Boise State Coaches Will Be Required to Take Furloughs Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
Apr 21, 2020
Boise State coach Bryan Harsin watches his players warm up for the Las Vegas Bowl NCAA college football game against Washington at Sam Boyd Stadium, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Steve Marcus)
Boise State coaches are included in the employee furloughs announced by university president Marlene Tromp on Tuesday afternoon, according to the Idaho Statesman's Ron Counts.
The Idaho Statesman's Katherine Jones had relayed Tromp's internal email disclosing the furloughs for all university faculty and staff, including those on contracts, earning more than $40,000 on Monday.
"I hope our swift action now can help us avoid what could be more grave action later and provide for the long-term well-being of both our community and the institution," Tromp wrote.
Per Jones, "The highest-paid employees, those who make more than $150,000 a year, will take 10 furlough days. The lowest-paid full-time employees ($40,000-$74,999) will take four furlough days. Those making $100,000-$149,999 will take seven furlough days and those making $75,000-$99,999 will have five."
Per Counts, football coach Bryan Harsin, men's basketball coach Leon Rice and women's basketball coach Gordy Presnell each fall under the salary category dictating 10 furlough days, as do most of the Broncos assistant football coaches. Baseball coach Gary Von Tol will be required to take five furlough days.
Tromp outlined a "nearly $10 million impact" from losses related to canceling "millions of dollars in revenue-generating events through the school year and into the summer" because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Boise Statecanceled its spring sports on March 12 as a result of the pandemic.
Boise State outside linebackers coach and co-special teams coordinator told The Athletic's Dave Southorn on April 7 that he had tested positive for the coronavirus.
Boise State LB Coach Zac Alley Announces He Tested Positive for COVID-19
Apr 7, 2020
BOISE, ID - SEPTEMBER 20: Detail view of a end zone pylon with the Boise State Broncos logo and the Mountain West Conference logo before the game between the Air Force Falcons and the Boise State Broncos on September 20, 2019 at Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho. Boise State won the game 30-19. (Photo by Loren Orr/Getty Images)
Boise State outside linebackers coach and co-special teams coordinator Zac Alley said on Tuesday that he is "feeling good" after testing positive for COVID-19 last week, per The Athletic's Dave Southorn.
Alley told Southorn that "every breath was like taking a knife and sticking it through your ribs" while he was battling COVID-19.
The 26-year-old added: "I had no symptoms, anything, and in about a 24-hour period, I went from zero to 100. I didn't think it was a big deal throughout the day and next thing I know, it was like, 'All right, we probably need to go to the hospital.' I don't recommend it to anybody, it was definitely one of the worst pains I've felt in my life."
Boise State partnered with St. Luke's Health, where Alley was tested and treated, on March 25:
Southorn noted that "Boise State had vacated the football facilities more than a week" before Alley started experiencing symptoms.
Alley was hired by Boise State in March 2019 after serving as a graduate assistant at Clemson from 2015-18 and a nickels coach at Charlotte in 2018-19.
There is growing uncertainty that the 2020 college football season will be able to start on time because of COVID-19. The Athletic's Bruce Feldman reported on April 3 that the possibility has been "kicked around" to play next season in spring 2021.
Former Pitt, Arizona State HC Todd Graham Hired as Hawaii's New Head Coach
Jan 21, 2020
TEMPE, AZ - OCTOBER 28: Head coach Todd Graham of Arizona State looks on from the sidelines during a game against Southern California at Sun Devil Stadium on October 28, 2017 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
The University of Hawaii announced Tuesday that Todd Graham will be its next head football coach.
Stephen Tsai of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported that Hawaii will hold a press conference Wednesday afternoon to officially introduce Graham.
Graham will replace Nick Rolovich, who left the Rainbow Warriors to lead Washington State. The WSU job opened up after Mike Leach left to coach Mississippi State.
The 55-year-old has been the head coach at Rice (2006), Tulsa (2007-2010), Pitt (2011) and Arizona State (2012-2017). He has a lifetime 95-61 record and has led his teams to 10 bowl games (five wins).
The new Rainbow Warriors coach is no stranger to success, having found some level of it in each of his four college football stops. Five of his teams won 10 of more games, and three of them finished in the Top 25 of the Associated Press poll.
Graham's best season arguably came in 2014, when he led ASU to a 10-3 record, a Sun Bowl win and a No. 12 finish in the AP rankings. He also took ASU to the 2013 Pac-12 title game.
However, his final three seasons in ASU did not fare as well, with the Sun Devils going a combined 18-20 under his watch. The two sides parted ways after the year.
Graham takes over a Hawaii team that went 10-5 last year, including a Hawaii Bowl win. The Rainbow Warriors made the Mountain West Conference championship game but lost to Boise State.
Hawaii's first game under Graham will be against a team its new coach knows well: the Arizona Wildcats. That one will take place on Saturday, Aug. 29.
Ex-Michigan HC Brady Hoke Replaces Rocky Long as San Diego State's Head Coach
Jan 8, 2020
San Diego State Aztecs defensive line coach Brady Hoke looks on from the sideline during the second half of the NCAA college football game against the Fresno State Bulldogs Friday, Nov. 15, 2019, in San Diego. The Aztecs won 17-7. (AP Photo/Orlando Ramirez)
Brady Hoke is heading back to Southern California. The former Michigan coach is rejoining San Diego State University, where he was head coach for two seasons from 2009-10 before the Wolverines came calling.
Hoke previously led the Aztecs to their first bowl victory at the Poinsettia Bowl in 2010 after going 9-4 that season. He was 13-12 overall at the school.
The 61-year-old replaces retiring coach Rocky Long, who took over the job after Hoke left for the Big Ten.
In many ways, Hoke's departure from San Diego State in 2010 altered the entire course of his career.
An up-and-coming head coach in the college ranks who'd spent time overseeing a variety of defensive position groups at Power Five schools, Hoke had just gotten settled in his second job as a Group of Five coach—leaving Ball State to join SDSU—when Michigan decided to part ways with Lloyd Carr-successor Rich Rodriguez.
On paper, Hoke was the perfect replacement for the Wolverines. He'd been an assistant under Carr from 1995-2002, ascending to associate head coach in his final season before taking the head coaching job at his alma mater, Ball State.
In six years with the Cardinals, Hoke's teams went from barely reaching four wins per year to competing for conference titles in the Mid-American Conference. in 2008, his last year before leaving for San Diego State, Hoke's team went 12-2, knocking off both Navy and Indiana before ultimately falling to Tulsa in the GMAC Bowl—a game Hoke didn't coach in.
A quick turnaround at San Diego State, where the Aztecs went from four wins in his first season to nine wins a year later, put him near the top of the list for Michigan when it came time to replace Rodriguez.
But Hoke didn't last much longer than his predecessor in Ann Arbor. After finishing his first season with 11 wins and a Sugar Bowl victory, Hoke's teams nosedived, winning fewer games each year until he was fired after a five-win 2014 season.
The Ohio native would bounce around the sidelines for a few years in the NFL and college ranks before he landed back at SDSU as a defensive line coach on Long's staff in 2019.
A decade after he first got to San Diego, Hoke has another opportunity to mold the program as he sees fit, the latest stop on his path to redemption after falling from grace in Michigan.
Air Force Gashes Washington State on the Ground, Wins 2019 Cheez-It Bowl 31-21
Dec 28, 2019
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 27: Running back Kadin Remsberg #24 of the Air Force Falcons rushes the football past linebacker Justus Rogers #37 of the Washington State Cougars during the first half of the Cheez-It Bowl at Chase Field on December 27, 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Air Force polished off its best season in 21 years with a 31-21 victory over Washington State at the Cheez-It Bowl at Chase Field in Phoenix on Friday.
The Falcons ran for 371 yards, including 178 from Kadin Remsberg. The 5'9" junior running back provided the play of the day after withstanding a crushing hit and extending the ball to score a touchdown that gave the Falcons a 30-21 edge with 3:50 remaining.
Taven Birdow added 108 yards and one touchdown for Air Force, which finished its year with 11 victories. That mark is one shy of the school record set in 1985 and matched in 1998.
The Falcons ended on an eight-game win streak, with their only losses occurring against No. 19 Boise State and No. 23 Navy.
Washington State wideout Brandon Arconado had 11 catches for 167 yards and touchdown for the 6-7 Cougars, whose four-year streak of winning seasons ended.
Notable Performances
Air Force RB Kadin Remsberg: 26 carries, 178 yards, 1 TD
Air Force QB Donald Hammond III: 15 carries, 62 yards, 2 TD; 4-of-12, 30 yards, 1 INT
Air Force FB Taven Birdow: 20 carries, 108 yards, 1 TD
Washington State QB Anthony Gordon: 28-of-42, 351 yards, 3 TD
Washington State WR Brandon Arconado: 11 catches, 167 yards, 1 TD
Air Force's Triple Option Bests Washington State's Air Raid Attack
Air Force entered Friday ranking third in the FBS with 292.5 rushing yards per game.
Washington State began the day first in the FBS with 444.3 passing yards per matchup, or 57.5 more yards than second-place LSU.
While neither offense is the most efficient (the rushing and passing honors go to Clemson and Oklahoma, respectively), it's clear how these two teams like to operate.
The question was which offense would win in a clash of disparate styles, and the answer was Air Force thanks to 373 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 67 attempts.
The Falcons made an immediate statement by going 98 yards in 20 plays and taking up 12:23 of the clock en route to a Donald Hammond III one-yard touchdown run.
Kansas City Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu was a fan of the rushing attack:
That drive helped Air Force dominate time of possession, with the Falcons holding the ball for 43:24. Air Force also mounted three other scoring drives of six minutes or longer.
As for Washington State, the Cougars offense didn't have much trouble moving the ball down the field en route to 366 scrimmage yards. The problem was that they didn't have much to show for it.
A game-opening 71-yard drive ended at the Air Force 2-yard line when a 4th-and-goal conversion attempt proved unsuccessful. A 75-yard drive in the third quarter down to the Air Force 5-yard line finished with WSU getting stuffed on a 4th-and-2 run.
The Cougars did mount scoring drives that combined for 180 yards, with Anthony Gordon tossing touchdown passes to end each one. The final TD was a 13-yard pass to Brandon Arconado, the leading receiver on the night:
Gordon's go-to guy finally gets his TD. ☑️@Brandonkainalu has 160 receiving yards tonight and hauled in this 13-yard pass to bring @WSUCougarFB back within three.
However, Air Force responded with Remsberg's score on 4th-and-goal to take a two-score lead. Washington State couldn't score on its final drive, and Air Force ended the game in victory formation.
Ryan Agnew Throws 3 TDs as SDSU Crushes Central Michigan in New Mexico Bowl
Dec 21, 2019
ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO - DECEMBER 21: Wide receiver Jesse Matthews #45 of the San Diego State Aztecs scores a touchdown against the Central Michigan Chippewas during the New Mexico Bowl at Dreamstyle Stadium on December 21, 2019 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images)
San Diego State earned its first bowl victory since 2016 with a 48-11 win over Central Michigan in the New Mexico Bowl on Saturday.
Ryan Agnew threw two touchdowns to help the Aztecs build an early 20-3 advantage, while the country's No. 4 scoring defense took care of the rest in an easy win at Dreamstyle Stadium in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Jordan Byrd led a rushing attack that totaled 223 yards on the ground as San Diego State finished 10-3 for its fourth 10-win season in five years.
Central Michigan (8-6) couldn't end on a high note, but Jim McElwain still performed one of the best coaching jobs in the country after taking over a squad that went 1-11 last season.
Notable Stats
Ryan Agnew, QB, SDSU: 18-of-31, 287 passing yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
San Diego State Surprises with Offensive Explosion
The Aztecs entered the game averaging just 19 points scored per game, going four straight without even scoring 20.
The offense wasn't a problem in this one.
Jesse Matthews was the star early on, scoring two first-half touchdowns including one for 74 yards.
We see why @SDSUFootball gave Jesse Matthews a scholarship. Former walk-on has 3 rec for 111 yds and 2 TDs in 1st half of New Mexico Bowl. #Aztecs lead 20-3.
That quick-strike @SDSUFootball offense? Aztecs score in one play, a 74-yard TD pass from Ryan Agnew to Jesse Matthews for a 20-3 lead (2nd, 5:26). Drive took 13 seconds. Longest play of season for SDSU.
The points were easily a season-high, Byrd rushed for a season high and Agnew was as effective as we have seen him all year. Freshman TJ Sullivan also scored an impressive touchdown on his first career catch.
San Diego State will lose some key players to graduation, including Agnew, but a loaded defense and playmakers such as Matthews and Byrd could help the squad in 2020.
Central Michigan Unable to Solve SDSU Defense
We knew going in San Diego State had an elite defense, and this game proved it even more.
Central Michigan was able to sneak in a few big plays to keep things close, including 66-yard rushing touchdown by Kobe Lewis and a 61-yard reception by Kalil Pimpleton. However, these were few and far between.
Central Michigan has two plays totaling 127 yards against the @SDSUFootball defense. The Chippewas' other 41 plays in the game have also totaled 127 yards.
Dormady was held to 11-of-26 passing in what was arguably his worst game of the season, with only the Wisconsin loss coming close. Jonathan Ward had over 1,000 yards on the year but was held to 26 yards on 2.9 per carry Saturday.
With five total turnovers, it was a game to forget for this team.
Central Michigan should be happy to make it this far, but the offense will need to show more in big games if the program is going to take the next step.
Hawaii HC Nick Rolovich, Staffer Allegedly Assaulted Photographer Jamm Aquino
Nov 30, 2019
Hawaii coach Nick Rolovich speaks through his headset during a timeout in the second half of an NCAA college football game against New Mexico, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019, in Albuquerque, N.M. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)
A Honolulu Star-Advertiser photographer alleged Friday that University of Hawaii head coach Nick Rolovich and a Hawaii staffer assaulted him at the end of last week's game against San Diego State.
In an article published by the newspaper, photographer Jamm Aquino said Rolovich shoved him and that another University of Hawaii employee pushed him to the ground.
Aquino said he was left with a concussion, bloody nose, sore shoulder and split upper lip as a result of the alleged assault. Aquino added that his camera lens was damaged as well.
Per the article, multiple people corroborated the allegation off the record. An Associated Press photographer was reportedly also shoved.
After San Diego State missed what would have been a game-tying field goal, Hawaii players rushed the field to celebrate, but there were still two seconds remaining on the clock, so they returned to the sidelines. Aquino had followed the players onto the field and was allegedly attacked on the way back to the sidelines.
The University of Hawaii released a statement regarding the incident, noting that while Rolovich regretted coming into contact with Aquino, the photographer violated protocol:
"We are disappointed that a Star-Advertiser photographer violated sideline protocol by entering the field of play Saturday night. Coach Rolovich acknowledges that he came into physical contact with the photographer as he was attempting to clear the field to avoid being penalized because, with two seconds left on the clock, the game was not over.
"Coach Rolovich regrets the situation occurred. He contacted the photographer late Saturday night and apologized. The university is addressing the situation with Coach Rolovich regarding the matter and will have no further comment."
Honolulu Star-Advertiser editor Frank Bridgewater also released a statement condemning Rolovich's alleged actions: "Our photographers are representing our readers and deserve to be treated as professionals. Swearing at and, worse, physically assaulting them, will not be tolerated. We will take whatever steps are needed to protect our photographers' rights and to ensure that those who abuse them are called out."
Hawaii went on to win the game against San Diego State 14-11. It will look to improve on its 8-4 record when it faces Army on Saturday before going on to face the No. 20 Boise State Broncos in the Mountain West Conference Championship Game next week.
Rolovich is 26-26 in four seasons as the Rainbow Warriors' head coach and has them bowl-eligible for the third time during that span.
New Mexico DE Nahje Flowers Dies at Age 21
Nov 5, 2019
A helmet of the New Mexico Lobos is pictured during an NCAA college football game between New Mexico and Air Force in Albuquerque, N.M., Saturday, Sep. 30, 2017. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)
Nahje Flowers, a defensive end at the University of New Mexico, has died at the age of 21.
Head football coach Bob Davie issued a statement through the school's athletic department.
"Earlier this morning we were made aware of the tragic loss of Nahje Flowers," Davie said. "Our entire football team and everyone who knew Nahje are devastated by this loss. Nahje was a wonderful person and great teammate. Our entire Lobo Football family mourns his passing and our prayers go out to his family."
New Mexico athletic director Eddie Nunez said in a statement he was made aware of Flowers' death on Tuesday morning before Davie informed the team:
"Grief counselors, members of our medical team and a psychologist are being made available. [...] Our focus right now is on the well-being of our student-athletes, coaches and staff and the support needed. Nahje was an incredible young man. Our entire Lobo Football family mourns his passing, and our prayers go out to his family."
A cause of death has not been released. Flowers played in five of New Mexico's nine games this season.
He had been attending New Mexico since 2016. The Los Angeles native appeared in all 24 games for the Lobos in 2017-18. He finished third on the team with 5.5 tackles for loss as a redshirt sophomore last year.
'Last Chance U' Alum Malik Henry Was Dropping Dimes in His 1st FBS Start
Oct 15, 2019
BR Video
Last Chance U alum Malik Henry was dropping dimes in his first FBS start. The quarterback originally committed to Florida State but left the program without taking a snap. After being featured on the show, he found a home at Nevada.
Watch the video above for more about Henry's journey.
From the race for the Heisman to the battle for a spot in the College Football Playoff, Bleacher Report’s college football coverage never misses a beat, and now neither will you. Connect to the college football stories, teams, athletes and highlights that make the game more than a game.
Download the free Bleacher Report app to catch all the moments that matter in one place. Get the app to get the game.
Long Overlooked, Utah State QB Jordan Love Can't Hide from Stardom Anymore
Oct 4, 2019
Utah State quarterback Jordan Love looks to the sidelines as his team plays Wake Forest in the second half of an NCAA college football game in Winston-Salem, N.C., Friday, Aug. 30, 2019. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
Editor's note: This article was first published on October 4, 2019.
Eighty miles north of the nearest major American city, in a college town at the foot of the Bear River Mountains, the most intriguing quarterback prospect in this year's draft class leans back in his chair and props his feet up on a table. A bag of candy hearts with the word "Heisman" printed on each sits nearby, part of a low-key media campaign from the school's sports information office.
He is nothing if not a chill guy, but this is likely to be one of the last quiet weeks he'll experience for quite some time. An early-season bye awaits Love and his Utah State teammates on this particular Saturday, and the hallways of the football offices are largely quiet, save for the pair of NFL scouts in team-logo windbreakers ambling toward the front doors.
In a way, Love admits all of this scrutiny is still a little strange, especially here in Logan, a town of about 50,000 residents that seems to enjoy its isolation from the outside world. Four years here, preceded by a childhood in Bakersfield, California, have gotten him accustomed to living in a bubble. He can't imagine what life is like for Tua Tagovailoa at Alabama or Trevor Lawrence at Clemson or Justin Herbert at Oregon, all of whom have been dealing with NFL expectations since they were freshmen. If Love had landed at a major program and began his career under that kind of microscope, he imagines he'd be miserable by now.
"Not too much going on in Logan," Love says. "It's a little hideout."
He landed here only partially by choice: His only FBS scholarship offer came from Utah State. But that twist of fate allowed Love time to learn and grow at his own pace over the past four years, both physically and emotionally. And he desperately needed that time to find himself, particularly after the sudden death of his father threatened to devastate his psyche.
That time out of the spotlight is now nearing its end. These days, the NFL finds you wherever you are, and after a stellar redshirt sophomore season, scouts found Jordan Love in a big way. And what they've seen is a player who appears to possess a tantalizing combination of some of the college game's most celebrated talents in recent years.
At 6'4" and 225 pounds, he is long, lean and athletic, with enough power to break tackles and enough elusiveness and arm strength to make creative and accurate throws on the run. With a hint of Patrick Mahomes' improvisational ability, he'll sidearm a pass to a running back while under pressure, or make a seemingly ill-advised throw across his body that lands softly in his receiver's hands 40 yards downfield. He also has a trace of Daniel Jones' versatility and carries himself with a touch of Marcus Mariota's laid-back nature. His emergence out of the oft-overlooked Mountain West Conference echoes the rise of Josh Allen at Wyoming, and Love's childhood reverence for Michael Vick is apparent whenever he scrambles out of trouble and hurls a deep pass to a streaking receiver.
With every game Love plays, pro scouts are falling harder and harder for him, because he's made playing the most difficult position in football appear comparatively easy.
"He's a really natural thrower—it almost looks effortless for him," one college scout says. "He can make every kind of throw. He doesn't seem to strain to do anything."
WINSTON SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA - AUGUST 30: Jordan Love #10 of the Utah State Aggies against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during their game at BB&T Field on August 30, 2019 in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Wake Forest won 38-35. (Photo by Grant Halverson
On Saturday, Love will play the most consequential football game of his career when Utah State faces No. 5 LSU. If he performs well, he could not only establish Utah State as the team to beat in a loaded Mountain West, but he also might further a long-shot Heisman campaign and cement his status as one of the three best draft-eligible quarterbacks of the 2020 class. A number of NFL and talent evaluators, including Bleacher Report's Matt Miller, believe Love could wind up as the second quarterback chosen next April, perhaps even a top-10 pick behind only Tagovailoa.
"Tua's almost a little bit more like a robot," Miller says. "With Justin Herbert [at Oregon], there are some concerns about the mental aspects. I don't think that's an issue with Jordan Love."
Love is a near-certainty to become the first Utah State quarterback drafted since 1989. He could still choose to return for his senior season next fall, but if he keeps putting up the numbers he has thus far, he might soon become the most high-profile Aggie in the NFL since Hall of Fame defensive tackle Merlin Olsen.
Nearly every day now, NFL scouts show up at the school's practice facility and pepper Aggies veteran offensive coordinator Mike Sanford with questions. Sanford worked with Andrew Luck at Stanford and helped to bring Ian Book to Notre Dame after originally recruiting him while at Boise State. And he doesn't hesitate to say now that Love has everything you need to play in the NFL, including a league-friendly attitude.
"He's such a humble kid, man," Sanford says. "Seeing a press clipping or being on some kind of top-10 list doesn't do anything for him. He doesn't get too excitable about things that aren't real."
To Love, all of this attention is still a bit surreal, in large part because his rise has been so meteoric. As a high school freshman, he was a scrawny wide receiver who got beat out for the starting job on the junior varsity team at Liberty High in Bakersfield. By the time Love was playing quarterback as a senior, he put up strong numbers but was rated a 2-star recruit by Rivals.com. He was courted mostly by FCS schools like Eastern Washington.
Six years later, he's on the verge of living out his father's dream of having his son play in the NFL.
As much as it frustrates Love that his father Orbin isn't here to witness his gradual rise, he keeps what he learned from his dad with him—not to get caught up in his own hype.
"It is kind of sinking in, yet at the same time, you can't really let it sink in," Love says. "But growing up and wanting to be in the NFL your whole life, the time is here where it's like, 'It can happen.'"
Love's inherent humility is a trait both of his parents shared. Orbin Love spent decades as a Bakersfield police officer, and his mother, Anna—who declined to be interviewed for this story, telling her son she "isn't good at that stuff"—is a California Highway Patrol officer based in Bakersfield who travels to every one of her son's games, no matter the distance.
WINSTON SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA - AUGUST 30: Jordan Love #10 of the Utah State Aggies against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during their game at BB&T Field on August 30, 2019 in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Wake Forest won 38-35. (Photo by Grant Halverson
Orbin, a junior college running back and quarterback, nudged his son toward football, and particularly toward quarterback, a position that would allow Jordan to initiate the action on offense. Still, in his preteen years, after dabbling in pretty much every sport you can imagine (including gymnastics, which he hated), Jordan progressed more quickly as a basketball player.
But in July 2013—the summer before Jordan's sophomore year of high school—Orbin, after a prolonged struggle with his mental health, killed himself while Jordan was away at a youth basketball game.
After his father's death, Jordan retreated into a shell and considered quitting sports altogether. But he soon found that the football field became both a sanctuary and a way of honoring his father's memory.
As a senior, he threw for more than 2,000 yards. Still, he viewed himself largely as an outsider in the sport. He never much enjoyed attending quarterback camps, where the attention was often given to more high-profile prospects.
"I was a little bit smaller, skinny," Love says. "My arm strength wasn't there yet. I just didn't know who I was yet, really."
Even after his family hired well-known Southern California quarterback guru Steve Clarkson to coach him, he was mostly viewed as too raw—at 6'3" and 180 pounds—to make it at the FBS level. Sanford, his current offensive coordinator, considered offering Love a scholarship while he was an assistant at Boise State, but he instead went after Ian Book.
"Jordan was kind of a project with, obviously, what's proven to be insane amounts of upside," Sanford says. "I will say this: For every 10 tall, lanky, skinny, not strong, not developed quarterbacks with long motions, one of them turns into a Jordan Love."
Utah State head coach Matt Wells had the time to see the process through.
Love redshirted as a true freshman in 2016 while the Aggies struggled through a 3-9 season, then took over the starting job in the second half of the 2017 season. In 2018, Love threw for more than 3,500 yards, 32 touchdowns and only six interceptions, guiding Utah State to an 11-2 record.
That success propelled Wells to the Texas Tech job, but when new head coach Gary Andersen and Sanford arrived this past offseason, they decided to keep the basic structure of the offense Love had thrived in last year. That meant Love could focus on the little things—processing information faster, reading defenses and connecting with a corps of competent receivers.
In a way, Sanford says, Love is almost a throwback in an NFL now obsessed with shorter quarterbacks who can release the ball more quickly. But Sanford adds that Love's release is incredibly quick for someone of his size. And his accuracy, his teammates say, is remarkable.
Love took over as the full-time starting quarterback at Utah State in 2018, and led the Aggies to a 11-2 record, including a win in the New Mexico Bowl.
"Pretty sure it was my freshman year, and my first fall camp scrimmage," Utah State receiver Savon Scarver says. "He made this back-shoulder throw down the sideline. The defender was literally on the receiver's body, and the receiver's running full speed, and he put it right in the perfect spot. That's when I was, like, 'Man, this dude is something special.' He could always do that stuff. It's just that now, he's way more polished."
In an effort to take on a leadership role this season, Love says he's consulted with Utah State's mental performance coach, Richard "Doc" Gordin, who's suggested Love "find everybody's why" when trying to motivate his teammates. But ask Love himself what his why is, and he doesn't hesitate.
It hasn't been an easy journey, but he knows who he is now, and he knows exactly why he's doing this.
"For my family, and definitely my dad," he says. "The pride he would have had, I can feel it."
