Utah State’s Aggies lost seven games last season, four to nationally ranked teams, but that’s life in the independent lane.

Coach Mick Dennehy’s team lost to No. 6 Oregon (38-21), No. 13 LSU (31-14), No. 20 Brigham Young (54-34) and No. 21 Fresno State (70-21).

"Being a new Independent school certainly sets you back as far as schedule," Dennehy said. "But we’re getting closer and closer to where we need to be. Every year the kids become more familiar with what we expect on the field and in the classroom.

"We’ve been so close in so many games late, but didn’t have enough depth to finish. I hope the depth is much better this year."

Dennehy is 9-13 in his two seasons as the Aggies’ head coach with one year in the Big West Conference and last year as an Independent. Utah State will play an Independent schedule again this year.

"We’ll be there this year, but maybe we’ll get some kind of where about where we can go in the future," Dennehy said. "I hope there is some kind of movement in the Mountain West or the WAC that would open up something for us."

The 2002 schedule may not be as tough as last year’s, but the Aggies must play Nebraska and Brigham Young. Also on the schedule are 2002 bowl teams Iowa and Utah.

"Our kids are excited about playing Nebraska," Dennehy said. "Really, playing them helped our recruiting. We aren’t afraid to play the big boys. It gets the kids fired up."

Even though his Utah State teams have had losing records, Dennehy certainly knows all about winning.

Dennehy, known for producing a high-powered, wide-open passing offensive attack, led Montana to three Big Sky Championships in his four years as head coach with a runner-up finish in 1997. The Grizzlies advanced to the Division I-AA playoffs in each of his four years and finished as the national runner-up in 1996.

Two-year starter Jose Fuentes (6-3, 200), a senior, returns to direct the Aggie offense. He threw for 3,100 yards and completed 59.6 percent of his passes last year. Both of those numbers rank third on the Utah State’s all-time single-season list.

Fuentes was fifth in the country last year in completions per game (23.6) and ranked 18th in total offense (265.5).

"Jose will be entering his third year for us and he has been a real bright spot," Dennehy said. "He has been really good in terms of steadiness."

Backing up Fuentes are sophomore Travis Cox (6-1, 192) and senior Jeff Crosbie (6-4, 202). Cox was 4-of-7 while playing in four games last year. Crosbie started 17 games before giving way to Fuentes in 1999. He has thrown for 3,315 yards in his career.

Junior David Fiefia (5-7, 190) and sophomore Roger Robinson (5-9, 180) are the top candidates to replace White, although some help could come from the junior college ranks. Robinson changed his name this season from Roger Fernandez.

Fiefia rushed for 187 yards on 30 carries, including 116 yards on 16 carries in the finale at Fresno State. Robinson is an explosive runner who had eight carries for 30 yards last year.

Also on the depth chart is red-shirt freshman Richard Watson (5-10, 205), who was a member of the scout team last year.

"Whoever lines up will be under a microscope because of what Emmett accomplished the last two years," Dennehy said. "We expect a lot from David and Roger, and James Samuel could come right in from junior college and compete right away."

Samuel (6-0, 225) played last year at Pasadena City College where he was a first-team all-conference selection in 2000 when he rushed for more than 1,000 yards. He sat out the 2001 season and a red-shirt year at San Diego State.

Out of John Muir High School in Pasadena, Samuel’s visits were to Nebraska, Tennessee, Washington and San Diego State.

The fullback will be junior Chris Cooley (6-3, 248), who will be backed up by junior Trent Nate (5-10, 217).

In early June, the Utah State coaches were puzzled when senior wide receiver Kevin Curtis (5-11, 183) didn’t make either the first or second All-America team announced by The Sporting News.

Curtis led the country in receptions per game (9.1) and was third in receiving yards (139.2) a year ago. In five games against bowl teams in 2001, Curtis averaged 10.2 catches and 135.2 yards.

"I don’t think many people expected Kevin to have that kind of season last year," Dennehy said. "Maybe it will motivate him this year."

Curtis, who is being billed as an All-America candidate by the Utah State sports information department, made the All-Independent first team last year by The Football News and Collegefootballnews.com. He caught 100 passes for 1,531 yards and 10 touchdowns, and led the NCAA in receptions per game every week of the season.

Curtis was a walk-on and before 2001 had not played in a game since the 1997 season at Snow Junior College. He went on an LDS church mission in 1998 and 1999 and red-shirted in 2000.

"We return everybody at wide receiver and Kevin will be the leader again," Dennehy said. "We have good experience and talent at wide receiver."

Junior Chris Stallworth (6-2, 196) had 33 catches for 384 yards last year and four touchdowns. Senior Gary Coleman (5-9, 174) was third in receptions with 36 for 440 yards, four touchdowns and a team-long 70-yard catch.

Also in the mix for playing time are senior Derek Jeffery (5-9, 172) and sophomore Donta’ Candler (5-11, 175).

Junior Jason Deml, who had 11 catches last year, has left the team.

Gone at tight end is Suguturaga, who was an outstanding blocker and receiver. Battling for the starting nod will be junior Chris Cooley (6-3, 248) and senior Casey Poppinga (6-5, 251).

Senior left tackle Jim Newton (6-10, 278) will anchor an offensive line that returns four players who have each started at least two games in their careers. Newton has 22 consecutive starts.

Next to Newton at left guard will be senior Luis Trujillo (6-1, 300), who started five of the last six games last year.

Junior Aric Galliano (6-3, 288), who red-shirted last year, will start at center.

Junior college transfers Trevor Hutton (6-2, 300) and Greg Vandermade (6-3, 291) will battle for the start at right guard.

Hutton signed in December of 2001 after being selected second-team junior college All-America as a sophomore. He was listed by JC Grid Wire magazine as one of the top 100 junior college players in the nation.

Vandermade also signed in December. He was a two-time all-conference selection at College of the Canyons, which went 19-3 and won two conference championships in his two years there.

At right tackle, junior Grant Calverley (6-4, 277) moved past sophomore Brenen Burningham (6-6, 275) during spring drills. Burningham started four of the last six games last year.

Also, Barry McLaughlin (6-5, 274) started two games at tackle last year and senior Mike Scheper saw action there as well.

Dennehy also likes offensive lineman Jake Chavira (6-2, 320), who played last year at Cerritos (Calif.) Junior College. He earned second-team All-America honors and was rated the 62nd best JUCO player in the nation by JCFootball.com

Senior Dane Kidman (5-10, 178) made 7-of-13 field-goal attempts last year and 35-of-39 extra-point kicks. He made his first three field-goals of the season and was 7-of-10 before missing his last three.

Kidman will be challenged by red-shirt freshman Ben Chaet (6-1, 175).

USU lost two leaders up front in Ryan Duncan and Onaindia. Duncan started the first six games of the year before a career-ending injury, while Onaindia was the team’s third-leading tackler with 65 stops. Onaindia had 14 tackles for loss and nine sacks.

Junior Nate Putnam (6-6, 222) started in place of Duncan last year and despite a nagging shoulder injury will anchor the line.

Returning at tackle are sophomore Ronald Tupea (6-1, 270) and junior Jorge Tapia (6-2, 286).

Sophomore Jeremy Guenter (6-4, 265) is the leading contender at left end after making eight tackles in a backup role last year.

Sophomore James Robinson (6-2, 245) worked his way into the rotation last year and should see a lot of time in the middle of the line.

Team leading tackler Jesse Busta (6-2, 236) headlines the linebackers. A senior, Busta recorded 100 tackles last year, including 13 for loss.

Busta will be joined by junior Rodney Wilson (6-1, 210), who started six games a year ago and made 26 tackles, and sophomore Robert Watts (6-3, 220), who had 28 stops in a backup role.

"We have an outstanding corps of linebackers," Dennehy said. "And we have some junior college players who will give us good depth, along with some players back from church missions."

Also in the chase for playing time will be sophomore D.J. Brooker (6-2, 180), sophomore Nathan Dandridge (6-0, 230) and junior Scott Hunt (6-4, 225).

Four players who started at least four games last year are back in the secondary.

"We have some good kids back, and we have some younger players with a lot of talent who will be looking for playing time," Dennehy said. "We must have more depth in the secondary so we can hang in games at the end."

Among the returnees in the rotation that often utilizes five defensive backs are senior Jamar Glasper (6-1, 199), junior Bryan Jackson (5-11, 189) and senior Ade Jimoh (6-1, 190).

Jimoh had 39 tackles last year and started nine games. Jackson, who started four of the last six games, had 32 tackles.

Gone is Tony Walker, a four-year starter, and Nathan Barber, who combined for seven of USU’s 10 interceptions last year. Steve Tate, a key backup in 2001, went on an LDS church mission and will not play this year.

Senior safety Jamar Glasper (6-1, 199) was the team’s second leading tackler with 77 a year ago. He forced three fumbles last year and recovered two.

USU had five other players earn letters with extensive playing time including junior Derrek Shank (5-10, 187), who started the first four games of the year and finished with 31 tackles.

Utah State senior punter Steve Mullins (6-4, 226) was selected a second-team preseason All-American by The Sporting News.

Mullins, who is the nation’s leading returning punter after finishing last season ranked fourth in the country with a 44.8 average, was an honorable mention All-America selection last year by Football News.

With Mullins leading the way, Utah State’s special teams excelled most of last year. However, three punts were blocked late in the season and two field-goal attempts were blocked to diminish the previous accomplishments.

Robinson and Fiefia were talented return men last year and with the departure of White will take on added responsibilities.

Robinson was the main kickoff returner in 2001, establishing a school record with 774 yards. He had 34 returns for a 22.8 average and a long of 70.

As a punt returner, Robinson scored on a 64-yard return against Utah the first time he touched the ball as a collegian. He averaged 24.4 yards on five punt returns.

Fiefia returned 14 kickoffs for a 22.2 average.

Two Utah players of the year and six Utah all-state selections highlighted the Utah State football recruiting class.

Dennehy’s third recruiting class included nine high school signees as well as 10 junior college transfers.

"All in all, this is a really good group, provided the junior college guys get their work done," Dennehy said. "I like our defensive guys and the offensive line received some real good depth."

Dennehy was pleased with the Utah high school players who signed. That group included 2000 4A Player-of-the-Year Ryan Bohm (5-11, 185) from Logan, and 2001 5A Player-of-the-Year Jase McCormick (6-1, 180) of Northridge. Bohm is a defensive back and McCormick plays quarterback.

Other first-team all-state selections were linebacker Spencer Bailey (6-2, 220) of Northridge, offensive lineman Pace Jorgensen (6-5, 315) of Grantsville, defensive end Mike Martini (6-4, 225) of Fremont, and defensive tackle Alii Seiuli (6-3, 295) of Pine View.

USU also signed Terrance Washington (5-10, 180) of Ben Lomond, who rushed for nearly 400 yards in just three and a half games before suffering a season-ending knee injury.

Dennehy said he also likes the early potential of cornerback Marvin Clark (5-10, 180) from Chaffey (Calif.) Junior College.

Dennehy has recorded only nine wins in his first two seasons at Utah State, but he gotten some things done. This is a program hindered by playing an independent schedule and in search of a conference.

Among Dennehy’s accomplishments:

-- The Aggies have recorded the school’s all-time attendance record (21,784 in 2001) and fourth-best average (19,910 in 2000).

-- USU has produced four of the top 10 all-time total offense games in school history in his two years, including a school-record tying 684 yards against Weber State in 2001.

-- USU has also produced three of the top five best passing games in school history.

-- USU has produced two Associated Press third-team All-Americans in Dennehy’s two years as Smith earned the honor in 2000 and Curtis last year.

-- USU has had two NCAA individual statistical champions as White led the country in all-purpose yardage in 2000 and Curtis led in receptions last year.

Clearly there are some good things happening to Utah State football. But until the Aggies find a conference, life as an independent will continue to be difficult.