Ags 0-8 for first time since 1941
The USU football team made program history Saturday afternoon.
The Aggies were held scoreless in two quarters of the game, gained two yards of total offense in the third quarter, and lost 31-21 to the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs in front of 8,543 fans at Romney Stadium.
This 2007 USU squad (0-8, 0-4 in Western Athletic Conference play) is the second ever to lose eight games straight in a single season. The 1941 team was the first. Dating back to last season, the Aggies have now lost 14 in a row.
“Disappointment,” said Aggie sophomore quarterback Jase McCormick of the feeling in the locker room after the game. “We’re a lot better than our record shows, I know. (Our offense and defense) just need to make more plays. I didn’t really expect that we’d be behind. We had a pretty good game plan. I hoped we’d have been able to execute it a little bit better.”
McCormick split playing time with senior Leon Jackson III. McCormick, who said he knew all week he would play, was brought in at the middle of USU’s third drive of the first quarter. He finished the game 8-of-14 passing for 93 yards, one interception and one touchdown. Jackson was 9-of-12 for 127 yards and an 82-yard touchdown pass to running back Jacob Actkinson five minutes into the second quarter.
That play, which was the only Aggie offensive highlight for the first three quarters, was a new play they made during the week. Tight end Rob Myers was to run a corner route and Actkinson a post from out of the backfield. The defense jumped on Myers to leave Actkinson as wide open as he has ever been while in a USU uniform.
“I looked back and the sun was in my eyes,” Actkinson said. “I was worried about that. Once I caught it I knew I was going to score.”
Not until halfway through the fourth quarter did the Aggies find the end zone again.
With McCormick leading the offense, the Aggies strung together a 12-play, 72-yard drive. Running back Curtis Marsh scored on a two-yard run to top it off and cut the Tech lead to 10 points.
The Bulldogs bit back on their next drive. They plowed 68-yards in 3:27 through the USU defense to push their lead back to 17 thanks to a 31-yard touchdown by LTU running back Daniel Porter.
USU moneyman Kevin Robinson took the ensuing kickoff return back 42 yards to give his team promising field position at the Bulldog 37-yard line.
Five plays later, McCormick found Robinson for a 19-yard touchdown pass.
SLOW START AND EMPTY THIRD QUARTER
For the second week in a row, USU found itself down by two scores halfway through the first quarter.
For the second week in a row, USU’s opponent dominated the third quarter.
“I think our guys were excited to play,” Aggie Head Coach Brent Guy said. “We just did the same thing in the third quarter. Couldn’t make first downs. We got off balance.”
Actkinson had no explanation for the Aggies’ third quarter invisibility.
“We had a great week of practice. I don’t know what happened,” he said. “That’s something we as players have to work on.”
While the Aggies were nowhere to be seen, the Bulldogs put up 14 points and had the ball for just under 11 minutes.
For the game, the Bulldogs collected 518 yards of total offense (288 rushing, 230 passing) and had 30 first downs. Quarterback Zac Champion defined his last name with his performance. He converted 23-of-29 passes to 12 different receivers. The Aggies had only 326 yards of total offense (two of them in the third quarter).
QUARTERBACK SITUATION
Though Jackson and McCormick played, Guy wouldn’t say whether the starting job is up for grabs.
“I don’t know that I can stand here and make that decision right now until we go watch the film,” Guy said. “Maybe it’s a situation where we alternate them and use them both or start one or the other. We’ll have to decide that through the week. Obviously by Tuesday, we’ll have to make a decision as to what we’re going to do.”
McCormick said he plans to be prepared for whatever the coaches tell him.
“I’m just going come and keep doing what I’ve been doing and be preparing to go in when they call my number,” McCormick said.
-samuel.hislop@aggiemail.usu.edu