Another fourth quarter let down for Aggies in Wyoming
LARAMIE, Wyo. — Different opponent, same story.
For the second week in a row, Utah State went into the fourth quarter with a chance to win the game.
For the second week in a row, the Aggies left with a loss after failing to make the fourth-quarter plays they needed to win the game.
The result, a 32-18 loss to the University of Wyoming, Saturday, Sept. 8 at Wyoming.
“In the end, we made plays that caused us to lose the game, they made plays that won the game,” Head Coach Brent Guy said.
Some of the plays Guy may be referencing are the slew of third down conversions Wyoming had in the fourth quarter to maintain drives. This allowed the Cowboys to put up 15 points in the final period, outscoring an Aggie offense that went into the fourth with an 18-17 lead, but failed to put up a point in the quarter.
“We have to do a better job,” junior linebacker De’von Hall said about the defense in the fourth quarter. “As soon as the offense scores one point it’s in our hands. It’s in the D’s hands, and we didn’t do good enough.”
But if it wasn’t for Hall and the Aggie defense, the game may not have been close at all.
At the 11:42 mark in the third quarter, things were looking bleak for the Aggies. Wyoming quarterback Karsten Sween had just thrown a 25-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Greg Bolling, putting the Cowboys on top 14-3.
On the next drive there was some hope for Utah State. The Aggies took the ball 66 yards in seven plays and freshman place kicker Peter Caldwell nailed a 31-yard field goal to bring the Aggies within 6.
Then the defense took over.
On the first play of Wyoming’s ensuing drive, a Sween pass bounced off the hands of Cowboy tight end Jesson Salyards and into Hall’s waiting arms. Hall returned the pick 38 yards for a touchdown.
After a missed extra point by Chris Ulinski, the Aggies found themselves only down two, 14-12.
Two plays later, USU cornerback Marquise Charles picked a pass that sailed over the head of Sween’s intended receiver. Charles’ 28-yard return set up a 16-yard touchdown pass from Aggie quarterback Leon Jackson III to senior wide receiver Kevin Robinson.
Utah State went for a two point conversion, but Jackson sailed a pass over his man in the corner of the end zone.
The missed two-point conversion and earlier extra-point attempt were just a few of the opportunities the Aggies missed to put points on the board.
On their second drive of the game, Utah State let a golden opportunity slip through its hands when it didn’t capitalize on a trip inside the Wyoming 10-yardline. The Aggies started that drive with good field position after a Jackson punt pinned Wyoming on their one-yardline and the Aggie defense forced the Cowboys to punt out of their own end zone.
Following a handful of good runs, including a run by freshman tailback Curtis Marsh on fourth down that kept the Aggie drive alive, Utah State found themselves on the Wyoming three.
But all would be for naught, as Jackson got tripped up by center Ryan Tonnemacher on a fourth and inches play, losing five yards and giving the Cowboys the ball on their eight.
“We’ve got to finish those drives and get the ball in the endzone,” Guy said.
In the second quarter, the Aggies missed another opportunity, when Caldwell missed a 45-yard field goal wide left.
Wyoming would capitalize on some of USU’s mistakes. After the Aggie’s missed opportunity near the goal line, the Cowboys marched 92 yards in 13 plays that ended in a three-yard touchdown pass from Sween to wide receiver Hoost Marsh.
The Cowboys also turned a fourth-quarter fumble by Jackson into the game’s final score, a one-yard exclamation point by Wynel Seldon.
“We won the turnover battle today, but in the end, our turnover was more costly than theirs were,” Guy said.
But like the turnovers they created, there were some bright spots for the Aggies.
Guy said his team competed harder today, and reduced the amount of plays in the fourth quarter that cost them the game.
For the Utah State offense, their ability to run the ball consistently on a defense that only gave up seven yards to the University of Virginia last weekend was certainly a positive.
“Our offensive line performed really well, and the running game was working throughout the game, and so I guess we should feel good about that, but you’ve got to get the W, though,” Marsh said.
The Aggies were able to rack up 133 yards on the ground, with Marsh picking 61 of those up on 17 carries, and senior tailback Aaron Lesue gaining 39 yards on 10 carries. Jackson also ran the ball 13 times for 32 yards.
Even though they were able to run the ball and control the game for the first half, the Cowboys were able to do the same in the second.
The one-two punch of Seldon and Devin Moore produced 189 yards on the ground for Wyoming, allowing them to control the clock and the game in the second half. Moore, the quicker of two, had 19 carries for 91 yards, while Seldon – more of a bruiser – ran 16 times for 85 yards.
It all added up to another fourth-quarter heartbreak for the Aggies, and even though they’ve been through it before, it never gets any easier.
“It just hurts,” Jackson said. “We left everything out on the field and poured our hearts out and didn’t come out on top.”
“We work hard everyday in practice and it just doesn’t come out the way you picture it,” Charles said.
Although it hurts, there are still lessons to be learned.
“We’ve just got to learn to hold on to those leads and extend those leads,” Guy said. “That’s what we didn’t do today. We got the lead where we wanted it and we wanted to get to the fourth quarter like that.”
And the Aggies aren’t giving up just yet.
“It just hurts to lose,” Hall said. “And it just felt like all the hard work, it was paying off, it was paying off, but we’ve got to work a little bit harder, that’s all it means.”
Notes:
Guy said after the game that it looked like senior defensive tackle Ben Childs may have broken his leg. Childs left the field in the second quarter.
Peter Caldwell will be handling the extra points for the Aggies from now on, Guy said after the game.