This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
For a few brief moments in the Aggies 21-6 win over UTEP Saturday it appeared the Aggies would have to win the game with receiver Ronald Butler at quarterback. Sure it would have been dramatic, but how much more fitting could such a storyline be for the Aggies (10-4) this year?
In the end Kent Myers was not only Ok, but resumed his quarterbacking duties well enough to earn Offensive MVP awards. But what if Butler had remained at quarterback? I have no doubt the Aggies still would have found a way to win. As coach Matt Wells said, this team just had too much resiliency and solid work ethic to let this game end any other way.
Utah State's team will be remembered in the record books for being just the second to finish with double digit wins, but for those who followed it, it will be remembered for the way it constantly adjusted to adversity.
Give credit for all the quarterbacks who handled the pressure of starting as well as for the defense that played solid all season long. Credit goes too for the secondary and the offensive line in the ways they improved.
As coach Matt Wells said, the way this team played is hard to coach. It took a lot of heart and desire for the Aggies to be as successful as they were in 2014.
As a fan, you have to like the foundation that has been set and have high expectations for 2015.
Guys like Brian Suite, Kevin Whimpey, Zach Vigil, Frankie Sutera, B.J. Larsen and others will be hard to replace, but they have set a high standard and strong culture for the remaining Aggies to follow.
Asked about the three straight bowl wins and Wells said the Aggies would always consider themselves an underdog in Utah and play with a chip on their shoulders. But three straight bowl wins is also the sign of a good program, he said.
That it is.