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FRESNO, Calif. — The Aggies dismantled Fresno State late Saturday night 56-14. The defense was on point all night, and the Aggie offense looked better than it had at any point this whole season. The only real negative in this game was the few special teams hiccups.
Offense: A
The Aggies scored more rushing touchdowns against Fresno State (seven), than they have scored offensive touchdowns all other games combined (six). Aggie backs LaJuan Hunt and Devante Mays combined for 21 carries, 133 yards and five touchdowns.
It was clear from the beginning of the game that Fresno State had no intention of letting Myers run all over them, always leaving a spy linebacker to prevent the read option from materializing. Myers accepted the change and threw for a career high 260 yards on 18 of 25 passing with one touchdown. Hunter Sharp and Devonte Robinson were clearly Myers' favorite targets as they combined for 10 catches, 179 yards and the lone receiving touchdown on the night.
Can't ask for a better performance than 482 yards and eight touchdowns from an offense that has struggled this year. The last time Utah State scored over 55 points against an FBS team was against Wyoming at home on Oct. 8, 2011.
Defense: A
A short field after a bad special teams fumble and a phantom kick catch interference call are the two things that led directly to Fresno State points. The second score happened against second and third stringers for the Aggies. That's the kind of performance Utah State would take from its defense any day.
The Aggies forced three turnovers and only allowed Fresno State to run the ball for 2 yards a carry. The Bulldogs only converted on 3-of-14 possible third-down conversions. Utah State pressured Kilton Anderson all night, sacking him five times on top of multiple quarterback hits and hurries. This pressure led to three interceptions for the Aggies.
It would have been nice to shut out Fresno State, holding the Bulldogs to just 14 points and 194 offensive yards
Special teams: B-
While everything was sunshine and rainbows on offense and defense, there were some very clear miscues that could have cost the Aggies a win against a better team. The biggest was a muffed punt in which a Bulldog defender was blocked into Hunter Sharp, which turned into seven points for Fresno State a few plays later. Place-kicker Brock Warren missed two extra points in the game. While individually these things weren't a big deal, especially against Fresno State, nine points could be the difference in the game next Friday night against Boise State.
It wasn't all bad on special teams. Aaron Dalton had six punts for an average distance of 42 yards, including a couple downed inside the 20-yard line. The punt coverage team only allowed one of those punts to be returned and held that one to just 6 yards. Special teams will need to be just as critical as offense and defense if the Aggies want to beat Boise State next Friday night. Parker Robertson is a graduate of Utah State University, a freelance contributor and an avid fan of sports. Follow him on Twitter @ParkerRob78 Email: ParkerRobertson18@gmail.com
