Aug. 19, 2008

LOGAN, Utah -

Aggie Fact of the Day:
Senior linebacker Jake Hutton enters his final season in Aggie blue and white with 218 career tackles... He needs 95 more to reach USU's top 10 list, as Blake Eagal currently holds the No. 10 spot with 313 career stops from 1997-2000.

Aggie Tidbit of the Day:
While Utah State only plays in three different time zones this season (Mountain for all home games and at Boise State, Pacific at UNLV, at Oregon, at San Jose State and at Nevada, Central at Louisiana Tech), the Aggies have at least one player from five different time zones, Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific and Hawaiian-Aleutian.

Tuesday's Utah State football practice saw the Aggies on the hot turf of Romney Stadium, getting ready for the season-opener on even hotter turf at Las Vegas, Nev. at UNLV on Saturday, Aug. 30.

In temperatures in the low 90's, the Aggies worked on more game situations, utilizing the depth chart for the second day, getting ready for their season-opener at UNLV, where temperatures are expected in the upper 90's to low 100's. The game-time temperature is also expected to eclipse last season's opening kickoff game-time temperature of 91 degrees, USU's hottest game since 2003.

USU head coach Brent Guy and his staff are intensifying preparations this week, which is the final week of fall camp before full game preparations begins next week.

Utah State opens the 2008 season on Saturday, Aug. 30 at UNLV at 8 p.m. (MT). After playing at No. 21 Oregon on Sept. 6 at 1:30 p.m. (MT), the Aggies host in-state rival Utah in their home-opener on Sept. 13 at 6 p.m. (MT). USU continues its three-game homestand by opening WAC action against Idaho on Saturday, Sept. 20 for USU Ag Day. The Aggies then host another in-state rival in BYU on Friday, Oct. 3. After road games at San Jose State and Nevada on Oct. 11 and 18, respectively, USU hosts Fresno State in its annual Homecoming game on Oct. 25. The Aggies remain at home to take on Hawai'i on Nov. 1 on USU Military Appreciation Day. USU plays at Boise State on Nov. 8 and Louisiana Tech on Nov. 15 before concluding regular-season action on Nov. 29 against New Mexico State on Aggie Appreciation Day.

The Aggies were picked ninth in the Western Athletic Conference preseason poll despite finishing seventh in last season's standings with a 2-10 overall record and 2-6 in WAC action. USU has 17 starters returning among 39 lettermen. Of those lettermen, 12 are seniors, which matches last season for the most in Guy's four-year tenure.

Aggie football tickets are available in person through the USU Ticket Office at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, online 24 hours a day at www.UtahStateAggies.com and clicking on "tickets" in left column, or by phone by calling 1-888-USTATE-1 or (435) 797-0305.

-USU-