Utah State football: Aggies proud, pumped up after season-opener

Utah State wasn't supposed to beat No. 19 Utah Thursday night, and the Aggies didn't.

What they did do, however, was convert a few believers — most notably themselves.

"I'm proud of the team's toughness," first-year coach Gary Andersen said after the game. "They played tough, not letting the early lead discourage them. They played with courage."

And though the Aggies blew it several times with poor execution of key third-down plays, they played much better than the team did a year ago.

"The team showed flashes of where I want them to be," Andersen, who helped coach the Utes to a 58-10 beating of USU a year ago, said.

"They played tough, but they didn't execute on crucial plays."

Most notably, Andersen said, was poor pass blocking by the offensive line. Utah's defensive line batted down several balls and kept USU quarterback Diondre Borel from ever really getting comfortable in the pocket.

"We had problems on the offensive line," Andersen said. "Utah has a good defensive line, but we have to have a good offensive line … keep our hands up and protect."

The Aggies hope they can correct the mistakes and tighten up the execution.

Though beating a top 20 team might be a goal for another season, the Aggies want to show steady improvement.

WAC-ED: Utah State was not the only school from the Western Athletic Conference on the ugly side of what cold be a numerical blowout on opening week.

Nevada, the team most expect to be the top contender to dethrone Boise State, was blitzed by Notre Dame, 35-0. San Jose State was spotted a 3-0 lead after the first quarter by USC, but finished the game staring at a 56-3 mark on the scoreboard.

Auburn pounded Louisiana Tech while only Boise State and Fresno State posted non-conference wins.

If you're looking for truly WACky stuff, though, look no farther than Las Cruces, N.M., where the Idaho Vandals and NMSU Aggies met.

The Vandals, yes the Vandals, are now the first-place Vandals after beating New Mexico State in a rare season-opening conference game.

SEE U. IN 2012: The Battle of the Brothers is one of the longest-running rivalries in the country. After meeting for the 109th time, however, the schools will not meet again for a couple of seasons.