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FRESNO, Calif. -- This was supposed to be the Aggies statement game to the WAC conference. Instead, it was the same statement made in their previous three losses as Utah State fell to Fresno State 31-21 on Saturday night.
The Aggies got off to a quick start in the first quarter as they led 14-0 early on before allowing Fresno State to score 31 of the next 38 points.
Utah State's offense was shut down in the second half and the defense couldn't contain Robbie Rouse and the Bulldogs offensive attack. It truly was a day and night difference between the first and second halves.
Here are this week's Game day grades:
Quarterback: C-
Chuckie Keeton started out strong, making some long throws to receivers that we haven't seen all season long. But once the second half hit, Keeton looked like a freshman out on the field. He missed throws, bobbled handoffs, and was sacked a few times. The plays that were there in the first half were not there at all in the second half. He finished the night 16 of 31 for 194 yards and one touchdown while rushing 12 times for only eight total yards. It was a rough night for the quarterback from Houston.
Running Backs/Full Backs: B
The backfield combined for 260 yards rushing, which is about 50 yards below their average on the season. Robert Turbin impressed once again, this time with 155 yards on 16 carries and one touchdown. Michael Smith had a breakout game as well, rushing eight times for 71 yards and a touchdown while also catching two balls for 57 yards and a score. Kerwynn Williams was ineffective, rushing four times for 21 yards and no touchdowns. The rushing game struggled in the second half and was really unable to get a flow going.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: C+
Travis Van Leuwen led the way for the Aggies' receivers, grabbing two passes for 60 yards, including a spectacular catch in the first quarter. Quarterback Chuckie Keeton found eight receivers on the day total, but the second half was day and night from the offensive attack of the first quarters. It was most likely a combination of the Fresno State defense and lack of ball control by the Aggies, but Utah State's receivers couldn't come up with the catches they needed late in the game to stay in it.
Offensive Line: B-
The offensive line dominated in the first quarter and early stages of the second quarter. They created huge gaps in the defense to allow for the rushing game to take effect and did their job protecting Chuckie Keeton. The second half was a different story as Keeton found himself on his back more often than not, the rushing game slowed along with the passing game, and Utah State had no offensive success. Attribute some of that to the Bulldogs defense, but the offensive line really just couldn't put it all together.
Overall Offense: C
The first half's offense was great. The Aggies moved the ball and put points on the board. The second half was just a mess. Nothing seemed to be going right for Utah State and this was easily their worst offensive performance of the season. It also marks a season low in points scored during a game.
Defensive Line: C
The defensive line was pushed around all night long. Bulldogs running back Robbie Rouse had all sorts of holes to run through and quarterback Derek Carr had all sorts of time to pass the ball. The line progressively got worse throughout the game and they never really did get started on the right foot.
Linebackers: C
Despite the statistics, the linebacking corps really did not do it's job on Saturday night. Fresno State's offense was allowed to do essentially what they wanted as their misdirection plays fooled the linebackers on several different occasions. Missed tackles allowed for more yardage to be gained by the Bulldogs, resulting in many yards after the catch for the Fresno State receivers and tight ends.
Defensive Backs: D
The defensive backs had a night to forget against Fresno State. They played a major part in Utah State's total 11 penalties for 118 yards. When the defensive secondary is involved in that conversation, it usually means pass interference involvement. There were numerous pass interference penalties against the secondary and when they weren't getting penalized, they were getting burned by Fresno State's young receiving corps.
Overall Defense: C-
It was a tough night overall for the defense, giving up 403 total yards including 248 yards through the air. It didn't seem like everyone could get clicking on all cylinders at the same time throughout the game. Missed tackles, missed blocking assignments, and missed coverage results in a missed opportunity to make a statement.
Special Teams: C-
It's hard to point to a specific point where one could say, "That play changed the game," but Josh Thompson's missed field goals definitely hurt the Aggies. When head coach Gary Andersen sent in kickoff man Jacob Haueter, his gamble almost paid off until Haueter's 53-yard field goal hit the crossbar. It was a valiant attempt on his first career field goal try, but at the same time, was it the right call?
Kerwynn Williams had six returns for 125 yards, including a long return of 52 yards, but that was basically it for the Aggies big-time kick returner.
The lone bright spot of the night was punter Tyler Bennett, who pinned the Bulldogs inside the 20-yard line twice while averaging 44 yards per punt.
Overall Team: C-
The Aggies failed to capitalize on their opportunities and as a result, they blew the chance to move to 3-3 on the season. Now at 2-4, the Aggies road to a bowl game gets that much tougher with the margin of error that much smaller. The players are playing their guts out right now and are doing everything possible to follow the game plan as set out by their coaches. But so far, it has resulted in only two wins. Of the four losses on the season, Utah State has lost all four of them in the fourth quarter or in overtime.
The conservative offensive play-calling didn't help the Aggies case in the second half as they were shut out completely. At what point to we turn from analyzing the players' performance to that of the coaching staff? When will Utah State finally close out a game in the fourth quarter?
The seat, or seats, of members of the coaching staff could be getting a lot hotter.
Email: onlinesports@ksl.com
