The Bummer in Boise... Aggies fall, 23-24

With the dust settled on what was one hell of a football season at Utah State, the same theme that held true essentially all year held true yet again... Whoever has the ball in the closing seconds of a close game is going to win. That was the case in nine games this season. Five of them were USU wins, four were losses.

At the end of the day, this season was one hell of a ride. For a lot of teams around the country, 7-6 is nothing to be excited about. But for Utah State, it's progress. It's a sign that all the hype of Gary Andersen resurrecting this football program is no longer just talk. It's real and it's happening.

In the bigger picture of things, Saturday's loss has to have left a lingering hunger with the players and coaches who want to go down as the ones to finally get another bowl victory for Utah State. After suffering all the close losses that this team suffered early this season, the change in their mentality was apparent from halftime of the Hawaii game. Their hunger to win took over and carried them to the most thrilling comeback of the year in one of the toughest places to play in America.

We watched this team learn how to win right before our eyes, and even though Ohio managed to make the plays they needed to make in order to snatch away a victory in Boise, the changes in talent philosophy and mentality are what got this team to Boise in the first place, and those things will carry Utah State to more bowl games in the future under Andersen.

For the game itself, there's not a whole lot I feel like I can say that nobody else saw. Everybody watched it, and based on reactions from people after the game, everybody had similar takes on what eventually cost USU the game. Kudos have to go out to Ohio, who was one of the best teams to take the field against Utah State this year and they showed it.

Like I said though, not much to say that we didn't all see watching the game. Some other things will be addressed when final grades are put out by this very site later in the week. For now, rather than agonize over what could have been like we've been stuck doing so many other seasons, celebrate what this season was and the moments that made it so memorable. Also don't by afraid to look forward to next season with some optimism that doesn't feel like wishful thinking anymore.

Utah State football is back. We'll see you in spring ball.