That was a punch in the stomach for Utah State.

The Aggies, fresh off a narrow home loss to Utah, built a 14-0 lead against Temple on Saturday, but then collapsed in the second half and lost to the Owls 45-29.

With a season record of 1:3 (the only win came at home against Robert Morris), the Aggies consistently got in their own way in Philadelphia in all three phases of the game.

Add to that the strong performance of the Owls, who were winless before the game, and it all ended in disaster for Utah State.

Here are three takeaways from the Aggies’ recent setback, which was nothing short of a loss to Temple.

A complete lack of interference

During Utah State’s best defensive periods in recent years, the Aggies have caused disruption — that is, they have penetrated the opposing backfield to force tackles that led to losses and sacks, and they have caused turnovers and penalties on the opposing offense.

None of that was the case for Utah State against Temple. Instead, the Aggies let Temple do whatever it wanted on offense, especially in the second half when the Owls outscored USU 28-8.

Utah State finished the game with just four tackles for loss, and those tackles weren’t particularly damaging either, resulting in just eight negative yards in total.

Utah State had just one sack on the day — courtesy of defensive tackle Miguel Jackson. The Aggies’ edge rushers didn’t even get close to Temple quarterback Evan Simon for most of the game, finishing the game with just four quarterback hurries.

When Utah State managed to pressure Simon, he made them pay with well-executed wheel routes, screen passes, and the like.

No Aggie defensive end managed more than three tackles (most notably Lawrence Falatea), and aside from three plays by Blaine Spires, Utah State was unable to get much out of its edge rushers.

This proved to be particularly problematic in the second half, as USU failed to keep the defense in check, allowing Temple to repeatedly get through on the ground, be it Terrez Worthy or Antwain Littleton II.

However, it was not just the lack of negative moves.

Temple came into the game with 11 turnovers – the most in the FBS – and the Aggies were unable to force a single one.

There were a few close calls, balls that fell just out of reach or a fumble that rolled out of bounds, but in a game where Utah State desperately needed to force turnovers, the Aggies failed to score one.

In addition, they lost the battle for the ball due to a late interception by quarterback Spencer Petras, who could have been intercepted many other times during the game.

Then there were the penalties.

Utah State actually did quite well by its standards, only signing six players in the games, but Temple was also better with only five.

All in all, all of the incidents that were perceived as disruptive did not work in Utah State’s favor.

Most improved?

As bad as the end result was – and it was bad – the Aggies also did some good.

The offense in particular had a pretty good day, but left far too many points on the scoreboard due to several unsuccessful trips into the red zone.

USU’s offensive line in particular was a bright spot. The O-line opened up gaps, running back Rahsul Faison rushed for 148 yards and a touchdown on 5.5 yards per carry, and backup running back Herschel Turner added 32 yards and a touchdown on 5.3 yards per carry.

Most of the yards came because the Aggies’ O-line held down the defensive linemen and linebackers and pitted Faison and Turner against the Owls’ defensive backs – matchups that often went in Utah State’s favor.

The running game almost came to a standstill in the second half, however, not because of their own difficulties, but rather because Utah State could not stop Temple’s defense and the Aggies quickly fell behind by two or more points.

Want more proof that USU’s O-line could be one of the better units this season?

Petras isn’t what you’d call a mobile quarterback, but he’s only been sacked twice, once after holding onto the ball for far too long and bringing it down before attempting to retrieve it and throw it.

For most of the day, Petras spent a lot of time in the pocket, allowing him to record a personal best of 293 yards.

Special teams – a microcosm for the entire USU team/the entire USU season?

The special teams performance on Saturday was a microcosm of the Aggies’ season so far.

On the one hand, punter Ryan Marks delivered a truly brilliant performance. In the first half, the Aggies dominated the game not least because Marks’ punts allowed USU to dominate the battle for field position.

Marks had three punts inside the 20-yard line, and on each of Temple’s subsequent offensive attempts, Utah State’s defense looked great.

Additionally, the Aggies’ kick return coverage continues to be good, and aside from a great return by Worthy, Temple’s kick and punt returners have been inconsequential.

And yet, kicker Elliott Nimrod missed a 29-yard field goal attempt early in the third quarter – at a time when Utah State desperately needed points and momentum.

Even worse, an onside kick attempt in the fourth quarter was ineffective, failing to travel even the 10 yards needed. Worse still, the onside attempt allowed Temple an easy late touchdown when the Aggies still had a slim hope of a comeback.

Interim coach Nate Dreiling said after the game that the Aggies were great in the no-pressure moments and terrible in the crucial moments, which is exactly how Utah State’s special teams played against Temple.

When the Aggies desperately needed points, a return, or a stop, they didn’t get it. When they didn’t desperately need something, they looked great.