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Show Monday, Nov. 23, 2009 Page 11 Monday51:10 Utah State University • Logan, Utah • www.aggietownsquare.com GAME 11: BOISE STATE 55, USU 21 Boise breaks through Broncos' second quarter scoring outburst buries Aggies BOISE STATE RUNNING BACK Doug Martin breaks the plane of the end zone to score as a helmetless Aggie lies in his wake. PATRICK ODEN photo By TIM OLSEN sports editor USU welcomed the No. 6 Boise State Broncos and a national audience to Romney Stadium Friday night. For nearly two quarters, the Aggies hung with the perennial WAC leaders but eventually fell to the Broncos, 52-21. Despite a turnover due to a tipped pass on their first possession, the Aggies matched the Broncos blow for blow during the first 25 minutes of the game. The next five minutes proved to be the most costly. Aided by another USU turnover — this one a fumbled exchange between quarterback Diondre Borel and running back Robert Turbin — the Broncos went on a tear during the final five minutes of the second quarter. Showing why they are deserving of the national attention they receive, the Broncos scored 21 unanswered points during that span to turn a 14-14 tie into a 3514 lead. "Obviously we played a terrific football team. They are very good and they did exactly what they have done in every game all year long," said USU head coach Gary Andersen. "It was 14-14 and they scored 21-staight points in a wave of scoring. They have been very good at that all year long." The Aggies would strike again in the third quarter when junior running back Michael Smith scored his second touchdown of the day, but by then the damage had already been done. For the Broncos, sophomore running back Doug Martin had a field day rushing for 121 of Boise State's season-high 323 yards rushing. Martin also scored a seasonhigh four touchdowns. Kellen Moore, the highly touted sophomore quarterback for the Broncos, was held to a relatively average day for the Broncos. Moore completed 15-of-29 passes for 233 yards and one touchdown, but saw his streak of games with three touchdown passes come to an end. "My hat goes off to them," Andersen said. "Like I said earlier in the week, they deserve their ranking and are a tremendous football team. I thought they controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the football. They played very well and deserved to win." In front of nearly 19,000 fans I See BOISE, page 13 Diondre Bore! is a man today By G. CHRISTOPHER TERRY assistant sports editor No one is saying he can't run the option, anymore. Junior quarterback Diondre Borel rebounded from his worst passing game of the year against San Jose State to throw USU's offense on his back Friday night against the best defense he has faced. As the ESPN cameras rolled, Borel showed why he'll be a serious contender — along with Boise State's Kellen Moore — for WAC player of the year next season. Let's get the clichés out of the way. Borel was greased lightning Friday night. He left Boise State's talented defenders grasping thin air. In a game that was not the offensive line's finest hour, Borel made his pursuers look flat-out foolish time and time again. "The offensive line played their best," Borel said. "Boise State just had a couple plays where they stunted and I think that kind of got us messed up." More times than not, by the time Borel finished his drop and planted his back foot to throw, one or more rushers had already broken through and were bearing down on him. Borel seemed to bait the pass rush, letting it get close enough to touch him before he would bolt, like playing chicken with a locomotive. Borel is freaky fast, but what makes him so elusive is the different gears he possesses: he can be cruising along at what appears to be fast, and then he shifts into high gear and is simply gone. With the Aggie running game good for a solid but unspectacular 3.5 yards per carry, Borel's evade-and-throw act was USU's best bet on offense. On USU's first scoring drive, it was a ridiculous Borel play on third-and-seven that shifted the field position. Borel scrambled from the pocket and was pursued hard to the western sideline, where he uncorked a 46-yard strike to wide receiver Eric Moats in the split second before two Bronco defenders hammered him. "Diondre, you're going to get his best shot every week," an appreciative Aggie head coach Gary Andersen said. "He made big plays with his arm and he was running for his life." Boise State's pass rush was relentless, and with Borel's blocking melting away in front of him on play after play, the Broncos broke through for three second half sacks, making four total in the game. After having 43 net yards rushing at halftime, Borel finished with just 18. Blame the pass protecAGGIE QB DIONDRE BOREL slides away from the Boise State pass rush Friday tion, not the Aggies' escape night in Romney Stadium. PATRICK ODEN photo the year — this reporter said the contain man and dishing artist signalit off at the precise moment he caller, who could not have been he "looked uncomfortable" — Borel has remade himself committed. His pitches were much more spectacular. into an option whiz. Several on the money, much to Boise's But Borel's value to the of USU's longest rushing gains consternation. Borel has been offense was more than numof the night were created by growing up all year and today bers. After taking heat from Borel making the correct read, he is a man. —graham. critics for not running the then running hard downhill at terry@aggiemaiLusu.edu option to perfection early in TouchBase McArthur named to second team BY USU ATHLETICS Utah State's Liz McArthur was named second team all-Western Athletic Conference by the league office. It was announced Sunday. It is the first time in her career that McArthur has earned postseason honors. Hawaii's Kanani Danielson was named the WAC's Player of the Year, while teammate Brittany Hewitt was named the WAC's Freshman of the Year. Hawaii head coach Dave Shoji was named WAC Coach of the Year. McArthur, a 6-1 outside hitter from St. George, (Snow Canyon HS) finished the season ranking fourth in the WAC, in both points (4.29) and kills (3.80) per set. Overall, she hit .175 during the year and averaged 1.66 digs and 0.46 blocks per set. McArthur recorded double-digits in kills 21 times during the season and had 20-plus kills in eight matches. Her singlematch high for kills was 25 against Louisiana Tech on Oct. 29 at home to set a school record for kills in a three-set match. Utah State has now had 10 different players earn a total of 12 all-league honors since joining the WAC prior to the 2005 season, as it has had four players named to the first team and eight players earn second team honors during that time period. Utah State finished the 2009 season with a 15-14 record and was seventh in the WAC with a 6-10 mark. Lady Aggies sign three in early period BY USU ATHLETICS Utah State women's basketball head coach Raegan Pebley proudly announces the signing of three student athletes in the early period for the 2009-10 season, including guard Kamie Imai (E-My), guard Jennifer Schlott and post player Stephanie Larson. "We are very pleased with the quality of student-athletes that we have signed during this signing period. They will add tremendous depth to next year's team which will be returning several players," Pebley said. "Our recruiting is not over, and we look to add some size to our team in the late period." Jennifer Schlott is a 5-6 guard from Mesa, Ariz., and enters her senior season as a three-year starter at Mountain View High School. She is the Toros' single-season assist record holder (192), appearing in 96 career games at Mountain View. During the 2008-09 season, Schlott was named first team East Valley all-Region for the third straight season. |