Ags dance their way to a victory
Fired up by a pre-game foot-thumping Maori war dance, Utah State came out and stomped on Arkansas State 49-0.
Aggie running back David Fiefia led the dance, native to New Zealand, at midfield before the game in an effort to get the team to play with emotion.
It worked.
The 49-point margin of victory was the largest since Utah State beat New Mexico State 76-0 in 1964.
“Back in ancient times, [the Maoris] used to do it right before they went to war to try to intimidate their opponents,” Fiefia said. “We learned the exact words and exact actions so that we wouldn’t be disgracing them by doing it. The basic idea is to get our team together so we start off fast.”
Despite Fiefia’s fumble on USU’s first offensive play, the Aggies roared out to a 35-0 halftime lead, scoring more points in the half than they had in any complete game this year.
Fiefia ran for 86 yards on 20 carries and scored two touchdowns, his second multiple TD game of the year.
Utah State quarterback Travis Cox, who came into the game leading the Sun Belt Conference in total offense, threw for 260 yards and three touchdowns.
Tight end Chris Cooley grabbed two TD passes, finishing with three catches for 60 yards.
The lone downside of the game for the Aggies came when linebacker Jared Johnstun was taken to the hospital for precautionary X-rays after a neck injury in the second quarter.
Utah State Head Coach Mick Dennehy said his team had been searching for answers after a 1-6 start.
“Often times, you get into adverse situations and it is really easy at that point in time to begin doubting each other,” Dennehy said. “I don’t think we had one player in the locker room who did that.”
Arkansas State has lost its last two games by a combined score of 104-0.
Indian Head Coach Steve Roberts said his team has some questions of its own to answer.
“We turned the ball over and didn’t take advantage of opportunities when we had them,” Roberts said. “Give Utah State credit, they took advantage of the opportunities that they had. They played real well and made big plays.”
Utah State’s defense had its best game of the year, forcing seven turnovers by the Indians. Six different Aggies recorded interceptions, including Terrance Washington’s fourth of the year, which he returned 26 yards for a touchdown.
It was the second week in a row the defense has scored after defensive lineman John Chick notched the D’s first score of the year last week against North Texas.
Aggie cornerback Joe Lindsay forced a fumble with a big hit on Indian quarterback Nick Noce and also got his first career interception.
Robert Watts said getting the shutout was important to the defense.
“It was huge,” Watts said. “After about the third quarter, we started feeling like we could do it. It felt real good to do it, too.
Watts helped preserve the shutout by intercepting a pass in the end zone when Arkansas State had marched to the 3-yard line in the fourth quarter, the Indians’ only trip inside the red zone all day.
Reggie Willson also had a pick at the goal line to keep Arkansas State off the board. Four Aggies got their first career interceptions (Mike Rosencrans, Lindsay, Watts, and Willson) while Cornelius Lamb got his second.
Rosencrans said he was excited to get his first interception.
“The ball came out and I knew it wasn’t going to make it to the [receiver], so I was like, ‘Well, I might as well pick this off if he’s going to give it to me.’ I just wish maybe I got to stay on my feet and try to take it back for a touchdown but I had to dive to make the catch.
Wide receiver Jerome Eason set up the Aggies’ first score by catching a 47-yard pass down the sideline. Eason also caught his first career TD pass, 12-yarder from Cox in the second quarter.
Receiver Chris Stallworth led the team in receiving yardage, catching three passes for 68 yards and a touchdown.
Aggie linebacker Nate Frederick’s second-quarter punt block set up a short-field score for the offense. USU also avoided the special teams problems that have plagued the team in the last few weeks, getting away all its punts without incidence.
Indian quarterback Noce replaced starter Elliot Jacobs in the first half and was 7-of-23 passing for 121 yards.
-royburton@cc.usu.edu