Udder domination: Utah State defeats North Texas 52-13 to claim New Mexico Bowl title

“This is the best team I’ve ever been on.”

Utah State backed up junior cornerback DJ Williams’ assessment, dominating in all facets of the game en route to a 52-13 victory over North Texas to claim the 2018 New Mexico Bowl trophy. Jordan Love led the Aggies with 359 yards on 21 of 43 passing with four TDs and one interception, winning Offensive MVP. Williams nabbed two interceptions to claim Defensive MVP honors.

“Winning felt great, so the way we won was really all due to these kids right here,” interim head coach Frank Maile said. “Their preparation and focus with all the changes that went down is really a credit to them and how they want to continue to do what we had been doing all year long. They stuck to the blueprint and that was the outcome of the game.”

The fireworks started quickly, with sophomore QB Jordan Love finding senior Aaren Vaughns down the left sideline for a 72-yard touchdown to go up 7-0 in the opening minute.

North Texas later answered with a penalty-aided drive capped off by a 2-yard TD run by DeAndre Torrey to even the score. On the drive, however, starting QB Mason Fine went down with a hamstring injury, which eventually forced him to leave the game and hampered the Mean Green offense for the remainder of the first half, gaining only 112 yards of offense.

With North Texas’ offense greatly hindered, Utah State began to take control with 31 unanswered points to close out the first half. Senior Gerold Bright scored on a 26-yard run to open the onslaught, with Love shortly following the score with a 9-yard TD run of his own to open the scoring in the second quarter.

After a three-and-out possession from UNT, Vaughns hauled in a 67-yard TD pass from Love for his second TD reception of the day.  completing a 67-yard pass to a wide open Jalen Greene for Love’s third TD pass of the half. Kicker Dominik Eberle closed the first half with a 42-yard field goal that put USU up 38-7 heading into the locker room.

Gerold Bright runs the ball into the endzone for USU’s second touchdown of the game against North Texas.

“I don’t really feel that we did anything different,” Williams said. “I feel like our captains really stepped up even more. They’ve been stepping up season, but we have real good leaders and our seniors, like Gaje (Ferguson) and (Jontrell Rocquemore), they really stepped up and helped coach.”

Despite the deficit, North Texas came out in the second half attempting to spark a comeback. Backup quarterback Kason Martin found WR Jalen Guyton for a 75-yard TD on the first play of the second half. With NT threatening a comeback, a strip sack by junior Tipa Galeai and fourth-down stop by the Aggies derailed any momentum for the Mean Green.

A 3-yard TD run from Bright followed by a 13-yard TD throw from Love to senior Ron’quavion Tarver pushed the Aggies’ lead to 52-13, the seventh time this season that USU eclipsed the 50-point mark for a single game. As the clock ran out, the team spilled onto the field to celebrate and hoist the New Mexico Bowl trophy.

Jalen Greene makes a touchdown after a long pass from quarterback, Jordan Love, during their game against North Texas in the New Mexico Bowl Game.

“RIght now, they’re going crazy in the locker room and so hopefully the celebration has calmed down so we can leave,” Maile said. “But those guys have done a great job leaving a legacy behind and something for the younger guys to move forward on as they continue their climb and their journey and leaving their mark and their legacy here at Utah State… I appreciate our seniors and their leadership and their commitment level to excellence and assisting us and getting us to where we are today.”

Bright and junior Darwin Thompson finished with 103 and 93 yards rushing, respectively, to lead the Aggies in rushing, with Bright also adding two TDs. Greene led USU in receiving with a career-high 151 yards receiving on six receptions, while Vaughns added 109 yards receiving on two catches.

Sophomore David Woodward led the Aggie defense with 10 total tackles, plus an interception. Junior Tipa Galeai, despite playing only the second half due to suspension, finished with two sacks in the game to bring his season total to 10.

“The defense is set up for everybody to make plays, so as long as everybody does their job, everyone gets a piece of the pie,” Maile said. “That’s what it was built to do and it starts up front and works its way to the back. It’s a defensive thing. It’s it’s a brotherhood. These guys have put in a lot of work and a lot of emphasis into doing their job and doing it fast and that’s the outcome you see today.”

Aaron Wade catches an interception during the third quarter of the New Mexico Bowl Game.

The offense set several records during the game, with Love setting the all-time program record for touchdowns responsible for with 39 TDs, and Eberle setting the program record for total points scored with 141.

“We have explosive playmakers everywhere,” Love said. “It’s hard to stop. It’s also hard to stop our tempo. We’ve been doing it all year. Our offense is just able to really demolish some defenses and this is just fun to be part of.”

The win ties the program record for wins in a season with 11, and gives Utah State their first bowl victory since 2014, when the Aggies also won the New Mexico Bowl with a 21-6 win over UTEP.

“I think this is gonna be a season,” Love said, “that everybody on this team will be able to look back on their whole life and be able to think ‘we did a great job the whole season…’ Finishing with 11 wins and a bowl game, it’s great feeling.”