For only the third time since the 2011 season, when Utah State football really took off under Gary Andersen, USU will not play in a bowl game this year.

The Aggies lost 49-28 on the road to No. 21 Washington State on Saturday night and fell to 2-7 on the season. The final loss all but eliminated USU from postseason contention.

All in all, it wasn’t a very challenging loss. Utah State was outmatched and outplayed by Washington State in nearly every aspect of the game.

The Cougars outgained the Aggies 465 yards to 395 yards. WSU averaged nearly seven yards per play while USU averaged 5.5.

The Cougars had fewer penalties (four for 50 yards compared to nine for 79 yards by USU), had more first down conversions (27 for WSU compared to 21 for USU), and were better on third down (5 for 14 compared to 12 for 6) .

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

When you look at the statistics, almost everything points to WSU being the better team. With one important difference.

The truth is that Washington State was and still is a better team than Utah State at this point in the season. The current version of the Aggies was not up to the task of playing at the level of a good FBS opponent. At least not for four quarters.

Yet there was almost no terror on the Aggies’ faces after Saturday’s game. There was no doom and gloom and there was never a hint of surrender during the game.

USU played very well from the opening kickoff until the final whistle, although WSU led as much as 42-14 early in the fourth quarter. For proof of this, look at sophomore Derrick Jameson’s 72-yard touchdown run with 41 seconds left in the game.

That’s because the Aggies are in direct development mode right now. Utah State hasn’t quite moved beyond caring about final results yet despite three Mountain West Conference games, but the focus is largely on improvement at this point; the development of players, coaches and the program as a whole.

Two wins in nine matches, in a way, necessitates this and at the same time makes the pain of defeat a little easier.

“It just happened,” Utah State interim head coach Nate Dreiling said. “We’re down 12 or 13 players on both sides of the ball, so you’re going to get worn out eventually, especially by a top 20 team.

“Our kids played their hearts out and played as well as they could, but in the end it was too much for them. I’m proud of their effort tonight and we’ll continue to get better.”

Being eliminated from a bowl game isn’t ideal, especially for a program like Utah State that is just starting to make postseason appearances the norm, but Dreiling wasn’t too bothered by it either.

“Not at all,” he said. “We’re not looking for results, we’re looking to get better. We’re looking for process. Whatever. Would it be great to go to the bowl game? Absolutely yes. Do these kids deserve to go there? Yes, but that won’t change our approach tomorrow, and I think that’s what we learned about this team in the summer.” We will stand tall no matter what the conditions are.

He later added: “Listen, we’re under an interim coach and it’s a bad season with only two wins and everyone’s coming in with all their might.”

Dreiling’s players participated in the game. This was also evident after the loss to WSU.

Said senior safety Jordan Vincent: “My mindset, our mindset, is to stay focused on the process and eventually the results will come. … We have a resilient group and even though the wins aren’t coming, there’s no point in me looking at guys in the game and feeling like they’re giving up.

“I know the players that are on the field with me, on offense and on special teams, doing their best regardless of the scoreboard, regardless of the wins and losses.”

Don’t get confused. The Aggies still want to win. So a fake punt was called and executed on the play. Therefore, an offside kick was attempted, although it was not successful. That’s why sixth-year senior point guard Spencer Petras is still playing a full game at age 25. That’s why senior running back Rahsul Faison tried to play with his injured knee Saturday night. That’s why the Aggies aren’t fielding a team comprised solely of sophomores and freshmen.

All of this meant that Utah State was competitive with Washington State at times, especially in the first half. Considering the season the Aggies have had, wins and losses don’t matter much anymore. It’s about progress, improvement, and finding things to celebrate.

“We will not get where we want at the beginning of the season, but we will still have special moments and we will celebrate these special moments,” Dreiling said. he said.

Against Washington State, it was Jameson’s touchdown run on his first carry at the FBS level.

Or it was 111 yards away from true freshman running back Herschel Turner.

Or the career outing of sophomore wide receiver Grant Page, who finished with a team-high seven receptions for 54 yards.

Whatever the bright spot, that’s Utah State’s focus, even though the team is now 2-7 and won’t be going to a bowl this year after another blowout upset.