Utah State runs all over SJSU in 49-27 romp

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Seventeen second-quarter points looked to keep SJSU within reach of Saturdays game against Utah State, but the Aggies played a convincingly dominant game on both sides of the ball through all four quarters and outscored the Spartans 21-7 in the second half to claim a 49-27 victory.With Western Athletic Conference standings implications on the line for both teams, Utah State came into Spartan Stadium and showed all in attendance why they are the better team. The Aggies (5-2, 1-0 WAC) sacked SJSU (4-2, 0-1 WAC) quarterback David Fales 13 times for a loss of 102 yards and out-gained the Spartans 212-4 on the ground.We have to find a way to fix it, said head coach Mike MacIntyre about the alarming number of sacks in the game. We knew they had a good front but it should not have been like that. I thought they would have a few sacks but not that many.Fales, who finished the game with 467 yards on 38-of-50 passing and three touchdowns, said the high number of sacks was a communication issue.Obviously the sacks were a big part of this game, he said, but if you get sacked 13 times you got to communicate better and make adjustments. Well look at the film and come back better next week.They threw a couple different looks at us, but it was all similar stuff. They just kept getting good jumps at us.With the score at 28-20 in favor of Utah State at halftime, the Aggies began the second half with a vigor that showed they didnt want to let SJSU climb back into the game whatsoever. An 86-yard touchdown run from running back Kerwynn Williams on the Aggies third play of the second halfa 3rd-and-1 situationset the tone for the rest of the game for Utah State.Neither Williams nor the Aggies looked back from the instance Williams was handed the ball for the long touchdown run. The conference-leading rusher finished the game with 176 yards on the ground on 15 rush attempts and added three touchdowns.Utah State quarterback Chuckie Keeton also had a substantial input on the outcome of the game. Keeton passed for 273 yards and rushed for another 47. The main ingredient for Utah States and Keetons successno sacks allowed.I knew it coming in that 16 (Keeton) and 25 (Williams) would make plays so we worked and worked to stop them but we didnt do enough, MacIntyre said.Despite coming back from a 28-3 deficit with 9:26 remaining in the first half to bring the score to 28-20 at halftime, the Spartans second-half performance looked like the team that allowed Utah State to jump out the early lead.Keeton tacked on a 28-yard touchdown run on Utah States second possession of the second half, adding to the ferocious ground game Williams exhibited with his 86-yard strike. Williams also added a 12-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to close the games scoring at 49-27. By games end, Williams had 176 yards on 15 carries and three touchdowns.Theyre good together, said defensive end Travis Johnson. They are tricky with the handoffs and have good communication and execution. We just didnt do it today.SJSUs only glimmer of hope came from scores on three straight possession to close the first half as strongly as the team played through the first two quarters. A three-yard touchdown pass from Fales to wide receiver Kyle Nunn brought the score to 28-10. A defensive three-and-out stop lead to a SJSU drive that resulted in a 26-yard field goal by Austin Lopez followed on the teams following possession to make it a 28-13 score.With 1:18 left in the first half, SJSU took over and methodically moved the ball down the field, attacking the right sideline with passes that allowed receivers to get out of bounds and stop the clock.Fales finished the drive on 8-of-8 passing to four different receivers with a 20-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Noel Grigsby wit 0:24 left in the first half. By halftime, Fales was 21-for-24 passing for 277 yards and 2 touchdowns.Utah State came out in the first quarter firing with all cylinders on both sides on the ball, and thats putting it lightly. SJSU was able to move the ball into the Utah State red zone, gaining 67 yards on its opening drive but was held to a field goal by Austin Lopez. The Spartans accumulated just six more net yards the rest of the quarter, due mainly to three first-quarter sacks by the Aggies on Fales.Utah State scored on each of their first two possessions both on passes from Keeton. The first went to wide receiver Chuck Jacobs for a 17-yard strike, the second to wide receiver Matt Austin on a five-yard pass.The start of the second quarter was just as grimif not, worsefor the Spartans. On Utah States first play from scrimmage of both its drive and the second quarter resulted in a 50-yard touchdown run by Williams, who went nearly untouched on his way to the end zone.The Aggies kept pouring it on as they scored on their fourth consecutive play to begin the game, the first time the team has done so this season. A 21-yard pass from Keeton to wide receiver Travis Van Leeuwen brought the score to 28-3 with 9:26 left in the second quarter.It wasnt happening today, said defensive end Travis Johnson. Were going to keep working and come back next week.Wide receiver Noel Grigsby, who caught 11 passes for 181 yards and vaulted into number one on SJSUs all-time receiving yards list, called the loss a slap in the face.We need to get betterwe have a group of guys that all think that way, he said. We dont want to ride the roller coaster, wed come back the same even if we won. Well be OK.

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