Nov. 14, 2009

Final Stats |  Notes | Photo Gallery by Eli Lucero / Logan Herald-Journal

LOGAN, Utah - Sophomore running back Robert Turbin rushed for a career-high 190 yards and reached two milestones along with way to lead Utah State to a 24-9 win over San Jose State on a cold and snowy Saturday afternoon at Romney Stadium in Western Athletic Conference action.

Turbin's 190 yards push him over the 1,000 yard mark for the season, becoming the first USU running back since Aggie legend Emmett White did so in 2001. Turbin now has 1,122 on the season, jumping up to No. 12 on USU's single-season rushing list. Turbin now has 1,624 yards for his career, becoming the first Aggie since White (1998-2001) to reach 1,500 career rushing yards. The 190 yards is the best individual rushing total for a Aggie running back since White's 233 yards vs. Weber State in 2001 and is the most vs. a FBS opponent since White's 274 vs. Wyoming in 2001. Saturday was Turbin's sixth 100-yard rushing outing this season, the most since White had eight in 2001.

Junior QB Diondre Borel added 73 rushing yards and sophomore RB Derrvin Speight logged 70 yards on the ground and a TD, as Utah State finished with 381 yards rushing on the day, the 14th-most in school history and the most since 1999 when USU had 388 vs. Nevada. The Aggies ended with 431 yards of total offense, behind the play-calling of USU offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin, who was SJSU's head coach from 1997-2000. The Spartans had 301 yards of total offense, but the USU defense limited SJSU to 56 yards rushing, Utah State's best defensive rushing outing since 2007.

With the win, the Aggies improve to 3-7 on the season and 2-4 in WAC action while the Spartans dropped their fifth in a row in falling to 1-8 overall and 0-5 in WAC play. USU improves to 3-1 at home this season, guaranteeing the Aggies a winning season at home, USU's first winning season since 2003, going 3-2.

Not to be outdone by his backfield mate, Borel topped the 4,000 career passing yards milestone, giving him 4,020 for his career, the 10th Aggie signal-caller to reach that mark. Borel also surpassed the 5,000 yards of total offense milestone, as his 123 yards Saturday give him 5,095 for his career, the eighth Aggie to reach the 5,000 yard plateau and vaulting to No. 7 on the USU career total offense list.

Defensively, sophomore LB Bobby Wagner made a team-leading 10 tackles, while junior S Rajric Coleman logged nine stops to go with a fumble recovery.

The Spartans were led by Jordan La Secla's 18-of-34 passing for 216 yards, while Lamon Muldrow had 46 yards rushing, and scored SJSU's lone TD on the day, a 2-yard run in the third quarter.

Turbin's 190 yards was accompanied by two touchdowns, a 6-yard dart in the first quarter and a 35-yard scamper in the second quarter, putting USU ahead 14-0 at halftime. The Aggies' opening drive nearly stalled, as they lined up for a 48-yard field goal, but senior WR Xavier Bowman successfully executed a fake, running 25 yards for a first down and nearly a touchdown. On the next play, Turbin scored his first TD of the day.

Muldrow's TD run pulled the Spartans within 14-6 after the two-point conversion failed, and Tyler Cope later hit a 31-yard field goal to close the gap to 14-9.

On USU's ensuing possession, the Aggies faced a fourth-and-one at midfield, but the offensive line created a hug hole for junior RB Michael Smith to burst through for the first down and more, ending with a 23-yard gain. After a penalty slowed the drive, senior PK Chris Ulinski booted a 40-yard field goal for a 17-9 USU lead with 13:42 left in the game.

After the Aggie defense held SJSU, the USU offense marched down the field, getting a career-long 47-yard run by Speight along the way, and Speight later capped the drive with a 6-yard TD scamper and Ulinski's upright split gave USU the final scoring margin of 24-9 with 9:35 to play.

The Spartans' next possession saw them reach midfield before the Aggie defense held them, and later denied any rally, with sophomore DE Levi Koskan sacking La Secla on SJSU's fourth-down attempt.

Saturday was USU's first win over SJSU since 2005, but the Aggies have won the last two of three at Logan. The Spartans still lead the all-time series 20-11-1 and with the series now even at 8-8 at Logan.

The Aggies' home finale is Friday, Nov. 20, hosting Boise State, currently ranked No. 6 in the AP and BCS Polls, who improved to 10-0 overall and 5-0 in WAC play with a 63-25 win over Idaho Saturday. Boise State will be the highest-ranked team to visit Romney Stadium since No. 6 Oregon played USU on Sept. 29, 2001.

Friday's game will be nationally-televised on ESPN2 and will kickoff at 7:30 p.m. It will be the first-ever visit to Logan by the ESPN network for a football game.

For USU football ticket information, contact the USU Ticket Office at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, by phone by calling 1-888-USTATE-1 or (435) 797-0305, or online 24 hours a day at www.UtahStateAggies.com and clicking on the "buy/renew tickets" under the "tickets" drop down menu.

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