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Show I I I \ \ X I \ •} % Nov. 19, 2007 PutGame one10: in the n USU 35, NMSU17 Johnson wins 2nd-straight cup title HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) — Totally calm and cool, Jimmie Johnson left the preface drivers' meeting Sunday afternoon flashing the peace sign at people wishing him luck. Two fingers. Two straight championships. Johnson became the first driver to win consecutive championships since Jeff Gordon in 1997 and '98, wrapping up the title by finishing a trouble-free seventh in the season finale at HomesteadMiami Speedway. Matt Kenseth won the race. BCS standings Games through Nov. 18. U S U T I G H T E N D ROB MYERS (86) runs after a catch against the University of Nevada-Reno Saturday, Oct. 20, in Romney Stadium as teammate Kevin Robinson (6) blocks. Myers was a big part of the Aggies first win of the season.The junior racked up a career-high 117 yards on four catches and two touchdowns. TYLER LARSON photo USU picks Up a Victory over NMSU, breaking a 16-game winless streak By SAMMY HISLOP sports editor "Sometimes you just get sick and tired of being sick and tired." Those were the words heard over the radio by USU football head coach Brent Guy after his team snapped a 16-game losing streak Saturday with a 35-17 road victory over the New Mexico State Aggies. "These guys have been through a lot," said Guy, who now has five wins as USU's head coach. "After we got the crap beat out of us by Boise and got embarrassed last week ... (we) came out here and were determined." Utah State, who also stopped a 13game road skid, is now 1-10 overall and 16 in Western Athletic Conference games. NMSU fell to 4-8 and 1-6 and have lost four straight. The 35 points were the most scored by USU in a win under Guy. The game's turning point came with 11:33 left in the fourth quarter. After NMSU completed an eight-play, 74-yard drive to cut Utah State's lead to four, USU wide receiver/return specialist Kevin Robinson took the ensuing kick return back 82 yards for a touchdown, putting the navy blue Aggies up, 28-17. NMSU's next drive began at ts own 20-yard line but was cut short on the ninth play as a Chase Holbrook pass was intercepted by USU junior cornerback Marquise Charles with 8:33 remaining. USU's offense was fruitless, but a Leon Jackson 111 punt pinned NMSU inside its own one-yard line. In three plays, the hosts gained only five yards and punted to Robinson, who worked his magic enough for a 35-yard return to put USU 14 yards away from another touchdown. It took seven plays before Utah State senior tight end Jimmy Bohm rushed for a two-yard score to put NMSU away for good. "To tell you the truth, I forgot what this felt like," USU junior tight end Rob Myers said of winning. "This is awesome. Everybody is just so pumped up." Speak U p "These guys have been through a lot. After we got the crap beat out of us by Boise and got embarrassed last week ... (we) came out here and were determined." Brent Guy USU head football coach With two sisters and a cousin at the game, Myers had a career-high day, catching four passes for 117 yards and two touchdowns. Five minutes into the third quarter and trailing 10-7, Jackson found Myers for a 26-yard touchdown pass to cap off a nineplay, 67-yard drive. At the beginning of the fourth quarter it was the same thing — but this time a 24-yard reception to a wide-open Myers. That drive also began with a 37-yard completion to the Houston, Texas, native. "I'll tell you what man, you actually play a lot harder when you've got family in the stands," Myers said. "We put those (plays) in specifically for me because we knew the middle of the field was going to be open. Our o-Iine blocked their butts off. Everything came together. It was awesome." Guy added, "You have to plant a seed to be successful. We have to plant a winning seed. In the fourth quarter when it was getting tight, I reminded them of that — get this so you don't have to answer about this losing streak anymore." NMSU ended with 455 yards of total offense —100 more than USU had — but two Holbrook second-half interceptions offset that. Holbrook, New Mexico State's all-time leading passer, completed 42-of-58 passes for 367 yards and was never sacked. Jackson, on the other hand, was only 14-of-20 for 189 yards for two touchdowns and was sacked three times. "(Holbrook) had more yards, but we won the game and that's the bottom line," Guy said. Utah State freshman tailbacks Derrvin Speight and Curtis Marsh combined for 145 yards on the ground. Marsh scored on a seven-yard run in the first quarter. GUY'S WELL-WISHERS Even with all the turmoil the program has been going through for the past two seasons, Guy said a score of supporters are still behind him and the program. Saturday's victory wasn't just for the players, he said, but for those supporters as well. "It's really special to all those people who have called over these past 15 weeks who are very good friends of mine," Guy said. "I can't name them all. They have called me, left messages, sent me e-mails (telling us to) keep going and we're in the right direction and we're going to get a win." -samuel.hislop@aggiemail.usa.edu SOURCE: Bowl Championship Series Ai Savor the smell of victory S ome people are never going to be pleased. This is what I relearned after listening to a portion of Saturday's post-game call-in show after the football team notched its first victory in more than 13 months. Many of you who listen to the games by radio are familiar with "Aggie Call/' conducted after every football and basketball game onKVNU(610AM). This is essentially what happens: During football season, the same people call in and express their disappointment and outrage over what happened in the game; during the men's basketball season, it is generally the opposite because of the large amount of victories by the team. Saturday afternoon followed the pattern. One disgruntled caller—a man—stood by his impatient opinion that he still doesn't like a Brent Guy-coached team and never will. Guy is too conservative and lacking in creativity, the man said. He thinks that, though USU might be able to beat New Mexico State, with the same effort they can't compete with Boise State, Brigham Young University, Utah, etc. He's absolutely right. Obviously the Aggies can't compete with teams like Boise State, BYU or Utah. How does one know this? The Aggies haven't beat any of those teams since 1997. Duh. .^Vr^ OK. I understand the point completely, though 1 wonder what football expertise that man carries with him besides a loud mouth. For goodness sake, after a 16game losing streak, why not relax and enjoy it? Is there really any harm in this? The Aggies played great football—perhaps their best of the season—and, for once, were able to enjoy the flight back home. Isn't it OK to enjoy the good things in life? It is. < Only thing that bothered me ! about the game was that it didn't happen at Romney Stadium. I don't care what Utah State's record is right now. I don't care if NMSU had some key players^ . injured or that they're on a four- • game losing streak and going downhill. s I care Utah State won. Every ; Aggie football fan should. Not only that, but it was more than a win . that barely occurred—as was the case in last season's 13-12 victory over Fresno State. Saturday the Aggies showed us they can play j four quarters of solid football. The \ 35 points they put up were the most points scored in a victory under Guy. ' This is all good news. It's at least a start. It's step one to building a winning program. Such types are not built by pessimists like the man who called in. Thank goodness | he's not on the coaching staff. • Now Utah State has a golden: J opportunity to finish out the year { on a two-game winning streak : and top last season's victory total i of one. The Idaho Vandals are j like the Aggies—1-10 and just got j destroyed by Boise State, 56-14. ! I'm confident this game will, be J close. ^ y ! ^ The Aggies have the momeri-'] turn, and they will finish the season 2-10. Sammy Hislop is a junior majoring in public relations. He can be reached at samuel.hisIop©aggiemaiiusu.edu |