Utah State Aggies 2009 Football Betting Preview

With the College Football 2009 Season just around the corner, we are providing season previews for all 120 Division I-A college football teams to give you the betting edge. Follow the best College Football Handicappers as they analyze their teams in this 2009 season preview. Be sure to bookmark SportsbookBuzz.com your source for Sportsbook Reviews. Use our comprehensive and insider info to bet successfully on the College Football in our recommend sportsbooks.View the rest of our 2009 NCAA Football Season Previews here.

Utah State 2008 Record: (3-9, 3-5)
Utah State 2008 Bowl: none
Utah State Coach: Gary Anderson (First year at Utah State, 4-7 overall)
Utah State Offensive Coordinator: Dave Baldwin
Utah State Defensive Coordinator: Bill Busch
Utah State Returning Stats Leaders:

• Rushing: Diondre Borel, QB, 632 yards
• Passing: Diondre Borel, QB, 1,705 yards
• Receiving: Nnamdi Gwacham, WR, 370 yards
• Tackles: Paul Igboeli, LB, 78
• Sacks: Junior Keiaho, DE, 2.5; Antonio May, DE, 2.5
• Interceptions: James Brindley, S, 3

Notable Utah State Returning Players: G Funaki Asisi, DT Alan Bishop, G Phillip Gapelu, DE Darby Golden, OT Spencer Johnson, C Brennan McFadden, TE Jeremy Mitchell, WR Stanley Morrison, CB Kejon Murphy, DE Nathan Royster, WR Omar Sawyer, RB Robert Turbin, LB Bobby Wagner

Utah State Key Losses: DT Ben Calderwood, OT Derek Hoke, LB Jake Hutton, CB Roy Hurst, WR Otis Nelson, S Caleb Taylor

Much like Idaho, Utah State has not seen much success the last decade. Their last bowl appearance was in 1997, they’ve only won eight road games in the last nine years and they haven’t come close to beating in state rivals Utah and BYU in a very long time. Last year’s 3-9 season was about par for the course under former head coach Brent Guy and new boss Gary Anderson, formerly the defensive coordinator at Utah, has a huge rebuilding job ahead.

Utah State actually fielded their best offense in seven years last fall, averaging 24 points per game. This was largely due to quarterback Diondre Borel, who rushed for 632 yards and 5 touchdowns on top of his 1,705 passing yards and 11 touchdowns. Borel’s mobility helped keep drives alive and he should continue to provide USU with dual threat capabilities. Last year’s leading rusher was junior Robert Turbin, who ran for 8 touchdowns and will look to improve his productive. Expect junior college transfer Michael Smith to be another strong contributor in the backfield with his exceptional speed. Utah State should see even more improvement in their running game as four starters are back on the offensive line, led by 2 nd team All-WAC center Brennan McFadden. If USU can find Borel some decent receivers, Utah State should be an improved offensive squad this year.

The defense struggled in 2008, allowing nearly 35 points per game. However, Anderson was the defensive coordinator for two BCS bowl teams at Utah and should give this unit a lift. Up front, the Aggies bring back three starters and I expect them to be much improved under Anderson’s tutelage. The linebackers should also be a solid unit, led by senior 4 th year starter Paul Igboeli, who earned 2 nd team All-WAC honors last season. The secondary brings back some experience as well, led by senior safety James Brindley, who was the team’s #3 tackler last fall and led the Aggies with 3 interceptions. I expect USU to field a solid defense in the coming years under Anderson but this unit won’t be any better than an average WAC defense.

The schedule will also make Anderson’s first year very difficult. Despite their putrid results this century, Utah State’s home record is a respectable 20-24. However, their four conference home games this season are against Boise State, Nevada, Louisiana Tech and San Jose State, all of which will be very difficult. Furthermore, the non-conference schedule includes trips to in state rivals Utah and BYU and a sojourn to the Lone Star State to face Texas A&M. While I expect Utah State to be a better team this year, I will be surprised if they top last year’s three win total thanks to an unkind schedule maker.

Utah State Big Games: Sept. 3rd @ Utah, Oct. 2nd @ BYU, Oct. 10th @ New Mexico State, Oct. 24th vs. Louisiana Tech, Nov. 14th vs. San Jose State

Utah State’s Strength:

Coach Anderson is a defensive guy, but it is the offense that has the potential to explode. Quarterback Diondre Borel spent the first three games of the 2008 season on the sidelines and then took over the starting gig and never let go. The 6-0 junior passed for 1,705 yards and 11 touchdowns and ran for 632 yards and five more scores. Borel is a perfect fit for the spread offense and when there is nobody open down field he will make plays with his feet. When Borel is not running, Robert Turbin will be. Turbin had a solid freshman campaign, rushing for 485 yards and six touchdowns. Borel will be the playmaker, but having somebody to hand the ball off to every once in a while will make the offense much more dynamic. The bigger issue is who is going to catch Borel’s passes? Otis Nelson was the best receiver last year, but he is gone. Seniors Xavier Bowman and Nmandi Gwacham have to step up and it would be nice to get some production from youngsters like Stanley Morrison.

Utah State’s Weakness:

The defense was pretty awful in 2008 and now they have to live without defensive tackle Ben Calderwood, linebacker Jake Hutton and a couple starters in the secondary. Those who are left were pretty young and inexperienced last year, so there is room for improvement from players like Bobby Wagner who was forced into action as a freshman. Senior linebacker Paul Igboeli will be the leader of the unit and strong safety James Brindley is a steadying force in the secondary, but this group needs a talent overhaul and a winning mentality. The new coaching staff is hoping to bring both of those with them, but it may take a little time before the Utah State defense does not rank towards the bottom of the conference in most major categories, especially if there is no pass rush from returning ends Darby Golden and Nathan Royster.

Our Prediction for the 2009 Aggies:

If Utah State won three games last year, there is no reason to believe that they cannot win five, or even six, games this time around. The previous staff was forced to play young players last season and now those guys are a year older and wiser and the hiring of Coach Anderson has the folks in Logan quite excited…and rightfully so. A bowl game probably will not happen this year, but Utah State should be bowling by 2010.

Utah State Betting Odds

Will Utah State go to a Bowl Game this year? Or, will their season be lackluster? Either way, you can still enjoy Utah State Football Betting at our feature sportsbooks. Utah State & College Football Betting is serious business; where you can make a ton of loot placing informed, smart Utah State bets. Check out these highly reliable, trustworthy, online sportsbooks.

Join BetUs.com Today and Bet on Utah State and receive a 50% Sportsbook Bonus!

NCAA Football Handicapping Picks

Check out our weekly Sports Handicapping Picks from the world’s best handicappers. Trust our handicapping experts offering premium and free NCAA Football Picks and packages daily. Also stay up to date with weekly College Football Matchups, and buy some picks to win some BIG cash this football season at our recommended sportsbooks.