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2022 in Review

The Aggies rebounded to close out the regular season going 5-2 and earning a bid to the First Responders Bowl, which they would fall to Memphis 38-10.

If the 2021 season was a magical ride, the 2022 season was a grind.

Blake Anderson certainly proved his worth in year two in Logan turning around the season and keeping the team together when all could have been lost.

The task will be tall again. Among the perceived Top 5 teams in the Mountain West this season, only one team has all five of them on the schedule, and that team is USU.

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Offense

The offense is going to have to replace a lot of pieces from the 2022 version including running back Calvin Tyler, who churned out over 1,100 yards on the ground last fall.

While Turner may be gone, the Aggies do return the player that was under center the most in Cooper Legas.

Legas will not have his favorite target back either as leading receiver Brian Cobbs is gone.

Terrell Vaughn produced last season in the slot. He will be ready for an expanded role in the passing game this season and the Aggies will get production on the outside.

The playmaker had at least four receptions in 10 of Utah State’s final 11 games. He added 26.5 yards per kick return last season-taking one back for a touchdown.

Josh Sterzer was the starting tight end in 2022 and will also be back but look for Broc Lane to get most of the action at the position this season.

Lane only caught six passes during the 2022 season but could see his production increase dramatically this fall.

Legas is a capable runner and will use his legs to move the football. The QB had double-digit rush attempts in seven of his 10 games last season.

The bulk of the loss in the ground game will be picked up by Robert Brooks, who produced as the second option in 2022.

Brooks should be capable of replicating the production of Tyler—if the line can create some space to operate. And that could be a problem.

The line allowed 22 sacks in the last six games of the 2022 season and the run game could only churn out 3.8 yards per carry.

Gone from that group is Alfred Edwards who was an all-conference performer and set the USU career record for starts.

In total a combined 116 starts are lost from last year’s unit.

Ralph Frias comes in from Arizona State and should hold down the LT spot, but the line is the biggest question mark for the Aggies going into the 2023 season.

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Defense

Defensively, Utah State struggled in 2022. The Aggies were 11th in the conference allowing almost 400 yards per game. There were a lot of injuries on that side of the ball in 2022 and that certainly set the Aggies back.

The defense did get stops in the backfield averaging 5.6 tackles for loss and 2.2 sacks per game.

Joe Cauthen is now in charge of the defense and even with a lot of young guys finding the field last season, he is going to have his work cut out for him.

Cauthen is reunited with Anderson after serving on the head man’s staff at Arkansas State from 2014-18.

The middle of the defense could be a strong spot. The trio of linebackers in MJ Tafisi, Max Alford, and Kaleo Neves provide a solid core to work around.

The unit was bolstered with added depth in Gavin Barthiel, Logan Pili, Anthony Switzer, and Omari Okeke.

Tafisi began his career at Washington and was the Aggies leading tackler before being sidelined for the last five games due to injuries. He could be a 100-tackle guy and cause some disruptions in the backfield.

The only returners in the back end of the defense are Michael Ayanwu. He was productive at a corner with 12 passes defended on the season, and safety Ike Larson who was a second-team MW performer as a freshman.

Look for the other corner to be manned by JUCU transfer Jaylen Martin or Al Ashford who comes to Logan via Washington.

Simeon Harris was part of the mass exodus from Boulder when Coach Prime came in and he should provide depth at the safety position along with Javar Strong.

A pass defense that allowed 205 yards per game in 2022 should show improvement this season.

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Schedule

The schedule, as mentioned earlier, sees the Aggies host Boise State and Fresno State in conference play with trips to San Diego State, San Jose State, and Air Force.

No other Mountain West team must face all five of those schools this season.

It makes the other three conference tilts versus Nevada, Colorado State, and on the road against New Mexico even more important for the Aggies.

The season opens with a trip to Iowa to play the Hawkeyes.

The Aggies are 1-15 all-time against Big Ten opponents, but the Hawkeyes were offensively challenged in 2022. Albeit a tall order, USU could force some turnovers to get a lead, and who knows?

The other nonconference games bring visits from James Madison and Idaho State and a trip across the country to face UConn. Those are all games the Aggies can get.

Expect the 2023 season to be more of a grind again. In nine seasons as a head coach, Anderson has had his team bowling at the end of the year in eight of them.

Making it nine in ten seasons will be a fight but I’d expect the Aggies will be up for it. The Aggies proved a season ago they can handle a rocky start and I’d look for them to be battling for a bowl bid when November rolls around.