Utah State's 58-56 defeat of BYU here Saturday looked like one of those manufactured "Let's get in the Guinness Book of Records" affairs.
As such, it was successful. As football, it was a great pickup basketball game. Both teams made just token efforts at defense as the offenses racked up a total of 1,318 yards.Cougar quarterback John Walsh set a team record for passing yardage, with 619.
Utah State QB Anthony Calvillo tied a school record for most TD passes, with 5.
And, the most important record of all, the Cougars tied an NCAA mark for most points in a losing cause, with 56. That paltry total sent BYU to its fourth straight defeat, the first time that's happened since 1973.
The packed house here responded wildly to Utah State's biggest win since 1982, when the Aggies upset a Steve Young-led Cougar team, also on Oct. 30 in Logan. USU players hoisted coach Charlie Weatherbie onto their shoulders for a victory stroll, while fans and players joined to tear down one of the goalposts.
"I finally get to smile," said Weatherbie, who has rarely been seen NOT smiling. "Our kids played their hearts out."
At least the offense did. Calvillo was exceptional, completing 31 of 57 passes for 472 yards, without an interception or a sack. Everytime it looked like the Cougar defense had him contained, he scrambled for positive yardage, frequently for first downs. He was the Aggies' leading ground-gainer, with 65 yards.
"We let him out of control," BYU coach LaVell Edwards said of the Aggie QB. "He made the big plays when they needed it."
Walsh also had his second spectacular statistical game in a row, completing 27 of 44 passes, with 5 TDs and two interceptions.
Though they won't say it, Walsh and the rest of the Cougar offense have to be wondering how many points they must produce to win a game. Last week, the Cougs scored 45 and lost to Fresno State. Over the last four games, BYU has given up 219 points, more than any Cougar team in history has given up in a four-game stretch.
Still, the Cougar offensive players weren't blaming anyone but themselves for the loss. Receiver Tim Nowatzke said the offense came out flat.
"We put our defense in too much of a hole," Nowatzke said. "If we'd come out hot, maybe our defense wouldn't have struggled."
A successful drive midway through the second quarter typified the way the Cougs sputtered early. Starting on their own 39, BYU drove 61 yards in 10 plays for a touchdown. Problem was, only four of the plays gained yardage, and Walsh had to pass for 99 yards to get to the end zone, because BYU also had a fumble, a sack, and three penalties on the drive.
As if the Cougars didn't have enough problems, they continue to be plagued by injuries. The big loss this time was Eric Drage, who left in the second quarter after Donald Toomer's helmet put three of his ribs out of action. Cornerback Vic Tarleton, linebacker Dennis Simmons and running back Steve Christensen also went down during the game, and last night, punt returner Mike Johnston sprained his ankle - in the team's hotel.
"When you're struggling, those things happen," Edwards said.
Just about everything else you could think of happened in this game. The teams opened the contest by swapping fumbles, after which USU got on the board first with a 39-yard Nathan Morreale field goal.
BYU took the lead on a one-hand, juggled catch by Jamal Willis that went for 72 yards and a touchdown, but the Aggies responded with a three-play, 75-yard drive that ended with an 18-yard screen-pass TD to Aubrey Thompson that made it 10-7.
By halftime it was 20-14, and in the third quarter the Aggies won the game. On the first play of the period, Calvillo hit Cotie McMahon, all alone behind the Cougar defense, on a 40-yard scoring pass. BYU responded to that quickly, Tyler Anderson running back the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, but then the Cougs sputtered again.
USU's next two drives went for a touchdown and a field goal, while BYU's next possession went two incompletes and a sack, not to mention a delay-of-game penalty and a personal foul on Drage, now in civvies, who charged several yards onto the field to argue with the officials.
BYU added another TD late in the third, on a 10-yard pass to Nowatzke, but the Aggies regained their 16-point lead one play into the fourth, on a three-yard pass to beat BYU's wholesale blitz.
The Cougars scored touchdowns on their next two possessions, while forcing USU to punt, but two points was as close as they could get. Every BYU score from that point was answered by an Aggie score.
"All we've got to do is make a play or two and stop them," Edwards said.
BYU's best chance to win came with about seven minutes left, after a short pass to Steve Christensen went 67 yards for a TD because Aggie defensive back Damon Smith made a weak effort at pushing Christensen out of bounds.
That made it 51-49, and on the ensuing kickoff BYU tried an onsides kick, which they recovered, except that the Cougars' Cory Cook was offsides. Set five yards back, BYU chose to kick deep, and nine plays later USU - Surprise! - scored again.
BYU added a final touchdown, a 43-yard pass to Micah Matsuzaki, but another onsides kick was recovered by the Aggies, who ran out the clock.
The Cougars, 4-4, now get a bye week before meeting San Diego State a week from Thursday in San Diego on ESPN. The Aggies, 3-5, next play Pacific here Saturday.
And, for the next year, the Aggies get to brag.