It could have made Utah State's season if it could have beaten Utah Saturday. The Aggies didn't come close.
Now they have one more "make-good" game left in the season - Big West favorite and leader Nevada (3-0, 6-2) at Romney Stadium this Saturday at noon."We've got to turn it around. We can still win the Big West," says linebacker David Gill, team tackling leader with 115 including a career-high 22 plus his first fumble-recovery-for-score against the Utes.
"That's our goal right now. Nevada is No. 1, and we've got to take out No. 1. You know everyone is frustrated right now, but we've got to get it together as a team," says Gill.
The Aggies must forget the 40-20 whipping in Rice Stadium and realize that, though they're 2-6 for the year, they're 2-1 in the Big West.
"Oh we've got to," says running back Abu Wilson, held to 78 yards on only 13 carries Saturday. "If we dwell on this game, we've got an excuse to be low all week," Wilson says.
"I don't think any of our guys are that immature," says Wilson.
Reasons for his below-average game included a Ute defense specifically trying to stop him and receiver Kevin Alexander, USU's immediate need to play catch-up ball (i.e., pass) and Wilson's sore shoulder that was partially separated before the Northern Illinois game Oct. 14. He carried for 203 yards that night and 190 last week at New Mexico State without practicing during the week, but, said coach John L. Smith, "He's still bothered a little by that shoulder."
In fact, says Wilson, "Before the game I felt like I was questionable. I had the shoulder sprain, and I wasn't 100 percent for the game. I'm not making excuses," he said quickly. "I'll be 100 percent by next week."
Wilson still played on kick coverage teams, as did 5-foot-7 receiver Ivy Russell, who added a hard special-teams tackle to a fine offensive play - his 64-yard TD reception when he snagged the ball between two Ute defenders and then ran away from them.
"We just have got to come together and play hard," said Russell of the Nevada challenge. "This decides the conference championship."
Or at least USU's participation in it. The Ags are 2-6 overall but 2-1 in the Big West with three to play, including Nevada and Pacific. The Tigers are also 2-1. Northern Illinois is the only other team with one loss - to USU, meaning if the Ags beat Nevada and Pacific, they'd win all the tiebreakers by virtue of head-to-head competition. But staying in the race requires a three-game win streak, starting now.