by Daniel Olsen
There could be a number of reasons Utah State loses football games. They have played some good teams so far and have seen a lot of change. It’s time to highlight the good and bad in all three phases of the game in this 45-38 loss to James Madison.
Good Offense: Last three quarters
Once the Aggie offense wakes up, they are a force to be reckoned with. They scored all 38 of their points over the final three quarters which got them back in the game. Since James Madison is one of the best rushing defenses in the nation, the Aggies did most of their damage through the air. The Aggies accumulated 402 passing yards. This was a feat by McCae Hillstead that hasn’t been seen too often for Aggie quarterbacks, much less a true freshman.
Terrell Vaughn, the usual receiving target for the Aggies, caught 10 passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns. It is also worth noting that running back Davon Booth crossed the century mark for 103 rushing yards. The Aggies finished just under a hundred net rushing yards due to some early tackles-for-loss that James Madison achieved.
Bad Offense: First Quarter
The first quarter hangover continues to be an issue for the Aggies in the Blake Anderson era. While they usually come back swinging, it might be a little too late against talented teams like James Madison who will make them pay. The Aggies were outscored 17-0 in the first quarter. This will be something to monitor in the upcoming games. The Aggies have the talent to do it, so it will be interesting to see if they can have a break out first quarter. The important score is the final one, but it’s an uphill battle when always climbing back from an early deficit.
Good defense: Forced turnovers
Utah State should win most games where they force turnovers. They had to in this game because James Madison was finding ways to move the chains early on. Utah State recovered three fumbles and also snagged two interceptions. They scored just 14 points following those turnovers, so it’s safe to say there were missed opportunities. They also committed three turnovers of their own, but this was just that type of a wild game in Maverik Stadium. The important thing is the Aggie defense created opportunities. If they force that many turnovers in another game, one has to like their chances.
Switzer was again the highlight of the Aggie defense. He was the only one to record a fumble recovery and interception on the night. While shutdown cornerIke Larsen wasn’t able to record an interception, he helped shore up the backfield and had a team high 10 tackles.
Bad defense: Too many penalties
Giving up 45 points isn’t great, but keep in mind that the Aggies only allowed 7 points in the final half. They just need to play a full 60 minutes of disciplined football to beat FBS teams, and it needs to happen in all three phases of the game.
The penalty bug bit the Aggies again as they committed nine penalties for 80 yards. Perhaps the most egregious one came after Terrell Vaughn’s second touchdown, when there was a personal foul that resulted in better field position for the Dukes on the ensuing kickoff. The Aggie defense still showed up on that following possession, but it’s mistakes like that which drives coaches nuts. Time will tell if the Aggies can clean some of these mistakes up, but so far this is the one trend on the defensive end that has to be cleaned up the most.
Good special teams: Kicking Game
The Aggies continue to be good on special teams this season. They aren’t perfect, but they were close. Elliott Nimrod did connect on a field goal near the end of the first half. He also continues to be perfect on extra points with 5/5 for the night.
Bad special teams: Missing a field goal
The problem here isn’t the missed kick. It’s the decision to kick when in great field position to go for it on fourth down. Even on third down, it looked like the Aggies were just trying to set themselves up for an easy three points. The Aggies did enough to tie the ball game back up, but it’s not enough to win to play conservative especially when coming down from such a large deficit.
Next up: Road Trip to Connecticut
After a fun night complete with a Junior Aggie stampede and competitive home game, the Aggies didn’t get the result they wanted. They will have a chance to get back into the win column when they travel all the way to the east coast to take on the UConn Huskies. The Aggies beat the Huskies 31-20 in their season opener last year.
Featured image and photo gallery below courtesy Joe Oliver, The Hive Sports
The Hive Sports 
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