Football debrief: The good, the bad and the ugly
The Good: Wow, this is really stretching it, but if any good can be drawn from USU’s 41-7 thumping by San Diego State, it’s that the Aggies still have the majority of their conference schedule left. With WAC teams such as Idaho, San Jose State, and New Mexico State starting off with less than impressive performances, a mid-season comeback is not out of the question for USU. Also on the positive side is USU’s upcoming game against Brigham Young University, also 1-3 so far this season. USU’s Bobby Wagner is making a strong case for conference defender of the year honors, and added to his already impressive season statistics with 12 tackles in the game. USU held San Diego State to just 130 rushing yards despite the Aztecs coming into the game having rushed for over 200 yards in their first three games.
The Bad: Let’s start with the obvious. USU allowed 504 total yards to San Diego State, and only gained 245 yards in the game, with the majority of those yards coming when the Aggies were already well behind. Diondre Borel, who has shown flashes of brilliance all year, was mediocre in the loss, completing less than 50 percent of his passes for just 130 yards and an interception.
The Ugly: San Diego State quarterback Ryan Lindley absolutely picked apart the USU defense. Lindley threw for 362 yards on the evening to go along with 3 touchdowns, including two long catch and runs by wide receiver Vincent Brown. Utah State’s offensive line struggled with the Aztecs for most of the game, ultimately allowing four sacks. The Aggies, a week removed from stressing the importance of eliminating mistakes, committed an egregious eight penalties for 80 yards.
The Befuddling: Even in losses, this and last season, USU has always played competitive games and shown the effort and intensity needed to win. However, in Saturday’s loss, the Aggies were never in the game, and didn’t seem prepared for the San Diego State offense. While injuries have certainly hurt the Aggies this season, it’s hard to believe that San Diego State is that much better than USU from a talent standpoint. Coach Andersen called himself out after last week’s loss, while Bobby Wagner called out the USU players after this weekend’s loss. The real culprit? It’s up for debate, but if USU can’t find a way to put some wins together (and do so soon) then the 2010 season will end in very much the same way the 2009 season did: with a lot of “woulda, coulda, shouldas.”
– adamnettina@gmail.com