Football debrief: The good, the bad and the ugly
The Good:
Through the first 40 minutes of play, Utah State outplayed a Fresno State team that has been on the verge of cracking the Top 25 for the past two weeks. The Aggies, who never trailed through the first three quarters, held a touchdown lead on the Bulldogs until 2:09 left in the third, which can be attributed to an impressive running game. USU rushed 45 times for 205 yards with touchdowns coming from quarterback Diondre Borel and running back Michael Smith. The Aggies defense also had some impressive individual performances. Linebacker Bobby Wagner led the team with a career-high 17 tackles and defensive end Quinn Garner also played very well, registering his first career interception.
The Bad:
USU went into the fourth quarter tied, but let the game slip away from them in the last 15 minutes. Their offense sputtered and their defense could not keep pace with the Bulldogs’ attack. The Aggie “D” allowed110 yards in the four quarter while the offense only gained 37 yards. The Aggies did not score after the 6:09 mark in the third quarter, whereas Fresno State put up 24 unanswered points.
The Ugly:
In all the post-game conferences there were two words on everybody’s lips – special teams. The special teams were a huge factor and coach Gary Andersen admitted, “we had big issues on special teams.” The problems started right before halftime when USU punted from their own end zone and then allowed a 50-yard return that set-up Fresno State on the 7-yard line for an easy score. The second half started the same way when Jalen Saunders took the opening kick-off 30 yards to the 45 yard line and the Bulldogs set up shop with a short field ahead of them. The next two quarters USU missed a field goal, got a punt blocked, and gave Fresno short fields on sub-par punts.
Tipping Point of the Game:
The tipping point of this pivotal game came on – you guessed it – a special teams play. Tied at the end of the third quarter, USU had a punt blocked and recovered by Fresno State. The Bulldogs would get only a field goal out of that miscue, but following the block the Aggies were out of sync offensively and defensively and could not respond as Fresno pulled away to win.
Players of the Game:
Offensive: AJ Ellis, RB, Fresno State. Ellis started the game in place of injured starter Robbie Rouse and shredded the Aggie defense. Ellis rushed 29 times for 165 yards and two touchdowns in addition to catching a 10 yard touchdown pass in the second quarter.
Defensive: Bobby Wagner, LB, Utah State. Wagner did his best to try and single-handedly stop Fresno’s relentless attack as he recorded a career-high 17 tackles. It was Wagner’s second straight game leading the team and recording double-digit tackle numbers.
What it means:
The Aggies were looking for a breakthrough win, as DE Levi Koskan said after the game, “We wanted to prove to the nation and the WAC that we are a legitimate team.” With the loss, however, USU is now 10-15-1 all-time vs. Fresno State, having lost four in a row, and is 1-5 in WAC openers. The Aggies now look to their next game at San Diego State as the opportunity to take that “next step.”
– mark.israelsen@aggiemail.usu.edu