USU football Week 2 takeaways: Several Aggies among best in nation
There were a lot of good things that happened Saturday night when the Aggies crushed the Aggies 60-13. The Utah State edition of the Aggies just about had their way in everything they did. It wasn’t a perfect 60 minutes, but the fact that USU stumbled through part of the game and still put up 60 on a team should say something.
- Not Quite Love-ing it
Jordan Love didn’t replicate his Week 1 performance against New Mexico State. The sophomore threw for less than half the number of yards he did against the more athletic, talented, and better coached Michigan State defense. He completed 14-of-27 passes — barely half — and were it not for a timely roughing the passer penalty by NMSU, Love would have had two interceptions instead of one. His passes were not as accurate, and he never found his stride.
His game wasn’t awful though. He did throw his first touchdown of the season on a well-thrown corner end zone route to Jalen Greene. It’s also worth noting that the play-calling wasn’t nearly as aggressive in Logan as it was in East Lansing. Matt Wells barely opened his playbook and focused instead on the increasingly successful run game, keeping Love out of the rhythm he was able to develop against Michigan State.
- Run, run, run, as fast as you can
Utah State ran for 274 yards as a team. Gerold Bright and Darwin Thompson nearly became the first running back duo to each run for 100 yards since Michael Smith and Robert Turbin in 2011. Bright finished with 134 yards on 14 carries while Thompson had 96 on only six attempts.
The team effort was a far cry from the 25-yard total against Michigan State last week, when they averaged just one yard per attempt. Utah State averaged 6.0 yards per rush (more than they averaged per pass attempt) and broke free for two 50-plus yard rushes, one by each Bright and Thompson.
When Thompson and Bright went out with the rest of the starters, the run dominance didn’t end as Eltoro Allen and Tre Miller produced well in garbage time, combining for 48 yards on nine carries.
- Well isn’t that special?
Special teams took center stage for multiple reasons. Most notable among them was Dominik Eberle’s NCAA-record tying 24 points, making all six of his field goal attempts and six additional extra points. Three of Eberle’s field goals were from 50-plus yards, which also tied a NCAA record and broke the program record set by Dene Garner (fun fact, Garner’ two 50-plus field goals — one of which hold the USU record for distance at 59 — also came against NMSU in 1986). Eberle also put 10 of his 11 kickoffs through the back of the end zone.
Eberle’s performance earned him Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week and a National Performer of the Week honorable-mention from the College Football Performance Awards organization.
It wasn’t just Eberle that made special teams great Saturday night, USU had three returns of 30 yards or longer. Two were by Savon Scarver on kickoffs with Jordan Nathan adding a 35-yard punt return.
Scarver’s 100-yard kickoff return touchdown in the first quarter was just the sixth play of 100 yards or more in program history and third kick return of at least 100. It was Scarver’s second career return touchdown, his last coming against New Mexico State 253 days prior in the Arizona Bowl.
- Sweet, sweet revenge
Utah State fans are all-to-familiar with the loss to the southern Aggies in the Arizona Bowl last December. And the northern Aggies got full revenge in a 47-point margin of victory which is tied for 22nd largest in program history. It was also just the fourth time since 1968 that USU won a game by 47 points or more and the only win of that margin against a team USU lost to on the previous meeting.
- Tipa the Terrible
Tipa Galeai was a terror against Michigan State and he continued that against New Mexico State. The transfer from TCU had 1.5 sacks and two tackles for loss on Saturday. On the season, Galeai has 3.5 sacks which leads the NCAA and is tied for 15th in tackles for loss with four. Through two games, Galeai is on pace for 21 sacks, which would break Elvis Dumervil’s NCAA-record 20.
Right now, the 6-foot-5 transfer from TCU looks like the kind of player that you’ll see on Sundays. For now, he’ll terrorize opposing backfield in the Mountain West.
- Turnover machine
Last year, the Aggies were one of the best in the nation at forcing turnovers. This season, things appear to be no different. Through two games, USU is tied for second in the NCAA in turnovers forced with seven overall. Utah State has forced three fumbles and intercepted four passes. Two of those inteceptions were returned for touchdowns.
Against NMSU, safety Aaron Wade had two of USU’s three interceptions on the day which spurred his Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week selection.
- Among the nation’s best
The Aggies are among the best in the NCAA in several places. Already mentioned are Galeai’s NCAA-leading 3.5 sacks and the defense’s second-best seven turnovers. Also among the best are Savon Scarver and Eberle. Scarver’s 44.5 average on kick returns is second-best and his 100-yard return is also tied for longest kick return this year. Eberle is second in the NCAA in scoring with 31 points. He trails only North Texas kicker Cole Hedlund (32 points). The two are tied for most field goals made (both are 7-for-7 on the year) but Hedlund has made 11 extra-point kicks to Eberle’s 10.
- Darwin Thompson: receiver?
Thompson has factored heavily in the run game for Utah State in both games so far and is second on the team in rushing yards and tied with Bright for most attempts. But one thing that’s been intriguing through the two games is Thompson’s pass-catching. The running back is fourth on the team in receptions.
The junior has seen his name called on third down as a receiver with him converting a third-and-17 with a 19-yard catch-and-run from Love on Saturday. The Aggies haven’t had a major pass-catching threat at running back since Kerwynn Williams. It’ll be interesting to see what Thompson becomes.