While I think this year's Aggie football team can be good, I don't see the "homerun hitters" or playmakers that I remember from the past. These are the guys that you watched because you knew that on any play, they could take it to the house. We have had a few of them in the past - these guys didn't necessarily have the best stats, but you knew they could change a game. Going back 25 years, some that come to mind that were worth the price of admission:

Emmitt White
Aaron Jones
Kevin Robinson
Tony Pennyman
Kevin Curtis
Robert Turbin
Kevin Alexander
JJ Natson

Others?

Edit:

Add Stanley Morrison and Kerwynn Williams

A kid named Chuckie something or other .....

Kerwyn Williams.

Michael Smith. He was good for a 40 + yard gain almost every game in 2011. DeVonte Robinson was good for a big play too. Hunter Sharp even more so.

EDIT: 22 beat me to it, as always.

So far i dont see any playmakers in the running game. Love will have a great year, if he had a great running back he would have a excellant year "chuckie like"

I think Jordan Nathan and Gerold Bright have big play speed. I think Tarver has big play size.

Louie G.
Tony Adams

This has been one of my concerns since Jojo left. While we've had some explosive plays since he left, we really haven't seen that type of player that is a consistent threat any time they get their hands on the ball like the players in the lists above. Those guys required a D to game plan specifically for them. We really need more than one of these type players to compete at the top of the conference.

This is also why I was disappointed to see Hervey moved to the slot. He has shown that home run ability more than once even with limited touches but despite that he has not garnered more playing time from the coaches during his time here. I am still hopeful that Thompson can step up and be this type of player at RB for us. At this point I think our best bets for the big play will come from Scarver, Vaughns, and possibly Bright. Scarver showed he can do it on ST and on O as a freshman so I look for more of the same from him this year and hopefully the coaches can find ways to get him involved as much as possible.

I think Scarver, Nathan, and Bright will be factors this year. On D, I think Tipa and Compton are gonna make good things happen and get us out of a jam.


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Thanks for mentioning Hervey. He didn’t impress s a WR. I wish he was still a RB and given more in-game reps. However, I did really like what I saw from Bright and Darwin at RB.

I was just looking at Kevin Robinson's numbers. As a senior he averaged 29.3 yards per return (43 returns) with 3 touchdowns. He also averaged 18.9 yards per return on punts (20 returns) with one touchdown. Those are outstanding return numbers. He also average 14.4 yards per catch over his four year career (178 catches) with 21 career touchdowns. He was fun to watch and you didn't dare look away when he was on the field for fear of missing something.

Anyone remember McArther Lane “The Truck”

nlag wrote: ↑

April 9th, 2018, 8:17 pm

Anyone remember McArther Lane “The Truck”

Yes, Mac was such a stud. He played linebacker his first season at USU and made such a fine head to head tackle of Wray McDonald from Idaho. McDonald was an excellent and very large back and when they came together on the west side of the old Romney it was like a pair of huge mountain goats clashing. Utah State won that game in the second half, and what a game it was.

Both McArther Lane and Wray McDonald played in the NFL following stellar collegiate careers. Mac was a brutally fast, agile and large (223lbs) running back. What a player he was!!!!

nlag wrote:Anyone remember McArther Lane “The Truck”

I was hot tubbing with some guys from two weekends ago who knew/played for? Mac, a Oakland and Aggie legend


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utaggies wrote: ↑

April 9th, 2018, 2:43 pm

Louie G.
Tony Adams

Oh yeah. In my head I keep hearing the PA guy saying "Adams to Forzani for another Aggie touchdown!" And if we're going with that era, one of my all time favorite Aggies, Mickey Doyle, who, on his senior day, with Tony Adams injured on the sideline, was personally responsible for every point the Aggies scored. At least that's what I remember.

TheAKAggie wrote: ↑

April 9th, 2018, 9:04 pm

nlag wrote:Anyone remember McArther Lane “The Truck”

I was hot tubbing with some guys from two weekends ago who knew/played for? Mac, a Oakland and Aggie legend


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This story sounds familiar... like I was there

Captain Chaos

aggies22 wrote: ↑

April 9th, 2018, 1:30 pm

Demario Brown
Melvin Blue
Nakia Jenkins
Steve Smith
Kendall Smith
Mike Smith
Patrick Newman
Abu Wilson (pre injury)

Great list, 22. Good memories of Kendal Smith, Patrick Newman, and Rod Moore in the late 80's-early 90's. Steve Smith was a threat to take it to the house any time he touched the ball. His incredible touchdown in the 1997 H-bowl, where he broke about 6 or 7 tackles to take it about 80 yards, was the only memorable highlight for me from that game. Demario Brown was the best running back in the program from the mid-80's until Turbin, even better than Wilson, imo. Didn't possess break-away speed, but he rarely went down after the first touch. The three players I would add to this list of playmakers, from the same time period and that have not already been mentioned, would be Tracey Jenkins, Profail Grier, and James Dye.

My list

Roy Shivers (The best I ever saw, hands down)
Allie Taylor
MacArthur Lane
Tommy "Gun" Larshied
Bill Munsen
Tony Adams
Louis Giammona
Rick Parros
Anthony Calvillo
Kendall Smith
Patrick Newman
Kevin Robinson
Bobby Wagner ( I know he is defense...but to me he was a great playmaker.)

Good comments McAggie, yet I believe Darrell Steele was the hardest running Tailback I EVER saw play at Utah State.. After his knee injury he wasn't the same in 1963 or 64, but even then he played at least one (1) season with the Oakland Raiders. Darrell was essentially running at full speed in two (2) or three (3) strides, and that made him very nasty to tackle, kind of like trying to tackle a machete. He had freakish acceleration and used it so very well.

I would agree about Roy Shivers, and I think one or two posters on this board would assert how hard Mr. Shivers could run.

Back when I was a young Aggie fan, I was always partial to James "Magic Fingers" Murphy who caught quite a number of TD passes from Eric Hipple and Bob Gagliano over his career. I'm a little surprised he hasn't been mentioned. I know he went on to be a CFL MVP and is in the CFL Hall of Fame.

Murphy sported the first doo rag this country bumpkin saw.