The Hive Sports

by Daniel Olsen

The Aggies hoped to take advantage of a struggling Boise State team that had just fired their coach. Instead, they were stuck with a situation where nothing went right for most of the night in a 45-10 loss. The Broncos scored 45 unanswered points in the final three quarters to claim the victory.

Emotion is a factor but not an excuse

Coach Anderson acknowledged that there are many factors that play into the equation on the final home game of the season for the seniors who were honored.

“There is an emotional aspect,” said Anderson. “We play good folks every week. That is the nature of this league. You have to play your best ball and we didn’t. Our small group of seniors contributed a ton to this program. Some helped us win a championship two years ago. We thought we had a chance early in this game but it fell apart.”

Another excuse that wouldn’t be accepted with the next-man-up mentality is the attrition due to injuries. The Aggies did lose their top two quarterbacks which gave senior Levi Williams a chance to play in the fourth quarter.

One area where the Aggies struggled was the defensive game plan. Anderson mentioned that side of the ball but admitted that wasn’t his side of the ball.

“You would have to ask Joe,” said Anderson. “We knew we had to stop the run. Regardless of what running back is on the field, they are a problem.”

One running back that was all over the field was George Holani. He had another great performance against the Aggies as he had 175 rushing yards and two touchdowns. After such a brutal defeat, Anderson knows what to say to the team in a loss.

“I would tell them to remember this feeling,” said Anderson. “We close the gap on teams like this in the offseason. Remember this feeling in June and not just today.”

Jalen Royals shines in lone Aggie touchdown of the night

While the Aggies lost the game, they still have a lot to play for as they are looking to earn bowl eligibility this week with a win at New Mexico. Jalen Royals, the lone Aggie who found the end zone ,can maybe take some momentum from that bright spot to the next game.

“I need to keep making plays and helping the team about the best I can.” said Royals.

Royals had 113 total receiving yards on the night in addition to the touchdown. At the time of his touchdown, he led the NCAA in touchdown receptions greater than 50 yards with six on the season. It will be important for whoever the quarterback is this week to find him because he will be open.

Defense and Offense have each others Backs

Devin Dye had his season high of 14 tackles on the night. He wasn’t about to place blame on the offense or his defense even when they might have put each other in difficult situations.

“We got each others back,” Dye said. “If one side of the ball isn’t going their way then we need to fight for each other on the other end.”

Four turnovers on the night by the offense didn’t help the defense, but surrendering 45 points and losing by five touchdowns on the night wasn’t a great look by the defense either.

Next Up: New Mexico Lobos

One recipe for success might be to play a Lobos program that has lost six straight football games to Utah State. The Aggies won a 27-10 game in Logan last year. They will travel to Albuquerque this year to take on the Lobos. The game will start at 1:30 and be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.

Photos courtesy Joe Oliver (@joeoliversports)