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Logan • Utah State has lost junior offensive lineman Jarom Ioane for the season, coach Matt Wells said after Saturday night's scrimmage at Maverick Stadium.
Ioane, who is listed at 6-foot-5 and 350 pounds, suffered a "lower leg" injury and underwent surgery this week. The Bountiful High product played in 13 games last season on the offensive line and special teams after redshirting in 2014.
Said Wells: "He was right in the mix for a starting job, so I feel bad for that kid. But we'll have to move on with the O-line."
Despite the loss of Ioane, Wells liked how his offensive line played in the 95-minute scrimmage, led by senior tackles Austin Albrecht and Jake Simonich.
"We're getting closer," Wells said. "We're getting a lot closer to where we want to be. The thing about it is, Austin and Jake can play guard and tackle. That gives is a little bit of flexibility up front."
Position battles
The scrimmage did nothing to settle depth-chart issues at kicker and behind starter Kent Myers at quarterback.
Among the kickers, seniors Brock Warren and Jake Thompson have been joined by freshman Dominik Eberle in the fight for the No. 1 job. Each had their moments in the scrimmage, but they also missed field goals from less than 45 yards.
Asked if any of the three players took the lead in the kicking battle, Wells said, "I did not see any separation. … Ten more days to figure out that competition."
At quarterback, junior Damion Hobbs, sophomore DJ Nelson, redshirt freshman Cade Smith and freshman Kevin Love all took snaps during the scrimmage.
"We're still figuring out that competition, too," Wells said.
Going long
The scrimmage lasted longer than originally planned, but Wells added several series because another one scheduled for last Thursday was cancelled.
"At that point in training camp, we had enough live reps," Wells explained. "We keep count of the live reps ... and had gotten to that number.
"Plus, we were a little banged up and I thought Monday and Tuesday were really hard practices. And Tuesday on the turf was really hot. It took a toll on us."
What did Wells like about this scrimmage?
"I thought the 'one' [defense] did a very good job," he said, "and I thought the 'one' offense ran the ball well. I thought Kent threw the ball well. The biggest thing for me that sticks out is I want us to be so much better in the red zone, in terms of [scoring] touchdowns."
Briefly
Held in conjunction with Utah State's annual Family Fun Day, the first public scrimmage of the preseason drew an estimated crowd of 8,000 at newly-renovated Maverik Stadium. … Asked when he would finalize a preseason depth chart, Wells joked, "At 6 p.m. on Sept. 1." That's when the Aggies play Weber State in their season opener. … Myers completed 11 of 14 passes for 142 yards. … Senior running back Devante Mays rushed 10 times for 43 yards, including a 6-yarder for a touchdown. … Seventeen different players caught passes in the scrimmage, led by freshman Rayshad Lewis. He had four receptions for 65 yards.
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