Utah State comes oh, so close to signature win in opener
The team’s biggest stars shone brightly for Utah State on August 30 for the season opener against Wake Forest. Several Aggies stars put forward highlight-reel performances and produced box score busting stats almost all night.
Almost.
When the time came for each of those stars — Jordan Love, Siaosi Mariner, David Woodward, DJ Williams and others — to make plays when it absolutely mattered most, they could not. The result, a 38-35 road loss to the Demon Deacons in a game the Aggies could have and should have won.
Love recorded his third 400-yard performance of his career, completing nearly 69 percent of his passes. It did not matter though. On the final drive, needing just a field goal to tie, he could not deliver.
David Woodward set a career-high in tackles with 24. He also had 3.5 tackles for loss, a sack and forced two fumbles. However, his effort proved ultimately futile. When the Demon Deacons had to go 90 yards in 2:26, they went 89 in two plays, on an otherwise decent defensive performance by the USU defense.
Jaylen Warren ran for 141 yards on 19 carries, the most yards for a USU player making his debut since at least 2000.
Utah State running back Jaylen Warren scores a touchdown against Wake Forest during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Winston-Salem, N.C., Friday, Aug. 30, 2019. Wake Forest won 38-35. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
All the stats were pointless because he failed to convert on a 3rd and 4 with 2:35 left in the fourth that would have sealed the game.
All of theses offensive performances culminated in an excellent chance to deliver one of the most signature wins since USU downed Utah in Gary Andersen’s last stint as head coach. But a few plays more would have sealed the deal.
The first quarter was emblematic of the entire game. After Wake Forest marched down the field with ease en route to an eight-play 75-yard touchdown drive and a 7-0 lead, Jordan Love orchestrated Utah State’s own 75-yard drive, also in eight plays.
Then the Aggies upped the ante when Woodward forced his first fumble of the game, putting USU on Wake Forest’s 36. Alas, a hand-off to Warren on a 4th and 1 went nowhere and the ball went back to the Demon Deacons on downs.
Adding insult to injury and a little salt rubbed in too, Woodward made what very well might have been the play of the game by swiping the ball out of Jamie Newman’s hands on a drop-back and running it into the end zone. A play that should have given the Aggies a 14-7 lead and all manner of momentum, was called back on a defensive holding.
Utah State quarterback Jordan Love looks to throw a pass against Wake Forest during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Winston-Salem, N.C., Friday, Aug. 30, 2019. Wake Forest won 38-35. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
Love’s performance on Friday, while perhaps another microcosm, would be more aptly described as a paradox. Utah State would not have even competed in this game without the 416 yards and three touchdowns. But they also lost because Love threw three of the most inopportune interceptions of his career.
The first fateful interception came inside the five-yard line. Love threw a very poor pass, trying to connect with Jordan Nathan on a fade route in the end zone where Trey Rucker undercut the throw. The next came with Love standing on his own five, just after the Aggies held on 4th and inches on the goal line. Again, a Wake Forest DB undercut a route on a poorly thrown ball on a hitch route. Finally, the nail in the coffin, when Aggie Nation sat with bated breath, believing Love, their football savior, might deliver the team from the pain of yet another heart-breaker, threw an interception on the potential game-winning or game-tying drive.
Defensively, again, the team converted on so many great plays (and not just from Woodward). This crew held Wake Forest to turnovers on downs three times with their backs against the wall. What’s more, with their heels in their own end zone, needing to keep the 5-foot-11, 215-pound power back Cade Carney from hitting pay-dirt, they held. For three plays. But again, just like with every other aspect of this team, they were one play away. On 4th and short on the goal line, Newman found his man in the end zone for the eventual game-winner.
To say the Aggies played bad is not true, just look at the starring performers of the game. Half the offense, and Woodward, set new career highs in one way or another. Saying the Aggies played well is disingenuous, considering the back-breaking mistakes early and late in the game. The Aggies simply played almost good enough.
And that is what hurts the worst.