Pacific's Chuck Shelton had anxious moments the first half, but the former Utah State coach finally got a victory over his old team on Saturday.
The Aggies had shattered his emotions with last-second, three-point wins each the last two years.But on Saturday at Stagg Field, Shelton's Tigers, scoreless until the second-to-last play of the first half, ripped Charlie Weatherbie's Aggies 28-6.Pacific, which had lost eight in a row to USU, was powered by Craig Whelihan four touchdown passes, two to junior Eric Atkins. Tailback Joe Abdullah, once Marshall Faulk's understudy at San Diego State, ran 27 times for 125 yards (he had 272 last week at Arkansas State).
Utah State had alternated Profail Grier and Abu Wilson at running back all season, largely because Wilson's reconstructed knee is still healing, but stuck with Wilson Saturday after his first 100-yard game of '94 last week. At Pacific he got 159 yards on 28 tries.
USU's second loss in a row left it 1-3 in Big West play, 2-6 overall. Pacific is 3-1, 5-3 and 4-0 at home.
The six points were the least UOP has allowed this season. Even Cal-Davis and Southwest Texas scored seven; in fact, this score was similar (UOP 24-7 over Davis, 27-7 over Southwest Texas).
USU managed only two first-half Micah Knorr field goals against a team that was allowing 29.9 points a game.
Like last week, the Ags scored twice (14-0 vs. Southwestern Louisiana before losing 27-25) before the opponent got on the board, but at the first sign of adversity, USU stagnated.
"We beat ourselves in some areas, but they also played well," said Weatherbie, whose defense made five interceptions.
In the first 29 minutes, Utah State shut out the Tigers, scored two field goals, picked off Whelihan three times and Wilson ran for 105 yards.
But Pacific scored a touchdown with seconds remaining to take a 7-6 lead into intermission. The Tigers got the ball first to start the second half and quickly drove to 14-6. "That deflated our balloon a little bit," said Weatherbie. "We didn't have a chance to score after they scored."
Soon, Shelton's Tigers were up 21-6.
The Aggies came back with a drive, but quarterback Matt Wells, throwing into double coverage seeking Shawn Turner, was intercepted at the goal line. The interceptor stepped into the end zone and kneeled, and USU thought it had a safety, but it was ruled momentum carried him into the end zone and the Tigers got the ball at the 1.
They went 99 yards for their fourth TD to start the fourth quarter, despite holding on a negative-yardage play that put them at first-and-27 on their 25. Whelihan threw 35 yards to Atkins to bail the Tigers out of trouble and keep them moving for TD No. 4, Whelihan-to-Kerry Brown.
That drive hurt USU for next game. A UOP receiver and Ag cornerback Donald Toomer exchanged punches, and both were ejected. The ejections extend through the first half of the next game.
For the game, Wilson had 163 total yards, including two receptions for 14 yards. Hamilton caught 98 yards in passes from Wells, who was 19-for-32 for 162 yards with two interceptions. Whelihan was 17-34 for 305 yards. Atkins had six receptions for 139 yards.