With the end of the season looming, Gary Andersen couldn't help but think of the 13 seniors that will be making their last appearances as Utah State Aggies on Saturday at Idaho.
These were his leaders, people like Kejon Murphy , James Brindley and Brennan McFadden . These were the players who have done the work on the field, the classroom and in the weightroom.
"I hope in the coming years that these players can look back on what we have done and say, 'Hey, I started that,' " Andersen said. "It hasn't been easy for this class. They haven't done a lot of winning, but I value them. They've worked hard to get this thing turned around for us."
In the process, they've had great years. Before he was hit with a hamstring injury, Brindley was one of the best safeties in the Western Athletic Conference. McFadden has long been one of the best centers in the WAC and Murphy has started and been a stalwart in the secondary for the past two seasons.
Andersen considers Saturday's game important for the development of the program. Doing so would top last season's win total.
"You want to keep the program moving forward," Andersen said. "That would be a major win for us. Idaho is very good. We'll have to play well."
A mirror image
Last season, Idaho was a team in flux, a team that was blown out by Utah State at Romney Stadium. The Vandal program, a year later, looks completely different. Idaho, heading into Saturday, is 7-4 on the season, bowl eligible, and looking for a winning season within the WAC, which can happen with a win over the Aggies.
"They've turned the program around," Junior Keiaho said. "They're bowl eligible, that's what stands out to me."
They've done it with what can be considered a soft schedule, but there's no doubt that the Vandals have secured some big wins, like beating San Diego State and Colorado State, two teams from the Mountain West Conference.
"You look at them on film and they're legit," Andersen said.
Saturday 3 p.m.
