Sept. 14, 2002
Box Score
Logan, UT---It was almost a case of deja vu all over again, this time reversed. Utah State, however, was able to hold on, barely, for a 38-33 win over Idaho State after the Bengals trailed 28-0 with less than seven minutes left in the second quarter.
Utah State scored two touchdowns in the game's first 80 seconds. Kevin Curtis hauled in a Jose Fuentes bomb for an 80-yard touchdown just 18 seconds in to the game, and then after an interception on ISU's first play, Fuentes hit Gary Coleman on their second play for a 20-yard score.
Things went from bad to worse as Rory Carrington fumbled at his own 15-yard line, and Jorge Tapia scored for a 21-0 lead.
After the Aggies made it 28-0, the comeback started. Isaac Mitchell powered over from 11 yards out for ISU's first score, and then after a big punt return by Emery Beckles, Mitchell scored from 51 yards out. Mitchell ended the night with 126 yards, his third career 100-yard game, and the third in his last four games.
The Bengals got a 38-yard field goal from Jeremy Hershey in the third quarter, but Fuentes' third touchdown pass made it 35-17. Brett Fowler, who had a career-best eight catches for 145 yards, catch a beautiful 50-yard pass from Baughman, and then after a short punt, Hershey nailed a 50-yard field goal to cut it to 35-27.
After an Aggie field goal, Mitchell again scored a touchdown, this from two yards out to make it 38-33, but ISU, who had converted 3-of-3 third down conversions, failed on 4th and 17 when the center exchange was fumbled with 1:13 left.
Amazingly, ISU got one last chance, as Utah State inexplicabily ran out of bounds and then committed two penalties. ISU started at their own 15 with 14 seconds left, and after an incompletion, a hook-and-ladder from Baughman to Fowler to Mitchell put ISU near midfield with one second left. Baughman's desperation hail mary was picked off at the Utah State 10-yard line, his fourth pick of the night.
Idaho State had nothing to be ashamed of, as Larry Lewis attests.
"I'm damn proud of this football team. Nobody gave us a shot being down 28-0. But this team came back and played their asses off to get us back in this game. We believed at every moment we could win this game. I think that will help us down the road."
The Bengals travel to Montana next week to take on the #1 Grizzlies at 1:05 pm in Missoula at UM's Homecoming.
Notes: Doug Baughman has 17 career interceptions, and 11 have come in the state of Utah, with seven at Utah State and four at Weber State ... Isaac Mitchell has in his last three games, and 100-yard rushing games in three of his last four ... Jeremy Hershey's 50-yard field goal was the 29th 50-yard field goal in ISU history ... ISU had only one penalty.
