Eberle kicks game-winning FG as Aggies down Bulldogs
Utah State showed just enough improvements on offense and defense to beat Fresno State 37-35 to improve its record to 5-4 and 2-0 in California this season.
Dominik Eberle drilled a 30-yard field goal as time expired to end the Aggies’ two-game losing streak — a skid that saw USU (5-4, 4-1) get outscored 73-21 overall. Eberle’s game-winner was the first such field goal since Brad Bohn made a walk-off kick against North Texas in 1998 to give USU a 28-27 win.
“Just another kick,” Eberle said of his game-winner on 97.5 and 1280 The Zone after the game, “we’ve practiced that thousands of times. As soon as the snap from (Brandon Pada) came, as soon as Aaron (Dalton) got the hold down, that’s all I needed.”
Though Eberle ended the night a hero, he was denied a go-ahead field goal attempt when Utah State went for it all on a fourth and inches at the goal line. Instead of trying for three easy points and a small lead, Jordan Love lined up in the shotgun and a delayed handoff to Gerold Bright lost the Aggies four yards.
“I knew we messed up right there, we didn’t get it in,” Love said. “but I knew the defense would go out there, get a stop and get us the ball back to go down for the win.”
Luckily for USU, the defense, much-maligned in recent weeks for its abysmal outings against Air Force and BYU, did come up big. On Fresno State’s final two possessions, including and especially the crucial one after Utah State’s failure on fourth down, the Bulldogs were held to a three-and-out. The latter of those defensive stops gave the Aggies’ offense the ball with 3:05 left to play and good field position, starting at their own 47.
“The defense just kept battling,” USU head coach Gary Andersen said. “They fought in there, they did what they had to do at the end of the day to make the play. A half a yard short gave us a chance.”
Utah State quarterback Jordan Love throws a pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Fresno, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 9, 2019. (AP Photo/Gary Kazanjian)
Love put together his best night of the year and one of the better of his three-year career. The junior completed 30-of-39 passes for 388 yards, two touchdowns and — perhaps most importantly — zero interceptions.
“He was fantastic,” Andersen said of Love. “We have to be effective through the air to do what we’re going to do to get points on the board. And Jordan was fantastic I think he really held his composure and his poise throughout the game, made good decisions and his receivers picked him up when they had an opportunity to make big plays.”
On four of the first five drives of the game, Love led the recently anemic Aggie offense down the field and scored touchdowns. Each of those drives lasted at least seven plays and went a minimum of 60 yards with two going for 75-plus. Only twice (once in each half) did the team go three-and-out. Even in the second half, when the Aggies struggled to finish drives, Love got the team near or in the red zone. On the final drive, needing some 20 to 25 yards to get into Eberle’s range, Love and company got 41, giving the German native a chip shot for the win.
Quarterback wasn’t the only position that saw excellence Saturday for Utah State. Running backs Gerold Bright and Jaylen Warren got back to being the dynamic backfield duo seen early in the season. The two combined for 109 rushing yards and two TDs on 26 carries plus five receptions for 58 yards. Bright led the way in rushing with 79 rushing yards while Warren had 31 yards through the air including a 26-yard grab.
At receiver, multiple Aggies made huge plays. Siaosi Mariner had a career night, posting personal bests in receptions with 11 to go with an also career-best two receiving touchdowns and his second career 100-yard receiving game with 103 on the evening. Jordan Nathan reeled in one of the more impressive receptions of the year for a 36-yard gain that set up a touchdown to put USU up 21-14 late in the first half. Deven Thompkins owned the longest play of the night for Utah State, hauling in a 62-yard reception to set up a touchdown in the third quarter.
Utah State wide receiver Jordan Nathan catches the ball over his shoulder to set up a touchdown, as Fresno State defensive backs Chris Gaston, left, Evan Williams, middle, and Jaron Bryant, right, try to defend during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Fresno, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 9, 2019. (AP Photo/Gary Kazanjian)
“We were just executing,” Love said of the entire offensive crew. “We executed all the plays, there were a couple plays here and there (where we didn’t), but for the most part the offense just executed.”
Not lost on any of the players and coaches was the significance of winning this game with all that Utah State went through in the last two weeks and keeping in mind what lies ahead in the coming three weeks. Once penned in for a bowl appearance come December, back-to-back blowout losses threw that dropped the Aggies to 4-4 put that into serious question. Saturday’s matchup against the Bulldogs was one of the easiest games left on the schedule with future games against Wyoming and Boise State on the docket. But with the chips down, Utah State bounced back.
“Talk about a resilient, tough-minded group of kids,” Andersen said. “All three phases found a way to contribute. We’ve got a lot to work on but I’m just proud of this team, just the resolve and the toughness with what they’ve gone through the last couple of weeks and to come out here and to just fight together like that. It’s so rewarding to see them have success.”
Utah State will still need to earn its bowl eligibility, but sitting at 5-4 with three games left will ease the minds of everyone in Logan. The Aggies will get back-to-back home games for the first time this season against Wyoming () and Boise State (). Those two teams just played to a 20-17 overtime game in Idaho where the Cowboys nearly pulled off the upset over the Broncos. USU’s final game will be on the road against New Mexico.