DEEP DIVE: Aggie football rushing attack instrumental to San Jose blowout
A week after gaining only 42 yards rushing on 31 carries against Wake Forest, the Utah State rushing attack needed to revive itself versus San Jose State. After gaining 318 yards on 57 carries, the goal has been accomplished.
“You need to run the ball to win,” head coach Matt Wells said. “We stunk last week on offense and the running game was a big part of that, so there’s been an added emphasis on it… I thought we ran behind our pads at running back. Eltoro (Allen) and LaJuan (Hunt) ran real well.”
The Aggies started out strong on the ground, with Hunt averaging 11.8 yards per carry in the first quarter, including his 29-yard touchdown scamper that opened up the scoring for USU. Hunt played a large part in the offense in the first half, leading the Aggies with 57 yards heading into halftime.
JC transfer Eltoro Allen picked up where Hunt left off in the third quarter. The junior seemed to grow stronger as the game wore on, carrying the ball a team leading eight times during the third quarter, and averaging more than seven yards on each carry. Allen finished the night as USU’s leading rusher, with 89 yards on 18 carries.
QB Kent Myers, Utah State’s second leading rusher on the season, also used his legs to keep the Spartan defense off-balance throughout the game. The senior often grabbed four- and five-yard gains scrambling out of the pocket before breaking out for a 68-yard touchdown on a read-option play during the third quarter. For the game, Myers gained 106 yards on 11 carries, though his official stats dropped to 84 yards due to sack yardage.
Junior running back Justen Hervey played the part of the fourth horseman for the Aggies on Saturday, emerging in the fourth quarter to batter the Spartan defense as USU ran down the clock. Hervey had six rushes that went for six or more yards in the quarter, and finished the game with a yards per carry average of exactly five. Hervey’s consistent running was a large part of the Aggies’ ability to hold the ball for 11:47 of the final frame.
Together, the four Aggies dominated the San Jose State defense, combining for 291 yards on the night. Utah State will look to continue such rushing dominance on Friday night versus BYU.