Football debrief: The good, the bad and the ugly
The Good: Diondre Borel continues his ascension up the Aggie record books, his performance Saturday adding to his already gaudy career resume. Borel, threw a career high 399 yards in the game and topped his previous career best of 369. It was the most passing yards by an Aggie quarterback since 2002, when Jose Fuentes threw for 426 yards against Middle Tennessee State. Borel wasn’t the only one Aggie to have a big offensive game. A week after failing to establish the passing game against Hawaii, USU’s backs, receivers and tight ends stepped up in a big way. Dontel Watkins (6 catches, 82 yards) and Kellen Bartlett (5 catches, 121 yards) led the way for the Aggies, but Kerwynn Williams, Eric Moats, and Travis van Leeuwen all logged more than 40 receiving yards apiece. If there’s any saving grace in their performance going into the final stretch of the season, it’s that all five players return will return to next year’s USU team.
The Bad: Where do you start? Utah State surrendered 596 yards to Nevada, which rushed for 387 yards despite missing the team’s leading rusher in Vai Taua. Colin Kaepernick glided past USU defenders with ease, rushing for 102 yards and a touchdown, while also picking part the Aggie secondary on 10-of-15 passing. Utah State’s defense also failed to generate a turnover for the first time of the season.
The Ugly: Like games against San Diego State and Louisiana Tech, Utah State came out flat in the first half, struggling to adjust to the speed of the game while at the same time committing costly penalties which aided the opposition. Five of the first six Aggie possessions ended in punts, while the sixth ended after a Derrvin Speight fumble. Despite coming alive on offense in the second half, USU’s defense did little to slow down the Nevada offense.
The Painful: Neither the month of October nor the Wolf Pack have been kind to the Aggies in recent history. Saturday’s loss drops USU to 4-17 against the Wolf Pack all-time, with next year’s game in Logan slated to be the last conference matchup between the two team’s before Nevada moves to the Mountain West. The Aggies are 2-8 in Reno, and have lost the last three away from Logan. As far as October goes, the Aggies’ 25 losses in their last 32 October games speaks for itself. At least November brings the start of basketball season.
What it means: Despite Gary Andersen’s insistence that the Aggies are starting over with a “four game season,” Saturday’s loss effectively kills any lingering hope USU had to make a bowl game in 2010. To become bowl eligible, the Aggies would have to win their remaining four games – a highly improbable scenario, considering undefeated Boise State and 4-4 Idaho still loom on the horizon. But forget winning the remaining four, or even three of the last four for that matter. Despite a 2-6 record, New Mexico State won’t be a cakewalk next week, especially with fan interest waning.
– adam.nettina@aggiemail.usu.edu