Aggies edge SDSU for first conference win
Utah State barely staved off a scary San Diego State comeback to pull off a 23-17 win in California, earning its first win against the Aztecs in 52 years.
Gary Andersen’s squad scored 23 unanswered points, spanning the first three quarters, to take a 23-3 lead into the fourth quarter. Then, just when it seemed USU would cruise to a comfortable win, SDSU made its move.
Aztecs senior quarterback, Ryan Agnew, threw two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter — a 25-yard pass to Kobe Smith and a 49-yard catch-and-run to Isaiah Richardson. Those two TDs cut the Aggies’ lead from 20 down to six with 5:19 left to play.
In response the Aggies took 3:56 off the clock with a 10-play, 51-yard drive down to the SDSU 25 yard line. Utah State nearly caught a break on a pass interference call on the Aztecs, but a review showed the ball was tipped by a defensive lineman which, per the rules, negates the possibility of interference on a pass. Gerold Bright then failed to convert on third down on the ground, getting one yard when he needed three.
Stalling just outside the red zone wasn’t the worst thing that could have happened. After Bright was stuffed at the line, Dominik Eberle trotted out onto the field for a 42-yard field goal attempt having already made a trio of FGs already. A fourth would have put USU up by nine points with just over one minute to play and effectively ended the contest.
Dominik Eberle attempts a field goal against San Diego State. Photo by Chantelle McCall
But Eberle sliced the kick wide right.
Luckily, the Aggie defense stepped up its play rather than disappearing like they had the rest of the fourth quarter. Agnew completed his first pass to Smith for 14 yards, but then faced pressure on his next four dropbacks. Three fell incomplete with the last — coming on a game-deciding fourth down — resulting in an intentional grounding call on SDSU’s own two yard line and a turnover on downs.
When faced with the ultimate pressure of nearly blowing a 20-point lead, Utah State held up just enough. The team overcame its struggles to get a win which Andersen felt is a good sign for his team.
“You have to respond to adversity,” Andersen said. “It might hit you on the opening kickoff right square in the face, it might not. It might hit you in the fourth quarter, it hit us in the fourth quarter. We found a way to fight back through…that’s what good teams do.”
Another thing good teams do is win close games, something USU has struggled mightily with in recent years. Entering Saturday’s matchup, the Aggies were 4-13 in games decided by less than a touchdown, dating back to 2012.
Utah State’s staff and players are well aware of the team’s struggles in close games in recent years. Junior receiver Savon Scarver said winning Saturday in a tight game “was definitely really important for us” and part of the team’s move toward a culture change.
“We tend to get in close games and fold,” Scarver said, adding that he believes “It’s time to change the culture around here. We’ve got to start winning these close games, that’s going to be the culture. If we get into a close game, we’re going to win.”
“It’s a huge victory,” Andersen said. “When you’ve playing San Diego State, it’s very difficult to win in this place. Myself, personally over 30 years have not had much success in this place. In fact, I believe it’s zero (wins), but it’s not anymore. So that’s a beautiful thing.”
The defense was ultimately where the Aggies shone against the Aztecs. Outside of the two broken defensive plays that resulted in SDSU’s pair of TD passes, that side of the ball was a major positive. The Aggies finished with 10 tackles for loss and four sacks with another QB hit on the side.
“I thought the defensive line did a much better job of pushing to get pressure,” Andersen said. “At the end of the day we got the pressure we needed to end the football game.”
Shaq Bond highlighted the defensive brilliance with a first-quarter interception on a deflected pass which the junior safety returned for the Aggies’ first score of the game. It was the second career pick-six for Bond, the last one being a 100-yard return against New Mexico in 2018.
Shaq Bond (4) celebrates with Andy Koch (77) in the first half of USU’s win over SDSU. Photo by Chantelle McCall
“It really felt great,” Bond said. “Once I caught it, I told myself no more cutting back, just run. Last year I cut back a couple times, but this year I’m just going to keep running.”
The pick-six by Bond was an early turning point for USU. On the first drive of the game, San Diego State drove 70 yards in TIME, converting four third downs along the way, and kicked a field goal for a 3-0 lead. Utah State responded by going three-and-out with Jordan Love throwing two incomplete passes. The ensuing drive was when Bond made his play.
Without the defense handing Utah State’s offense good field position and in the one case literally points, it’s hard to see how the Aggies could have won the game. All night the team struggled to finish. The final USU offensive drive, that ended with Eberle’s missed FG, exemplified the team’s struggles for the entire game.
Jordan Love and co. never had too much trouble moving the ball down the field, into Aztec territory and inside the red zone. The Aggies just couldn’t finish. Five times USU made it inside SDSU’s 30 yard line (excluding the final drive) and only once did the Aggies punch the ball in the end zone.
“(We) executed in getting first downs but we didn’t come out with touchdowns like we’re capable of,” Scarver said. “Definitely time to go back in the lab and get better.”
Love completed 30-of-47 passes for 293 yards but went the entire game without a touchdown. Jaylen Warren accounted for the lone offensive touchdown, an 11-yard run just before halftime that gave USU a 20-3 lead. Warren finished the game with 74 rushing yards on 17 carries while also collecting 40 yards receiving.
Utah State now sits in a tie with Boise State for first place in the Mountain division with both teams at 1-0 after this week. So far, only four MW teams have played in-conference games. The Aggies will host Colorado State next week. The Rams lost a close game to Toledo 41-35 on Saturday.