BYU Football: 3 takeaways from Old Wagon Wheel win over Utah State

1. Jordan Love had little help from the Utah State backfield

Jordan Love has not looked like the quarterback that put Utah State on the map in 2018. Regressing back to the mean of where he played as a freshman, Love has been a major reason why the Aggies hovered right around the .500 mark for much of the season — and why they are back to that null mark in the standings after taking a loss at home in the rivalry showdown against the Cougars.

Love threw three interceptions against the BYU secondary, but he also completed 29 of his 49 attempts for 394 yards and a touchdown. The quarterback added 17 yards on the ground as the Aggies struggled gamely if futilely to the final whistle. There was no comeback to be found, but the effort remained consistent to the end.

The problem was how that effort produced when the coaches elected to call a running play. Gerold Bright led the way with 66 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, but beyond that there was little assistance from the running game to help out Love when he needed a hand. The backfield finished with only 127 net rushing yards against one of the dozen worst rushing defenses in the FBS.

It was yet another disappointing defeat, though one that does not impact Utah State’s chances in the Mountain West race. If they were to win out against Fresno State, Wyoming, Boise State, and New Mexico, the Aggies would still win the MWC Mountain and take on the West champ for the conference title. But they probably lost any flagging hope of a New Year’s Six bid with their fourth loss.