So close... Again...

It’s almost like every Utah State fan knew deep down that if the Aggies were going to win that game, they couldn’t let it come down to kicking. None of the kickers on the roster have shown any consistency, or really even capability to make kicks from anywhere outside of a PAT, and even that is never a guarantee.

As amazing as this team’s defense has been so far this season, and as good as the offense has managed to be despite playing back-to-back games against teams who could very well end up playing each other in the Rose Bowl, we’re one solid special teams performance away from being 3-0

Before I go on though, let’s get one thing clear: DO NOT be the kind of asshole that goes and harasses Josh Thompson at wherever he lives, or dishes out hate on Facebook or Twitter. Yeah, he hasn't been very good at kicker, we’re all well aware of that by now, and to talk about that among company online or whatever is totally ok. He can’t be loving life right now as is, and having some overly-reactive stranger who goes out of their way to tell him he sucks won’t do him or the team any good. Plus, it just kinda makes you look like an asshat if you’re that guy. Just respect the guy’s space. He's still a member of this team, and who knows, maybe he'll come through with some kind of epic heroics later this season (a winning field goal at BYU would suffice Josh). 

If we’ve got the whole respect thing taken care of, the next thing we need to talk about is accountability. No two ways about it… Special teams cost Utah State a win in Madison. Thompson’s missed field goal was the big one, but Tyler Bennett was pretty awful too in punting the ball Saturday. Throw in the punt coverage team allowing that return for Wisconsin’s first touchdown, and you have a phase of the football game where Utah State just got crushed.

USU undoubtedly won the battles of offense and defense, albeit by small margins, but still wins there. Wisconsin won special teams though, and they won it by a mile.

What we’re left with is another heartbreaker against a national powerhouse team that we had beat. We manage to get closer every time, but these are still losses instead of program-changing victories.

That stings horribly bad, but things are undoubtedly still progressing. There is little doubt left that this team can, and maybe even should win at least 10 games this season. Wrap your head around that Aggie fans! If someone had told you that was a possibility five years ago, you would have probably punched them for having the nerve to say something so ludicrous. Yet here we are seeing it not only as a real possibility, but maybe even almost an expectation for how good this team has looked. 

Sure, Wisconsin gave us trouble, but you may or may not know that they are freaking Wisconsin!!! They make it hard for every team to move the ball on them, whether they're from the WAC or from the SEC. And still, USU found a way to get yards, even outgaining the Badgers in total yards. No team for the rest of this season is going to have a defense NEARLY that big or fast. 

It's going to be a hell of a season if the team keeps up this level of play, and there's no reason why they shouldn't. 

I could say plenty more about this game, but most of it is just worthy of the notes section. I'm sure you watched it all anyway, so let's move on with things here.

NOTES

•  Cam Webb... Absolute hell of a catch man! If this team were 3-0, that play would go down as one of the biggest in USU history. That didn't happen, but that doesn't mean mad props aren't deserved.
• Wisconsin was only 3-of-15 on 3rd down conversions. And it seemed like most of those were 3rd-and-short situations, against Wisconsin's offensive line, with Montee Ball running it. Absolutely incredible by the Aggie defense!!!
• With the way he's been playing and the huge plays he has made, Zach Vigil has basically run away with the claim of being my current favorite player. Dude has been unreal so far this season, and adding a HUGE forced fumble to go with his seven tackles, two for loss, a sack and two QB hurries. He's responsible for two of the biggest plays made this season and is second on the team in tackles.
• Brian Suite officially started living up to all of the hype that has surrounded him since coming to USU, and then some. He had a team-best 13 tackles Saturday, a handful of them coming to stuff Wisconsin on 3rd-and-short.
• I'm trying to tell myself that the lack of open receivers is due to how good the Utah and Wisconsin defensive backfields are, but I'm at least a tiny bit concerned now. Really hoping to see USU's wideouts start getting open some more to give the passing game some life once again.
• Chuckie Keeton still made some big runs when he didn't feel good about throwing into coverage, so it wasn't all bad.
• Really hoping Oscar Molina-Sanchez can make it back to the field soon. I really don't like dogging on our own players, even if it might not seem like it today, but Kevin Whimpey was brutal at left tackle this week. Coming around the edge against him looked like a cake-walk for the Badgers' defensive ends and running to the left side was pretty much not an option. Lots of improvement needed there.
• Was anyone else hoping for a play-action throw deep downfield when Adam Kennedy came into the game? Doubt Wisconsin would have seen that coming...