Logan » This is what Gary Andersen was afraid of.
The head coach at Utah State knew that he didn't have a choice when he made the decision to play his starters on special teams, if only for lack of depth purposes. But when he did, he knew that his decision could have serious repercussions.
That nightmare scenario played out last Saturday when James Brindley went down with a hamstring injury in the 23-21 win over Louisiana Tech. Andersen said that Brindley, a senior safety, is "very doubtful" for Saturday's game at Fresno State.
Should Brindley not be able to go, sophomore Walter McClenton will see extensive time after having a breakout 13 tackle performance against the Bulldogs.
"You really don't know how bad it is," Andersen said. "Anytime you pull your hamstring, it's easy to do again. He did it running down a punt, which a few weeks ago was my fear. It happened so it is a statement of where we're at and what we have to do. For James to go and have 10 or 15 more reps a game on special teams is not a good thing. But we didn't have a choice."
Brindley, this season, has been one of the best safeties in the Western Athletic Conference. He's near the top of the league in interceptions as well as tackles. He's been the unquestioned team leader on defense and he's a near lock to make one of the all-WAC teams at the end of the season. If he can't play, his presence will be missed against the a team like Fresno State, who features all-everything running back Ryan Matthews .
Borel's progression
Last season, Diondre Borel was a runner playing quarterback. This year, the junior's evolved into a quarterback. Borel's making reads, he's hitting receivers on the run, he's throwing touchdown passes and he's doing it without sacrificing the running ability that made him a commodity in the first place.
Perhaps the best part of Borel's season is how well he's taking care of the ball. Borel has thrown one interception over the course of the year. And his maturation has made Utah State's offense much more dangerous.
"Diondre has done a nice job," Andersen said. "His investment to make football important to him and his investment to control the football team down the field has been tremendous. It continues to develop every week."
