Utah State Aggies: CFN College Football Preview 2021

College Football News Preview 2021: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Utah State Aggies season with what you need to know.

College Football News Preview 2021: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Utah State Aggies season with what you need to know.


Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
Utah State Schedule Analysis
– Utah State Previews
2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015

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2020 Record: 1-5 overall, 1-5 in Mountain West
Head Coach: Blake Anderson, 1st year (51-37 overall)
2020 CFN Final Ranking: 114
2020 CFN Preview Ranking: 80
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 46

Utah State College Football Preview 2021: Offense

It was a rough, rough run for a Utah State offense that’s been on a steady decline over the last few years. The Aggies had one of the nation’s least efficient passing games, the ground game was just okay, and overall the O managed to average just 276 yards and 15.5 points per game. New head coach Blake Anderson cranked up the offensive production at Arkansas State, and he’s bringing in former UCF offensive coordinator Anthony Tucker to get the passing game going again. Get ready for the offense to go fast, fast, fast.

The first step is finding the right quarterback. Jason Shelley is gone, and former Arkansas State playmaker Logan Bonner is coming in. Bonner isn’t huge, but he knows how to do what Anderson wants. However, he’s got a broken foot, leaving the job open with Andrew Peasley and Cooper Legas each getting their shots. Peasley threw for 391 yards and four scores with three picks and finished as the second-leading runner, but this should be Bonner’s gig when he’s healthy.

– The Aggies caught a nice break when top receiver Deven Thompkins decided to stick around. He was initially in the transfer portal, but he’s back after catching 20 passes for 214 yards and a score.  Thanks to the super-senior rule for this year, the top six pass archers are back, helped by 6-6 junior Justin McGriff adding more size along with Thompkins.

The offensive line was a plus, and now it’s expected to get everyone back. It was a young line last year, and with 320-pound super-senior Demytrick Ali’fua returning at center, this should be a strength. Leading rusher Jaylen Warren is gone to Oklahoma State, but 5-8, 195-pound senior Devonta’e Henry-Cole, 220-pound junior Pilate Makakona and Oregon State transfer Calvin Tyler should be solid.

– What You Need To Know: Defense
Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction

NEXT: Utah State College Football Preview 2021: Defense

Utah State Football Schedule 2021

Utah State Aggies 2021 football schedule, analysis, and what Mountain West teams they miss.

Utah State Aggies 2021 football schedule, analysis, and what Mountain West teams they miss.


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Utah State Football Schedule 2021

2021 Mountain West Football Schedule

Sept. 4 at Washington State

Sept. 11 North Dakota

Sept. 18 at Air Force

Sept. 25 Boise State

Oct. 1 BYU

Oct. 9 OPEN DATE

Oct. 16 at UNLV

Oct. 23 Colorado State

Oct. 30 Hawaii

Nov. 6 at New Mexico State

Nov. 13 at San Jose State

Nov. 20 Wyoming

Nov. 27 at New Mexico

Mountain West Teams Missed From West: Fresno State, Nevada, San Diego State

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REPORT: Utah State moving on from former Wisconsin HC Gary Andersen

Saturday morning, Dan Wolken of USA TODAY reported that the Utah States Aggies are moving on from head coach Gary Andersen. Andersen was…

Saturday morning, Dan Wolken of USA TODAY reported that the Utah States Aggies are moving on from head coach Gary Andersen.

Andersen was the head coach for Wisconsin for two seasons in 2013 and 2014 and led the team to a 19-6 regular-season record. He is most well known among Badger fans for leaving Wisconsin four days after their 59-0 loss to Ohio State in the 2014 Big Ten Championship game.

Nov 22, 2014; Iowa City, IA, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Gary Andersen talks to linebacker Vince Biegel (47) during a timeout against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports

The Badgers then chose to play the 2014 Rose Bowl with Wisconsin AD Barry Alvarez as interim head coach. Andersen cited family reasons and frustration with Wisconsin’s high admission standards for his early exit and move to Oregon State.

Andersen coached for two and a half seasons with the Oregon State Beavers as their head coach but was fired midseason of 2017. He then coached for Utah State as an assistant head coach for the 2018 season before being named the head coach at the end year.

Oct 5, 2019; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; Utah State Aggies head coach Gary Andersen looks on during the first half against the LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

In Andersen’s first season as head coach in 2019, the Aggies finished 7-6 overall and third in the Mountain Division of the Mountain West Conference. Utah State started this season at a disappointing 0-3 and has chosen to part ways with Gary Andersen because of it.

Gary Andersen has had a difficult time finding a home as an FBS head coach since he left Wisconsin, and it will be interesting to see where he goes after his second firing in four seasons.

College Football News Preview 2020: Utah State Aggies

College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Utah State Aggies season with what you need to know.

College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Utah State Aggies season with what you need to know.


Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
Schedule Analysis
– Utah State Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015

2019 Record: 7-6 overall, 6-2 in MW
Head Coach: Gary Andersen, 5th year overall with program, 33-30
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 88
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 46
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 72

No one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.

5. College Football News Preview 2020: Utah State Aggies Offense 3 Things To Know

– Considering the talent in place and the potential of what the offense could have done, 2019 was a disappointment.

It’s not every day that you have a quarterback the caliber of Jordan Love to work with.

The O was fine – averaging 431 yards and 29 points per game – but it stalled too often, wasn’t consistent, and it wasn’t able to establish any sort of an identity. Now the team presses on without Love and top running back Gerold Bright, but …


CFN in 60 Video: Washington State Preview
Washington State at Utah State, Sept. 3
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The offensive line has the potential to be terrific. It was good enough in pass protection and was okay at times for the running game, and now all five starters are expected back around Karter Shaw at one guard spot and 6-7, 310-pound junior Alfred Edwards at tackle.

Bright might be done, but Jaylen Warren is a great-looking back who should shine as the main man in the backfield. It’s a thin group of running backs, though, needing freshman Elelyon Noa and a few JUCO transfers to be instant factors.

Can Henry Colombi replace Love and even do more? The passing game was fine, but Love threw too many interceptions – 17 – and the he took too long to kick in. He was great over the second half of the year, but there was a lull in the middle of the campaign.

Colombi doesn’t have the NFL tools of Love, but he has been around long enough to be able to step in and be fine. 6-2, 200-pound sophomore Andrew Peasley is the top other option.

Leading receiver Siaosi Mariner is done after coming up with 63 catches with ten scores, but Jordan Nathan is a good veteran who made 56 catches as a short-range target, 5-7 Deven Thompkins is a speedster who caught 40 passes with four scores, and star kick returner Savon Scarver needs to get the ball in his hands more on the offensive side.

NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Utah State Aggies Defense 3 Things To Know