When the now-fateful news of Blake Anderson’s impeding termination as head coach of Utah State football became known to Aggie faithful, the future interim head coach, Nate Dreiling, wasn’t even in Logan. He also wasn’t in the state of Utah, nor the United States. Dreiling was enjoying some well-earned time off with his wife in Dublin, Ireland as part of a European getaway.
So Dreiling had to immediately book a flight home, shortening the vacation and giving the now youngest coach in FBS a lot of work in order to stabilize the team and get it prepped for their first game that was only eight weeks away. Much of the initial work amounted to spending a lot of time on the phone with the players.
“They need to know how we’re going to handle this situation. They need to know that leadership-wise we have a plan in place for them,” Dreiling said in an interview with Cache Valley Daily reporter Craig Hislop. “I met with every single player on offense and special teams the last three days and I’ll continue to do that with a defense.
“So, it’s just making sure they understand that, one we’re here for them, two we’re going to listen to understand what they need and the only thing we’re going to change is what they think is going to help make this program better.”
Dreiling’s vision for this team in 2024, especially for the defense, is focused a lot more on the “how” and not on the “what,” which he explained in his first meeting with the defense.
“I asked them what their favorite scheme is and all that and they shouted out a bunch of different answers. But ultimately I told them if there was a best scheme, everyone in the country would run it,” Dreiling said. “So we focus on the little details, the fundamentals, the techniques.”
The defense in particular, has a long way to go from last year, from improving the 11th-worst points allowed average (34.7) to not replicating the last three games of 2023 in which USU allowed three straight opponents to rush for 300-plus yards along with 11 rushing touchdowns.
To that end, Dreiling has a lot of returning experience combined with newcomers he believes can be top-level players in the conference. And that conversation, of course, begins with Ike Larsen, who finished second on the team in tackles last season at 103, paired with 4.5 TFLs and a team-leading four interceptions. Larsen is the star of the show.
“He’s going to do whatever it takes to help with his team win,” Dreiling said. “And he is really going to shine in our defensive scheme.”
Praise from the interim HC didn’t just go to Larsen, even among players in the Aggie secondary. Dreiling also highlighted Jordan Vincent, who followed him from New Mexico State, along with two of USU’s returning corners, Avante Dickerson and JD Drew. All three drew high praise as individuals and talented players in their respective positions.
Given so many of the Aggies’ problems defensively involved stopping the run and creating a pass rush, the main questions about the unit revolve more around the front seven. The linebackers, defensive tackles, edge rushers and so forth. Huge questions are present at linebacker considering All-Mountain West linebacker and leading tackler MJ Tafisi graduate, the third-leading tackler Anthony Switzer transferred and one of the incoming transfers meant to shore up the position, Shaun Dolac, changed his mind and transferred back to Buffalo. According to Dreiling, production will have to come “by committee” with a combination of newcomers and returning experience.
“We got a couple new faces as far as John Ross Maye, who was one of the best Division II linebackers in the country last year, transferred in. Clyde Washington, who played over 300 snaps for the University of Purdue. So it’s a bunch of faces as well as, you know, Max (Alford) and Bronson (Olevao), some players that have a lot of snaps. So that’ll be room as far as depth wise we feel great.”
On the defensive line, aside from another player who followed Dreiling from NMSU, defensive tackle Gabriel Iniguez, one of the players he’s highlighted the most has been defensive end Blaine Spires. Dreiling praised him both in an interview on the Full Court Press and at media days, saying he “should be the best pass rusher in this conference.”
“That’s his goal and that’s reachable if he wants to keep pushing and working as hard as he is,” Dreiling said of Spires, who tallied 5.0 sacks and 8.5 TFLs in his first season with USU last year following his transfer from Bowling Green.
Had Anderson not been dismissed, Dreiling’s concerns would have ended at revitalizing the defense and coaching the players to fulfilling their potential and goals. Now, as interim head coach, he’ll have to lead the whole team, including the offense. But much like how Anderson, as an offensive coach, allowed his defensive coordinators to do whatever they needed, Dreiling will yield to Kyle Cefalo and the offensive staff to do what they do best.
“I’m going to continue in the DC role and then as the head coach make sure I stay away out of the offense,” Dreiling said. “Give them the resources they need but that’s been the bread and butter of this program so they can lead the way and the defense will get caught up.”
The offense is well-positioned to play as well as it ever did during the Anderson era, which included two seasons ranking inside the top 35 in points scored per game and some record-breaking passing and receiving numbers. One of those record-setting players returns for this season, Jalen Royals. In 2023 he set a new USU record for single-season receiving touchdowns, hauling in 15 over the course of year to go with 1,080 yards.
Dreiling said he’s already learned from coaching against the Aggie offense in spring that when the ball gets thrown to Royals, there’s not a whole lot you can do.
“You can’t cover the guy he makes every single catch,” Dreiling said. “He’s one of the best receivers, not just in the Mountain West but in the country.”
Utah State quarterback Spencer Petras at Mountain West Conference Media Days in Las Vegas.
As important as Royals will be in success, receivers are at their best when they’ve got a QB capable of getting them the ball. Spencer Petras will be that man this season and Dreiling had plenty to say about the transfer from Iowa, including the maturity of the QB whose been in the collegiate ranks since 2018.
“He’s almost older than me, so that’s a plus,” Dreiling joked. “But he’s been around the block. He’s got 29 starts in the Big Ten. He’ll have one of the biggest arms in all of college football and even more importantly he has players around him that can go get the ball. So he’s going to become quickly a fan favorite for everyone in Maverick Stadium and they’re going to be excited to not only see his arm strength but to see how tough he is and how unbelievable he is.”
And it isn’t just Royals and Petras that Dreiling is excited about. The entire crew of playmakers on offense, like Micah Davis and tight ends Broc Lane and Josh Sterzer were all brought up by Dreiling, who also highlighted the running back room with Rahsul Faison and Robert Briggs as playmakers in the offense. It’s an ensemble that Dreiling said has “all the pieces in place to go make a run” at the conference title.
