Aggie football team drops another one
A late fourth-quarter drive led by freshman Leon Jackson ended in an interception and a Utah State lose 16-7 to Arkansas State Thursday night in Jonesboro, Ark.
The win improves Arkansas State’s record to 3-7 and adds insult to injury to the newly coachless Aggies who extend their losing streak to six games.
The last time Utah State finished a game in the win column was Sept. 25, against UNLV in Las Vegas.
Jackson led the Ags 90 yards to their only touchdown which came near the end of the first half when the stagnant Aggies were having trouble moving the ball.
The 90-yard drive is the longest of the season for Utah State.
Jackson completed 10-22 passes for 168 yards, while Travis Cox only completed 7-16 for 47 yards both throwing one interception. Matt Crivello, USU’s third string quarterback also threw two passes one of which was an interception.
Jackson’s touchdown pass was the first of his college career. He threw a second touchdown pass that was called back because of an offenive penalty away from the ball.
Kevin Robinson caught the touchdown and became the eighth player this season to score a touchdown for the Aggies.
He tallied his second 100-yard receiving game of the season before he dropped a sure touchdown catch from Jackson on the 3-yard line in the second to last play of the game.
Robinson came into Thursday’s game the second-ranked punt returner in the nation.
“He’s human, he’s a tremendous tremendous football player,” Dennehy said about Robinson. “That one catch he had, on the last drive we had, is as good of a catch as I’ve seen all year long by anybody in college football. He’s exciting. He’s going to be something special.”
Arkansas State was worried about Utah State’s punt return team, but the Indians were the ones who returned a punt for a touchdown.
The touchdown came when the score was 9-7 and the Aggies were building momentum.
“It’s a funny deal,” Dennehy said, “when you don’t have any hang time you’ve got to buy your time in some other areas and your coverage guys have to do a good job.
“The ball bounces real funny most of the time. That time it bounced right at him and we just didn’t cover the kick.”
Because of an inch of rainfall before Thursday’s game, it looked to be a game that would be won on the ground.
Utah State came off its best rushing preformance last week to only gain 51 yards on the ground compared, to the Indians 210 yards rushing.
Antonio Warren gained 144 of Arkansas State’s 210 rush yards with a 5.3 average. The Indians starting quartback, Nick Noce, rushed for 78 yards. That total almost equaled his 105 yards through the air.
“We knew going in that his improvement from last year to this year is probably the one factor that made them a better football team,” Dennehy said about Noce. “[ASU was] going in there 2-7, but [after] watching them play, they’re an improved football team and there is no question about that and I think he is the guy that is responsible for that.”
Utah State allowed the Indians to drive down the field and score three times during the first half, but because of a tough Aggie red-zone deffense, Arkansas State was held to only three field goals.
“I think all the kids played hard they just didn’t play well and we’re just not very good at running the football,” Dennehy said.
The Aggies have one game left in their season. USU will take on New Mexico Nov. 20 at 1:05 p.m. at Romney Stadium
-kcaustin@cc.usu.edu