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Show StateSManSpOrtS Friday, Nov. 19, 2010 Page 9 BYU: Basketball falls 11 continued from page 8 Williams, who was playing with a strained groin, scored 10 points in 26 minutes, and junior forward Brady Jardine added a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. "I knew our guys would compete," Morrill said. "That's what we expect. We've had a pretty solid program for a while and that should be what we do. It shouldn't be something that's rare. It should be every night out." USU hit 48 percent from the field and a blistering 63 percent from the 3-point line. The Aggies also held the Cougars to 38.7 percent shooting from the field and 26.9 shooting from the 3 point line. Junior forwards Noah Hartsock and Charles Abouo score 15 and 13 points respectively. "I thought we did a good job defensively when you look at the stats," Morrill said. "BYU has a really nice basketball team. It seemed like a mid-season type game to me than a second game. Both teams did a lot of good things." Despite the Aggies' strong performance, the loss still hurts. "It's a tough one to lose," Morrill said. "In-state games are always tough to lose. When you come on the road and give yourself a chance, it's really tough to lose." Wesley said, "It hurts. Any game we lose like this, it hurts. That's a game we could have won so it hurts a little more." The Aggies will get the chance to get the bad taste out of their mouths tomorrow when they travel to Cedar City to face the Southern Utah University Thunderbirds (11). The Thunderbirds started their season losing at home to the NAIA Cal Baptist Lancers, 79-69. The Thunderbirds defeated the Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners on the road on Wednesday, 6658. Tip-off against the Thunderbirds is slated for Saturday at 7:05. - DIONDRE BOREL EVADES PRESSURE from the backside in Utah State's 27-22 victory over New Mexico State. Borel, who holds the USU single season record for total offense, has started 3I straight games at quarterback for the Aggies and will make his final start at Romney Stadium Saturday againt Idaho. STERLING BOIN photo Borel comes full circle as Senior Day arrives "He is a great person every single day. He means a lot to this program and he will always mean a lot to this program." Andersen said Borel's junior season was exceptional in terms of the quarterback's ability to overcome the "athlete" label that dogged him as a freshman and sophomore. Previously known more for his edge-of-your-seat scrambling ability, Borel began an unrelenting ascent up the Utah state record books for total offense in 2009 while becoming one of the Western Athletic Conference's most efficient passers. But for all the plays he made in leading USU to a 4-8 season, Borel's experience on the field didn't make him the leader he is today. That leadership — the kind that defines programs and makes one's legacy truly memorable — has come this year, as Borel has rallied an injury-riddled and youthful USU team following setback after setback since their promising start. "What he has done on the field is exceptional, but the best thing I can say about Diondre is him not being phased on the field shows his character, toughness and his ability to play with a team and keep on fighting," Andersen said. Andersen said Borel has never said one negative thing about the youthful nature of USU's roster, and has been the consummate teammate throughout his senior season, even when the team's youthfulness has caused those around him to struggle. "There have been a bunch of times where he could hang his head and say 'How about catching the ball,' or 'How about running the right route' or 'protecting me,' Andersen said. "There a lot of things he could have said but he never did it. He just talked about getting better and to keep fighting. A lot of times he turns around and points at himself and says 'I need to be better, I've got this and I will battle and make this team better.' Borel has made USU better, and he's done so at a critical junction in the season. Last week against San Jose State, Borel made a critical fourth-down conversion on USU's final drive, allowing the Aggies to eventually score on a Derrvin Speight touchdown run. The score would By ADAM NETTINA sports editor Saturday, Sept. 21, 2008 began a little bit differently for wiry sophomore Diondre Borel, from Oakley, Calif. Soft spoken and unassuming, he laced up his cleats and put on his helmet to a flurry of butterflies and anxious tension, then trotted out into the crisp air of Romney Stadium like he had been doing for each of Utah State's home games since arriving in the college town earlier that year. But today wasn't just any other day for Diondre Borel. Today was his first career start as a quarterback. Not a wide receiver, as he had played on USU's scout team the year before, and not an athlete, but a bona fide college quarterback, playing in front of thousands of cheering fans against a conference rival. The foe was Idaho, and Borel, in what would be the beginning of one of the most distinguished careers in Utah state history, would lead the Aggies to a resounding 42-17 win over Idaho. 31 consecutive starts later, Borel prepares to lace up his cleats one final time and take the jog out into the crisp air of Romney Stadium to make his final home start. The foe will be Idaho, and for the player who has been the face of Utah State football for the better part of three years, no result could be better than to duplicate his three-touchdown day against the Vandals that September. "I want to win big and keep the winning streak going for everybody — the whole Utah State family and everybody that support us," Borel said. "That will be big for us, the last home game going out with a win." To understand what Borel has meant to the Aggie football program over the past three years is to understand the maturation of both a player and a program. Facing ups and downs, Borel's story reads like a metaphor for Utah State football, which has grown from a delicate state in 2008 and come into its own with former Utah defensive coordinator Gary Andersen at the helm. "Diondre has come a long way since we have been here, on and off the field," Andersen said. prove decisive in the 38-34 win, as the Aggies held on to win back-to back games for the first time in the Andersen era. With a 4-6 record, USU's slimbowl hopes remain alive, thanks in no small part to the play offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin calls his "favorite memory" out of Borel's lengthy list of accomplishments. "Fourth quarter, fourth down, and he makes a guy miss for a crucial first down," Baldwin said. "A normal guy, it's hands up, games over. (But) Diondre scrambles - linebacker has him in his sight - linebacker is on the ground and Diondre has got 14 yards and a first down and the Aggies are on their way to win." Borel has always been a softspoken leader, but has come more into his own in holding himself and the team accountable throughout this year. Whether he has been outspoken in the huddle or not, Borel's resilient attitude over the last two games has more than validated his confidence leadership style. "His ability on the field has done that, but he's talked to them about playing well and winning and having the confidence," Baldwin said. "He hasn't come out and emotionally done anything, but he's talked to them quietly like he's done as a leader and told them, 'we've got to play well.' Borel is modest when talking about his on-field accomplishments, and said this maturation from the unsure sophomore athlete to the seasoned, heady —ty.d.hus@aggiemail.usu. edu I See BOREL, page 10 r AINSPIRING OtERS. ■Noo . 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