As the Utes make their final preparations for tonight’s home opener against the Utah State Aggies, they are keying in on a few specific goals. For Utah’s defense, the main goal is to find a way to stop USU junior quarterback Chuckie Keeton from doing what he does best: passing.
Or is it running?
It’s hard to tell.
Keeton, a serious threat with both his arm and his feet, led the Aggies last year to a WAC Championship and a 10-2 regular season record. He then led them to victory in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. By season’s end, he had thrown for 3,373 yards and rushed for another 619. His dual ability to throw and run the ball allows him to extend plays and often make something out of nothing. His creativity in the pocket and his knack for evading tackles helped him complete 68 percent of his passes last year.
“We have to contain [Keeton],” Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said. “He is very good at extending plays. When he gets out and improvises, he usually does something really good. That’s what we need to stop.”
Last September, the Utes lost 27-20 in overtime to the Aggies in Logan. The loss is a bitter memory for Utah players and coaches, especially considering that the Utes had beaten Utah State the previous 12 times the teams met. Keeton’s performance that night was far from his best of the season, but he still threw for 216 yards and two touchdowns and ran for an additional 86 yards. He was the indisputable driving force of USU’s offense.
“With Chuckie, you think you got him for a sack, and all of the sudden he gets a 10 yard gain or he’s running out of the pocket,” said senior defensive end/linebacker Trevor Reilly. “That can be demoralizing for a defense. This week we have to contain him, pressure him and force him into making some bad decisions.”
In preparation for trying to contain Keeton, Utah’s coaching staff had the scout team show the defense looks at a running and a pass-heavy quarterback, but Whittingham admited that “there is only so much you can do to simulate a talent like that.”
Of course, great receivers help make great quarterbacks, and the Aggies lost three of their top receivers to the NFL in Matt Austin, Kerwynn Williams and Chuck Jacobs. Each tallied at least 600 yards and five touchdowns last season. If anything though, Keeton feels more confident this year in his offensive system.
“This offense will produce on its own as long as we stay within the system … This past camp has helped me as far as staying true to the playbook and allowing the playmakers to make more plays than I have to myself,” said Keeton at Utah State’s weekly press conference. “Whenever the moment presents itself, I’ll take the opportunity to make a play, but the offense provides its own way of allowing special players to make special plays and I’m good being a part of that.”
Both teams will look to win this Thursday night in-state showdown and set a positive tone for the rest of the year. If Utah hopes to do that, it must find a way to slow down Chuckie Keeton on the ground and through the air.
“The longer Chuckie has the ball in the pocket, the more he can do,” said senior defensive tackle Tenny Palepoi. “We want to disrupt him as soon as possible, keep him in a cage.”