MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — For the last two weeks, the Utah State Aggies used Atlantic Coast Conference power Clemson as the reason for their offensive woes.
After a 21-0 loss to Middle Tennessee Saturday, the excuse no longer holds water.
The Blue Raiders held Utah State to just 156 yards total offense and sacked quarterback Travis Cox seven times in handing the Aggies their first shutout loss since 1999.
The Aggies had two weeks to recover from their offensive problems at Clemson (35-6 loss in which they scored on the final play of the game). They gained just 139 yards total offense while giving up 11 sacks, so the extra time didn't seem to help much.
"We're struggling right now . . . ," Utah State coach Mick Dennehy said in his postgame radio show. "I'm not going to single anybody out, but we've got to play better up front if we're going to have any chance at being a successful unit to run the ball and pass the ball."
Generally, one play doesn't make or break a game. But when the team is Utah State it seems like one play does.
For the second game in a row, a bad play on the their first drive of the game eventually led to the Aggies' demise.
On their opening drive against MTSU, Aggies were called for a penalty on a third-and-1 and didn't get the first down.
Everything continued to head downhill from there.
The Aggies had just 25 yards total offense in the first quarter, 48 in the second and 39 in the third.
Adding insult to injury, Middle Tennessee ranks 115th in the nation (third to the last) in pass defense with 292.7 yards allowed, and it held Utah State, primarily a passing team, to just 126.
Also, the Blue Raiders held the Aggies, who rank dead last in the nation in rushing, to just 30 yards — 32 yards under their average.
"We're really struggling to find ourselves (offensively)," Dennehy continued.
Cox, who was replaced briefly by Leon Jackson III in the second and fourth quarters, completed 14 of 23 passes for 79 yards. Freshman Kevin Robinson had seven catches for 63 yards before leaving with a mild concussion.
The Aggies didn't get their initial first down until early in the second quarter with Jackson in the game. He left because he lost his shoe and didn't return the rest of the half, except to punt.
In the fourth quarter, Jackson was flagged with a personal foul when retaliating following a tackle that he thought came after the whistle.
Jackson was 4-for-4 for 47 yards in the game.
Middle Tennessee amassed 403 yards total offense. Quarterback Clint Marks completed 22 of 32 passes for 317 yards with two touchdowns — both to Kerry Wright, who finished with nine catches for 167 yards.
While the Aggies struggled their first possession, the Blue Raiders clicked, scoring on their opening drive for the fourth time in five games when Eugene Gross scored on a 1-yard run.
Marks connected with Wright with a 58-yard touchdown late in the second quarter and a 42-yard score early in the fourth quarter.
The Aggies punted 10 times and penetrated inside MTSU territory twice (the 48 and 46 yard lines).
Utah State fell to 2-6 overall and 1-3 in Sun Belt Conference play, while Middle Tennessee improved to 4-4, 3-2.
The Aggies travel to La.-Monroe next Saturday for the fourth of six trips to the South.