This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Logan • The Aggies have received a verbal commitment from an in-state football recruit.
Braxton Gunther of Woods Cross has announced on Twitter he was "extremely happy" about committing to Utah State.
Gunther is a 5-foot-11, 176-pound safety. According to Scout.com, he is a three-star prospect and the No. 1 safety recruit in the state of Utah. He also had offers from Wyoming, Nevada, Weber State and Southern Utah.
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Utah State senior quarterback Chuckie Keeton is one of 93 players from around the country who have been nominated for the 2015 Wuerffel Trophy.
The award goes to the college football player "who best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement."
Keeton is one of seven players from the Mountain West Conference who have been nominated for the award. He joins Boise State senior receiver Shane Williams-Rhodes, Colorado State senior defensive back Trent Matthews, Fresno State senior offensive lineman Justin Northern, Hawaii senior linebacker Lance Williams, Nevada senior running back Don Jackson and New Mexico junior offensive lineman Garrett Adcock.
Keeton, a senior from Houston, started the first three games of the season. He is currently sidelined because of a medial collateral ligament (MCL) sprain in his right knee. The injury occurred in Utah State's 31-17 loss at Washington on Sept. 19.
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I did a feature story on Utah State receiver Hunter Sharp this week. Here are a few leftovers from his media availability session:
• On the Aggies' 52-26 win over Boise State last week: "The offense played well. I'm used to our defense carrying the team and it was really good to be able to play off of their energy and capitalize on all the turnovers they were creating. It was so special to just be a part of a big win like that. Our offense was firing on all cylinders. We were able to run the ball and pass the ball very efficiently. It was a great win."
• On turning eight Boise State turnovers into five touchdowns: "Coach [Matt] Wells always says we have to capitalize on their mistakes and we have to live up to a certain percentage. We emphasize that during the week of practice when we work on red-zone situations and third-down situations so we can go into the game and it's [like] practice. In the game, it felt like practice. It felt like all the situations we worked on in practice were there and it helped us keep our composure in those situations. We were able to stay calm and keep pushing forward."
• On the play of sophomore quarterback Kent Myers, who completed 17 of 24 passes for 157 yards and three touchdowns against the Broncos: "Kent's been ballin' lately. … [He] has been ready from the beginning and we always put in extra work. The day before the game, coach Wells has us throwing a couple of extra passes after practice and sometimes we do it on our own. It's just all about trust. Kent has put in the work and it's his time to shine. I'm always there and I don't mind catching the ball."
• Sharp, who had seven catches for 42 yards and two touchdowns, on playing well against the Boise defense: "Very gratifying. The Boise State secondary, those guys have a lot of interceptions in their careers and they probably have NFL careers coming after college. So it was just a big test to see if our whole offense could have success against their defense. Being able to score touchdowns against those guys was one of the best feelings. I wasn't nervous, but I was very anxious to see if all the hard work would lead to success and it did. Kent really helped me out by putting the ball in the right spot and making it easy for me."
— Steve Luhm