USU holds NU to three TDs, four field goals
The Utah State football squad held a brief 7-6 lead against the No. 23 team in the nation, but could not hold on as Nebraska scored 25 unanswered points to secure the 31-7 victory Saturday morning in Lincoln.
USU only trailed by eight points at the half, but had lost its momentum and could not mount a comeback.
Nebraska linebacker Demorrio Williams tied a school record for sacks in a game with three in the first half alone, including two fumbles on consecutive plays that led to 10 quick points for the Cornhuskers.
While the offense struggled later in the game, Utah State Head Coach Mick Dennehy gave the defense credit for keeping the game from being a blowout of much larger proportions.
“I thought our defense did one heck of a job of keeping them out of the end zone,” Dennehy said in a radio interview after the game. “Obviously, 31-7 looks like we got our tail kicked, but if those field goals were touchdowns I’d feel way worse.”
Time of possession and field position were factors in the Aggie loss.
The Cornhuskers held the ball 38 minutes compared to the Aggies’ 21 minutes.
USU’s defense gave up 405 yards to Nebraska but held the Cornhuskers to field goals four times inside the 15-yard line, even though Nebraska’s average field position to begin drives was their own 43-yard line.
Utah State’s offense looked sharp in its first series as quarterback Travis Cox moved the Aggies downfield on an eight-play, 51-yard drive. He completed his first seven passes before tight end Chris Cooley dropped a pass on fourth and two at the Cornhuskers’ 29-yard line to stall the drive.
The Cornhuskers got on the board in their first possession, scoring on quarterback Jammal Lord’s 15-yard run to cap a 71-yard drive. Kicker Sandro DeAngelis’ PAT missed, leaving the score 6-0 for Nebraska.
Lord led Nebraska with 72 yards rushing and completed eight-of-12 passes for 85 yards. Josh Davis added 67 yards and David Horne ran for another 50 in the Cornhuskers’ balanced attack.
Nebraska ended the game with 273 yards rushing.
The Aggies’ offense didn’t slow down on their second drive. Cox went to Cooley three times in a four play, 66-yard drive that ended with Cooley hauling in a 41-yard pass to tie the game. Cooley led all receivers in the game with six catches for 92 yards.
Justin Hamblin’s PAT made it 7-6 for Utah State at the end of the first quarter.
Cox completed 13-of-15 passes in the quarter but didn’t complete another pass until a little more than two minutes remained in the game. He finished 17-of-33 for 178 yards and one touchdown.
In the second quarter, freshman USU linebacker Kelly Poppinga recovered a fumble by Lord at Nebraska’s 32-yard line, giving the Aggies a chance to extend their lead.
On the first play after the recovery, the Aggies tried a trick play, sending in backup QB Matt Crivello as a receiver to attempt a double pass. Cox hit Crivello in the flat, but Crivello’s pass downfield was underthrown and picked off by Nebraska free safety Josh Bullocks.
Nebraska moved the ball 36 yards before the USU defense forced them to punt, giving Utah State the ball at their own 16.
Cox completed a pass to Chris Stallworth for an apparent first down, but the play was called back for an illegal shift penalty. That’s when Williams took over the game and the Aggies fell apart at the seams.
Williams sacked Cox near the goal line, forcing a fumble that he recovered while surrounded by white USU jerseys.
Cornhuskers’ running back Judd Davies made it a one-play, one-yard drive by scoring on a dive up the middle. Nebraska’s two-point conversion attempt failed, making the score 12-0.
Dennehy said Williams didn’t do anything unexpected.
“The one thing you can’t do is prepare for how fast he is,” he said.
Aggie return specialist Jerome Dennis gave Utah State good field position with a 43-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. Williams got into the Aggie backfield again, sacking Cox and causing another fumble. This one was picked up by defensive end Titus Adams at the Aggie 35, leading to a 23-yard field goal by David Dyches that ended the scoring in the first half with Nebraska up 15-7.
To adjust to Williams’ pass rush, Dennehy said he was forced to use Cooley as a pass blocker more often than he wanted.
“He’s an awful good pass receiver, and he does so much in opening up things downfield for our wideouts, you hate to use him in protection,” Dennehy said.
The Cornhuskers opened the second half with a 10-play, 74-yard drive to go up 22-7.
The Aggie defense didn’t allow them another touchdown the rest of the way, making them settle for short field goals.
Dennehy said that was one positive the team could focus on in the loss.
“I thought our guys played hard when they got backed up down there and I think that’s something we can use, that we can rally our kids around and get better as a result,” he said.
At the end of the third quarter, Nebraska Head Coach Frank Solich sent in backup quarterback Joe Dailey. Dailey ended the game completing four-of-five passes and rushed for 47 yards, but was unable to lead the Cornhuskers to a touchdown.
In the fourth quarter, Dailey drove the Cornhuskers to the USU 1-yard line, but fumbled the ball.
Aggie linebacker Robert Watts recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchback.
Utah State kicker Justin Hamblin missed a field goal from the Nebraska 30-yard line on the final play of the game.
The Aggies head to Arizona State on Saturday.
-royburton@cc.usu.edu