Those close non-conference losses to Colorado State, New Mexico, BYU and Oregon State a few weeks ago are just a distant memory for the Utah State football team. After three games of the Big West season, the Aggies are right where they wanted to be - a perfect 3-0 heading into next week's big game with Nevada.
The Aggies got a little more of a game than expected Saturday at Romney Stadium, having to come back twice in the final quarter to edge a pesky Boise State team 24-20. But they emerged with a victory and are ready to take on defending Big West champion Nevada Nov. 15 in Reno."Now we've got a week off, which we really need," said USU coach John L. Smith. "That gives us a few extra days to get ready for Nevada. We've got to go down there and play well."
A Big West championship and Humanitarian Bowl berth will likely be on the line when the Aggies and Wolf Pack square off. But it nearly didn't come off as the Aggies played with less enthusiasm as usual and perhaps underestimated the Broncos.
"I want to compliment Boise State," said Smith. "Their kids played hard. They threw a big scare into us."
A loss Saturday would have put a serious crimp in the Aggies' championship and postseason hopes. They would have trailed the Broncos and Nevada, who both would have been 3-0 going into their game this week.
Now the Ags can sit back and hope the Wolf Pack spend a lot of energy in Boise, while they take their second weekend off this season. Smith's teams have been successful after bye weeks, compiling a 6-2 mark, including this year's tough 45-38 loss to BYU.
The Aggie offense, which had produced big play after big play a week earlier in a 63-17 victory over Idaho, sputtered most of the day against the Broncos. But in the second half they discovered an old offensive weapon, running back Demario Brown, who had sat out three of the previous eight games.
Melvin Blue, coming off that 224-yard game in Idaho, started, and Brown only carried the ball three times in the first half for a total of five yards. But Brown got rolling and piled up 113 second-half yards on 18 carries to finish with 118 for the game.
Brown had two key fumbles in the fourth quarter of losses to New Mexico and Oregon State and lost the ball on the Aggies' winning drive at midfield. However, the ball bounced into the hands of quarterback Matt Sauk. "It's a good thing he was there," said a relieved Brown.
"Demario ran hard and made some runs on his own where he just made guys miss," said Smith. "Having Demario back and having him able to play really helped."
AGNOTES: Brown leapfrogged ahead of Blue in rushing yards for the season and now has 672 yards to 646 for Blue . . . With nine catches, Nakia Jenkins has 63 for the season for 935 yards. With 2,332 career yards, Jenkins is 90 yards behind Rod Moore for second place on the USU career receiving yards list . . . With 228 passing yards, Matt Sauk has 4,852 career yards and remains in fifth place on the USU career list, still a long way from 4th-place Anthony Cal-villo at 5,642.