Oct. 31, 2009

Final Stats | Notes

FRESNO, Calif. - For the fourth game in a row, Utah State's final score was a difference of four points after the Aggies were edged 31-27 by Fresno State on Halloween Saturday at a sunny Bulldog Stadium.

Junior QB Diondre Borel became the first Aggie signal-caller to rush for 100 yards since 2005 with a career-best 105 and a TD while throwing for 240 yards and another TD on 20-of-31 passing. It was the fourth time this season that Borel ran and threw for a TD in the same game.

Sophomore RB Robert Turbin rushed for 138 yards and a TD, as he and Borel became the second Aggie duo this season to both run for 100 yards.

Borel completed a pass to a season-high nine different receivers, led by senior WR Xavier Bowman's career-best seven catches for 65 yards and a TD while junior WR Eric Moats had 59 yards on four catches.

USU is now 2-6 overall and 1-3 in Western Athletic Conference games while Fresno State improved to 5-3 overall and 4-1 in WAC play, winning its fourth-straight game. It was the Aggies' third loss in a row to the Bulldogs, falling to 10-14-1 all-time, including 2-11-1 at Fresno, losing the last four after a 24-all tie in 1990 and going 0-9-1 in their last 10 trips there since last winning in 1980.

The Aggies had 503 yards of total offense, while the Bulldogs had 466. Fresno State RB Ryan Mathews, the nation's leading rusher amassed 185 yards with two TD's. Ryan Colburn was 17-of-27 passing for 256 yards and a TD. Colburn was picked off once by the Aggies, as USU junior CB Rajric Coleman snared the oskie late in the second quarter, setting up senior K Chris Ulinski's 23-yard field goal as time expired in the first half to send USU into the locker room with a 27-17 halftime lead. However, Fresno State stormed back with 14 second half points while the Aggies didn't score.

USU got on the board first with a 26-yard Ulinski field goal on the Aggies opening possession of the game, a drive that included 43 and 16-yard rushes by Turbin. Fresno State countered with a fast scoring drive of its own, capped by a 9-yard run by Mathews.

The Aggies bounced back on their next drive, started by a 54-yard pass play from Borel to sophomore WR Stanley Morrison and finished by a 5-yard TD toss from Borel to Bowman for a 10-7 USU lead.

That advantage would be short-lived as the Bulldogs bounced back and Seyi Ajirotutu snagged an 18-yard pass from Colburn for a 14-10 FS lead. The Bulldogs took a 17-10 lead with a 50-yard field goal from Fresno State's Kevin Goessling, the same Bulldog kicker who booted a 58-yarder as time expired to beat Utah State 30-28 last season.

A 1-yard Turbin plunge knotted the score at 17-all, and Fresno State's A.J. Jefferson fumbled while returning the ensuing kickoff and Aggie junior LB Maxim Dinka Mba recovered, setting up USU at the FS 40-yard line. Seven plays later, Borel darted in from a yard out. Coleman logged his second INT of the season to end Fresno State's ensuing drive, setting up Ulinski's field goal to end the first half.

A 2-yard scoring rush from FS's Lonyae Miller at the 8:10 mark of the third quarter pulled the Bulldogs within 27-24 and Mathews put Fresno State ahead with a 10-yard scoring dash with 4:53 to play in the fourth quarter. USU went three-and-out on its ensuing drive, and the Bulldogs ran out the clock.

Junior P Peter Caldwell, a Ray Guy Award finalist for the top collegiate punter, booted five punts for a 42.8 average with two inside the 20-yard line and a long of 54 yards.

Utah State heads to Honolulu to take on Hawai'i on Saturday, Nov. 7 in a 9 p.m. (MT) kickoff. UH is 2-6 overall and 0-5 in WAC play after losing to Nevada, 31-21, on Saturday.

The Aggies return to the friendly confines of Romney Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 14, hosting San Jose State in a 1 p.m. (MT) kickoff. USU's home season-finale is a nationally-televised showdown with nationally-ranked Boise State on Friday, Nov. 20 at 6 p.m.

For USU football ticket information, contact the USU Ticket Office at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, by phone by calling 1-888-USTATE-1 or (435) 797-0305, or online 24 hours a day at www.UtahStateAggies.com and clicking on the "buy/renew tickets" under the "tickets" drop down menu.