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LOGAN — Utah State’s sixth-ranked run defense faced its stiffest test of the season when New Mexico came into Romney Stadium on a 28-degree day.
The fourth-best rushing offense in the nation tallied 246 yards on the ground, including two rushing touchdowns, but the Aggies (8-3, 5-1 MWC) picked up a 28-21 win to hold pace in the race for the Mountain Division title.
New Mexico (3-7, 1-5 MWC) was outgained by Utah State by 26 yards on the ground, and scored its first passing touchdown by a starting quarterback in 2014 when Lamar Jordan connected with Tyler Duncan on a 59-yard catch in the fourth quarter.
But the most important stat for a quarterback is wins, according to Utah State coach Matt Wells, and freshman Kent Myers picked up his fourth as the team’s starter on a cold day in Logan.
Here’s how the Aggies fared in their win over the Lobos.
Utah State’s offense has been methodical and well-paced in 2014 — but it showed a big-play, high-intensity effectiveness against the Lobos in scoring its first two touchdowns. LaJuan Hunt set up a short TD plunge with a 47-yard run, and Devonte Robinson scored on the first play of the second quarter with a 59-yard run — the first rush attempt of his career. JoJo Natson added a 48-yard touchdown from scrimmage that gave the Aggies a 28-14 lead in the second half.
After the freshman Hunt ripped off a career-best 47-yard rush in the opening quarter, the Aggies went to him often — including four-straight from inside the 5-yard line to earn the freshman his first career touchdown. Hunt finished with 54 yards and the score on 10 carries, helping Utah State outgain the No. 4 rush offense in the nation 272-246.
Natson, a junior wide receiver/punt returner, continues to find ways to score. He only had nine receiving yards, but more than made up for it with a team-high 70 yards rushing and his second touchdown on the ground in 2014. His special teams’ responsibilities can’t be ignored, either, after he ripped off an effortless 25-yard return on the Lobos’ first punt of the game and finished with 44 yards on four punt returns.
If it’s possible to quietly be in the nation’s top five for interceptions, Utah State defensive back Frankie Sutera has done it. Sutera collected his seventh interception of 2014, the third-best mark in the NCAA, with a grab to end the first half. The senior from Juan Diego High School was third on the team with seven tackles, and also added a pass breakup to his interception.
Utah State took its foot off the gas early after jumping out to a 28-14 lead around the start of the fourth quarter. The Lobos scored their first passing touchdown of 2014 when Jordan found Tyler Duncan for a 59-yard score with 4:17 left in the game — and the Aggies found themselves clinging to a one-score game. Joe Hill helped the offense run out the clock, so it didn’t matter, but the Aggies may have let up too early with a two-touchdown lead in freezing temperatures with an announced crowd of 19,591.
