For USU player of the game, it was a tossup between punter Nate Morreale, who kicked nine times for a 46.9 average, and linebacker David Gill, with a career-high 22 tackles and a 39-yard fumble-return for touchdown.
Which pretty much tells the Aggie story Saturday afternoon at Rice Stadium against Utah: The defense and Morreale worked far too much."Any time your punter does good, it's not a good sign," said Aggie coach John L. Smith, whose team fell to 2-6 with the 40-20 loss. At 2-1 Big West, USU can still win the league. "They're better than we are," Smith said of Utah.
"We lost," said Morreale. "It always feels good to average over 40 yards, but I'll look back on it that we lost."
Morreale was, however, happy his punt team scored a rare touchdown.
Gill snatched the ball from Ute punt returner Henry Lusk, slowed and stood up by Aggie teammates after an 18-yard return - the only return of the day against the USU punt team.
"He had it out here," said Gill, demonstrating a one-hand grip away from the body, caused by Vaea Fiefia's initial hit. "I think I had leverage because I was able to get two hands on it. I saw he was stood up, so I grabbed the ball," Gill said.
"All I was thinking is run, and then I saw a shadow at the end, and it was gaining on me. That's why I dove. I just wanted to get in there somehow."
It was one of three impressive Aggie plays in an otherwise dismal day, though the defense, underweight and outmanned with the loss of linemen Chad Lyman and Walter Fiefia (again) to knee injuries, turned in another heroic effort.
Gill's 22 tackles (three solos and a pass breakup) were followed by 19 from fellow linebacker Kenyatta Green, 16 by free safety Spencer Waggoner and 10 from rover Markell McCain.
Though Utah enjoyed continually good field position, averaging the 49-yard line, and had first-half drives to the Aggie 24, 5 and 6, USU's defense held on all three, making Utah kick three field goals before finally surrendering a TD. USU's D stopped a penetration to the 36 with a fumble recovery late in the second quarter and stopped another drive to force a second-half field goal.
USU's big offensive plays were by wide receiver Ivy Russell and tight end Shawn Griswold. On the last play of the first half, Patrick Mullins threw into triple coverage, but Russell's quick hands gathered the ball while the Utes went for the interception, Russell going 64 yards to score.
Griswold caught a short third-and-2 pass to open the fourth quarter from Matt Wells, who replaced Mullins at the half. Griswold outran three defenders to the corner, turned it and made it a 50-yard play to the Ute 9. USU was unable to score in four plays.
Abu Wilson and Kevin Alexander had quiet days, Wilson running 13 times for 78 yards (a 6.0 average), and Alexander catching five passes for 28.
Wilson said Utah effectively put a "spy" defender on him. "Today was the first time our offense got stumped by the opponent. Usually, we stump ourselves. Today it was a combination."
The Ags returned the first kickoff 43 yards, but it was brought back to the 10 for clipping. Wilson lost a 22-yard pass reception to a penalty. And Mullins gave the ball up on an interception and fumble, leading to first-half Ute scores, and fumbled on the last drive of the first half, bringing in Wells.