Friday wasn’t a particularly pretty night for Utah State, which was looking for a recovery win after a tough loss to Hawai’i last week.
Its offense was disastrous at times in the first half against San Jose State, and its defense allowed the Spartans a stretch wherein they scored on four consecutive drives.
Despite it all, the Aggies’ 30-25 victory at home may have been one of the more encouraging wins of the young Bronco Mendenhall era, especially because of how poorly Utah State defense handled the pass-heavy offense of Hawai’i last week.
The Aggie defense gave up 44 points and 413 passing yards to the Rainbow Warriors last week, but this week the defense seemed to have learned its lesson as it held the nation’s leading receiver, Danny Scudero (845 yards on the year), to just 25 yards.
Both Scudero and starting quarterback Walker Eget were questionable before Friday night, but they each suited up and played for the Spartans.
Similarly to Hawai’i, San Jose State heavily relies on its pass game. The Spartans average 310 passing yards per game. San Jose State hit that mark Friday with 340 yards, but it took 49 attempts and Eget completed just 55% of his passes.
Utah State defensive backs Noah Avinger, Ike Larsen and Bryson Taylor were big in the win. Avinger and Larsen had two pass breakups and Taylor had three. The Aggies had nine in total with a handful of near-interceptions.
Overall, the home side’s defense looked much better and kept it alive in the first half when offense was hard to come by. During a stretch in the first half when the offense had three consecutive three-and-outs, the Aggies’ defense got a turnover on downs, a fumble and forced a quick punt.
In total, Utah State forced three turnovers on downs and a fumble. Linebacker Bronson Olevao Jr. showed out in the win with 14 total tackles, five of which were solo.
“The execution and the details were what we really wanted to harp on this week,” Olevao said. “(Mendenhall) talked about the play that went for a touchdown, that run play, it’s the same play that we executed on the big stops, so it’s just about how well we can execute and be detailed in everything that we do on defense.
“There’s lots to improve on, but I’m super glad and super happy for this team and for the boys. They deserve this win.”
It took a while, but once the Aggies’ offense got going it looked solid. Bryson Barnes had a career night with 326 passing yards, and he earned it efficiently, completing 22 passes on 31 attempts.
Beside the yards, Barnes had multiple clutch plays that kept offensive drives alive. One particular moment came in the fourth quarter when Utah State trailed 25-24.
On third and 8, Barnes had a broken play but turned it into a first down on an 18-yard dish to Brady Boyd, which ultimately resulted in a field goal.
After scoring only 10 points in the first half, Utah State found the end zone on its first two drives of the second half. It scored on all but one drive in the second half.
“Last week, the fourth quarter came around, and that was an emphasis we had in practice this week, being able to get into the fourth quarter and finish the game,” Barnes said.
“The things that we preached and the things that we continue to work on, they showed up tonight and paid off in a big way.”
The Aggies also got their longest play from scrimmage this season on a 74-yard touchdown pass from Barnes to Anthony Garcia in the third quarter. Garcia pulled in a team-high 121 recieving yards on only three receptions, while Braden Pegan supported with 93 yards on seven receptions.
Kicker Tanner Rinker was essential in the win as he connected on all three field goal attempts, two of which were from 44 and 45 yards out.
The Aggies improved to 4-3 overall and 2-1 in the Mountain West.
“I love my team,” Mendenhall said. “They are resilient and they are tough. They believe in one another, they are united and they battled.
“I’m really impressed with Tanner, our field goal kicker tonight. He was crucial in terms of points under pressure and in context to win a football game.”
The Aggies move on to their next game at New Mexico next Saturday. Utah State has yet to win on the road this season.
“Lots of positives in terms of complimentary football with the team supporting one another on offense, defense and special teams,” Mendenhall said.
“Great crowd. My gratitude to the fans, the HURD, the alumni and the members of the valley that were at the game. What a great college environment. I felt lucky to be part of it. I’m just so happy for my team and that they see a tangible result scoreboard-wise for a hard-fought game.”