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Iowa football 2023 early opponent preview: Utah State
Utah State looking to overcome transfer portal departures
Editor’s note: This is first in a 12-part series previewing Iowa’s 2023 football opponents.
IOWA CITY — At this time a year ago, Utah State certainly seemed like a worthy early season foe for the Iowa football team, at least by Mountain West standards.
The Aggies were coming off a win in the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl over Oregon State — a team far from the top of the Pac-12, but a Power Five foe, nonetheless. They finished the season ranked No. 24 in the Associated Press Poll.
But expectations are much more pedestrian in 2023 for Utah State, which will visit Kinnick Stadium on Sept. 2, following a 6-7 season and a 28-point loss to Memphis in the First Responder Bowl.
The 6-7 record, which included a 5-3 mark in conference play, did not fully convey some of the challenges of the 2022 season.
Only two of Utah State’s six wins were by more than one possession, whereas all seven losses were by at least 10 points. Three of its losses were by at least 28 points.
Offseason roster changes have not necessarily helped matters as Blake Anderson prepares for his third season as head coach in Logan, Utah.
Key defensive players departed via the transfer portal, including defensive end Daniel Grzesiak and linebackers Byron Vaughns and A.J. Vongphachanh.
Vaughns is at Baylor. Vongphachanh is at BYU. Grzesiak, who had 13 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks, now is at Cincinnati. Those losses could be problematic for a defense that gave up 31 points per game a year ago.
Other positions, namely wide receiver, benefited from the portal. The Aggies added Grant Page from Colorado and Colby Bowman from Stanford.
Utah State also picked up 16 junior college transfers.
Quarterback Cooper Legas will be back after starting for most of Utah State’s games last year. He completed 61 percent of his passes and threw 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
The Aggies will be without running back Calvin Tyler Jr., who graduated, but Robert Briggs showed promise as he averaged 4.8 yards per carry as a freshman.
This will be the third meeting between Iowa and Utah State and the first one in 21 years. The Hawkeyes won the previous two matchups handily — a 70-14 win in 1957 and a 48-7 win in 2002.
Iowa vs. Utah State: 3 things to watch
- How cohesive does Iowa’s offense look? This will be the first test for Iowa’s offense with quarterback Cade McNamara and several other new pieces from the transfer portal. Getting any growing pains out of the way early will be crucial with road trips to Iowa State and Penn State looming in the following three weeks.
- Utah State’s wide receivers vs. Iowa’s secondary. Between Terrell Vaughn and the aforementioned Page and Bowman, the Aggies have plenty of talent at wide receiver. Iowa’s defensive backs should still have the upper hand, though.
- Does Iowa’s rushing attack maximize its opportunities against a Utah State rush defense that has been subpar? The offseason portal losses aside, the Aggies surrendered 4.8 yards per carry last year — the second-worst average in the Mountain West.
2023 prognosis
This season’s opener will perhaps be an opportunity for Iowa to get a head start on offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz’s drive to the 325 points in 2023 to avoid contract termination.
Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com
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