Four takeaways from the homecoming game
By every conceivable metric, the Aggies played their most complete game Saturday en route to a 33-18 win over Colorado State.
Of course opening conference play 1-0 is good, but it was the way USU went about it that has fans eyeing a shot at the Mountain West crown. The defense is solidifying into one of the conference’s best, and starting quarterback Kent Myers has the Aggies’ once-dormant offense finally up and running.
Even with the noticeable improvements made on both sides of the ball, Utah State has yet to reach its final form — a prospect that should excite anyone looking ahead to the week-seven showdown at home against No. 25 Boise State.
1. Myers mania is for real
The Rams weren’t ready.
Last year’s narrow loss in Fort Collins saw both Darell Garrettson and Craig Harrison under center, but then-freshman Myers was forced to watch from the sidelines as a late CSU field goal cost USU a crucial conference win.
As if to make up for lost time, the young quarterback put the Colorado State defense to shame Saturday. Myers balanced throwing for 137 yards and a touchdown with constantly escaping the pocket for big gains on the ground, setting a new school record for quarterback rushing with 191 yards and a touchdown.
Wondering what the season’s first three games would’ve looked like with Myers under center is a pointless exercise. Enjoying what the sophomore brings to the table now in conference play is enough for me, especially considering his chemistry with the receiving corps will only get better with time. The Rams had no answer for Myers’ speed Saturday, and only the most disciplined defenses will stand a chance against an Aggie offense suddenly making significant strides toward the high-flying potential fans anticipated.
2. Big plays for everyone
Anyone know how many USU rushers had gains of 30 yards or more against CSU? The only correct answer is “all of them.”
Myers recorded a 34-yard scramble. LaJuan Hunt blew through the most wide-open hole in the history of running plays for a 33-yard score. Mays rumbled for a 30-yarder of his own — half of his 60-yard total for the day.
After just six plays of 20 yards or more all year, the Aggies tallied eight such plays Saturday night, including a 42-yard bomb to Hunter Sharp for a score.
That doesn’t mean the offense is totally in the clear — Utah State stormed into the red zone three straight times in the second half before stalling and settling for field goals. Big plays are fun, and coaches are doing an excellent job making adjustments to the O-line to give the offense more of a chance, but USU can still work on finding the end zone.
3. It’s a penalty party, and everyone’s invited
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penalties for 125 yards is a death sentence in most football games. Fortunately for USU, the Rams managed a near-identical 12 penalties for 110 yards, so it’s not like either team was playing mistake-free.
Penalties are frustrating, especially in front of a friendly crowd. At one point late in the second half, CSU was called for a false start twice in a row due to shifts in the Aggie D-line and a raucous crowd packed into the lower seats of Maverik Stadium. That’s somewhat excusable — the Rams couldn’t hear, confusion set in, and suddenly they were sitting at 1st and 20.
However, if Utah State is really planning on making a run at the conference title, coughing up well over the length of the field’s worth of penalties at home is problematic.
4. Kyler Fackrell is a beast
No really, that’s it. Fackrell is NFL-level talent, and everyone should just enjoy watching him in an Aggie uniform while they still can. Three tackles for a loss and a sack Saturday is just one more line on his already impressive resume.
Things for this team are coming together. Hanging 33 on a pretty good conference foe is encouraging, and the defense will continue to evolve. Adjustments in the secondary for a better pass defense are next on the priority list — CSU managed 252 yards through the air — but if you’re another team in the Mountain division with a looming matchup against the Aggies, know that they’ve now got a hint of swagger about them as they take the field.
— Logan Jones is a junior majoring in journalism. He’s pretty sure coach Wells doesn’t read his columns, which might be for the best since they’ve been sort of negative lately. Comments, questions and hate mail can all be sent to logantjones@aggiemail.usu.edu or on Twitter @Logantj.