2020 Utah State Aggies football team

Last updated

2020 Utah State Aggies football
Utah State Aggies logo.svg
Conference Mountain West Conference
Record1–5 (1–5 MW)
Head coach
  • Gary Andersen (6th overall, 2nd consecutive season; first three games)
  • Frank Maile (2nd overall as HC, 10th overall, interim)
Offensive coordinatorBodie Reeder (1st season)
Co-defensive coordinator Frank Maile (4th season)
Co-defensive coordinator Stacy Collins (1st season)
Uniform
Utah aggies football unif.png
Seasons
←  2019
2021  →
2020 Mountain West Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 24 San Jose State y$ 7 –0   7 –1  
Boise State y  5 –0   5 –2  
Nevada  6 –2   7 –2  
San Diego State  4 –2   4 –4  
Hawaii  4 –4   5 –4  
Fresno State  3 –3   3 –3  
Air Force  2 –2   3 –3  
Wyoming  2 –4   2 –4  
New Mexico  2 –5   2 –5  
Colorado State  1 –3   1 –3  
Utah State  1 –5   1 –5  
UNLV  0 –6   0 –6  
Championship: San Jose State 34, Boise State 20
  • $ – Conference champion
  • y – Championship game participant
  • Note: Due to COVID-19, the Mountain West suspended the season, but later decided to begin play on October 24. [1]
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2020 Utah State Aggies football team represented Utah State University in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Aggies played their home games at Maverik Stadium in Logan, Utah as members of the Mountain West Conference. Head coach Gary Andersen, who was in his second year back at Utah State (sixth overall), coached the first three games before he was fired after going 0–3. [2] Co-defensive coordinator Frank Maile was named interim head coach. [3] In a season limited due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Aggies finished the conference-only season 1–5 to finish in 11th place in Mountain West play.

Contents

Following the season, the school announced Arkansas State head coach Blake Anderson would become the team's new head coach. [4]

The final scheduled game of the season was canceled due to a Utah State player boycott. [5]

Previous season

The Aggies finished the 2019 season with a 7–6, 6–2 to finish in third place in the Mountain Division of the Mountain West. The team was invited to the Frisco Bowl where it lost to Kent State. The season marked Gary Andersen's first year back in charge of the Aggies after having coached the team from 2009 to 2012.

Personnel

Coaching staff

After an up-and-down year, various changes were made to the Aggie coaching staff. Offensive coordinator Mike Sanford left to take the same position at Minnesota, and was replaced by North Texas offensive coordinator Bodie Reeder. Defensive coordinator Justin Ena was reassigned as the inside linebackers coach. Frank Maile, assistant head coach and tight ends coach, was reassigned to defensive coordinator. He had previously been Utah State's defensive coordinator from 2016 to 2018. Stacy Collins, special teams and running backs coach, was named co-defensive coordinator with Maile. Bojay Filimoeatu was moved from defensive ends to outside linebackers. Dave Schramm, the offensive coordinator at Weber State, was hired as the new running backs coach. Safeties coach Mike Caputo was let go and is now at Baylor with former Utah State defensive coordinator Dave Aranda.

NamePositionAlma materJoined staff
Gary Andersen Head Coach Utah (1986)2019 (previously 2009–2012)
Frank Maile Co-Defensive Coordinator / Defensive Line Utah State (2007)2016 (previously 2009–2013)
Stacy Collins Co-Defensive Coordinator / Secondary Western Oregon (1998)2016
Bodie ReederOffensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks Eastern Illinois (2009)2020
Justin Ena Inside Linebackers BYU (2001)2019
T.J. WoodsOffensive Line Azusa Pacific (2002)2019 (previously 2009–2012)
Jason Phillips Pass Game Coordinator / Wide Receivers Houston (2001)2019
Bojay Filimoeatu Defensive EndsUtah State (2012)2019
Dave Schramm Running Backs Adams State (1983)2020
Mark OrpheySecondary Texas Southern (2010)2019
Jordan HicksStrength and Conditioning Georgetown (KY) (2005)2019
Keegan AndersenDirector of Player PersonnelUtah State (2013)2019

Source: [6]

Player boycott of final game

On December 11, a day before the scheduled final game of the season, it was reported that Blake Anderson would be named the team's new head coach. [7] As a result of the announcement of the hire of Anderson and racially and religiously insensitive comments allegedly made by Utah State president Noelle Cockett, the Aggie players announced a boycott of the final game. [7] The players had announced their support for the retention of interim head coach Maile, but were allegedly told by Cockett that Maile's religious and cultural background was a problem. [8] Maile is of Polynesian descent and a Mormon. [8] The players reported that it was not the first time issues of discrimination had occurred, citing a 2019 issue where the team's head equipment manager used a racial slur, but the manager ultimately continued his employment at the school. [9]

Schedule

Utah State announced its 2020 football schedule on February 27, 2020. [10] The 2020 schedule consisted of six home and six away games in the regular season. On August 10, 2020, the Mountain West Conference announced the suspension of the football season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [11] [12]

On September 25, the Mountain West announced the 2020 season would return with a revised eight-game, conference-only season beginning October 24. [13] On November 18, the scheduled November 19 game against Wyoming was canceled by the Mountain West Conference due to rising COVID–19 cases in the Utah State program. [14] On December 11, the scheduled December 12 at Colorado State was canceled as a result of a Utah State player boycott in protest of comments made by their university president that they perceived as discriminatory. [15]

DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
October 245:00 p.m.at Boise State
FS1 L 13–420
October 317:30 p.m. San Diego State
CBSSN L 7–385,116
November 55:00 p.m.at Nevada
FS1L 9–34250
November 1412:30 p.m. Fresno State Dagger-14-plain.png
  • Maverik Stadium
  • Logan, UT
FS2L 16–350
November 265:00 p.m. New Mexico
  • Maverik Stadium
  • Logan, UT
FS1W 41–27198
December 37:30 p.m. Air Force
  • Maverik Stadium
  • Logan, UT
CBSSNL 7–353,025

Source [16]

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References

  1. ↑ "WE'RE BACK". twitter.com/MountainWest. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Gary Andersen out at Utah State after Aggies' 0-3 start; assistant Frank Maile named interim coach". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  3. ↑ McDonald, Ryan (November 9, 2020). "Who is Frank Maile? Getting to know the Utah State Aggies' interim head football coach". Deseret News. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Utah State hires Blake Anderson from Arkansas State as Aggies' next coach". CBSSports.com. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Utah State players opt out of Colorado State game over alleged insensitive remarks made by school leadership". CBSSports.com. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Football Coaches". Utah State University Athletics. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  7. 1 2 Lyell, Kelly. "Utah State football players defend decision to boycott 2020 season finale at Colorado State". The Coloradoan. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  8. 1 2 Robinson, Doug (December 22, 2020). "Utah State players to be applauded for taking measured, thoughtful stand". Deseret News. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Utah State Players Opt Out of Final Game Due to President's Comments, Past Issues". Stadium. December 11, 2020. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Mountain West Announces 2020 Football Schedule for Utah State". Utah State University. February 27, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Utah State football won't play as Mountain West cancels fall sports". The Salt Lake Tribune. August 10, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  12. ↑ "Mountain West postpones football, fall sports". ESPN.com. August 10, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  13. ↑ "The Mountain West announces the return of football". September 24, 2020.
  14. ↑ Potter, Davis (November 18, 2020). "More COVID-19 issues cancel Wyoming's game against Utah State". Casper Star Tribune. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  15. ↑ Fredrickson, Kyle (December 11, 2020). "Utah State at Colorado State football game canceled due to USU player boycott". The Denver Post. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  16. ↑ "2020 Utah State Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
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