LOGAN — A Utah State football player drowned Saturday afternoon while cliff jumping at Porcupine Reservoir. Andre Seldon Jr. was found deceased by search and rescue teams at approximately 9:05 p.m., almost seven hours after the 22-year-old was seen going under water and not resurfacing. Cache County Sheriff’s Lt. Mikelshan Bartschi said their initial investigation leads deputies to believe this was a tragic accident as multiple witnesses recount the same information. According to investigators, Seldon was reportedly seen diving from cliffs into the water and did not resurface around 2:20 p.m. July 20. Search and Rescue teams, along with dive units, were deployed to the scene to conduct a search of the area. A state dive team and helicopter from the Utah Department of Public Safety also assisted in the search efforts. USU interim head coach Nate Dreiling said, “Our football program is heartbroken to have to endure the loss of one of our own. Having had a previous relationship with Andre during our time together at New Mexico State, I can tell you he was an incredible person and teammate. Our condolences and prayers go out to Andre’s family as we grieve with them over this tremendous loss.” Seldon

LOGAN — Austin Albrecht, who was fired by Utah State University on July 2 as the football director for player development and community expressed his disappointment with being dismissed, but expressed his best wishes for Cache Valley and USU student athletes, said in a statement to Cache Valley Daily.  During the Gary Andersen/Matt Wells era at USU, a phrase often echoed in the locker room was ‘Once an Aggie, Always an Aggie.’ Today, that sentiment resonates even more deeply, serving as a reminder of my enduring connection to Utah State University. My journey as an Aggie began in 2011 when I started my football career at USU. Returning in 2021 to join the football coaching staff has been a privilege beyond measure. Whether as a player or coach, my time here has been filled with love and gratitude. I am profoundly thankful for the countless individuals I’ve had the honor to work with every day, as well as for the incredible community of Cache Valley that I’ve been fortunate to call home. From dedicated student-athletes and supportive colleagues to the many wonderful people in the community, each day has been enriched by their presence. I am deeply disappointed and saddened by

LOGAN — A day after Utah State University announced the firing of its head football coach, Blake Anderson, less than 45 days before the beginning of the 2024 season, Anderson’s attorney gave a sneak peek on social media of what is in the 70-page response to Anderson’s termination. The publicized portion of what will be referred to as the “response letter” includes only roughly three pages (though Mars promised that the “Full response to follow with attached exhibits, which include USU’s termination letter, investigation summary, court records, and witness statements”), but includes several key arguments made by Anderson and his representation in response to allegations made by Utah State in their full statement regarding the firing. Utah State officially fires football head coach Blake Anderson Anderson’s response letter begins by noting Utah State’s right to terminate the contract at any time provided the university pays out the remaining contract, a process commonly referred to as a buyout. According to the terms of Anderson’s contract, that amount is 75 percent of the pro-rated cumulative total of salary remaining on his contract at the time of firing. That full amount remaining on Anderson’s contract — not including any salary already paid for the

LOGAN — Utah State football head coach Blake Anderson and his legal representatives have filed a 70-page response to USU’s notification that it intends to terminate Anderson for cause. The filing of this response was publicly stated by Tom Mars, the attorney representing Anderson in this case. “On behalf of Head Football Coach Blake Anderson, we submitted a 70-page response to USU’s termination notice to the Athletics Director earlier today,” Mars said on X, formerly known as Twitter. “As a courtesy to the university, we won’t be commenting or releasing the response while Coach Anderson is still employed by USU.” On behalf of Head Football Coach Blake Anderson, we submitted a 70-page response to USU’s termination notice to the Athletics Director earlier today. As a courtesy to the university, we won’t be commenting or releasing the response while Coach Anderson is still employed by USU. https://t.co/RRC7Ie3f4V — Tom Mars (@TomMarsLaw) July 16, 2024 On July 2, Utah State released a statement announcing it had informed Anderson of its intent to terminate his contract due to “noncompliance with university policies that implement Title IX, which require full and timely reporting of disclosures of sexual misconduct — including domestic violence — and prohibit

It’s been roughly 600 days since Spencer Petras last played in a competitive football game, hard to believe for someone who for five straight seasons between 2018 and 2022 appeared on the field at least once for the University of Iowa. For the final three years, Petras was the full-time starter and the Hawkeyes went 23-11 in that time span. He threw for more than 5,000 yards with 24 touchdowns. As 2022 drew to its close, there was every indication Petras would be able to use his extra season of eligibility given to him because of the COVID year and be Iowa’s starting QB for a fourth and final time. One play changed all that. Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras drops back to pass against Ohio State during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete) Jay LaPrete Early in the first quarter of Iowa’s late November 2022 matchup with conference rival Nebraska, Petras was dragged down from behind for a strip sack and landed poorly on his right shoulder. As the Cornhuskers scrambled to recover the loose ball, Petras slowly got up, flexing his arm and rolling his shoulder