Dennehy, seniors pull off win in last game of season
The season ended for the Utah State football team with 201 yards rushing – its best running effort of the year – as the Aggies beat New Mexico State 34-25 Saturday in head coach Mick Dennehy’s last game at USU.
New Mexico State took a 12-0 lead off three Aggie turnovers but USU climbed back in and took a second-half lead because of four New Mexico State turnovers. The Aggie offense scored all 34 points in the second half and the offensive line played exceptionally well.
“Everything runs good when everyone’s doing their job,” said USU quarterback Travis Cox. “That was our offense today.”
The defense came alive in the third quarter as they recovered two fumbles to give the offense a shorter field. The offense reciprocated with two touchdowns to give the Aggies the lead 14-12 to start the fourth.
“Turnovers were the game in a nutshell,” Dennehy said. “The defense took the weight off their shoulders and just played fast.”
Freshman cornerback Toriano Taulougo ran back an interception 44 yards in the game’s final minute to clinch the win for the Aggies.
“Everybody else did their job, so I did mine,” Taulougo said.
To start the third quarter, the Aggie defense put on a show of teamwork.
New Mexico State’s first possession ended when Ronald Tupea forced a fumble that Taulougo recovered and returned 9 yards. Thanks to personal foul on New Mexico State the Aggies started on their opponent’s 13-yard line.
Freshman running back Chris Forbes ran the ball in four plays later to put the Aggies on the board.
The Aggie defense held New Mexico State scoreless for the rest of the third quarter as Tupea recovered another fumble.
Forbes ran for 43 yards on the next series and Jimmy Bohm caught a 1-yard touchdown pass to put the Aggies up. It was his first touchdown catch of the season.
The offensive line didn’t allow any sacks the entire game while the Aggies had 85 more rushing yards than their previous high of 115 against UL-Monroe.
“The offensive line did a great job,” said Dennehy, “not only in the running game, but protecting the quarterback.”
“We work as a team,” said Forbes of the offensive line. “If they play good, I play good. And if I play bad they play bad. It was a great job by the team running.”
In the third quarter, Forbes had 52 of his 131 rushing yards. He was the first Aggie to rush for 100 yards this season.
The offensive line kept the Aggies in the game, giving the defense time to rest and keeping drives alive. The Aggies didn’t have a three and out the entire second half.
While the Aggies dominated the third quarter, the fourth was a more even keeled.
The Aggies put a touchdown and a field goal on the board to start the fourth quarter, but New Mexico State made the score 24-19 after just five more plays.
On the Aggies next possession, punter Ben Chaet, in his first game back from injury, came up 1 yard short off a fourth-down conversion on a fake punt. NMSU scored three plays later to take the lead 25-24 after they missed their two-point conversion.
Enter Cox.
Cox was 5-6 passing for 43 yards as the Aggies drove 53 yards in 11 plays. Jarrod Jakubiak kicked a 29-yard field goal to put the Aggies up 27-25.
“It was my last drive of probably my life,” Cox said. “We had to make the most of it.”
The defense took care of the scoring from there out as Taulougo scored with a minute left to put the Aggies up for good. New Mexico State ended the game with eight straight incomplete passes. One of which was the interception returned for a touchdown.
This game was not only Senior Day for 17 of the Aggie players, but was also last game for the coaching staff.
“They worked hard and I’m glad to see they could at least go out with a victory,” Cox said.
Forbes said he used Dennehy’s last game as motivation since Dennehy was the only coach to give him a chance in Division I football.
“I took this game to heart,” said Forbes. “I felt how he felt.”
The Aggies finished the year with a 3-8 record.
-krn@cc.usu.edu
USU head coach Mick Dennehy talks with NMSU head coach Tony Samuel Saturday. Dennehy finished his career at USU with a 34-25 win. (Photo by John Zsiray)
Freshman Chris Forbes breaks a NMSU tackle Saturday. Forbes rushed for a career-high 131 yards. (Photo by John Zsiray)