BYU - USU: 2009 Edition

Before reading on, check out the preview I wrote in August and see if it was accurate. Had USU managed to get one more TD, I would have pinned the score on the dot. Personally satisfying, for sure!

Utah State came into Provo Friday Night with a dream - beat BYU and get their first win in Provo in more than 30 years. Nope. Didn't happen. They lost, 35-17.

For all intents and purposes, the game ended at the 13:09 mark in the 4th quarter. USU, faced with a crucial 4th and 1 in their own territory, went for it. At that point, USU needed to advance the ball and try to close an 11 point gap that widened with each tick off the clock. Turbin got the handoff, had space, looked to turn upfield, but didn't follow his blocker and was taken down two yards short of the 1st down marker. One 30-yard Harvey Unga run later, and BYU found itself inside the five. They sealed the deal on the next play; who else to do it but Harvey Unga? Unga ran 10 yards all over the Aggie D and BYU widened its lead to 28-10.

And then, just to rub salt in the wound, Riley Nelson came in for a single play and ran 15 yards up USU's gut late in the game. Max Hall immediately returned to the game after Nelson's run. Oooooh, Riley Nelson. I hate you, Riley Nelson. I hate you.

However... wait for it... Did USU quit? NO. With 2.6 seconds remaining, Borel tossed a 16-yard TD pass, his only of the game, to Xavier Bowman and closed the game out strong for USU. Indeed, strong finishes are a quality that seems to be a good trend for USU's football future.

Loads of hype surrounded the USU offense coming into the game. USU boasted Turbin's three-game streak of 100+ rushing yards, and Diondre Borel had put up over 300 yards of total offense in the previous two games. The hype was mostly made of the same material as dreams. However, the happenings of the first five minutes of the first quarter would lead one to believe otherwise.

No. 20 BYU came into this game a huge favorite, but it would be USU's offense that would score first off what has become known as a typical BYU turnover.

USU took possession after BYU fumbled at the 45-yard line. Diondre Borel and led his troops to the end zone in less than 3 minutes to give USU a very quick lead over their rivals from Provo. BYU then soaked up the first quarter in a very, very long scoring drive that took over 8 minutes off the first quarter clock. That locked the score at 7 apiece.

The most notable statistic in the first quarter was that Robert Turbin only managed to earn 6 yards rushing, and USU as a team only obtained 17 rushing yards, which was quite a step backward from last week's 600+ yard outing against SUU. BYU, on the other hand, racked up 69 yards rushing in their drive, and earned 111 yards of total offense to USU's 43.

USU then got the ball, went 3-and-out, and BYU found the seam in the Aggie D. In less than two minutes, BYU scored. The final play of the drive was a 45-yard pass to Luke Ashworth, who walked unmolested to the end zone in the first minute of the second quarter.

USU didn't do much on the next two drives and gave it up to BYU, but didn't make it easy. Two times in succession, BYU had to drive out of their own endzone. On the first, USU contained BYU to a punt, but not on the second. BYU drove 50 yards and sucked a sizable amount of time off the clock. By the time USU recovered at their own 27, and then the unthinkable happened.

USU fumbled once again on a bad pitch from Borel to Turbin. BYU recovered at USU's 30-yard-line, and threw a 26-yard-pass to Dennis Pitta. With less than 30 seconds on the clock, BYU's Manase Tonga scored it up the middle and widened the gap on the Aggies. 21-7. Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers...

In the third, the turnover monster reared its ugly head against BYU, but USU was unable to capitalize. After grabbing a pick in BYU territory, USU only managed to get to the BYU 2 and kicked a field goal. A second pick came on the ensuing BYU drive, but USU's offense stalled at midfield, and the Aggies were forced to punt again. USU's offense was stifled. Through three quarters, Turbin only managed to rack up 36 yards. Quite the different story from last Saturday...

Credit must be given to the USU defense. It squeezed out two more picks from Max in the third, and held BYU near midfield on their third offensive attempt of the third quarter. USU managed to claw its way a bit closer to BYU.

And then the 4th and 1 happened, and as quickly as USU momentum came, it was gone. USU fell short again on their next drive, once again giving it up on 4th down, and allowing BYU to score again before retaking the ball with next to nothing on the clock and driving for their final score.

USU is now going to start their conference season. This is where we'll see really where this team is.