One Step Closer
Utah State got its first victory of the year Saturday, beating Louisiana-Monroe 28-10 in the Aggies’ home opener and first ever Sun Belt Conference game.
Utah State’s David Fiefia ran for two touchdowns and USU’s defense held ULM’s Kevin Payne to less than half of his conference-leading 92 yards per game average. Payne got only 41 yards on 17 carries.
The Aggies got the victory despite having two of their team leaders out for injuries, tight end Chris Cooley and cornerback/kick returner Jerome Dennis.
Utah State Head Coach Mick Dennehy said he is proud of his players for battling back after starting the season 0-3.
“It’s a great win, to have a chance to play in a league game and to win is big,” Dennehy said.
The Aggie offense came out strong in the first half. Fiefia had more than 100 yards rushing by halftime and ended with 142 yards on 25
carries.
“[Fiefia] has always been ready to play when his number is called. It’s great to see him have a ball game like this,” Dennehy said.
Aggie quarterback Travis Cox also had a solid start, completing 12 of 14 passes in the half. Cox completed 15-of-21 passing in the game for 121 yards and one TD.
He did not throw an interception.
Cox said the running game took pressure off of him and opened up the passing game.
“The running game is your best friend,” Cox said. “I have to give credit to the O-line, and [Fiefia] had a great game.”
Ronald Tupea, Reggie Willson and Derrek Shank led a solid defensive effort for the Aggies. Willson and Shank each had seven tackles, while USU also ended with four sacks in the game. Tupea had three sacks and recovered a fumble.
The Aggies hadn’t sacked an opposing quarterback yet this season.
“To go from zero sacks in the first three games to four in one game, that’s incredible,” USU linebacker Nate Putnam said. “It takes the momentum away from the other team’s offense. It deflates them.”
Louisiana-Monroe quarterback Steven Jyles completed 25-of-45 passes for 212 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
Utah State outgained Louisiana-Monroe 322-257 in total yards.
Cox lost a fumble on the Aggies’ first possession, but the Aggie defense wasted no time getting the ball back. On ULM’s next play, Willson tipped the ball into freshman free safety Terrance Washington’s hands near the goal line. The pick was Washington’s third of the year.
Fiefia was the workhorse on Utah State’s first scoring drive. He ran the ball nine times and caught a pass in a 16-play first quarter drive before finding paydirt from one yard out.
Most of the game’s scoring happened in the second quarter when the Indians got all of their points and the Aggies scored half of theirs.
The Indians moved the ball 75 yards on their next drive, but had to settle for a 22-yard field goal by Tyler Kueker when the Aggies held them at the 5-yard line.
A 36-yard return by returner Joe Killpack gave the Aggies good starting position and Cox led them on a six-play drive highlighted by a 25-yard Fiefia run. Ben Chaet missed the PAT, making the score
13-3.
It looked like the game might turn into another high-scoring contest like Louisiana-Monroe’s 51-48 double overtime win last year when ULM marched down the field to score on a 16-play drive.
The Indians converted on five third-down attempts in the drive, three of them in third-and-long situations. Jyles tossed a five-yard pass to tight end Glen Sins for the TD, bringing ULM within three points.
The Aggies responded by moving the ball 80 yards in eight plays. Fiefia reeled off rushes of 15 yards and 16 yards sandwiched around a halfback pass attempt where Fiefia’s wobbled toss missed a wide open Chris Stallworth downfield.
Stallworth did catch the next two passes from Cox, including an acrobatic sideline grab, setting up a three-yard toss to Jason Stephens in the back of the end zone for Stephens’ first career TD.
Cox found Fiefia for the two-point conversion and the half ended with USU up 21-10.
Stallworth led Aggie receivers with seven catches for 60 yards. ULM’s RoShon Jacobs led all receivers with 74 yards receiving.
Tupea and sophomore defensive tackle John Chick teamed up for the Aggies’ first sack of the year on the final play of the first half. It was Chick’s first game of the year after sitting out with an injured hand.
Utah State’s offensive production slowed in the second half, but Louisiana-Monroe could not mount any serious comeback threat.
The Aggies failed to take advantage of good field position in the third quarter, getting the ball inside Indian territory twice in the quarter without
scoring.
USU free safety Mark Estelle also intercepted Jyles at the Aggie 12-yard line, preventing a ULM rally.
In the fourth quarter, the defense gave the offense even better field position, forcing Jyles to fumble at his own 2-yard line. Fiefia ran it in for the only score by either team in the second half, his second of the game.
“I thought we came out of the locker room and played really well, really hard in the second half. We just didn’t execute like we’re capable of,” Dennehy said.
-royburton@cc.usu.edu