How is Utah State football mentally after its 1-3 start to the season?

Utah State linebacker Jadon Pearson (39) runs to make the tackle during an NCAA football game on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024 in Logan, Utah. | Tyler Tate

No one would blame Utah State football if morale was low right now.

A 1-3 start to the season is far from what internal hopes were, after key players frequently talked about about contending for the Mountain West Conference championship and maybe even being a dark horse candidate to make the College Football Playoff.

The loss at USC was understandable, though the nature of it was difficult.

The loss to Utah made sense too, even if the Aggies felt that let that one get away with one too many mistakes.

The loss to Temple was something else, though, a mistake-filled affair against an opponent the Aggies could have — most would say should have — beaten.

And now entering Mountain West Conference play, bowl eligibility looks like it will be a steep challenge, let alone a true run at the conference crown. With upcoming games at No. 21 Boise State and against No. 25 UNLV, a 1-5 start for Utah State is pretty much roundly expected. Anything better than that would be something of a surprise.

And yet, ahead of Saturday’s conference opener against the Broncos, belief remains.

“I think there is a lot of excitement,” quarterback Spencer Petras said. “The bye week came at a nice time, a good time to recover physically and also get away a little bit mentally.”

For Petras, the week off that the Aggies just had was ideally situated. With conference play on the horizon USU was able to “regroup and refocus.”

“That was huge,” Petras said. “And I think we are all excited and ready to get out there and compete. Help make the changes we want to see and help get this team trending in the right direction.”

It isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, of course. The Aggies know what…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/utah-state-football-mentally-1-040952083.html

Author : Deseret News

Publish date : 2024-10-01 04:09:52

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