Football takes last-minute win
Records and snow fell as the Aggies kept bowl hopes alive with a 34-33 win over San Jose State on Saturday.
Running back Robert Turbin had 128 rushing yards to put him over the 1,000-yard rushing mark with 1,049 this season.
“It means a lot,” Turbin said about having his family in Logan to watch him clear the milestone. “It’s a special thing. Those people all in some way helped me get to this point — every single one of them — whether it was advice or helping me out growing up as a kid. I want them to be a part of that success. Without them I wouldn’t be standing up here.”
Turbin also tied his own school records for single season rushing and total touchdowns with two scores in the game.
“I love the kid,” USU head coach Gary Andersen said of Turbin. “He’s a tough, hard-nosed young man who continues to fight.”
The Aggies got down early when San Jose State outscored them 20-7 in the first quarter, which is where the score stood at halftime.
“We started slow,” junior wide receiver Matt Austin said. “Everybody started slow. It was everybody’s first cold game. It’s not an excuse, but we’re used to it now, and I feel like everybody got comfortable and it was nothing.”
Turbin opened the scoring for USU in the second half with a four-yard rush to make it 20-14 San Jose State, with just under 10 minutes to play in the third quarter.
San Jose State quarterback Matt Faulkner started the ensuing drive from his own 20-yard line and took the Spartans to within four yards of the goal. Junior corner Will Davis broke up Faulkner’s pass to junior tight end Ryan Otten and San Jose State had to settle for another field goal with 3:08 left in the third quarter.
Faulkner finished with 27 completions in 49 attempts for 340 yards and one touchdown.
Down 23-14, the Aggies made a seemingly head-scratcher of a move and put junior wide receiver Stanley Morrison in at quarterback to replace Adam Kennedy.
“Stanley was the next best option for us,” Andersen said. “He had a package — it was something we worked on all week long. He kind of changed the pace. It worked very, very well. I think it gave us a little bit of juice. You’ve got to respect Stanley’s legs.”
After a pair of keepers for a total of 12 yards, Morrison handed the ball to senior running back Michael Smith, who took the ball 77 yards to pull the Aggies to within two.
After a Spartan touchdown, Morrison remained in at QB and marched the Aggies down to the 42, before a miscommunication and fumble on a zone-read handoff gave SJSU the ball back. The Spartans scored a touchdown four plays later.
Kennedy went back in under center for USU and threw a 45-yard pass to Morrison on the first play of the drive, but Morrison fumbled the ball away as SJSU defensive back Tiuk Tuipulotu tackled him.
The Aggie defense forced a punt, but do-it-all Morrison muffed the return, and Spartan kicker Jens Alvernik kicked a single-game-record fourth field goal, seven plays later to make it 33-21.
Then USU took control of the game.
Kennedy completed eight of nine passes in the drive to lead the Aggies down the field for the touchdown, capped off by a 14-yarder to sophomore wide out Travis Van Leeuwen to make it 33-28, with just over five minutes left in the game.
The Aggies forced a three and out and took over from their own 34-yard line with 3:43 left.
Turbin and Kennedy propelled the Utah State drive with the run game, eventually getting down to the 21, before Kennedy hit Austin for a touchdown.
Kennedy finished 21 of 27 for 255 yards, with two passing touchdowns and one interception.
A failed two-point conversion put the score at 34-33 with 41 seconds left.
Faulkner got SJSU down to the 50 with five seconds left, but the Waid Harrison 67-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Aggie tight end Tarren Lloyd, as time ran out to seal the victory.
“I’m glad he blocked that kick,” Austin said. “It was a must win for us to get to that WAC championship.”
– tavin.stucki@aggiemail.usu.edu