Broncos 52, Aggies 0
Frustration spewed forth in the fourth quarter Saturday for the Utah State football team.
The main reason for it was a 45-0 deficit the Aggies had against the Boise State Broncos with about 10 minutes remaining in the game. After Aggie quarterback Jase McCormick had thrown his first interception the Aggies uncharacteristically committed what would be the first of four personal foul penalties.
The Broncos took advantage, scored another touchdown and slammed the Aggies down to 0-10 on the season with a 52-0 victory. Boise State improved to 9-1 overall and 6-0 in Western Athletic Conference play.
Aggie sophomore safety James Brindley said the loss after loss after loss after loss pattern is getting to some of the players.
“Yea, I think so,” Brindley said. “You could tell at the end when those personal fouls came in. Usually we don’t do that. I think people are starting to get frustrated and took it out at the wrong time.”
Added Aggie Head Coach Brent Guy, “I’m extremely disappointed with the whole thing. I don’t think we played well at all. I thought it was our worst performance. Towards the end it was very disappointing and we are not going to do that. We are going to do what is called, we are going to play hard and clean and we are not going to play and have personal fouls and embarrass Utah State like we did today.”
The Broncos hadn’t had a road shutout since 1976 when they beat Idaho State.
They started the game in the precise way the Aggies did not want them to. With at least half the crowd in orange and blue cheering for them, they took their first drive down the field for a touchdown in 10 plays. TheAggies got the ball back, gained six yards on three downs and then had a Leon Jackson III punt blocked by Ia Falo for another touchdown.
The Aggie offense then began to click. Midway through the next drive, Jackson completed a 26-yard pass to wide receiver OtisNielson. Utah State got as close as the Bronco 26-yard line. The Broncos’ Orlando Scandrick then blocked a 42-yard field goal attempt by USU’s Peter Caldwell.
The Broncos got a field goal on their next drive.
It’s safe to say the Aggies’ 15 seniors weren’t looking for this type of start to Senior Day.
In his final game at Romney Stadium, Utah State moneyman/wide receiver/return specialist Kevin Robinson didn’t catch a pass (the first time in 16 games he hasn’t had at least one reception), had -3 return yards on punts and 83 on kickoffs. He ended with a net of 77 all-purpose yards-a season-low mark for a man who was second in the nation in that statistic coming into the game.
“I was just remembering the good times I’ve had with these guys and just trying to make more memories,” Robinson said. “At the end of the game I was just out there having fun and joking around with my buddies because I’m never going to get this opportunity again. There’s nothing you can do about it-just go out there and have fun.”
The Broncos would score 14 in the second and third quarters and seven in the final frame.
The other statistical differences between the Broncos and Aggies are staggering.
BSU had 484 yards of total offense to USU’s 236; 26 first downs to USU’s 11; 28-of-32 passes to USU’s 12-of-24; three interceptions (all thrown by McCormick) to USU’s zero.
“I felt like we were out-coached, outplayed during the entire game,” Guy said. “They area very good football team. It’s the best football team we have seen since Oklahoma from top to bottom including special teams. They took advantage of every opportunity.”
Jackson ran off the field limping after taking a hard hit in the end zone late in the third quarter. Guy said it was an ankle injury he suffered, but did not know the seriousness of it.
Junior backup quarterback Sean Setzer replaced Jackson on the ensuing drive, completing a two-yard pass. McCormick was inserted on the final three drives of the game, throwing an interception on each.
Robinson rejected the assertion that this loss was the knockout punch for an Aggie team that has only two games remaining.
“We’re going to fight like we always do,” Robinson said. “We’ve still got the mentality that when we’re out there we’re gonna win the game. We’ll go out there next week and we’re gonna fight.”
NOTES
The Broncos have won their last seven games against the Aggies. The combined score of them all is 338-150.
The punt block in the first quarter was the first the Aggies have allowed in the past three years.
The Aggie defense allowed more than 400 yards of total offense for the sixth time this season.
The Aggies have had a field goal blocked in their past three games.
-samuel.hislop@aggiemail.usu.edu