Aggies Off To A Slow Start

With a record of 4-4, the Utah State Aggie basketball team already has as many losses as last season’s 30-4 team and fans are wondering what is wrong.

The Aggies have arguably been a powerhouse in Division I basketball with a streak of 12 straight 20-win seasons. USU has also won the Western Athletic Conference Championship four times in the last four seasons.

But the Aggies have not looked like a 20-win basketball team this season.

The Aggies have lost to non-ranked average teams like Texas A&M Corpus Christi 55-58, Pacific 57-65 and Denver 54-67.

So what is happening this season?

“Their biggest struggle this year as been their inexperience,” Jesse Parker, equipment manager for the Aggies said. “They are a young team and they just need to get used to playing with each other.”

Parker is right.

Senior guard Brokeith Pane is the only returning starter this season. It is the fewest returning starters since the 2001-02 season. Senior forwards Brady Jardine and Morgan Grim are the other returning senior players off the bench.

Another problem facing the Aggies is Brady Jardine’s possible season ending ankle injury that he sustained in the game against Southern Utah University.

Jardine is arguably the Aggies best player. Last season he was a key player coming off the bench. Jardine averaged 7.5 points and 21.4 minutes per game. He is a physical player and is ranked sixth all-time in blocks.

“It’s been hard playing without him,” Pane said. “We miss him out there, he was a big part of what we were doing coming in to this year. Not having him has hurt me a lot but injuries are something that comes along with playing ball so we have to move forward.”

Freshman guard Steven Thornton agrees.

“We took losing Brady very hard,” Thornton said. “We have lost a leader and our best post player.”

Other problems have been contentions between the USU student section and Campus President Stan Albrecht.

Students sat down and did not cheer for a portion of the USU-Denver game in protest of a controversial apology letter written by Albrecht for the way the student section acted after the Brigham Young University game Nov. 11.

USU lost the home game against Denver 67-54, which ended the third-longest home winning streak in the nation. It was the first home loss since Dec. 5, 2009.

“I know we have been hurting so far this season but I think the protest was necessary,” USU fan Steve Cannon said. “The basketball team needs us and we make the Spectrum such a hard place to play at for the other teams.”

The Aggies will need to find a way to overcome their problems by Saturday, when they face a very talented team, Wichita State.

Game Preview: USU vs. Wichita State

The Utah State basketball team travel to Kansas this weekend to play Wichita State in a a much anticipated game. The Aggies will face the Shockers on Saturday, 6:05 p.m. at the Charles Koch Arena.

The Aggies have had success playing Wichita, with an overall record of 6-4 dating back to 1948. USU beat the Shockers last season 68-58 in Logan.

But the Aggies have struggled this year.

USU is 4-4 so far this season and has a very young team. Only three seniors returned from last years team but none were starters and to make matters worse, Brady Jardine, arguably one of the teams best players has an ankle injury and is possibly out for the season.

Though they have struggled this year, the youngsters are no pushovers. They have already defeated a very good Brigham Young University team 69-62.

But Wichita will be tough challenge.

The Shockers are 6-2 and have played some tough teams this season. Teams like University of Nevada, Las Vegas (89-70), who were ranked 20th in the nation at the time.

“Wichita State is a well coached team and have a lot of guys that know how to play ball,” senior guard Brockeith Pane said. “They are big, they play hard and they get after you on defense.”

Senior guards Joe Ragland and Toure’ Murry lead the team in points for the Shockers this season, Ragland with 11.8 points per game and Murry with 13.8.

“They are a good aggressive team that have good players at every position,” Aggie freshman guard Steven Thornton said. “They’re going to be hard to beat.”

The Aggies will have to work hard to contain Ragland and Murry. Ragland had eight three-pointers against UNLV and is a very elusive and aggressive player.

“The strategy is to block out, beat them on the rebounds and play hard tough defense,” Thornton said.

But the Aggies are up for the task come Saturday said Pane.

“To beat them we have to go out and play as hard as we can, run our plays hard and give it all we have,” Pane said. “We have to be ready when we walk in to that gym, cause they will be.”

Where's The Faith?

The Utah State Aggies are favored by 3 points over the Ohio Bobcats in the upcoming Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on Dec. 17 according to most odds makers.

But the Aggies are not getting very much respect from some of their fans at home.

“Because I’m an Aggie, of course I have to say that USU is going to win,” Mickelle Maxfield, a USU student said. “But if I had to bet on it, I would pick Ohio to win. The Aggies just don’t look that solid.”

Others share Maxfield’s opinion.

“I think the Aggies luck in the fourth quarter has run out,” Lauren Berrett, a USU student said. “I think if it comes down to the last play of the game, they will choke.”

“I watched Ohio play Northern Illinois and even though they lost, they looked really good,” Luke Huntington, a USU student said. “They have a good run defense and a great offense, so I think Ohio will surprise a lot of people and beat the Aggies.”

The Bobcats are indeed a great offensive team.

With quarterback Tyler Tettleton behind the center, the team is 9-4 and is ranked in the top 25 in yards per game according to ESPN statistics. Besides Tettleton, the Bobcats have another playmaker at wide receiver named LaVon Brazill. Brazill has over 1,000 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns this season.

But the Aggies have some star players of their own.

Running back Robert Turbin has over 1,400 rushing yards this year and is a part of a stellar running game that features two other running backs, Michael Smith and Kerwynn Williams. Together they have 35 total touchdowns on the year.

The Aggie defense is headed by Western Athletic Conference defensive player of the year Bobby Wagner. Wagner has 140 tackles, four sacks and two interceptions this year at linebacker.

This isn’t enough to sway a lot of the Aggie faithful.

“I know they won like their last five games or something like that, but they just seem too inconsistent during the entire game,” Brady Sanderson, a USU fan said. “They need to be consistently good the entire game to win a bowl game in my opinion. Plus haven’t they lost like all of their bowl games?”

Sanderson has a point.

The Aggies are 1-6 when it comes to bowl games and the last time USU won a bowl game was in 1993 at the Las Vegas Bowl against Ball State. But there are believers in Cache Valley.

“Both teams will play hard but I think that we will win by a field goal,” Jaydin Pebbles, a USU student said.

Mitch Parrish, who calls himself a diehard Aggie fan is also a believer.

“The Aggies are going to kick the shit out of Ohio,” Parrish said. “Turbin will smash some heads in that bowl game.”

Not Just The Water Boy

He works hard at every basketball practice and game but he is not a player. He helps with drills and urges players to do better but he is not a coach.

Jesse Parker takes pride in his work as the Utah State basketball team’s equipment manager, which most people would say is just a glorified term for water boy.

But thinking that Parker just fetches water for tired players would be way off the mark.

Parker, a 23-year old USU student does a lot more than just hand out paper cups to thirsty players.

“I tally up all the stats each game, pack all the bags before away games, help out with team warm-ups and other stuff like that,” Parker said.

And he loves every minute of it.

“I would say my favorite part about my job is hanging out with all the athletes. They are really fun,” Parker said. “I also get to be around and learn from coach. Stew Morrill is one of the best coaches in the country so it’s a great opportunity.”

And hanging out with players doesn’t stop at the end of games or practices.

Parker is roommates with Preston Medlin, who plays guard on the team.

Parker is majoring in physical education and wants to pursue a career as a high school counselor and coach.

But his real dream is to one day become a division one basketball coach.

“I really want to work on a masters degree and then coach at the high school level. Then working up and coaching division one ball would be great,” Parker said.

Parker is not the stereotypical water boy. He was a three-sport athlete at South Summit High School in Kamas, Utah.

“I played football, baseball and basketball,” Parker said.

It’s the love of sports that keeps him working so hard.

“He’s a great guy and helps us out a lot,” Steven Thornton, a freshman point guard for the Aggies said. “I feel like he’s just another guy on the team.”

Parker agrees that he would seem like just another player with all the time he puts into being the equipment manager.

“I probably spend over 40 hours a week with the basketball team,” Parker said.

Spending all that time on the court and still getting good grades as a full-time student is a daunting task.

“I hardly ever see him,” said Sean O’Sullivan, a USU student who lives across the hall from Parker. “He’s a pretty busy guy and when I do see him, he is always going somewhere.”

Profile: Tavin Stucki

The Utah Statesman school newspaper is a part of everyday life to most Utah State University students.

“The last survey done by the Statesman showed that 92 percent of students are calling themselves regular readers,” Jay Wamsley, advisor to the Utah Statesman staff said.

A big part of the Statesman’s success is because of Tavin Stucki.

Stucki, a 22-year old junior at USU, is the sports editor for the Statesman. He was hired this year at the beginning of the fall semester.

“I saw the opportunity open up and I really wanted to cover sports,” Stucki said. “Being able to watch sports all the time and go to all the events for free, I was all over it.”

But watching sports and getting all-access passes is just the beginning to Stucki’s long list of tasks to get done before the deadline.

The Statesman publishes its newspaper three times a week. The Monday, Wednesday and Friday issues require numerous hours of Stucki’s busy schedule.

“It takes quite a bit of time really,” Stucki said. “I’m in the office from 4 p.m. to midnight three days a week finishing the layout of the section and editing stories. Then every story I write, which is usually two to four stories a week, takes about one hour, plus the time it takes to watch multiple games a week and do interviews,” Stucki said.

Stucki’s hard work and effort has earned him compliments from the boss.

“I hired Tavin because he is willing to do whatever it takes in order to have a great product,” Catherine Meidell, the editor in chief of the Statesman said. “His emotions are really invested in Aggie athletics.”

A great product indeed, according to many students who read the paper.

“I pretty much pick up the newspaper just to read the sports section,” Spencer Harris, a USU student said. “The Statesman does a great job at covering the things I want to read about.”

Stucki and Meidell both agree that the sports section is much better than in previous years because it captures more faces in Aggie athletics.

“I’ve taken what I learned from the previous sports editors, like great writing and being people friendly and have implemented them into my section,” Stucki said. “I’m also covering lesser known sports like rodeo and rugby. We are also covering intramural sports.”

Aside from stats, scores, sports news and player previews, Stucki plans on continuing his career as a sports editor after college.

“I recently thought about being a sports editor at one of the smaller newspapers in Idaho,” Stuck said. “I have a lot of family there and it’s close to home.”

Another Fourth Quarter Scare

The Utah State Aggies gave fans yet another scare by waiting until the last seconds of the fourth quarter to win Saturday’s football contest.

With 35 seconds left in the game, USU quarterback Adam Kennedy connected with receiver Matt Austin for a touchdown to win the game 24-21, over New Mexico State University.

“We don’t try to make it close,” senior linebacker Bobby Wagner said. “But I like to keep the fans on the edge of their seats.”

Wagner had six tackles and a sack in the game.

Despite two failed fourth down attempts by the Aggies deep in NMSU territory, the defense played well to keep the score tied 0-0 at the end of the first quarter.

“After the two turnovers we just had to keep staying positive,” Wagner said.

Both offenses got on track in the second quarter.

USU junior running back Robert Turbin scored on a 21-yard pass from Kennedy to go up 7-0.

But NMSU answered right back on their next possession when quarterback Matt Christian ran for 16 yards into the end zone to tie the game. Christian scrambled past multiple USU defenders after finding no receivers open.

USU put together a seven play 60-yard scoring drive on their next possession ending in another Kennedy completion to an open Austin in the back of the end zone.

The USU Aggies looked to be gaining momentum going into the third quarter but that momentum ended with a Kennedy fumble recovered by NMSU on their own 49 yard line. The fumble proved costly for USU as NMSU scored on the very next play; a 51-yard strike to receiver Kemonte Bateman to tie the game again.

In the fourth quarter, after a USU field goal and a touchdown by NMSU, USU found themselves in familiar territory; Down by four late in the game.

With 6:49 left, USU started a drive at their own 17 yard line.

Utah State ran the ball 12 consecutive times with four different players to NMSU’s 8 yard line. Kennedy then completed a pass to Austin for a touchdown with 35 seconds to go.

“Turbin and Smith were great,” USU running back Kerwynn Williams said. “We got the job done when it came down to the end.”

Williams helped out during the 12 consecutive rushing plays and had 68 yards rushing in the game.

New Mexico could not answer back and the Utah State Aggies won their seventh game this season. The Aggies finished regular season play with a record of 7-5, 5-2 in the Western Athletic Conference.

“We pulled off the win again,” Wagner said. “Our players made plays.”

The Aggies will face the Ohio Bobcats in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Dec. 17 at 3:30 p.m. in Boise, Idaho.

“We’re excited to play in the bowl game,” Wagner said. “We got a chance to see Ohio play and they look good but we’ll be ready.”

How Much Is Too Much?

Actions of the Utah State University student section during basketball games are being scrutinized by school officials and the public. The question of “how far is too far?” is being debated.

USU students were called classless and disrespectful after a win over Brigham Young University on Nov. 11.

Arguments on Facebook, Twitter and comment boards quickly emerged after the game about the conduct of USU fans.

“I used to like the USU Aggies, but the vulgar t-shirts and signs in the crowd were just embarrassing,” Britney Gale, a USU fan said.

More comments similar to Gale’s could be seen on comment boards such as the Deseret News, Salt Lake Tribune and other news websites.

USU fans chanted and held up signs saying, “pull it out,” and “don’t tell.”

These chants were directed at BYU forward Brandon Davies. Davies was kicked off the team for breaking the school honor code when he had pre-marital sex late last season.

Some say that the chants were uncalled for and were a display of terrible sportsmanship.

“I’m a true USU fan and I love the rivalry between USU and BYU, but I felt embarrassed by some of our cheers,” Lauren Berrett, a senior at USU said. “I think a players personal life should be left out of basketball games.”

Many agree with Berrett.

“The personal attacks on Davies were uncalled for,” Joey Bennion, a USU fan said. “I’m just glad none of my kids were in there. I want to watch my team play, not listen to a bunch of sexual innuendos.”

The USU students were chastised by President Stan Albrecht and Director of Athletics Scott Barnes.

“We were disappointed and disturbed, however, during the recent basketball game against BYU. Some fans chose to conduct themselves in ways that went far beyond mere school rivalry, fair play and — most importantly — basic human decency,” Albrecht and Barnes said in a letter that was published on the school website. “We have to be able to find some way to display incomparable enthusiasm and school spirit without resorting to crude language, outright vulgarity and deeply personal insults chanted at an opposing player. It is inappropriate for us to invite a guest to come into our home and then have to suffer the language and personal insults tossed at him.”

Sean O’Sullivan, a student at USU said that Albrecht didn’t do anything about the heckling during the game.

“Sure he comes out and says all that after the game but I didn’t see him attempt to stop the chanting or announce anything during the game,” O’Sullivan said.

Conner Simmons, a junior at USU disagrees with Albrecht’s statements in his letter.

“It’s all part of the game,” Simmons said. “You can’t expect us to be nice to teams, especially BYU. Funny cheers and crowd unity is what makes it so hard to play us at home.”

(s.o'sullivan)

USU Is Going Bowling

After a 14-year absence from post-season play, the Utah State football team is finally headed to a bowl game.

Coach Gary Anderson along with Director of Athletics Scott Barnes announced Monday that they accepted an invitation to play in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

The bowl game will be played Saturday, Dec. 17 at 3:30 p.m. at Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho.

“It feels great to be going to a bowl,” running back Kerwynn Williams said. “It feels good to be able to have the opportunity to play this game for the fans and the community.”

The game will be telecast nationally on ESPN and broadcast on ESPN Radio however many students will make the four-hour drive to Boise to watch the game.

“It’s their first bowl in 14 years so it’s worth the drive to me,” Brady Sanderson, a USU student said. “It’s good to support our team and show that we care by making the trip to see them play. Besides, they're going to need our help.”

The Aggies will need the home-field advantage indeed.

The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl selects a top team from the Western Athletic Conference and Mid-American Conference.

Although the MAC team has not been selected yet, the Aggies will most likely face the Ohio Bobcats or the Northern Illinois Huskies, who are the top teams in the MAC East and West divisions.

Ohio, 9-3 and first place in the MAC East, features a stellar offense that ranks 35th in the nation according to ESPN. The Aggies will have their hands full trying to stop Bobcats’ sophomore quarterback Tyler Tettleton, who has almost 3,000 yards passing this season.

Northern Illinois is first place in the MAC West and has a record of 9-3. The Huskies also sport a powerful offense lead by senior quarterback Chandler Harnish. Harnish can be a pocket passer or run the ball. He has over 2,600 yards passing and over 1,300 yards rushing with 34 total touchdowns this season. Harnish was also given the MAC Most Valuable Player award for his performance this season.

(s.o'sullivan)

USU Rugby Player Profile: Spencer Harris

Hard-hitting, fast-paced and just plain dirty were some of the words that Spencer Harris used to describe what rugby is.

Harris, a junior at Utah State University and member of the rugby club, loves the sport.

“I love staying active and tackling people. Rugby lets me do both,” Harris said.

Harris was introduced to the game at Bingham high school in South Jordan, Utah. The school started a rugby club during his senior year.

“I wrestled in high school and always wanted to play football but never tried out for the team for some reason,” Harris said. “When I found out the school was creating a rugby team I decided to join.”

He quickly learned the rules and after a few weeks earned his spot as a starter on the team.

“Because the sport isn’t very popular in America, our coaches first had to teach us all the rules. I would go home after school and study plays and teams on Youtube,” Harris said.

When Harris arrived at USU, he quickly became a standout player on the team.

At 6 feet 2 inches tall and 200 pounds, Harris can hit hard and is difficult to bring down.

“He is a huge asset to team,” said Ryan McLeod, president of the rugby club and fellow teammate. “He is a utility player. He is good enough to play wherever I put him. Pound for pound one of the toughest guys out there.”

Toughness is a must according to Harris.

“You have to be fearless when you are on the field,” Harris said. “We don’t wear pads in rugby, so you have to be prepared to take a hard hit and then get up and keep playing.”

Harris has had one concussion and numerous cuts and bruises in his years as a rugby player.

“I remember hitting my head really hard but then just getting up and still playing,” Harris said. “I should have quit playing because to this day I still can’t remember what happened the rest of the game.”

The rugby club accepts anyone who comes out to play.

“It’s about being able to learn and enjoy the sport,” McLeod said. “We are competitive but we also just try to have fun.”

(s.o'sullivan)

Still A Fourth-Quarter Team

The Utah State Aggies were a fourth-quarter football team.

It was just four weeks ago that the Aggies were a 2-5 program — having lost each of their games in the fourth quarter.

Then something happened. Since USU’s Nov. 6 game versus Hawaii, a new team has been stepping onto the gridiron.

And they’re still a fourth-quarter football team.

“Now we are winning” said running back Kerwynn Williams.

The Aggies have now won their last four games in the quarter that was once labeled as “cursed” by newspapers and fans alike in Logan. The Aggies have also clinched a bowl bid for the first time since 1997.

The most recent win came when the Aggies defeated Nevada last week, 21-17.

The Aggies were losing 14-17 in the third quarter when running back Robert Turbin caught a 34-yard pass for a touchdown to take the lead 21-17. The Aggies held the Wolf Pack scoreless in fourth quarter.

So what changed in the last four weeks?

Running back Williams thinks the attitude of the entire team has improved.

“I feel like we started to gain more confidence as the season went on,” Williams said. “We made the decision that we weren’t going to lose in the fourth anymore.”

Williams had 71 yards rushing and one touchdown against Nevada.

Another reason for the team’s recent success is new starting quarterback Adam Kennedy.

Kennedy has thrown for 740 yards and seven touchdowns in his last four games and has been a key factor in every win.

“I think he had done a great job managing the game and stepping up when he was called on to preform,” Williams said.

Kennedy replaced former starter Chuckie Keeton after Keeton was injured in the first half of the Hawaii game.

Not only has fourth-quarter dominance given the Aggies four straight wins, but it has also made them bowl eligible for the first time in 14 years. On Monday USU Director of Athletics Scott Barnes and Aggies’ football head coach Gary Anderson announced that they had accepted an invitation to play in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

Williams said that being invited to a bowl game has brought back some respect to USU football.

“I do believe we are gaining a little more respect within the state,” Williams said.

Indeed.

“They have stopped making mistakes late in the game and have stepped up to play in the fourth,” said Andrew Herrin, a junior at USU. “They just look more confident and ready to win now.”

The Aggies look to maintain their fourth-quarter success when they face New Mexico State this Saturday.

(r.wabel)

More Than Just A Comeback

With the return of many starting players from last years team, including running back Robert Turbin and Wester Athletic Conference player of the year Bobby Wagner, players and fans of the Utah State football team expected a great season.

But after a slew of fourth-quarter losses, the Aggies limped into the last half of the season with a losing record of 2-7.

USU needed a win in last Saturday’s game against Hawaii in order to salvage their season and possibly become eligible for their first bowl game since 1997.

But the game started out terrible for the Aggies.

After being shut down in the first half, a win against the Warriors looked grim. Things got worse when freshman quarterback Chuckie Keeton took a hard hit to his head with only seconds to go before half time. He laid motionless on the turf and was later put on a stretcher and carted off the field.

The Aggies would have to overcome a 21 point deficit in the second half without Keeton.

But 21 points wasn’t enough to keep the Aggies from their victory.

Backup quarterback Adam Kennedy stepped in and led the Aggies to a comeback win, outscoring the Warriors 28-3 in the second half. Kennedy threw for 163 yards and had two touchdowns in just two quarters of play.

“I would have been nervous if it hadn't been for my teammates," Kennedy said in an interview with the Utah Statesman. "They constantly came up to me telling me that they believed in me and that they were behind me. That gave me a lot of confidence. I expected the nerves to come, but they never came.”

The Aggies finally overcame their difficulties in the fourth quarter, scoring twice and maintaining a strong defense.

"In the fourth quarter, if you look at our games, we always give up, we slack," USU linebacker Bojay Filimoeatu said in an interview with the Utah Statesman. "At the beginning of this week, Coach Andersen said, ‘Enough is enough.' He lined us up and made us run sprints at the end of practice, and then Mike Smith took charge and huddled us up together, and he spoke from the heart and we threw fours up. I say we were perfect in the fourth quarter."

Not only did Kennedy’s stellar performance help save the game, but also the respect of the fans.

“I think this win gave the season new life,” USU student Jared Neimer said. “It shows that they haven’t just given up on the season.”

(j.ballard)

Brandon Fonda is a student at Utah State University studying Journalism and Communications.

Hockey Preview: USU vs BYU

The Utah State University hockey team is becoming more popular in Logan attracting fans and USU students with its fast-paced offensive style of play. The Aggies have dominated their opponents this season and are undefeated.

The Aggies (10-1-0) look to improve their record when they face Brigham Young University this saturday.

BYU has struggled this season and is winless.

The last time these two teams met was in September when the Aggies dominated the Cougars, beating them 17-3.

"Everyone was really excited for the game," USU forward Brendan MacDonald said in an interview with the Utah Statesman. "For a lot of the boys, it was their first game in the building, so they were all really excited."

Their excitement was visible from the beginning face-off.

USU forward Tyler Mistelbacher scored just nine seconds into the first period and the Aggies would put the puck in the net 16 more times by the end of the game.

Nine different Aggies scored and MacDonald, Mistelbacher and defenseman Jeff Sanders all had hat-tricks.

"BYU works hard every game. It's a rivalry, and it always has been," MacDonald said in an interview with the Utah Statesman. "Our skill level and work ethic really set us apart from them."

Though USU hockey has proven itself to be the dominate team in the western region, the game against BYU this saturday should be exciting and action-packed.

“I love going to a rivalry game,” Spencer Harris, a USU hockey fan said. “Even though we’re going to kill BYU, it’s still fun to see all the goals and maybe some fights.”

Hockey games are not just for sports fans but are a great date idea, said USU student Alex Wankier.

“I have taken a couple dates to games this season,” Wankier said. “Each date turned out great.”

The last time the two teams met was in front of a sell-out crowd of 2,050 fans.

Saturday’s game will be played at the Eccles Ice Arena in North Logan.

Tickets are $5 for USU students and kids aged 17 and under. Adult tickets are $7.

(k.blesch)

Fourth Quarter Woes

Fourth quarter is a terrible time for Utah State University football. The Aggies (2-5) have blown fourth quarter leads in each of their five losses this season.

In September, the Aggies were hosted by Auburn University, the defending national champions. The Aggies were ahead by 10 points with 3:38 remaining in the game. Moments later Auburn started its comeback by marching down the field for a touchdown to cut the lead to three with 2:07 remaining. After a successful on-side kick, Auburn scored again, narrowly avoiding what would have been an embarrassing loss to a mediocre Western Athletic Conference team.

Two more fourth quarter losses would come in September.

The second loss came against Brigham Young University, when former USU quarterback Riley Nelson’s pass deflected off an Aggie defender and into the arms of a BYU receiver for the winning touchdown as time expired.

The third loss came when Colorado State scored with 42 seconds left in the fourth quarter and converted a two-point conversion to tie the game at 21-21. The Aggies would then lose in double overtime after a failed two-point conversion.

The other two losses were against Fresno State when the Bulldogs scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter and Louisiana Tech after USU gave up 10 points in the fourth quarter.

The Aggies are ranked nationally in the top 25 in points scored and rushing yards per game and the defense is ranked in the top 80, according to ESPN.

But who is to blame for the Aggies fourth quarter foul-ups?

USU students and fans have pointed fingers at multiple suspects.

Spencer Harris, a student at USU doesn’t blame specific coaches or players, but the teams inability to step-up at critical times to close out games.

“The team isn’t clutch,” Harris said. “It’s not that the coaches change their play calls or the players play worse, its that in the fourth quarter the other team steps up and we don’t.”

USU student John Penrod thinks otherwise. He blames the offensive coordinator.

“There is a lack of creativity in the fourth quarter,” Penrod said. ”We don’t play to win in the fourth, we play not to lose. We try and run the clock down instead of trying to score.”

Stats prove that Penrod’s argument is hard to dismiss. The Aggies points and yards decrease dramatically in the fourth quarter. The team has scored only 24 total points in the fourth quarters of the five games that they have lost.

Brady Sanderson, an Aggie football fan points the finger at USU special teams.

“Dropped punt returns, bobbled snaps, missed field goals and terrible kickoff coverage have plagued us in the fourth quarter,” Sanderson said. “We can’t win if we keep making stupid mistakes, especially at the end of the game.”

Despite the difficult losses, USU running back Robert Turbin still has a winning attitude and tries to have a short memory about the team’s losses.

“The focus right now is to win. Period. That’s it. I don’t care about nothing else,” Turbin said to the Associated Press after the Auburn game.

USU has a bye week to try and correct its fourth quarter problems prior to facing the toughest part of it’s schedule, which includes teams like Hawaii (4-3) and Nevada (4-3).

USU Coach Gary Andersen looks to improve his win loss record on Nov. 5, when it faces the Warriors of Hawaii.

(k.blesch)