USU vs Wake Forest: By the Numbers
A quick look inside the most telling numbers of Utah State’s ugly 46-10 blowout loss against Wake Forest on Saturday
1.6 – Average first down yardage for USU
On Saturday, Utah State had 25 first downs throughout the game. During those first down opportunities, they racked up a grand total of 40 yards, averaging 1.6 yards per attempt.18 of those 25 first down plays were for a gain of one yard or less. Let that sink in for a minute. 72% of the time the Aggies had a first down they picked up one yard or less. That’s not great. USU had seven three-and-outs on 15 total drives. The team did better on second down, averaging 2.9 yards per try (not including Bright’s 77-yard reception). The effect of this is that in third-down situations, the team had an average of 6.1 yards to go for a first down, a tall task for any team.
10 – Punts in the game by Utah State
I guess if you’re an optimist and you’re really seeking hard for positives which can be taken away from this game, Aaron Dalton got a lot of practice! Saturday’s ten punts by the Aggies set a mark which only six FBS teams have been able to surpass this season. Dalton had a decent showing, averaging 40.8 yards per punt. In fact, he got so much work that the coaching staff decided to give him a rest in the third quarter and have QB Kent Myers punt instead, a punt which was returned 75 yards to the USU three-yard line. I guess the team figured that since they’re back to the days of getting blown out regularly and winning just a few games a season they might as well go back to having a Leon Jackson III-style QB/punter-combo (young Aggie fans won’t understand.) I’m just waiting for the third down “attack punt” to make a comeback.
8.6 – Kent Myers quarterback rating
Saturday was a tough day for senior quarterback Kent Myers. He had a day to forget, completing just 9-of-23 passes for 54 yards, throwing an interception on the first drive of the game, and leaving the game in the third quarter with an injury. To add insult to injury (literally), redshirt freshman Jordan Love came in on the ensuing drive and scored USU’s first touchdown of the day on a 77-yard bomb to Gerold Bright. Now, I’m not going to pretend that quarterback rating is the be-all-tell-all number for measuring a quarterback’s effectiveness. It’s generated by computers and is certainly not a flawless measure. But an 8.6 QBR is alarming in any circumstance, especially after posting an 8.9 QBR against Wisconsin just a couple of weeks ago. Assuming he is healthy and able to get back on the field, possibly the biggest key to the rest of the season is whether we see Idaho State Kent Myers or Wisconsin/Wake Forest Kent Myers.
11 – Consecutive road losses by the Aggies
This number tells you everything you need to know about Utah State football the past few seasons. It has been nearly two entire calendar years since the Aggies have won a football game away from Maverik Stadium, when they defeated Fresno State on the road back in early October of 2015. That was the week before the blowout victory over Boise State (aka the beginning of the end). Since the last road win, Utah state is 5-16 against FBS opponents. By my calculations, there are only four FBS teams in the country with a longer road losing streak than the Aggies (Kansas, Louisiana-Monroe, Oregon State, Missouri). With a relatively easy road slate this season, let’s hope the team can get the monkey off it’s back sooner than later. San Jose State would be a good place to do it.
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