The Andersen Legend Grows... Aggies 27, Utes 20

Where to even begin...

There's so damn much to say about this game, and the overall college football experience that it was, that this postgame will only touch the surface. A little side-story will be in order for Saturday or Sunday to wrap things up even more. For now though, I'll try to summarize it as best as I can.

ATMOSPHERE
"Instant classic" appropriately summarizes Friday night at Romney Stadium. And not just in the sense of a football game.

For the first time in a long, we knew this was going to be a game between the Utes and the Aggies. Add the excitement surrounding USU that permeates the air since Gary Andersen arrived in Logan, bringing a solid tailgate scene all afternoon. Fans wearing both blue and red were mingling, having a good time, and really just kind of treating things like a family affair for a "Battle of the Brothers". It started off with everything like a friendly rivalry should be. The line at the gates as a crowded as I've ever seen it with people hungry to get in and get the best seats, and it wasn't long after those gates opened that the entire lower bowl of student section and general admission was full.

The atmosphere was out of control from there. Easily the craziest I've ever seen Romney Stadium, but that's getting its own separate article tomorrow.

Friday though was what college football should be, in almost every way. And it was a collaborative effort by both Aggies and Utes that made it happen.

Preseason Previews and Vibes, Part 3: Defense

Part 3 of 4: Defense

Offense wins games, but defense wins championships. Even with all the crappy rule adjustments in this era of football that make it practically illegal to hit quarterbacks or play pass defense, you still need a great defensive unit to go places.

Luckily for USU, it looks like we finally have exactly that! We knew it was only a matter of time with Gary Andersen at the helm, and the last two years have shown flashes of being great, but I think this year is where they finally take the next step. With the tenacity shown by past defenses under Andersen, coupled now with what looks to be a great complimentary philosophy of creating turnovers brought on by Dave Aranda, this defense should be the best USU has seen in a long time!

So let's break it down...

DEFENSIVE LINE
How this unit performs is about as essential as anything to this team in my book. Connor Williams is ready for prime time after two quality years of backing up Quinn Garner and Levi Koskan. And on the opposite side of Williams is Al Lapuaho, sliding over from the tackle spot to get rough on the outside. His attitude is the kind that seemed to get into opposing players' heads last year, and even if he lost his cool a few times too, his mean streak will be great to have out there. B.J. Larsen and Jordan Nielsen should get plenty of run there too.

The tackle position is a lot less clear cut. Travis Seefeldt opened camp as the projected starter, with Havea Lasike and Elvis Kamana-Matagi right up there with him. A duo of Snow College guys should be in the mix too with Sini Tauauve'a and AJ Pataialii, both were somewhat of unexpected additions to the team going into camp, but bring great size to the table.