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O.K., so last year was supposed to be a down one with several major holes needing to be filled, but the team came through better than anyone could've expected and still lost. How could a team that played had so much going for it lose to teams like Idaho and Troy State? There were two problems: 1) the offense didn't explode like past Aggie teams dying down the stretch and 2) they couldn't win a close game.
That shouldn't happen this year as the Aggies have one of the best defenses in Sun Belt and should be more explosive on offense. Being the Sun Belt, a team like Utah State can make a big run at the title getting North Texas and New Mexico State at home. Few teams in the league are as deep and have as much promise as Utah State, so now it's time to get it done and have a good year.
The Schedule: Seven road games could make for a very long season. A four-game stretch late in the year will be particularly difficult, but all is not lost getting leading conference contenders North Texas and New Mexico State at home. It'll take a near miracle to win one of the non-conference games.
Best Offensive Player: Senior QB Travis Cox. The quarterback situation was a major concern going into last season, but Cox eased those fears in a hurry ending up throwing for 2,791 yards and 19 touchdowns while also showing decent running ability. Now he should be among the best quarterbacks in the league.
Best Defensive Player: Sophomore FS Terrance Washington. The Freshman All-American turned in a fantastic year finishing third on the team with 93 tackles and picking off five passes. Even at his young age he's the leader of the secondary and should be in for an All-Sun Belt season.
Key player to a successful season: One of the running backs. Ryan Kemp, Tyronne McKinney, Emmanuel Marc, Beau Herbert, Chris Forbes and Marcus Crawford have to combine to give the Aggie offense far more of a rushing punch after only averaging 108 yards per game last year.
The season will be a success if ... the Aggies come up with five wins. A winning season might be asking a little too much with seven road games, but they should come close. Anything less than five victories should be considered a disaster.
Key game: Nov. 20 vs. New Mexico State. If Utah State is good at all, it should still be able to win two of three road games against MTSU, UL Monroe and Arkansas State late in the year. If they can do that, there's a chance the final game of the year will be for a shot at a winning season.
2003 Fun Stats:
- Time of possession: Opponents 32:38 -Utah State 27:22
- Rushing yards per game: Opponents 167.3 - Utah State 108.3
- Penalties: Utah State 115 for 899 yards - Opponents 91 for 789
Offense Breakdown and Analysis | Defense Breakdown and Analysis
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