Utah State football celebrates 2018 campaign with team banquet Wednesday night

Utah State quarterback Jordan Love, right, celebrates with offensive lineman Quin Ficklin (51) after scoring a touchdown against North Texas during the first half of the New Mexico Bowl NCAA college football game in Albuquerque, N.M., Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)

LOGAN, Utah – Utah State football held its end-of-season banquet Wednesday night, honoring the 2018 team that posted an 11-2 record to tie the 2012 team for most wins and best record in school history. Last year’s team also tied for first place in the Mountain Division of the Mountain West with a 7-1 record to tie the 2013 team for most conference wins.

Utah State football ended the 2018 season nationally ranked for just the fourth time in school history as it was listed 21st in the final Amway Coaches’ poll and 22nd in the final Associated Press (AP) poll. Furthermore, it was just the third time USU has been nationally ranked in the AP poll at season’s end.

Overall, Utah State played in its seventh bowl game in the last eight seasons and its 13th in program history as it notched its fifth bowl win all-time with a 52-13 victory against North Texas in the New Mexico Bowl.

In all, Utah State set 36 school records and tied six others during the 2018 season, including winning 10 straight games. USU also set the Mountain West record for points scored in a season with 618.

Utah State also finished the 2018 season ranking among the top 20 teams in the nation in 24 statistical categories and led the nation in five of those, including scoring drives under one minute (29), turnovers forced (32), passes intercepted (22), kickoff returns (30.30 yards per return) and three-and-outs forced (5.69 per game).

Along with handing out individual awards, two videos were shown, a senior tribute video and a season highlight video. Utah State players were also given their 2018 away jerseys.

During the banquet, Utah State recognized 10 players who received its annual team awards as quarterback Jordan Love was presented with the Aggies’ Team MVP award, center Quin Ficklin was named Offensive MVP, linebacker David Woodward was named the Defensive MVP, and kick returner Savon Scarver was named Special Teams MVP. Furthermore, running back Darwin Thompson earned the Iron Aggie Award.

Wide receiver Aaren Vaughns was named the Most Improved Offensive Player and cornerback DJ Williams was named the Most Improved Defensive Player, while linebacker Jontrell Rocquemore was named Comeback Player of the Year. Scout team Offensive MVP honors went to wide receiver Sam Lockett, while Maika Magalei earned scout team Defensive MVP honors.

Utah State also recognized its 18 players that earned various all-Mountain West honors at season’s end as Ficklin and Scarver both earned first-team honors, while Andrus, linebacker Tipa Galeai, Love, Rocquemore, Thompson and Woodward were named to the second team, and defensive end Adewale Adeoye, offensive lineman Rob Castaneda, placekicker Dominik Eberle, safety Gaje Ferguson, defensive end Fua Leilua, tight end Dax Raymond, wide receiver Ron’quavion Tarver, offensive lineman Sean Taylor, nose guard Christopher ‘Unga and Williams were all named to the honorable mention team.

Four Aggies also received Mountain West Player of the Week accolades during the season in Love, Eberle, Thompson and Wade. Love set the single-season school record by being named the MW Offensive Player of the Week five times, while Eberle was named the MW Special Teams Player of the Week twice, and Thompson and Wade each earned MW Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week once, respectively.

Scarver and Woodward were also recognized for being named All-Americans this year as Scarver was named just the third consensus All-American in school history as he was tabbed a first-team All-America by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, the Football Writers Association of America and Phil Steele’s Magazine, and a second-team All-America by the American Football Coaches Association. Woodward was named a first-team All-America by ProFootballFocus and a third-team All-America by The Associated Press.

Along with honoring those players who excelled on the field, USU also recognized 18 players who earned academic all-conference honors in 2018. Those players included Andrus, tight end Travis Boman, wide receiver Taylor Compton, Eberle, linebacker Baron Gajkowski, cornerback Jarrod Green, kicker Taylor Hintze, offensive lineman Moroni Iniguez, linebacker Ofa Latu, punter Zach Lee, safety Chase Nelson, wide receiver DJ Nelson, long snapper Brandon Pada, Raymond, Rocquemore, offensive lineman KJ Uluave, defensive end Jacoby Wildman and Woodward.

Additionally, Utah State recognized the entire team for earning the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Academic Achievement Award for academic excellence.

 

Utah State Team Awards

Team MVP – Jordan Love

Offensive MVP – Quin Ficklin

Defensive MVP – David Woodward

Special Teams MVP – Savon Scarver

Comeback Player of the Year – Jontrell Rocquemore

Iron Aggie – Darwin Thompson

Most Improved Offensive Player – Aaren Vaughns

Most Improved Defensive Player – DJ Williams

Scout Offensive MVP – Sam Lockett

Scout Defensive MVP – Maika Magalei

 

All-Americans

Consensus – Savon Scarver

First Team – Savon Scarver (Walter Camp Football Foundation, Football Writers Association of America, Phil Steele’s Magazine); David Woodward (ProFootballFocus)

Second Team – Savon Scarver (American Football Coaches Association)

Third Team – David Woodward (Associated Press)

 

All-Mountain West Honors

First Team – Quin Ficklin (OC), Savon Scarver (KR)

Second Team – Roman Andrus (OL), Tipa Galeai (LB), Jordan Love (QB), Jontrell Rocquemore (LB), Darwin Thompson (RB), David Woodward (LB)

Honorable Mention – Adewale Adeoye (DE), Rob Castaneda (OL), Dominik Eberle (PK), Gaje Ferguson (S), Fua Leilua (DE), Dax Raymond (TE), Ron’quavion Tarver (WR), Sean Taylor (OL), Christopher ‘Unga (NG), DJ Williams (CB). 

Academic All-Mountain West

Roman Andrus, Travis Boman, Taylor Compton, Dominik Eberle, Baron Gajkowski, Jarrod Green, Taylor Hintze, Moroni Iniguez, Ofa Latu, Zach Lee, Chase Nelson, DJ Nelson, Brandon Pada, Dax Raymond, Jontrell Rocquemore, KJ Uluave, Jacoby Wildman, David Woodward.

 

Mountain West Players of the Week

Jordan Love, QB (5), Dominik Eberle, PK (2), Darwin Thompson, RB (1), Aaron Wade, S (1)

 

-USU-

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