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Show StatesmanSports Page 10 Friday, Oct. 23, 2009 THE USU FOOTBALL TEAM emerges onto the field prior to its game against Nevada. The Aggies play their second straight home game this Saturday when they take on the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. La. Tech is currently 2-1 in WAC play, while the Ags are looking for their first conference win after back-to-back three-point losses. PATRICK ODEN photo Bulldogs pose another tough test for Aggies Coach’sCorner By G. CHRISTOPHER TERRY assistant sports editor Fresh off another loss in which the Aggies’ inability to hold the opposition’s running game in check was their undoing. The Utah State Aggies must play the hard-running Louisiana Tech Bulldogs in Romney Stadium, Saturday at 2 p.m. It is the second game of a two-game homestand for the Aggies, who look to snap a four-game losing streak to La. Tech. The Bulldogs are coached by former Alabama head coach Nick Saban assistant Derek Dooley, who is also director of athletics at Louisiana Tech. Dooley is in his third year at La. Tech. With an offensive line that was ranked preseason No. 1 in the WAC by college football expert Phil Steele, 2008 All-WAC running back Daniel Porter, and an experienced quarterback in Ross Jenkins, the Bulldogs have the elements in place to make it a long afternoon for Utah State’s defense, which is currently ranked 110 out of 120 FBS teams. Knowing there is blood in the water after USU’s defense was gouged for huge runs by Nevada – especially by Aggie-killer Luke Lippincott – USU head coach Gary Andersen said his team’s mindset is very simple as it looks for its first WAC win of the year. “Stop the run. They’re very good at it, they’ve got very good backs and their offensive line and tight ends are very physical, so it will be a great challenge for us,” Andersen said. “It’s something we’ve struggled with all year long, we need to do what we can to fix it.” USU has struggled against the run despite the best efforts of linebacker Bobby Wagner, who leads the team in tackles and tackles for a loss. “They like to run downhill just like all the previous teams we’ve played,” Wagner said. “I think the key is to get downhill with them. It starts with the front and it ends with the linebackers.” As for Porter, who leads La. Tech with a brawny 87.5 rushing yards per game, good for fourth in the WAC, Wagner said he’s just fast. Louisiana Tech’s run-first identity is endemic of an overall shift in philosophy taking place in the WAC – as multiple team’s trend away from spread offenses and toward ball control. In recent years, the Bulldogs were known for their quarterbacks – such as Tim Rattay and Luke McCown – but under Dooley, the Bulldogs are grinding it out with Porter and Tyrone Duplessis. New Mexico State has also moved from Hal Mumme’s wide-open spread offense to a ball-control scheme under first-year head coach DeWayne Walker. Seven out of nine teams in the WAC have more rushing attempts than passing attempts. Ask and ye shall receive Question 1: Why do we always start out strong and look like we’re going to win and then lose? – Jocelyn Berlage, Senior, History Coach Andersen: “That’s a good question. That’s obviously not the objective when we set out but I think that we’re playing very physical football teams. One of our issues has been the physicality as time wears on in a football game. Established programs, teams that roll people in and out, we’ve struggled with. I think that has a lot to say about where their programs are at this point and where our program is from a physicality standpoint. It’s definitely an issue with us right now. It all goes back to the same thing: the ability to stop the run. It starts up front with the defensive line and that’s an area we’re working hard to improve on, week in and week out. Like I’ve said many, many times, it’s not from lack of effort, it’s not from lack of ‘want to.’ It’s nothing to do with that. These kids work extremely hard, and I’ve never been around a team that prepares better. But right now that’s something we’re lacking in is our physical play.” defense. – Dave Firmage, Senior, Predental Coach Andersen: “We wanted to pin them deep and make them go the length of the field instead of risking not making it and giving them a short field. We punted and pinned them on the 3-yard line and made them go 97 yards for a touchdown. Give Nevada credit, they made plays. It’s about making those special plays. It’s all about making plays at the end of the game, especially where we are at.” If you would like to ask USU head football coach Gary Andersen a question about the Aggies’ previous game or upcoming matchup, please e-mail your questions along with your year and major to statesmansports@ aggiemail.usu.edu each week by Wednesday at 4 p.m. Question 2: Why in the heck on fourth-and-one didn’t we go for it? We put all the pressure on our “These are the games that you have to love to be able to go play in,” Andersen said of facing another old-school, pound-it-out offense. Wagner definitely doesn’t have any problem with the trend toward power offenses in the WAC. “I love the power game,” he said. “It gets me more involved in the game so I’m more active and more aware of what the running backs are trying to do. A spread team, they’re just looking to try to draw you off, try and act like they’re passing and then run. To me the power game is more fun.” Wagner said he thinks so many teams are putting the game in the hands of their running backs because it’s effective. “Right now it’s just working,” Wagner said. “All the teams that have that kind of offense seem to be getting a lot of yards and people seem to be having a hard time figuring out how to stop it, so we’ve got to figure out a way to stop it.” When the Bulldogs do choose to air it out with Jenkins’ arm, his favorite target has been Daniel Morris, who leads the team with four receiving touchdowns and 273 yards. Mighty mite 5-foot-8-inch Philip Livas is also dangerous, although he has been held in check to just 10.9 yards per catch and no touchdowns this year. On the flip side of the ball, USU quarterback Diondre Borel must be wary of a defense that is tied for the WAC lead with 12 sacks. Adrien Cole and Antonio Baker lead the Bulldogs in tackles with 47 and 42, respectively, while D’Anthony Smith leads the Bulldogs with 2.5 sacks. – graham.terry@aggiemail.usu.edu MEN’S SOCCER Ags take out Bruins on pitch By STEVEN CLARK staff writer The men’s soccer regional playoffs are approaching soon and the Aggies have two more games to prepare for the tough road ahead. The first of the two matches came against the Bruins of Salt Lake Community College Thursday night. After a long road trip in Idaho against BYU-Idaho and Boise State, the Aggies were excited for a home game. Although the Aggies pulled out a 3-1 victory, the score does not show how big of a fight the Bruins put up. SLCC was expected to be just a warm up for the Aggies’ tough game Saturday against the University of Utah, but the Bruins thought otherwise. They took advantage of USU’s lackadaisical defense and took an early 1-0 lead within the first 10 minutes of the game. “I think we kinda overlooked (SLCC) and thought this would be an easy game,” said USU team captain Danny Fonseca. “They came out wanting it more, and that’s why they scored an easy goal at the beginning.” SLCC got the goal, but it was the last time it even got close to smelling another one. USU’s defense caught a second wind and never let up. The Aggies made it near impossible for the Bruins to get anything rolling past midfield. USU scored what seemed to be its first goal near the end of the first half when Vic Carlson put on some fancy moves near the goal and made a perfect pass to Firmage who punched it in. The goal was called back, however, due to a late out-of-bounds call from the line judge. Not more than four minutes later a hands penalty was called on the Bruins inside their goalie box, resulting in a penalty kick for the Aggies. Fonseca successfully scored off the free kick and finally tied the game at 1-1. Coming out in the second half, the Ags picked up right where they left off by playing shutdown defense and making perfect passes. One pass in particular from Carlson was the highlight play of the night. Coming down on a fastbreak, Carlson spotted teammate Nate Ernie on the opposite side of the field. Carlson cocked back and rifled a perfect assist to Ernie who scored USU’s second goal of the - See TUNE-UP, page 11 USU’S VIC CARLSON, 16, pushes past a Salt Lake Community College player Thursday. The Aggies beat the Bruins 3-1 in a come-from-behind win. PETE P. SMITHSUTH photo |