Utah State football: Chuckie Keeton out 4 to 6 weeks with sprained knee

Utah State received some bad news as Matt Wells announced that starting quarterback Chuckie Keeton is out with a sprained right knee, and injury he likely suffered in the loss to Utah. Keeton took a big hit in the second quarter of the game and was limping throughout, and he did not look good in the loss to Washington.

Keeton is going to be sidelined for the next 4 to 6 weeks and Kent Myers has been named the starter and Damion Hobbs and D.J. Nelson backing him up.

This is just unfortunate news for Keeton and the Aggies. He has not been healthy since the 2012 season suffering multiple knee injuries in 2013 and 2014. Keeton gained an extra year of eligibility to be able to play this year, but it was clear from the start he was not the same guy in the opener against Southern Utah.

It is a shame because Keeton was a dynamic player who captured the attention of nearly every college football fan with his near wins against Auburn as a true freshman -- who were the defending national champions -- Oklahoma and Wisconsin.

Despite Keeton's injury woes he is tied for first in career touchdowns at Utah State, second in total offense. He has seen the field for 12 games since that 2012 season, so holding those records is a big deal. Keeton has been responsible in helping Utah State being one of the worst teams in the country year in and year out which saw them be an independent and part of the Sun Belt, to being a fringe top-25 team and a Mountain West contender. Also, had Keeton helped beat Wisconsin, the Aggies would have been in the Orange Bowl over Northern Illinois in 2012.

So, it begs the question if Keeton should have ever come back, and be the starter. It can easily be argued that Darrell Garretson was the better quarterback going forward, but he saw the signs and left to Oregon State.

The team is now going with sophomore Myers this week against Colorado State, and likely going forward the reast of the way. Myers who was one of four quarterbacks last year to see the field, and he led the Aggies to a bowl win.

We will see if Keeton will be back on the field at all this year, and really he probably shouldn't.