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LOGAN -- What was once a season of promise in Logan has quickly turned to the chorus of "the same old Aggies" on the football field.
Louisiana Tech, down 17-14 in the fourth quarter, came from behind to beat Utah State 24-17 on Saturday afternoon.
It is the fifth time in seven games that Utah State has lost after leading in the fourth quarter of games. The Aggies fall to 2-5 on the season as their bowl hopes have been shattered.
Here are this week's Game day grades:
Quarterback: B-
Chuckie Keeton completed 16 of 24 passes for 128 yards on the day with zero touchdowns. He also threw the first interception of his young career, which was returned 22 yards for a touchdown by Louisiana Tech. Keeton was the last remaining starting quarterback in FBS college football to have not thrown an interception until Saturday's game. Keeton also ran 12 times for 27 yards and a touchdown. He also lost 37 yards total on the ground against the Bulldogs. Keeton did his best to stay on the field despite some big hits from the Louisiana Tech defense.
Running backs/Fullbacks: C
Wide receivers/Tight ends: C-
The wide receivers had 24 balls thrown their way and they caught 16 of them. Robert Turbin was leader for the Aggies on the day with three catches for 40 yards while Travis Van Leeuwen had three catches for 25 yards. With no touchdowns for the receiving corps and a limited amount of downfield passes, the receivers were relegated to more of a blocking game.
Offensive line: D+
The offensive line was manhandled all game long. They couldn't open up the holes necessary for the running backs to gain major yardage and they also couldn't keep Chuckie Keeton upright throughout the game as he was hit several times and sacked twice. Give some credit to Louisiana Tech's front seven, but Utah State's offensive line is better than how they played.
Overall Offense: C-
It was a lackluster performance by the offense on Saturday and the worst game offensively all season long. The 17 points the Aggies mustered was the lowest point total all season. The offense looked inept throughout much of the game as there were a lot of conservative play calls. Offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin is definitely feeling the heat now as his offense has stalled at critical junctures of the game in four of the Aggies' five losses. When the separate parts of the offense can't seem to play together, no one goes anywhere.
Defensive Line: B
The Aggies front line did a good job of maintaining the Bulldogs' offense as they put pressure on quarterbacks Nick Isham and Colby Cameron all game long. They did a decent job maintaining running back Lennon Creer with his rushes up the middle.
Linebackers: B
Bobby Wagner led the way with 20 tackles on the day while Kyle Gallagher recorded seven tackles. The linebackers did a nice job of filling in the gaps that the defensive line could not stop. They also made some big tackles on routes across the middle for the Louisiana Tech wide receivers.
Defensive Backs: C
There was only one pass interference penalty against the defensive backs this week and they did a decent job in covering the Louisiana Tech receivers. They held star receiver Quinton Patten to only four catches for 38 yards and no touchdowns while the other receivers had a hard time getting into the game. However, the secondary will need to work on catching some balls this week as they had five to six interceptions that they had in their hands and dropped.
Overall Defense: B-
The defense did their job the best they could. They limited Louisiana Tech to 232 yards of total offense, 86 yards on the ground and 146 through the air. Even after the illegal punt in the fourth quarter, the defense held the Bulldogs to a field goal. Even with the sloppy game, the defense did their part.
Special Teams: D-
We have seen it before from the special teams. Missed assignments and fumbles killed the special teams against Louisiana Tech. Kerwynn Williams fumbled the football on a kickoff return and Utah State got literally nothing from the punt return game. In fact, the Aggies had two returns for minus-three yards. Williams had four kickoff returns for 107 total yards. Punter Tyler Bennett was flagged for an illegal punt after he fumbled the snap and then proceeded to kick the ball as it laid on the ground. It was an odd call and it put the Aggies back on defense deep in their own territory.
Overall Team: C-
The team once again lost the football game. It certainly was not a case of the Bulldogs running rampant all over the Aggies. Utah State had plenty of chances to win it and just couldn't get it done. The pattern continues for Utah State football.
Coach Gary Andersen said in the post-game news conference that, "He isn't coaching good enough to win football games." That is something that the Aggie faithful, the athletic department, and the University does not want to hear.
Utah State's next game will be in Honolulu as they face the Hawaii Warriors next Saturday.
Email: onlinesports@ksl.com
