With his 1,000 yards on the season, his exciting style of running and his ability to take over games, Robert Turbin has drawn attention from a number of people over the course of the year.
One of them is Emmett White .
Utah State fans may remember White, who played for the Aggies around the turn of the century. He is the all-time leading rusher in the history of the program and is a legend around Logan. He's also a fan of Turbin.
"He came up to me in the summer and he introduced himself to me," Turbin said. "That's how we got it started. We exchanged phone numbers, he's watched some of the games and we've gotten a regular dialogue going back and forth."
When they speak, White always gives an honest critique, what Turbin has done well, what he can improve on. It's helped Turbin immeasurably to have somebody to speak with who's been in the same position as him.
"He's definitely helped me out a lot," Turbin said. "I've learned a lot from him."
The Boise State factor
In a number of ways, Friday's game against the Broncos represents an opportunity for Utah State. The Aggies will be on national television, ESPN, for the first time this season. It's a chance for the program to show its improvement, to showcase its best players and perhaps reach a recruit or two. Especially with a good showing.
"It means a lot," Turbin said. "I don't think they would've put this game on ESPN if they didn't expect anything out of us. A lot of people probably expect the game to be out of reach. We believe different. For the game to be on ESPN means the atmosphere will be that much bigger. We need to be ready for that."
Caldwell honored
Peter Caldwell , the junior punter and Davis High product, was named as a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award, given annually to the top college punter in the nation. He is one of only two punters from a non-BCS conference still on the list. Caldwell ranks third in the Western Athletic Conference, averaging 41.7 yards per punt. He has 15 punts that have gone 50 or more yards and he has a career-long of 61 yards. He also has 24 punts that have landed inside the 20-yard line.
