Weber State University Athletics
Wildcats take on Aggies Saturday in Logan
9/10/2013 9:17:00 PM | Football
Watch online | Listen live | Live stats
Game #3 Weber State (1-1) at Utah State (1-1)
Saturday, Sept. 14 • 6:04 p.m.
Logan, UT • Romney Stadium (25,513)
TV: ESPN 3
Radio: KLO 1430 AM/103.1 FM
Live audio: WeberStateSports.com
Live stats: WeberStateSports.com
Series: Utah State leads 12-1
Streak: Utah State 6 wins
In Logan: Utah State leads 7-1
Last Meeting: 09/10/11 - Logan - USU 54, WSU 17
QUICK HITS
• The Weber State football team will continue its tour of Utah schools as the Wildcats head to Logan to take on the Utah State Aggies Saturday night.
• Weber State is coming off a 70-7 defeat at Utah on Saturday, the second worst loss in school history.
• The Aggies are 1-1 on the season and coming off a 52-20 win at Air Force on Saturday, their first ever game in the Mountain West Conference.
• This will be the 14th meeting ever between the two teams with the Aggies holding a 12-1 all-time lead in the series.
MEDIA FOR SATURDAY'S GAME
Saturday's game with the Aggies will kickoff at 6:04 p.m. at Romney Stadium in Logan. The game will be broadcast live on KLO 1430 AM and 103.1 FM with Carl Arky and former Wildcat standout Ty Sparrow calling all the action. It can also be heard online at kloradio.com and WeberStateSports.com.
The game will also be broadcast online on ESPN3 with Joel Myers and Kevin O'Connell calling all the action.
Live stats of the game will be at UtahStateAggies.com and WeberStateSports.com.
WILDCATS FALL 70-7 AT UTAH
Utah racked up 628 yards of offense and rolled to a dominating 70-7 win over Weber State Saturday afternoon at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The Utes jumped out to a 14-0 lead after the first quarter and then busted out for 35 points in the second quarter. They scored 21 points in the final 3:08 of the quarter and held a 49-0 lead at halftime. Utah outscored the Wildcats 21-7 in the second half.
Utah racked 338 yards rushing, compared to 69 for the Wildcats. The Utes also sacked the Wildcats seven times.
FOURTH TIME GIVING UP 70 POINTS
The 63-point loss to Utah ranks as the second worst loss in school history. The all-time worst loss for the Wildcats was a 75-0 loss at Portland State in 1980.
It also marked the fourth time in school history the Wildcats have given up 70 or more points. It was the most points allowed by the 'Cats since falling 81-22 at Montana in 1999, the most points ever allowed by WSU. Weber State also gave up 79 points to Idaho in 1994 and 75 to Portland State in 1980.
DEFENSIVE STRUGGLES
The 628 yards of total offense was just out of the top five allowed in Weber State history. After two games the Wildcat defense is giving up 55 points per game, which ranks 110th out of 113 teams in FCS football. WSU opponents are allowing 596 yards of total offense per game.
JOSH BOOKER SCORES ONLY WSU TOUCHDOWN
Weber State senior running back Josh Booker scored WSU's only touchdown in Saturday's game with the Utes. The Oklahoma City native converted on a three-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to put the 'Cats on the board. He finished the day with nine carries for 23 yards.
It was Booker's ninth career rushing touchdown and the senior currently ranks 16th in career rushing in Weber State history. Booker has played in 34 career games at Weber State and has 1,516 career rushing yards. He needs 51 more rushing yards to move into 14th in school history.
TONY EPPERSON RECORDS 12 PUNTS
WSU senior Tony Epperson just missed a school record Saturday as he punted the ball 12 times against the Utes, just one off the school record. Epperson finished the day with 523 punting yards for an average of 43.6 yards per punt. He had a long punt of 64 yards.
On the season the Park City native ranks sixth in the Big Sky and 23rd in the nation in punting with an average of 42.8 per punt. He currently has a career punting average of 44.5 yards per punt, which is the best average in Weber State history.
BO BOLEN HIGH IN NATIONAL RANKINGS
Weber State junior running back Bo Bolen ranks in the top 11 in the nation in two categories. The Aurora, Colo., native leads the Big Sky and is 11th in the nation in kickoff return average. In two games Bolen has eight kickoff returns for 244 yards for an average of 30.5 per return. He had a 100-yard kickoff return in the season opening win over Stephen F. Austin.
Bolen also ranks second in the Big Sky and sixth in the nation in all purpose yards. He has totaled 380 all purpose yards in two games for an average of 190 per game. He is averaging 57.5 yards rushing per game and has 27 carries for 115 yards and two touchdowns in the two games this season.
Bolen was an All-American kickoff returner as a freshman in 2009 and also played in 2010 for the Wildcats. He sat out the last two seasons while serving a mission for the LDS Church in the Philippines. He currently ranks third in WSU history in career kickoff returns, sixth all-time in all-purpose yards and 24th in rushing yards.
TWO QUARTERBACKS SEE ACTION
For the second-straight game Weber State used two quarterbacks in Saturday's game at Utah. Senior Jordan Adamczyk started the game and finished 8-17 passing for 88 yards against the Utes. Freshman Austin Chipoletti also action and was 4-7 passing for 16 yards.
FRESHMEN MAKE BIG CONTRIBUTIONS FOR WILDCATS
For the second-straight week the Wildcats used a number of freshmen against Utah. A total of 23 true freshmen or red-shirt freshmen saw action in Saturday's game against the Utes and once again, several freshman made key contributions. True freshman running back Zach Smith rushed for 20 yards. True freshman Dakota Jenkins-Baty started at center for the second-straight game. True freshman Carson Fackrell led the kicking game, finishing 1-1 on extra points and had two kickoffs.
CHRIS WHEELER LEADING DEFENSE CHARGE
WSU senior Chris Wheeler ranks leads the Wildcats and ranks fourth in the Big Sky in tackles. The Templeton, Calif., native has 18 tackles on the season, with nine coming in each game. His 9.0 tackles per game is fourth best in the conference and he is tied for 13th in tackles for loss at 1.0 per game.
Wheeler was second on the Wildcat team in tackles last season at 5.5 per game.
SECOND-STRAIGHT FBS GAME FOR WILDCATS
Saturday's game is the second-straight FBS game for the Wildcats. This year marks the sixth-straight season the Wildcats will face two FBS opponents.
Weber State is 3-49 all-time against FBS teams. Weber State beat Utah State in 1978 and beat Nevada twice (1992 and 1993), the first two years Nevada was playing at the Division I-A level. The Wildcats have lost 26 straight games to FBS opponents.
RED ZONE PERFECTION
In two games the Wildcats are a perfect 3-3 in the Red Zone and have scored touchdowns all three times, which leads the Big Sky. All three touchdowns have been on the ground with two against Stephen F. Austin and one against Utah. The 'Cats have allowed their opponents to score eight out of nine times in the red zone, tied for ninth in the Big Sky.
TEAM CAPTAINS
Coach Sears has selected four team captains for the season. Bo Bolen, Anthony Morales, Connor Myers and Shelton Robinson will serve as the Wildcat team captains for the year. Morales is serving as captain for the third straight season. Combined the four players have appeared in 104 games for Weber State.
ABOUT UTAH STATE
Utah State enters Saturday's game with a 1-1 record and is coming off a 52-20 win at Air Force, their first ever game as members of the Mountain West Conference. The Aggies amassed 577 yards of total offense in the win, with 360 yards in the air.
Junior quarterback Chuckie Keeton, a Heisman Trophy candidate, had a career day in the win over the Falcons, finishing 32-of-40 passing for 360 yards and five touchdowns. He also rushed for 77 yards on eight carries and surpassed 1,000 rushing yards for his career. Keeton was named Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award National Player of the Week for his performance. He is currently ninth in the nation passing yards per game at 337. In just 24 career games Keeton ranks first in USU history in career completion percentage, is third in career touchdown passes, fourth in total offense and eight in career passing yards.
Utah State opened the season with a 30-26 loss at Utah. In two games the Aggies are averaging 39 points per game and 532 yards of total offense. They are converting on 66 percent of third downs.
Utah State is coming off one of its finest seasons ever last year, finishing 11-2 and winning the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. The Aggies joined the Mountain West Conference this summer and were picked to finish second in the Mountain Division in the preseason polls. USU is the second most experiened team in the nation, with 13 seniors and seven juniors that had started games entering the season.
HEAD COACH MATT WELLS
The Aggies are coached by Matt Wells who is in his first season as head coach. Wells replaced Gary Andersen last year after Andersen left to become the head coach at Wisconsin.
Wells is in his third season overall at Utah State and became the 27th head coach in USU history last December. The 39-year old Wells is the 11th youngest head coach in FBS football. Wells is as former Utah State quarterback and was a three-year letterwinner with the Aggies from 1994-96. Prior to becoming head coach he spent the last two seasons as an assistant with the Aggies, including serving as the offensive coordinator in 2012. He also spent time as an assistant coach at New Mexico, Louisville, Tulsa and Navy.
WEBER STATE CONNECTIONS
There are plenty of connections between the Wildcats and Aggies. Utah State's new offensive coordinator is former Weber State assistant coach Kevin McGiven. McGiven came to Utah State from Montana State where he helped lead the Bobcats to their third-straight Big Sky title. McGiven was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Weber State from 2006-08 under Ron McBride. He helped lead the Wildcats to the 2008 Big Sky title with quarterback Cameron Higgins, who was named Big Sky MVP. After leaving Weber State McGiven spent the 2009 season at Utah State as an assistant coach under Gary Andersen.
Aggie assistant coach Kevin Clune is in his fifth season at Utah State where he coaches the Aggie linebackers. Clune was the defensive coordinator at Weber State from 2005-08 under Ron McBride where he helped lead the Wildcats to the 2008 Big Sky title.
SERIES HISTORY
Utah State holds a 12-1 all-time lead over Weber State and has won six straight games. The two teams first met in 1972 in Logan and played in each of the next 11 seasons. The Aggies won the first six games of the series until Weber State beat Utah State in 1978. The Wildcats won 44-25 Nov. 11, 1978 in Logan, one of three wins for the Wildcats over a FBS school. In games played in Logan the Aggies lead 6-1 all-time.
LAST MEETING
The two teams last met Sept. 10, 2011 in Logan with the Aggies beating the Wildcats 54-17. The Wildcats led 17-10 early on and the game was tied 17-17 at halftime but Utah State exploded with a huge second half, outscoring the Wildcats 37-0 in the second half in route to a dominating 54-17 win. Utah State posted 635 yards of total offense in the game, the fifth most yards every allowed in a game by Weber State. The Aggies got most of their yards on the ground as they rushed for 440 yards, the fourth most ever allowed by the Wildcats. Robert Turbin led USU with 180 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
The Wildcats totaled 213 yards in the game with just 46 yards on the ground.
AROUND THE BIG SKY
Five Big Sky teams are ranked in the top 25 in the nation. Number two Eastern Washington is 2-0 on the season, as is Southern Utah. Montana State nearly pulled off an upset before a 31-30 loss at SMU. The Bobcats are ranked third in the nation. Montana is 1-0 and 11th with Cal Poly ranked 14th. Northern Arizona is 25th.
INJURY REPORT
WSU junior wide receiver Shaydon Kehano suffered a leg injury during fall camp and is expected to miss another two to four weeks of action. Kehano suffered a similar injury to the same leg last season in the third game of the year and missed the rest of the season. He earned Big Sky All-Conference honors as a sophomore in 2011 and has appeared in 20 career games at Weber State.
Freshman Ryan Tuiasoa suffered an ankle spraing in Saturday's game at Utah which will require surgery and force him to miss the rest of the season. Sophomore Adam Padilla did not play in Saturday's game at Utah with a hamstring and wrist injury. He is listed as questionable for Saturday's game.
WILDCATS COME FROM ALL OVER
Weber State's roster this season includes players from 13 states and Canada. A total of 25 of WSU's roster come from the state of Utah. The 'Cats have 13 players each coming from California and Florida. Eight players come from Idaho, six from Hawaii, five from Oklahoma and four from Texas. The 'Cats also have players from Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Louisiana, Nevada, and Washington, as well as one from Alberta, Canada.
JODY SEARS RETURNS FOR SECOND SEASON AT WSU
Weber State head coach Jody Sears returns for his second season as head coach of the Wildcats. Sears is the 10th head coach in Weber State history and led the Wildcats to a 2-9 record last season, his first year with the program.
Prior to coming to Weber State Sears spent three seasons at Washington State where he spent the last three seasons as the co-defensive coordinator with the Cougars under head coach Paul Wulff, a former college teammate at Washington State.
He is no stranger to the Big Sky Conference as he spent five seasons (2003-07) as the defensive coordinator at Eastern Washington, also under Paul Wulff. During his time with the Eagles he coached safeties, linebackers and defensive backs. In his five seasons at Eastern Washington he coached seven players to Big Sky All-Conference honors.
Prior to his time at Eastern Washington Sears spent three seasons (2000-02) as an assistant coach at Army where he coached cornerbacks and the defensive line. He also spent time as an assistant coach at St. Ambrose University, an NAIA school in Davenport, Iowa and Iowa State.
Sears played football at Washington State where he was a two-year letterwinner with the Cougars after walking on as a wide receiver. He played under head coaches Jim Walden, Dennis Erickson, and former Weber State head coach Mike Price. He graduated from Washington State in 1991 and received his master's degree from Iowa State in 1996.
Sears, 45, is a native of Pullman, Washington. He and his wife Molly are the parents of five children.
COACHING STAFF CHANGES
The Wildcats made several key changes to the coaching staff in the offseason. Steve Morton returns for his second season with the Wildcats and was elevated to the position of Associate Head Coach. He also continues to coach the offensive line.
Robin Pflugrad, a former head coach at Montana, joined the program in February as the new offensive coordinator. Pflugrad brings nearly 30 years of coaching experience to Weber State, including several years coaching in the Big Sky. Pflugrad has brought a new up-tempo offense to the Wildcats this season.
Eric Lewis is the new defensive coordinator for the Wildcats. Lewis is in his second season as an assistant at Weber State and also coaches the secondary.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Wildcats will conclude their three-game road trip at McNeese State next Saturday in Lake Charles, La. The Cowboys are 2-0 on the season, including a season-opening win at South Florida.
Weber State will return home to open Big Sky play on Sept. 28 against Sacramento State in the annual Homecoming game.
