Utah State football squad finishes season without road win
The Utah State football team’s final road game ended like all the other away games it played this season – with a loss.
Idaho Head Coach Tom Cable suffered a loss as well, even though his team won the game 20-13.
Cable lost his job following the game when University of Idaho officials announced that his contract would be allowed to expire on Jan. 23.
“The university has decided we need to move in a new direction with the football program,” said Rob Spear, Idaho’s interim athletics director. “We have elected to not renew Coach Cable’s contract.”
Spear said Idaho has already begun searching for a new coach. All of Cable’s assistant coaches will be asked to continue their recruiting duties until their contracts expire at the same time as Cable’s, and will be able to re-apply for their positions with the incoming coach, Spears said.
The Aggie loss in Moscow, Idaho, coupled with the Vandals’ victory, left the two teams with identical 3-9 overall and 3-4 Sun Belt Conference records.
Utah State took a lead into the fourth quarter, but could not respond as the Vandals kicked a field goal to tie the game with 10:30 to go and then scored again with 6:34 remaining.
“You’ve got to give Idaho credit,” said Utah State Head Coach Mick Dennehy in a post-game radio interview. “[The Vandals] did a nice job. They controlled the fourth quarter. They kept our offense off the field, although we kind of kept ourselves off, too.”
The Aggie offense gained 436 yards, going over the 400-yard mark for the third time this year, but could not find the end zone often enough to come out ahead in the game.
The Aggies had chances to pick up their first road win in their last attempt, but could not pull a win out.
“All in all, this thing was just like our whole season,” Dennehy said. “It’s no fun being ‘almost.’ Every game we have played has been just like this.”
Leading 13-10 in the third quarter, Utah State had an apparent 43-yard catch-and-run touchdown by running back David Fiefia nullified by a penalty.
Fiefia rushed 19 times for 64 yards, coming 33 yards short of reaching the 1,000-yard milestone for the season.
“We definitely wish we had won a lot more games,” said USU linebacker Robert Watts. “But if we keep committing the same penalties, we’re not going to win.”
Later in the drive, Dennehy elected to go for it on fourth-and-eight. Tight end Chris Cooley caught a pass for the first down but fumbled the ball inside the red zone, where Idaho recovered.
“We put together a drive finally and we get a turnover,” Dennehy said. “If we get some points there, who knows? It’s still going to be a battle.”
Dennehy said the team did some good things in the game, but like so often in the season, it couldn’t overcome the mistakes.
“We’re not a team that’s been very good at making breaks for ourselves,” he said.
Cooley, a Mackey Award finalist who already held the Utah State tight end record for single season receptions, also added the record for career catches at the position Saturday.
Cooley hauled in 10 passes, a career high, for 125 yards, but did not score.
Quarterback Travis Cox also recorded a career-best 322 yards passing. Cox’s previous high was 308 yards against Utah in the first game of the season. He completed 30-of-45 passes, ending with one touchdown and no interceptions.
Cox had a 41-yard run in the game, the longest by an Aggie quarterback since 1992.
Wide receiver Chris Stallworth caught five passes for 73 yards, including the Aggies’ only touchdown in the game.
Vandal running back Zach Gerstner burned the Aggies for 147 yards on the ground, scoring two touchdowns.
“[Gerstner] made some plays,” Watts said. “He’s a very tough runner. He gives good effort and that’s how he stands out.”
Gerstner’s longest run of the day was just 14 yards, but he carried the ball 39 times.
Idaho quarterback Brian Lindgren completed 21-of-35 passes for 250 yards. The Vandals led the league in passing coming into the game.
Lindgren did not throw a TD pass. On the defensive side of the ball, Utah State was led by its linebackers. Rodney Wilson had a team-high 19 tackles, followed by Watts with 15.
Freshman safety Terrance Washington added 11.
The Vandals opened the scoring in the game with a 35-yard Mike Barrow field goal, following an 11-play, first-quarter drive.
USU’s Ben Chaet matched Idaho later in the quarter with the first field goal the Aggies have made since the third week of the season.
Utah State went several games without attempting a field goal and missed twice against New Mexico State.
The Aggies were pinned back to their own 4-yard line on their next possession, but marched 96 yards in 10 plays, scoring on Cox’s longest pass of the day, a 33-yarder to Stallworth.
Chaet finished the Aggie scoring by adding another field goal early in the second quarter. He hit from 34 yards out to add to his 20-yarder in the first quarter.
Chaet missed from 40 yards just before halftime, keeping the Aggie lead at 13-10.
USU had a chance to get the ball back late in the fourth quarter, but the Vandals drew defensive lineman John Chick offside on fourth-and-two.
The penalty gave the Vandals a first down and allowed Idaho to run out the clock.
-royburton@cc.usu.edu