condren Right cornerback 8 Johnny Faulk 3 Adrian Ghent SPECIAL TEAMS Punter 20 Thomas Olmsted Piece-kick- er 20 Thomas Olmsted v 76 BrandenHall 53 Kenny Griffin Tight end Adrian Moore 13 44 Jordan Lesley Strong linebacker -- 5 34 MULTIPLE Left tackle 41 72 Janies Gatdner ' Right guard 71 Kirbie Bodiford OR 73 James Edwards 74 Joe Fowler Right tackle Right end 42 Robby Farmer 11 Torrence Smith Left cornerback 24 Freeman White 34 Jermaine Miller Henry Tellis - 78 Eric Thomas 90 David Tramble AGGIES OFFENSE Left tackle 92 Ronald Tupea 79 Junior Louissaint 66 Brandon McCloud V Center' Defensive tackle AGGIES DEFENSE I 53 Kenny Griffin Left guard 91 94 Demarcus Ware 99 Cedric Sullivan Middle linebacker 35 Keith Staple Weak linebacker 27 Bernard Davis 26 Neal Oates TOP INDIVIDUALS Split end Jason Sairnples 87 Eugen Hampton Flanker 2 Bryant Stewart OR 4 Toris Rutledge 22 Blake Biroadhurst 85 Martin Teal Quarterback 7 Aaron Leak 18 Hansell Bearden Tailback 9 De Whitt Betterson 23 Mario East Fullback 6 Chris Cox 33 Sean Dawkins ' PASSING Travis Cox 350-191-- Yards 2329 7 YdsG TD 17 2329 - Catches Yards Avg YdsG Chris Cooley 559 119 699 DaVid Fiefia 31 f 257 83 257 31 427 138 427 Kenny Coleman RECEIVING TD Chris Stallworth 6 "1 2 3! '30 TACKLES 394 43S' 131 75 Ryan DeQuillettes 66 Brent Pollock Right tackle 37 John Chick w: 90 Michaej Gates : : " Solo Ast Total TFLYds Sacks Robert Watts Terrance Washington Rodney Wilson Derrek Shank ' Mike Rosencrans ' Nate Putnam- PUNTING 35 27 26 23 28 45 38 29 19 28 21 Yards 2506 No- Ben Chaet 62 RECEIVING 2 0 50-1- 5 10-- 2 0" 55-1- 3 0 05-- 1 1 Long - 20 70 16 200-86-1- Yards Avg YdsG TD 50 894 266 46 21 231 Yards 1130 2 Catches Yards Jason Samples : Bryant Stewart TACKLES Derrick Ansley' Rayshun Reed Leveme Johnson Robby Farmer PUNTING No Thomas Oftnsted60 ' 894 443 6 231 2 38 486 14 251 91 Nate Putnam 43 Ryan Taylor Mac linebacker 30 Robert Watts 7 : 44EricRapley Sam linebacker Will - Strong safety Rosencrans 4 Joe Lindsay Free safety 21 Mike YdsG 1130 TO 5 TO 486 3 251 1 Solo Ast Total TFLYds Sacks 05-47 83 0 36 61 Victor Eti Center 59 Aric Galliano 77 Greg Vandermade - Right guard 63 Trevor Hutton 74 Grant Calverley Right tackle 78 ElliottTupea 65 Brierien Bumingham Tight end 9 Terrance Washington 1 Derrek Shank Right cornerback 2 Mark Estelle 6 Marvin Clark Fullback 89 Chris Cooley 47 Trent Nate Wide receiver X 5 Raymond Hicks 10 Chris Stallworth Wide receiver -- Y 80 Jason Thomas 18 Tony Perinyman -- Wide receiver - H 81 Kenny Coleman 82 Joel Higginson Wide receiver Z " 3 Barry Tolji 18 Jerome Eason 0 49- 41 39 - 13 14 16 Yards 2513 ‘ 62 55 55 Avg 419 10-- 1 203 25-- 3 Long 56 " 0 0 0 120 11 : 87 Jason Stephens 86 Patrick McNutt linebacker 40 Nate Fredrick 48 Jake Stewart Left cornerback 29 Cornelius Lamb 23 Reggie Wilson 2 Avg YdsG 128 179 Stud linebacker 49 Rodney Wilson 46 Jared Johnstun 2 70-3- 1 404 : 1 45-1- 9 Avg ' TROY STATE ' RUSHING Att DeWhitt Betterson 180 Marrio Fraser 55 109 Aaron Leak PASSING AaronLeak 86 72 64 52 49 47 5T Justin Jackson Nose guard ' 72 Donald Penri 65Brenen Bumingham Left guard 77 Greg Vandermade Quarterback SPECIAL TEAMS Punter 15 Ben Chaet Place-kicke- r 13 Justin Hamblin 4 Travis Cox 6 Bryan Black Tailback 39 David Fiefia 34 Travis Davis 1 v’: |