Utah State ‘Searching’ For Identity After Loss To Weber State
Sep 10, 2022, 9:40 PM
Byron Vaughns celebrates making a play against UConn at Maverik Stadium on Saturday, August 27, 2022.
LOGAN, UT – The Utah State Aggies came up empty in a 35-7 beatdown at the hands of the FCS No. 16 Weber State Wildcats on Saturday night.
Coming off of a difficult but not unexpected 55-0 loss to No. 1 Alabama, Utah State hoped that a date with Weber State would afford them a chance to bounce back.
A rebound was not in the cards for the Aggies as Weber State controlled the run game and forced four Utah State turnovers.
“Give credit to Jay (Hill) and his group,” head coach Blake Anderson said postgame. “We got outcoached and outplayed. It’s that simple.”
The Aggies made it to halftime trailing by one score, 13-7. But it was a 20-play stretch in the middle of the third quarter that ultimately put the game out of reach while simultaneously setting off alarms for the Aggies.
TOUCHDOWN WILDCATS!
An 18-play, 86-yard drive capped by a 9-yard TD to Ty MacPherson! #WeAreWeber pic.twitter.com/DdHqML70Gg
— Weber State Football 🏈 (@weberstatefb) September 11, 2022
Weber State pieced together an 18-play, 86-yard drive that ate up 9:29 off the clock and resulted in a touchdown pass that made it 20-7. On the extra point, the Aggie special teams looked completely unprepared as the Wildcats ran a two-point conversion unimpeded up the middle of the defense, giving WSU a 14 point lead.
On the second play of Utah State’s following possession, Weber State safety Desmond Williams broke on a Logan Bonner pass across the middle, picking it off and returning it for a back breaking touchdown.
PICK SIX!
Desmond Williams picks it off and returns it 33-yards for a touchdown!
Wildcats up 28-7!#WeAreWeber pic.twitter.com/lWMAXIKpzJ
— Weber State Football 🏈 (@weberstatefb) September 11, 2022
And just like that, the Wildcats had the win iced away.
Was an Aggie defense that has allowed 240 rushing yards per game this season tired?
Safety Hunter Reynolds didn’t want to make any excuses. “As a defense, we know we can play four quarters. Our goal every week is to come out and play four dominant quarters. We just didn’t execute well enough down the stretch.”
It wasn’t as though Utah State was unable to create a big play defensively. The Aggies created three turnovers on the night and have forced seven turnovers in three games. Aside from forcing turnovers, USU’s defense struggled at the point of attack.
TOUCHDOWN WILDCATS!
Josh Davis with a 17-yard TD and the Wildcats take a 10-7 lead! #WeAreWeber pic.twitter.com/Lfg3HtpH4O
— Weber State Football 🏈 (@weberstatefb) September 10, 2022
“Right now we’re not a very good football team,” Anderson said following the loss. “We’re searching for ourselves. We’re searching for consistency. We’re searching for leadership. You name it. In every phase of the game. We have not played a good football game yet, and it shows.”
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Up Next
After games in three consecutive weeks to open the season, the Aggies enjoy a much needed bye.
Following the bye, Utah State opens their Mountain West schedule on Saturday, September 24 against the UNLV Rebels. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. (MST).
Every Utah State football game can be heard on the KSL Sports Zone with Scott Garrard and former Aggie quarterback Kevin White on the call.
