Even before star quarterback Chuckie Keeton suffered his season ending injury, the 2013 season was supposed to be one of consolidation for the Aggies. Gary Anderson, the coach who led the team to their first two winning seasons since the mid-90s, had moved up the ladder to take charge at Wisconsin, and first time Head Coach Matt Wells was promoted from offensive coordinator to replace him. The Aggies were also transitioning from the defunct WAC to the more competitive Mountain West. Despite all of that, the Aggies went 7-1 in conference play and found themselves in the inaugural Mountain West Title game.

2013 Utah State Aggies Season

The season opened with a close loss at Utah, after which Chuckie Keeton really got the offense rolling. The Aggies pressed USC hard at the Coliseum, but their hopes for the season appeared to be in ruins when Keeton suffered a season ending knee injury against BYU leaving them without their offensive centerpiece and a freshman at quarterback. Even so, the Aggies rallied impressively, riding a terrific defense all the way to the Mountain West Championship game.

Offense

How the Aggies play on offense in 2014 will likely be determined by how well Keeton returns from the ACL injury he suffered a year ago. One of the most exciting players in college football, Keeton is smart, accurate, and mobile. He handles adversity well and has tended to come up with big plays when the team has needed him too. It is possible that his mobility is limited after the injury, which would put pressure on a new offensive line and limit Keeton’s effectiveness as a runner (1153 yards and 14 touchdowns in 27 games). However, his leadership and passing talent (5691 career yards, 56 touchdowns and just 13 interceptions) will be undiminished.

Elsewhere on the offense, it is all about change. The Aggies return experienced players at running back Joe Hill, and wide receivers Bruce Natson, Ronald Butler, and Brandon Swindall, all of whom will be called upon in 2014. The bad news is that the top two leading rushers and top two receivers from 2013 have all departed. The Aggies can take heart from strong performances from untested players at both spots during the spring, which suggests there is talent ready to step in, but until they repeat those performances in competitive games there will be an element of doubt.

The offensive line must undergo a complete overhaul, returning just one starter in left tackle Kevin Whimpey. Playing with a new and inexperienced offensive line is far from ideal when your star player is a quarterback returning from a knee injury, but the new starters have all been in the program for more than one season and there are seniors and juniors available who should be ready to play.

Defense

The 2013 Aggies defense was terrific, allowing just 331 yards and 17.1 points per game, and generating 34 sacks and 17 interceptions. It was easily the strongest defense in the Mountain West, which enabled the Aggies to cope without Keeton. Utah State has also undergone a fair amount of attrition on the defensive side of the ball, but they return plenty of experience and some genuine talent. The defense should remain a strength in 2014.

Two of the three starters on the defensive line have left, but key defensive end B.J. Larsen returns for his third season as a starter. Larsen led the line with 4 sacks in 2013. Four other returning linemen earned playing time last season, which will help with the transition. Three of the four starting linebackers from last season also return including rising star Kyler Fackrell, as well as the Vigil brothers, Zach and Nick. Nick Vigil and Fackrell were the leading pass rushers with 5.5 and 5 sacks, respectively. In addition, much more is expected from outside linebacker Fackrell in 2014.

The turnover in the front seven is manageable. For the most part, those stepping up have been in the program for a while and were the backups a year ago. The same cannot be said of the secondary, however, where three starters and a host of backups have left. Star costless safety Brian Suite is the sole returning starter having led the team with 5 interceptions a year ago. He will have to be the glue that holds this secondary together. One corner spot is expected to go to former Tennessee player Daniel Gray, who played a little for the Vols as a true freshman in 2012.

Special Teams

The Aggies had one of the strongest special teams units in the country in 2013 and all the best pieces return. Punter Jaron Bentrude lacks power but is highly effective. Nick Diaz and Jake Thompson handle the kicking duties and Bruce Natson took two punt returns to the house, recording an impressive 11.3 average. A new kick returner must be found, but the Aggies should be able to field one of the best special teams units once again in 2014.

2014 Season Outlook

The Aggies must travel to Rocky Top to open the season against Tennessee and it is far from impossible that they emerge from that match with an SEC scalp. They must negotiate a potentially awkward trip to Arkansas State before a difficult match for the Old Wagon Wheel at BYU. The conference slate is fairly kind to the Aggies; they avoid Fresno State and San Diego State altogether and the second toughest match is probably a visit to Colorado State. However, the path to a conference championship game must go through Boise at the end of November, which is no easy task.

Everything depends upon how well Keeton has recovered from his knee injury and how much support he gets from a relatively inexperienced supporting cast on offense. If Keeton is back to his best by the time the Aggies reach conference play, they will be very hard to stop; Keeton really is that good. The defense will be strong, though just how strong remains to be seen. The schedule is certainly navigable with the toughest MWC matchup coming right at the end of the season, giving Keeton and his team the maximum amount of time to gel. A return to the Mountain West Championship game is a distinct possibility and the Aggies will hope to go one better than they managed in 2013.