USU, BYU football: Defensive turnover party continues vs. Aggies
That trend continued against the Aggies as the Cougar defense gobbled up three more turnovers in the first quarter alone, leading to 17 BYU points.
Over a span of eight quarters — from the second quarter of the UCLA game through the first quarter of the USU game — BYU forced a total of 13 turnovers. The Cougars lead the nation in forced fumbles.
Trailing 7-0 midway through the opening period, USU coughed up the ball when quarterback Diondre Borel fumbled after he was hit by Shawn Doman. Defensive back Brandon Bradley scooped up the ball and ran 38 yards for a touchdown. It marked BYU's third defensive touchdown in its last two outings.
On the Aggies' ensuing drive, Coleby Clawson forced another Borel fumble and Matt Bauman recovered, setting up a 45-yard field goal by Matt Payne.
Seconds later, David Nixon intercepted Borel and returned the ball to the USU 11. One play later, Harvey Unga barreled into the end zone to give the Cougars a commanding 24-0 advantage.
AGGIES VS. TOP 25: No. 8 BYU was the the highest-ranked opponent to play in Logan since Oregon was No. 6 when the Ducks visited Romney Stadium in 2001.
USU's only win against a ranked foe? A 20-19 victory over No. 25 Fresno State in 1991. Since that game, the Aggies have lost 22 consecutive games against ranked teams. Under coach Brent Guy, USU is now 0-9 against ranked teams.
TO BE CONTINUED: Before Friday's meeting, BYU and Utah State had only met once twice since 2002. The Cougars and Aggies are scheduled to play every season through 2012.
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: BYU has won all 12 meetings with Utah State on Fridays.
CLOSE CALLS: Prior to Friday's matchup, three of the last four meetings between BYU and USU in Logan were close. In 1993, Utah State defeated BYU, 58-56; in 1999 the Cougars needed overtime to beat the Aggies, 34-31; and in 2002, BYU escaped with a 35-34 win after rallying from a 34-7 halftime deficit.
FLAG-BEARERS: Senior defensive lineman Brock Richardson carried the BYU flag out onto the field prior to Friday night's game. Former linebacker Mike Tanner carried the alumni flag.
E-mail: jeffc@desnews.com
Recent comments
Guy managed to get his guys riled up to play BYU. But he's soon to…
Guy's a goner | Oct. 4, 2008 at 3:39 p.m.
