Aggies ahead of Rebels’ pace

The Aggies had sunk so low that they were irrelevant when Gary Andersen took over as coach following the 2008 season, having gone 12 years in a row without a winning record.

It’s a history UNLV can relate to, but the Aggies are much further ahead of the Rebels in developing their program.

Utah State (3-1) enters today’s 5 p.m. PDT game against visiting UNLV (1-3) off to its best start since 1978. If not for a missed 37-yard field goal at Wisconsin, the Aggies would be unbeaten.

Utah State is a 20½-point favorite in today’s game, which will be streamed on ESPN3.

“There are great challenges when you take jobs like this, and UNLV is really no different,” Andersen said. “I don’t think anybody has any idea of the amount of work that goes in. I think UNLV has made great strides, and they’re moving in the right direction.”

Andersen, who was Utah’s defensive coordinator from 2004 to 2008, has overseen the rise. He endured back-to-back 4-8 seasons before guiding the Aggies to a 7-6 record last season, which ended with a 24-23 loss to Ohio in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

That was Utah State’s first bowl appearance since 1997.

This season’s start has built on that success, with the Aggies showing they are likely to contend in their final season in the Western Athletic Conference. They will join the Mountain West Conference next year.

The Aggies have the nation’s 11th-ranked defense, allowing 274.8 yards per game. It complements an offense that features Valley High School product Kerwynn Williams, who has rushed for 406 yards. Chuckie Keeton has thrown for 879 yards and rushed for 202.

Williams said Andersen gets the most out of his players.

“He’s a hard-nosed coach,” Williams said. “The difference is he kind of channels it through us. The biggest thing for us is we don’t want to lose because we feel like we’re letting him down.”

Utah State’s rise is evident in more than just the players on the field.

Its athletic department has invested in the sport, building a 69,000-square-foot athletic and academic complex in 2008 and installing synthetic turf this summer. Utah State’s current project is a $6.4 million, 21,000-square foot strength and conditioning center.

UNLV is attempting to make a similar commitment, holding informal briefings with state legislators to gain passage early next year for an on-campus stadium.

The Rebels also hope Bobby Hauck is the long-sought answer at coach after a string of mostly disappointments going back to the 1980s. He is 5-24 early in his third season, but is coming off a 38-35 upset victory over Air Force after opening with three single-digit losses.

Hauck, winless on the road as UNLV’s coach, sees similarities to what he is trying to accomplish compared to what Andersen has managed to get done.

“Gary has come in there and has really got their system in place,” Hauck said. “They’re a hard team to beat, particularly at home. They do a lot of things that are real solid. I think they play football the right way. They’re physical, and they look like they’re a real fundamentally sound team. They’re schematically sound. I hope that’s what people are beginning to say about us.”

Andersen, who is friends with Rebels offensive coordinator Brent Myers, is well aware of Hauck’s efforts. Myers and Andersen were assistant coaches at Northern Arizona in the mid-1990s.

“We talk, and I know the transition of where they’re trying to go,” Andersen said. “They want to try to become a team that’s a consistent winner. That’s kind of what we’re all trying to do.”

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow him on Twitter: @markanderson65.