Utah State football set for another fantastic fall
LOGAN, Utah — Utah State football has established itself as one of the most consistent programs in the Mountain West. And the numbers don’t lie.
Over the last 12 years, Utah State has had seven winning seasons, which includes four years with at least 10 wins and three 11-win campaigns, has played in 10 bowl games, and has won a pair of conference championships.
Under the direction of third-year head coach Blake Anderson, the 2023 campaign should produce similar results.
In his first two years with the Aggies, Anderson has led the program to a 17-10 record, which includes an 11-5 conference mark, consecutive bowl game appearances, and a conference championship.
Despite its success, there has been some attrition with the staff and roster as Utah State enters the 2023 season. Most notable is the added responsibilities for Anderson, who will serve as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks’ coach this fall, along with his head coaching duties.
With Anderson once again calling plays, USU’s players are confident that their scheme and skill set will lead to an explosive offense in 2023.
Utah State also welcomes six new assistant coaches this fall with Defensive Coordinator Joe Cauthen, Offensive Line Coach Cooper Bassett, Defensive Line Coach Tevita Finau, Defensive Passing Game Coordinator and Cornerbacks’ Coach Mitchell White, Running Backs’ Coach Rodney Freeman III, and Safeties Coach Ethan Morriss, who spent the last two years on staff as an analyst.
Cauthen had coached with Anderson before as the duo spent five years together at Arkansas State, helping the Red Wolves to a pair of conference championships and five consecutive bowl games.
Utah State has also seen significant changes to its roster in the past year.
Heading into the 2023 season, Anderson and company welcome back nine starters (O-4, D-5) and 35 lettermen (O-19, D-13, S-3) from last season’s team to go along with 14 redshirts (O-7, D-6, S-1) and three other returners (O-1, D-2). USU also added 59 newcomers to the program, which includes 14 four-year transfers, 20 junior college players, and 25 high school newcomers.
Highlighting Utah State’s returners in 2023 are four players that have earned previous all-conference honors: senior P Stephen Kotsanlee, senior ILB MJ Tafisi, senior WR Terrell Vaughn, and sophomore S Ike Larsen. Larsen earned second-team all-MW accolades and was named a College Football News Honorable Mention Freshman All-American in 2022. Tafisi and Vaughn both garnered honorable mention all-MW honors. Furthermore, Kotsanlee was named honorable mention all-MW following the 2020 campaign.
Other starters returning for Utah State in 2023 include graduate senior CB Michael Anyanwu, graduate senior OL Wade Meacham, graduate senior QB Cooper Legas, senior DT Hale Motuapuaka, senior TE Josh Sterzer, and senior DT Poukesi Vakauta.
In addition to the players mentioned above, Utah State returns four more players with at least four career starts. Senior OL, Falepule Alo, graduate junior QB, Levi Williams, junior OL, Cole Motes and sophomore ILB, Max Alford.
With an offense that stretches the field vertically and plays with tremendous pace and an attacking defense that thrives on making plays behind the line of scrimmage, Utah State football should again find itself competing for another Mountain West Championship this fall.
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