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LOGAN — The Utah State Aggies scored what ended up being the game-winning score with just 47 seconds left on the clock, pulling out the 34-33 victory over the San Jose State Spartans.
While the game between the two Western Athletic Conference rivals wasn’t pretty — or well attended — it was a hotly contested game that turned into an exciting finish.
Observation 1:
This was not the Aggies most well played game. In fact, it would be easy to say that it is their worst played game of the season so far, but all that matters is the victory. Utah State turned the ball over five times (four fumbles and an interception) and only force one takeaway. Junior wide receiver Stanley Morrison fumbled the ball over to the Spartans on three consecutive USU touches. Head coach Gary Andersen cannot be pleased with the way his team played in this game and is sure to have some special drills for his team this coming week. Again, all that matters is the check in the win column.
Observation 2:
The Aggies seem to have found a way to pull out the close game victories. With just 47 seconds remaining in the game junior quarterback Adam Kennedy completed an underthrown pass to senior receiver Matt Austin for what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown. After dropping close games to Auburn, Colorado State, Brigham Young, Fresno State and Louisiana Tech, the Aggies finally managed to pull out a win last week against Hawaii and another Saturday. The Aggies will need to keep this momentum rolling for the rest of the season if they hope to be bowl eligible. While the Aggies’ remaining schedule seems to be ripe for them to finish over .500 at 7-5 anyone will tell you that no conference game is in the bag.
Observation 3:
For the Aggie defense to be successful, they have to put pressure on the opposing quarterback. The USU defensive secondary is not talented enough to stop a passing team with plenty of time to find the open receiver. Spartan senior quarterback Matt Faulkner made several big plays down the field because the Aggie defensive front seven couldn’t get a hand in his face to disrupt his rhythm. When Andersen dialed up the defensive pressure and blitzed, the SJSU offensive line was not able to pick up the blitz and USU was successful in keeping themselves in the game and eventually sealing the victory.
Observation 4:
There is a reason freshman Chuckie Keeton won the starting quarterback job heading into the start of this 2011 season. Andersen and offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin felt he gave the Aggies the best change at winning. That being said, the Aggies pulled off two consecutive come-from-behind wins with Kennedy, a junior college transfer, under center. While Keeton’s play was statistically (and visually) better, Kennedy has won. There has been no announcement whether or not Keeton will be ready to play for next week’s game against Idaho, but the USU coaching staff certainly has a decision on its hands going forward.
Justin McKissick is a KSL.com contributor originally from the San Francisco Bay Area. He is currently seeking a communications degree. Justin has been covering USU sports since 2011. Follow him on Twitter: @justin_sr.
