COLUMN: Football debrief

The Good: USU’s defense, which averaged just under 1.5 sacks per game in 2009, sacked OU quarterback Landry Jones three times on Saturday. OU gave up an average of only 1.15 sacks in 2009.

The Bad: USU struggled to run the ball against OU. While Michael Smith and Derrvin Speight filled in admirably for the injured Robert Turbin, USU managed just 2.1 yards per carry on the evening, compared to the 4.6 yards per carry OU backs accumulated. OU running back DeMarco Murray ran for a career high 218 yards.

The Ugly: For as good as he looked at times, USU QB Diondre Borel was inconsistent, and turned the ball over in key situations. While he threw two touchdowns, he also tossed three picks, fumbled and was sacked three times. His final pick of the evening helped OU seal the victory.

The Painful: Already thin at wide receiver with Stanley Morrison out for the season, USU suffered another major blow in the second quarterwhen Matt Austin went down with a knee injury. The 6’2” junior missed all of last season because of a foot injury, but was expected to give the Aggies a big-play threat at WR this year. Austin in expect to miss the rest of the season.

adam.nettina@aggiemail.usu.edu