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What I’ll Miss About Utah State Football
No Aggies is a disappointment.
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College Football is not the same without your team
Under normal circumstances, and 2020 has been anything but normal, I would have been doing a write-up on the outcome of the Utah State-Washington State match-up from September 3rd. Alas, it was not to be.
With the Mountain West Conference and the Pac-12 both canceling their football seasons, hardly any teams and their fans out west are going to enjoy this neutered college football season. When you have no emotional ties to the game, it becomes more analytical and intellectual. Sure, there are advantages to watching games on a purely technical level, and there is still genuine enjoyment to be had. Nevertheless, there is no longer that extra spark and energy that comes from watching your team score against another team. The hits aren’t as hard and the adrenaline high that comes from winning a thriller doesn’t deliver complete emotional satisfaction.
This year, I’m going to miss a lot of things.
The Sights
I will not be able to drive up Sardine Canyon and witness the breathtaking Fall colors and open pastures and towering mountains that conceal the entrance to Cache Valley. There is no longer a tone-setter and a build-up of anticipation to arrive in the valley and make my way over to Maverik Stadium. There will be no growing crowd noise and lineup of cars as I get closer to the stadium. The lights will not be glowing alongside the massive video screen on top of the Laub complex.
All I can do is return to previous memories of an easier time where my world was not fundamentally changed. I cannot be a spectator in a spectator sport and there will be no crowd experience to ride any highs and muddle through any lows.
The Sounds
There will be no Aggie fight song or roaring cheers this season. The band will not blare out their school spirit through their horns and Rob Flygare will not be butchering any player names through the stadium sound system (admittedly, this could be a blessing in disguise. Sorry Rob.). And one of the biggest tragedies of all this year is I will not be able to laugh and jeer the opposing team alongside the Hurd. “Winning Team, Losing Team” chants will just have to wait until next year.
The Smells
Even drawing on my nostalgia of yesteryear will be more difficult this go around. Without the delicious scent of mouthwatering foods and sweet concessions, I will not be able to build on my experience of going to live football games. Combined with the crisp Fall air, a feeling of gratitude and thankfulness for such a wonderful Fall pastime will not be flowing in me. All I can do is imagine, and it’s a poor substitute for the real McCoy of seeing the Aggies live.
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And Most Importantly, the thrills
Even with the departure of Jordan Love, the QB position for the Aggies was loaded with intrigue. Jason Shelley was coming in hungry and ready to prove his worth after getting little playing time at the University of Utah. Combined with incoming graduate transfer of Devontae Henry-Cole’s talents, USU’s running game looked to be formidable this season. We won’t know this season how good the ground game could have been.
After a disastrous latter half of the 2019 season, the defense was going back to its roots in the 3-4-4 scheme. We would have doubtlessly seen improvement and aggressiveness last year’s defense lacked. Senior LBs Eric Munoz and Kevin Meitzenheimer were hungry and ready to bring back the feisty and stifling ways of Aggie defenses of old. There will also be no interceptions to nab and quarterbacks to grab.
Altogether, there is no Aggie football to be had this year. I hate 2020 and I will greatly miss my weekly ritual of watching the Aggies fight and display their school spirit and pride, win or lose.
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