This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Boise • It's the Year of the Running Back in the Mountain West Conference.
Utah State will see why during the next eight weeks.
Starting with Saturday's late-night game against Jeremy McNichols and Boise State, the Aggies will face four premier backs before their league season ends in November.
Besides McNichols, Utah State co-defensive coordinators Frank Maile and Kendrick Shaver must try to slow San Diego State's Donnell Pumphrey (Oct. 28), Wyoming's Brian Hill (Nov. 5) and Nevada's James Butler (Nov. 19).
McNichols, according to Utah State coach Matt Wells, "is in the conversation" when discussing the best back in the Mountain West. A 212-pound junior from Long Beach, he missed the Aggies' 52-26 win over Boise State last year because of concussion symptoms.
In his next nine games over two seasons, however, McNichols averaged 136 yards and scored 21 touchdowns. Last week, he ran for a career-high 208 yards and four touchdowns in the Broncos' 38-24 win over Oregon State.
"He just kept his feet driving on contact and he was always landing forward," Boise running back coach Lee Marks told the Idaho Statesman. "I would probably say that was arguably his best game, as far as just running the ball."
Another Aggie injured in car crash
For the third time in 15 months, a Utah State football player has been seriously injured in a car crash.
On Thursday night, freshman safety Zach Swenson suffered a broken leg when the vehicle he was driving left the pavement at the mouth of Logan Canyon and hit the face of a roadside cliff.
According to police, Swenson and his passenger, who suffered head and hip injuries, were wearing seat belts.
Utah State did not provide an update in Swenson's condition before the Boise State game.
Swenson, 22, is a graduate of East High in Salt Lake, where he was a Salt Lake Tribune all-stater in football and soccer.
On June 26, 2015, Utah State senior nose guard Travis Seefeldt and teammates Edmund Faimalo, John Taylor and Adewale Adeoye were injured when their SUV was T-boned by a semitrailer in Cache County.
Seefeldt was taken to the hospital in critical condition. He missed the 2015 season but has recovered.
Last May, freshman defensive end Brady Holt was critically injured in one-car rollover on I-15 near Willard. The 21-year-old from Riverton is not playing this season as his slow recovery continues.
Briefly
Boise State entered the game as the No. 24 team in the country. The Broncos have been ranked for at least one week in each of the last 15 seasons. … Utah State punter Aaron Dalton had kicks of 51 and 50 yards in the first quarter. … After a 16-yard reception on the Aggies' third possession, tight end Wyatt Houston has now caught a pass in 11 straight games.
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