6/4/2014
Utah State football has 10 players named to Phil Steele’s 2014 Preseason All-Mountain West teams | Deseret News
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Utah State football has 10 players named to Phil
Steele’s 2014 Preseason All-Mountain West
teams
By Doug Hoffman
For the Deseret News
Published: Tuesday, June 3 2014 4:35 p.m. MDT
Updated: 19 hours ago
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Utah State Aggies quarterback
Chuckie Keeton (16) throws
against Utah during NCAA
football in Salt Lake City
Thursday, Aug. 29, 2013. Utah
won 30-26.
Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
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Summary
Utah State football had 10 players
named to Phil Steele’s 2014
Preseason all-Mountain West
teams it was announced Tuesday
as three offensive players, five
defensive players and two
specialists were recognized for the
Aggies.
LOGAN — Utah State football had 10 players named to
Phil Steele’s 2014 Preseason all-Mountain West
Conference teams it was announced Tuesday.
Three offensive players, five defensive players and two
specialists were recognized for the Aggies.
Boise State had the most preseason selections with 16,
while Colorado State had 12, and Utah State, Fresno
State and Wyoming each had 10. Hawaii, Nevada and
UNLV all had nine preseason selections, followed by Air
Force 8, San Jose State 8, San Diego State 7 and New
Mexico 4.
Senior quarterback Chuckie Keeton, senior safety Brian
Suite, senior linebacker Zach Vigil, senior offensive
tackle Kevin Whimpey and junior linebacker Kyler
Fackrell were all named to the preseason all-Mountain
West first-team.
Senior defensive end B.J. Larsen and junior punt
returner JoJo Natson were both named to the secondteam, and third-teamers include senior punter Jaron
Bentrude, junior defensive end Jordan Nielsen and
sophomore tight end Wyatt Houston.
Keeton, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound quarterback from
Houston (Cypress Creek HS) was one of 30 players
named to the first edition of the 2013
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http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865604425/Utah-State-football-has-10-players-named-to-Phil-Steele7s-2014-Preseason-All-Mountain-West-teams.html?pg=all 1/6
6/4/2014
Utah State football has 10 players named to Phil Steele’s 2014 Preseason All-Mountain West teams | Deseret News
named to the first edition of the 2013
Heismanpundit/CBSSports.com Heisman Trophy
Watch List as a junior a year ago, but played in just six
games before suffering a season-ending knee injury in
the first quarter against BYU on Oct. 4.
Dick Harmon: New college food rules...
17
Prior to his injury, Keeton had completed 136-of-196
passes for 1,388 yards (231.3 ypg) with 18 touchdowns
and just two interceptions, while rushing for another
241 yards on 55 carries (40.2 ypg/4.4 ypc) with two
more scores. Overall, that completion percentage of 69.4
percent broke his own single-season school record set in
2012, while his 18 touchdown passes rank tied for ninth
all-time in school history.
Through his first five games of the 2013 season, Keeton
ranked second in the nation with 17 touchdown passes,
while also ranking first in the Mountain West
Conference and second in the nation in points
responsible for (22.8 pg), second in the MWC and 22nd
in the nation in passing efficiency (161.6), third in the
MWC and eighth in the nation in completions (26.4),
third in the MWC and 11th in the nation in completion
percentage (.710), third in the MWC and 18th in the
nation in total offense (317.2 ypg), and fourth in the
MWC and 25th in the nation in passing (272.4 ypg).
Keeton also tied the school record with five touchdown
passes in a game twice during his junior year, doing so
in a 52-20 win at Air Force and again in a 70-6 home win
against Weber State.
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As a sophomore in 2012, Keeton earned first-team allWestern Athletic Conference honors after ranking 17th
nationally in total offense (307.1 ypg), 18th in passing
efficiency (154.7) and 29th in passing (259.5 ypg).
During the 2012 season, Keeton set single-season
school records for touchdown passes (27), passing yards
(3,373), completions (275), completion percentage
(.676) and total offense (3,992 yards), while tying the
single-game record for rushing yards by a quarterback
with 121 yards at Louisiana Tech.
Entering his senior season, Keeton is one of 25 college
football players named to the first edition of the 2014
Heismanpundit/CBSSports.com Heisman Trophy
Watch List and one of 17 players named to the 2014
Bleacher Report's Initial Heisman Trophy Watch List.
Suite, a 6-3, 205-pounder from Honolulu (Punahou
HS) earned honorable mention all-MWC honors as a
junior as he ranked fourth on the team with 77 total
tackles (37 solo, 40 assists) and had six or more tackles
in eight games. He finished the season ranking first on
the team, fifth in the MWC and 41st in the nation with
five total interceptions (0.36 ipg), tied for first on the
team in fumbles recovered with two and tied for fourth
on the team with six pass breakups.
Suite was also named to both the SI.com and CBS
Sports.com All-Bowl Team following Utah State's 21-14
win against No. 24 Northern Illinois in the 2013 San
Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl as he tied
his season-high with 11 tackles, to go along with a
fumble recovery and interception.
Vigil, a 6-2, 232-pounder from Clearfield, Utah,
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865604425/Utah-State-football-has-10-players-named-to-Phil-Steele7s-2014-Preseason-All-Mountain-West-teams.html?pg=all 2/6
6/4/2014
Utah State football has 10 players named to Phil Steele’s 2014 Preseason All-Mountain West teams | Deseret News
Vigil, a 6-2, 232-pounder from Clearfield, Utah,
(Clearfield HS) earned second-team all-MWC honors a
year ago as he ranked second on the team, seventh in
the conference and 42nd in the nation with 8.9 tackles
per game.
Overall, he finished the year with 124 total tackles (47
solo, 77 assists), which was tied for the 17th-most in the
nation at the FBS level. In all, his 47 solo tackles led the
team, while he was also tied for the team lead with two
forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He also
ranked second on the team with 12.5 tackles for loss and
was tied for fifth overall with 2.0 sacks, while adding an
interception, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry.
Whimpey, a 6-5, 295-pounder from Highland, Utah,
(Lone Peak HS/Idaho State) started all 14 games at left
tackle as a junior and finished the season with an overall
performance grade of 83 percent.
In all, he graded out at 88 percent in effort, including
seven games over 90 percent, while also grading out at
87 percent in assignment, including six games over 90
percent, and 80 percent in technique, including seven
games above 80 percent. He finished the season with 35
knockdowns, including a season-high eight against
BYU.
Fackrell, a 6-5, 245-pounder from Mesa, Arizona, (Mesa
HS) was named a honorable mention Sophomore AllAmerican by College Football News and earned secondteam all-MWC honors a year ago as he finished the
season ranking first on the team with 13 tackles for loss,
tied for first with two forced fumbles and second with
his five sacks, while ranking fourth on the team with 82
total tackles (37 solo, 45 assists). Overall, he averaged
5.9 tackles per game to rank 35th in the MWC.
During the season, he recorded three quarterback
hurries, recovered one fumble, intercepted one pass and
registered one pass breakup. He was named the
Mountain West Conference's Defensive Player of the
Week and College Football Performance Awards
National Linebacker of the Week following USU's 47-10
home win against Hawaii when he recorded nine
tackles, including 0.5 for loss, to go along with an
interception return of 99 yards for his first career
defensive touchdown, which ranks as the third-longest
interception return in Utah State and MWC history.
Larsen, a 6-5, 275-pounder from Logan, Utah, (Logan
HS) earned second-team all-MWC honors as a junior as
he finished the season ranking second on the team with
four sacks and three quarterback hurries, to go along
with eight tackles for loss and 31 total tackles (14 solo, 17
assists). He was also named a College Football
Performance Awards Honorable Mention National
Defensive Lineman of the Week following his
performance against No. 24 Fresno State in the
inaugural Mountain West Championship game where
he had a career-high two tackles for loss, to go along
with a sack, as part of his five total tackles.
Natson, a 5-7, 151-pounder from Fort Lauderdale,
Florida, (Boyd Anderson HS) earned honorable
mention all-MWC honors as a punt returner as a
sophomore. He ranked fourth in the conference and
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865604425/Utah-State-football-has-10-players-named-to-Phil-Steele7s-2014-Preseason-All-Mountain-West-teams.html?pg=all
3/6
6/4/2014
Utah State football has 10 players named to Phil Steele’s 2014 Preseason All-Mountain West teams | Deseret News
sophomore. He ranked fourth in the conference and
22nd in the nation with his punt return average of 11.3
yards as he returned 31 punts for 351 yards during the
season. He also ranked first in the MWC and second in
the nation with two punt returns for touchdown, and
was the only player in the country with multiple
touchdowns rushing (3), receiving (2) and returning (2).
He was also named the Mountain West Conference
Special Teams Player of the Week and the College
Football Performance Awards National Punt Returner
of the Week following USU's 45-10 win at New Mexico
where he returned a career-high five punts for a careerbest 102 yards, including his first career punt return for
touchdown of 65 yards.
Bentrude, a 6-1, 209-pounder from Draper, Utah, (Juan
Diego HS) served as Utah State’s punter in 14 games a
year ago and finished the season ranking ninth in the
MWC and 80th in the nation with an average of 39.8
yards per punt as he punted 73 times for 2,903 yards.
Overall, he had 31 punts downed inside the 20-yard line
to rank 11th in the nation, while his 11 punts downed
inside the 10-yard line ranked 16th nationally. He
finished the year with six punts of 50-plus yards,
including a career-long 64-yard punt against BYU. In all,
he had just six touchbacks on the season, while 39 of his
punts were fair caught.
Houston, a 6-5, 245-pounder from Tualatin, Oregon,
(Horizon Christian HS) played the final seven games of
the season and made three starts as a freshman after
beginning the year as a potential redshirt, and finished
the season with seven receptions for 118 yards (16.9 ypr)
with two touchdowns.
Nielsen, a 6-5, 270-pounder from Lewiston, Utah, (Sky
View HS) played in 14 games as a sophomore with one
start and finished the season with 35 total tackles (9
solo, 26 assists) to go along with 3.5 tackles for loss and
1.5 sacks.
As a redshirt freshman in 2012, Nielsen earned secondteam all-WAC honors after ranking tied for third on the
team and tied for ninth in the conference with five sacks
(0.38 pg), and fifth on the team and 20th in the WAC
with 6.5 tackles for loss (0.50). He finished the season
tied for first on the team among defensive linemen with
35 tackles and led the team with two blocked kicks,
while recording three quarterback hurries and one pass
breakup on the year.
Utah State returns 14 starters (offense 6, defense 5,
Special teams 3) as part of 40 letterwinners (offense 18,
defense 19, special teams 3) from last year's 9-5 team
that won the Mountain Division of the Mountain West
Conference, played in the inaugural Mountain West
Championship game, and defeated No. 24 Northern
Illinois, 21-14, in the 2013 San Diego County Credit
Union Poinsettia Bowl.
Utah State concluded the 2013 season by winning six of
its final seven games to tie the 1960 and 1961 teams for
the second-most wins in school history. With its win
against Northern Illinois, Utah State posted back-toback bowl wins for the first time in school history as it
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865604425/Utah-State-football-has-10-players-named-to-Phil-Steele7s-2014-Preseason-All-Mountain-West-teams.html?pg=all 4/6
6/4/2014
Utah State football has 10 players named to Phil Steele’s 2014 Preseason All-Mountain West teams | Deseret News
back bowl wins for the first time in school history as it
played in its third-straight bowl game, also a first at
USU. Utah State also set the school record for
conference wins as it posted a 7-1 league mark in its first
season in the Mountain West Conference.
Utah State ended the year ranking tied for 37th
nationally in both The Associated Press and ESPN/USA
Today Coaches' polls with two votes each, marking the
second time in as many years that USU has concluded
the season ranked among the top teams in the nation as
the 2012 team was ranked 16th in the final AP poll, 17th
in the final coaches' poll and 22nd in the final Bowl
Championship Series (BCS) standings.
Fans can follow the Aggie football program at
twitter.com/USUFootball or on Facebook at Utah State
Football, as well as on Instagram at
instagram.com/USUFootball. Aggie fans can also follow
the Utah State athletic program at
twitter.com/USUAthletics or on Facebook at Utah State
University Athletics.
Doug Hoffman is the assistant athletic director for Utah
State University Athletic Media Relations.
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Aggie84 Idaho Falls, ID
Richard, Richard, Richard - Keeton is on the Heishman List. Who needs All-Americans? And, who
received the most NFL opportunities for the coming year out of the Utah teams? You got it Richard,
the Aggies. Just bought my 3 season tickets for the games More..
10:44 p.m. June 3, 2014
Top comment
U-State1888 Sandy, UT
Tobey, Tobey, Tobey (Pac 12 Pride) I'll take winning in a mid-major over losing in a P5 any day. It seems fairly ironic that you would
trash-talk the Mountain West Conference. Your team hasn't done anything noteworthy or More..
9:16 a.m. June 4, 2014
Top comment
RSLfanalways Why, AZ
I have noticed a correlation with the Utah college football schools. When USU does well the other
two have bad seasons. When USU can win away games, the Ute's can't win away games. When
USU goes to bowl games and wins the UoU can go to a More..
9:39 a.m. June 4, 2014
Top comment
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