Many instances Saturday helped put Utah State in the win column, starting with Northern Illinois's 15-play game-opening drive that resulted in a missed 27-yard field goal and following four plays later when the Aggies' Big West rushing leader Abu Wilson made a pancake out of NIU punt returner Leon Moody with a bonecrunching tackle.
Another happening wasn't as dramatic but was as significant. USU's secondary is very thin, and senior Terrence Gaines has been counted on to play perhaps the hardest spot: field corner. He plays the wide side of the field, usually 1-on-1 with the opponent's best receiver. Saturday, Gaines went down in the opening quarter with a torn knee (anterior cruciate) ligament.His backup was true freshman Craig Miller. NIU spotted him immediately and tried often to exploit the youngster, but Miller wouldn't give. One of the first things he did was recover an NIU fumble to set up USU's first touchdown. Soon after, he was called for two pass interference penalties, both hardly flagrant, that led to NIU's only TD. But Miller persevered for four unassisted tackles and had four pass breakups.
"It felt kind of weird coming in as a true freshman, straight from high school. It's a different world," Miller said. "But, hey, we all have to grow up sometime."
"That young kid played like he was not a freshman," coach John L. Smith said with obvious delight. "He played his heart out and played great." Smith said he could see how officials called one of the penalties on Miller, but of the other, he said, "How do you tell a kid to play it better than he did?"
Junior LB David Gill led USU tacklers again with 12 and unofficially has 77 for the season. Rover Markell McCain and corner Mike Hudson had 10 tackles each. Tackle Matt Hauk had five including a sack before sustaining a broken fibula late in the first half.
Junior Micah Knorr's two field goals gave him 26 for his career, tying him for fourth on the all-time Aggie list. He needs 10 more to move into third.