While outlasting Ball State University last night in Las Vegas Bowl II, the Utah State Aggies of 1993 managed to do something that Merlin Olsen never did, or Dick Romney or Bear Ward or John Ralston or Jim Turner or Lionel Aldridge or Bill Staley or Altie Taylor or LaVell Edwards or Rulon Jones or Louie Giammona or Phil Olsen or you name your favorite ex-Aggie.
These Aggies survived the postseason. They handled prosperity. They finally ushered in a warm winter.After 97 seasons, they won the school's first bowl game.
On four previous occasions the Aggies had tried and come up short. They lost to San Jose State in the 1946 Raisin Bowl, they lost to Pacific in the 1947 Grape Bowl, they lost to New Mexico State in the 1960 Sun Bowl, and they lost to Baylor in the 1961 Gotham Bowl. Of those bowls, only the Sun stayed in business, making USU's bowl history even less noteworthy.
The Aggies were to bowl games what Adlai Stevenson was to presidential elections.
But then, out of the 97-year gloom, along came last night, and suddenly the world was spinning on an Aggie axis. As a nationwide ESPN audience looked on, everything worked. Ball State didn't look as much like a football team as a cooperative straight man. In the first half, as well as the Aggies played, the Cardinals made them look even better; and in the second half, as the Aggies moved dangerously early into their celebration mode, the Cardinals mounted a serious rally that not only gave the game a sense of legitimacy, but kept America tuned in.
The first half was a study in ying and yan. Utah State ran 52 plays and gained 329 yards. Ball State ran 19 plays and gained 31 yards. In all, the Ags treated the Cardinals like Fremont Street treats tourists. USU's 21-0 advantage on the scoreboard was, at that, merciful. The unofficial line downtown was even money whether Ball State would show up for the second half or get in line early for the Big Kitchen Buffet at Bally's.
The second half, on the other hand, was yin and yang as Ball State outscored Utah State by 12 points, 33-21, and managed to keep history on hold for a while.
But, still, it was the Aggies who rose to the occasion when the occasion absolutely demanded a rise. The highlight was cornerback Donald Toomer's fourth quarter interception return for a touchdown. At the time, the Cardinals were on a concerted momentum march after a safety and a short Aggie punt put them in what seemed like firm control.
"Biggest play of my whole life," said Toomer. "Our problem was that at halftime we were talking about what we were going to do after the game. Then things got hairy."
"That ball looked about as big as me," said Toomer. "I'm glad I was able to hang onto it."
He not only hung onto it, but ran 32 yards into the end zone to give Utah State its 42-point total. More than enough points, it would turn out, for triumph.
This was the Aggie's night all night. They were the official team of Las Vegas Bowl II. Along with their fans, the players of '93 flooded the field at the end of the game as head coach Charlie Weatherbie and as many of them could fit on the podium accepted the championship trophy.
They knew they did not beat a patsy. Ball State had not come into the game a nobody. The Cardinals only lost two games all season and one of those was on the road against a Syracuse team ranked sixth in the nation at the time. They didn't lose a game in the Mid-American Conference. Accordingly, the MAC sent its champs to Vegas with one mandate: Extend the league's dominance over the Big West to three straight.
Confidence was high that the Cardinals would do just that, particularly since the Big West's representative would be a Utah State team with a mere 6-5 record.
But five of those six wins came in the last five games of the season, and as the game wore on, the Central Michigans and Bowling Greens and Illinois States of the world had to be glad it was Ball State on ESPN and not them.
"I just thank God we had this opportunity," said Weatherbie. "We're going to have to reload. We're losing 22 seniors. But this is going to be a springboard for our recruiting, there's no doubt about that."
All the way around, it should be a pleasant offseason around Logan. Other football seasons have had more wins, and some have had more All-Americans, but of all 96 that preceded this one, none ended under such pleasant circumstances.