A short week is what greets Utah State after a long and messy trip to Hawaii, both logistically and in terms of what the Aggies put on the field at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex. They’ll have to pull off a quick turnaround to earn a win on homecoming night against a fiesty San Jose State team that has quite a lot in common with Utah State.
The Spartans and Aggies are both coming off losses in games where victory was expected. Both were favored on the road, USU over Hawaii (-1.5) and SJSU over Wyoming. And despite holding leads in the second half (USU led 26-24, SJSU led 28-14), collapses, particularly on defense, led to defeat.
And, in a twist of fate, both sides will look at this game as one they desperately need to win.
Mathematically speaking, the Aggies don’t have to win this game. They could technically still accomplish most or all of their preseason goals of bowl eligibility and even a Mountain West title (though the latter would need outside help with a loss Friday). But it’s hard to see a Utah State team losing this weekend and going on to win three out of the next five games against New Mexico, Nevada, Fresno State, UNLV and Boise State. It’s possible, though not probable.
Bouncing back from a disappointing performance will be the key for the Aggies, and the team is confident they will do so.
“I do believe that our team as a whole, offense, defense, and special teams has looked at everything already” said USU wide receiver/quarterback Anthony Garcia. “We worked very diligently and we’ve figured out what we need to correct and we put it in the past. We’re moving on and we’re ready to move on to this weekend to get the win.”
At times, both the offense and defense have played at a high level. The offense has exploded for high-volume points against Air Force and McNeese, with solid offensive output against UTEP and Vanderbilt. The 26 points at Hawaii last week was an underperformance by the standards of previous games this season.
Utah State’s defense hasn’t had as many great games, but holding UTEP to 16, McNeese to seven, and even a high-scoring Air Force offense to its lowest tally of the season (30) are examples of positive results. The Aggies need to return to that kind of play after having allowed 99 points in the last two weeks.
San Jose State will bring an offense that might be nearly as imbalanced toward the pass as Wyoming. The Spartans already rank 121st in rushing offense, but have lost their top two running backs to attrition. Jabari Bates (27 att, 192 yards, 2 TD) is out for the season with an injury and Floyd Chalk (35 att, 141 yards, 2 TD) has opted to redshirt with an intention to transfer. That leaves Lamar Radcliffe, who has taken over the reigns as the top rusher in the last two games. He ran for 64 yards against New Mexico and 29 at Wyoming with 124 yards total in four appearances this season.
But, much like Hawaii, the lack of a solid run game hasn’t kept the Spartans from scoring points. Quarterback Walker Eget is averaging just over 300 passing yards per game and has formed a dangerous duo with wide receiver Danny Scudero. The 5-foot-9 sophomore currently leads the NCAA in receiving yards (845), receiving touchdowns (eight) and is second in total receptions (50). When asked what it’ll take to slow Scudero down and limit his impact, Mendenhall narrowed it down to stopping “big plays.”
“He’s quick, he’s elusive, he’s dynamic, he’s tough, and fun to watch,” Mendenhall said of Scudero. “So limiting is important. The giant plays and the dynamic plays downfield are really what you hope to contain, and the rest of the catches, catch, tackle. Catch, tackle. Catch tackle. And hopefully contain.”
Utah State’s defense will have its hands full, but will present just as much of a challenge to the Spartans. San Jose State has yet to face a rushing threat at QB this season to the caliber of Bryson Barnes. The closest is Texas QB Arch Manning (he has 194 rushing yards and five TDs, Barnes has 309 rushing yards and six TDs) and Manning ran for 30 yards on three true rushing attempts.
Along with Bryson’s running ability, San Jose State will have to reconcile its own struggles against the pass. The Spartans rank near the bottom of FBS in many analytical categories around pass defense. Even on a basic level, teams have found a lot of success through the air when facing SJSU. Of the five FBS opponents they’ve faced, only one (Central Michigan, which ranks 125th in passing offense) has failed to throw for at least 300 yards against the Spartans. All opposing QBs, including CMU and the FCS team Idaho, have combined to average 8.7 yards per attempt, which is the ninth-worst rate in the country.
And while the Aggies aren’t necessarily elite, they have found chances to move the ball through the air, having averaged 280.8 passing yards per game and 9.0 yards per attempt in their last four games.
The trick for USU’s pass attack will be protecting Barnes. Utah State ranks 132nd in pressure rate allowed as an offense, which has greatly hampered the team’s ability to move the ball through the air. When Barnes has a clean pocket this year, he’s completed 77% of passes, thrown nine touchdowns and averaged 9.5 yards per attempt. When put under pressure, Barnes has completed just 34% of passes and only averaged 6.1 yards per attempt.
