USU football lands first 0-4 start since 2007
The beginning of the Frank Maile era went similar to the final three games of the Gary Andersen era: A double-digit loss at the hands of a conference foe.
Utah State fell to Fresno State 35-16 on Saturday in Logan; the Aggies are now 0-4 on the season for the first time since 2007.
Utah State had a season-high 343 total yards of offense, thanks in part to two first-quarter big plays: An 86-yard touchdown run by Jaylen Warren and a 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Savon Scarver (which doesn’t count toward total yards). But critical mistakes, a lackadaisical pass defense, and utterly incompetent offensive performance in the second half ultimately doomed the Aggies.
“It obviously wasn’t the outcome we expected,” said new interim coach Maile. “I thought we started the game strong but it was a little inconsistent in between…we have to do better.”
The Utah State defense was picked apart by Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener, who went 29-38 passing, good for 4 touchdowns and 422 yards.
Utah State’s quarterback play was less than satisfactory, as junior Jason Shelley threw for an abysmal 9-24 passing, 144 yards and zero touchdowns.
And it certainly did not help that the play-callers on both sides of the ball were out with Covid-19.
“Bodie Reeder tested positive so he was out for this week,” said Maile. “Coach (Stacy) Collins who’s been calling the defense tested positive as well.”
Things went the Aggies way out of the gate as they managed to come up with some big plays. On the first possession of the game, senior Shaq Bond intercepted a pass from Haener in the red zone — the first Aggie-forced turnover of the year — which set the USU offense up at its own 14-yard line.
The subsequent play, senior running back Jaylen Warren found a hole up front, slashed through the Bulldog secondary, and took off 86-yards down the field for the touchdown. To that point, it was the longest touchdown of the season.
Fresno State’s offense responded, going 13 plays and 75 yards to the endzone, capping things off with a Heaner nine-yard pass to sophomore Jalen Cropper for the score. Cropper ended the day with 10 receptions for 202 yards and three touchdowns.
Photo by Dalton Renshaw
The excitement continued, as Savon Scarver returned Fresno’s kickoff 94 yards to the house — his sixth kick return for a Touchdown in his Aggie career, a school record.
“I thought we started the game super strong with special teams and the offense,” Maile said.
The next Bulldog possession the Aggies brought pressure, with both cornerback Cameron Lampinks and Elijah Shelton getting to the quarterback. The offense got the ball back up 13-7 at the start of the second quarter.
But that’s when things started to take a turn for the worse.
Warren — who would finish the game with a game-high 136 rushing yards — took off for a 47-yard gain. But at the end of the play, Fresno defensive back Evan Williams forced the ball out, and the Bulldogs recovered, tilting the momentum in the game.
“The goal offensively was to protect the football,” Maile said. “It’s unfortunate we weren’t able to do a good job with that.”
A gassed Aggie defense (which was on the field for 18 of the 30 minutes in the first half) proceeded to give up a 54-yard touchdown reception from Haener to Cropper to make the score 14-13.
Photo by Dalton Renshaw
Fresno State scored two more touchdowns in the second quarter, including a 71-yard touchdown pass from Haener to redshirt freshman Josh Kelly.
“We needed to stop the big plays and the explosive plays,” said Aggie linebacker A.J. Vongphachanh.
The USU offense tried to narrow a 21-13 gap late in the quarter, as Shelley hit junior receiver Deven Thompkins for a 45-yard completion, just one yard shy of the endzone.
But self-inflicted wounds struck again, as center Demytrick Ali’fua snapped the ball over Shelley’s head, resulting in a 15-yard loss. The Aggies settled for a field goal, and Fresno State took the ball back and cruised down the field in seven plays to make the score 28-16 by halftime.
In the third quarter, things got ugly. The Aggie offense was completely inept, mustering just 20 yards of total offense and punted four times.
The root of the problem was the passing game, with Shelley gaining zero yards passing in the quarter and couldn’t seem to evade the Bulldogs’ pressure.
“We got to do a better job at the quarterback position,” Maile said. “(Shelley) needs to understand that if he doesn’t feel like he has time he can run…with his legs he’s athletic, he causes people problems.”
Knowing the passing game was virtually nonexistent, Fresno State was able to load the box and stop the rushing game. Warren had just five rushing yards on six carries the rest of the game.
“As long as we’re moving the ball in the air I could care less,” said Warren. “But it’s pretty frustrating when neither is happening.”
But the Aggie defense came out in the second half with a higher level of intensity and held Fresno St. to just 50 yards of total offense in the third quarter.
“We had a couple of halftime adjustments,” Vongphachanh said. “But overall it was just the little things: communication, being aligned correctly, and limiting the big plays.”
The great defensive play kept USU in the game into the 4th quarter, down just twelve points. And for a minute it looked like the offense might make it a one-score game. With 9:28 to go, Shelley lobbed it up to Thompkins, who managed to climb the latter and make a contested catch for a 38 yard gain. The Aggies were just 29 yards from the endzone.
But for the second time of the day, the Aggies fumbled away a scoring opportunity as Fresno State defensive end David Perales forced the ball out of running back Devontae Henry-Cole’s hands and recovered it with 8:33 to play — terminating any hope of winning USU still retained. The Bulldogs then decided to put a bow on the game, as Heaner connected with Cropper once again, this time for a 44-yard reception with just 5:29 left in the game to go up 35-16, a score that would hold final.
The Aggie’s offensive drives in the second half went: Punt, punt, punt, punt, punt, fumble, and turnover on downs. But despite the offensive woes, Maile said that switching up the offense this late in the season, “was not an option.” The Aggies will now try to get their first win of the season Thursday night at Wyoming.
“I think we’re close,” said Vongphachanh. “It’s just a matter of cleaning up the little things, evaluate ourselves, and work on the small details that can determine a game.”
@jacobnielson12
— sports@usustatesman.com