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

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

In the end it wasn’t a particularly convincing loss either. Utah State was soundly defeated, outplayed by Washington State in virtually every facet of the game.

The Cougars outgained the Aggies 465 yards to 395. 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), more first down conversions (27 for WSU compared to 21 for USU) and were better on third down (6 of 12 in compared to 5 of 14).

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

I looked at the stat sheet and almost everything pointed to WSU being the better team. By a significant margin.

The reality is that Washington State was and is simply 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. Not for at least four quarters.

And yet, there was little to no dismay on the Aggies’ faces after Saturday’s game. There was no doom and gloom, and during the game itself there was never a hint of surrender.

USU played hard from kickoff to the final whistle, even when WSU led by as much as 42-14 early in the fourth quarter. Look no further than sophomore running back Derrick Jameson’s 72-yard touchdown run with 41 seconds left in the game for evidence of that.

This is because the Aggies are now fully in development mode. Utah State hasn’t completely moved beyond worrying about the bottom line yet, not with three Mountain West Conference games left, but the focus is primarily on development at this point: player development, coaches and the program as a whole.

Two wins in nine games necessitate it and also make the pain of defeat a little less potent.

“It is what it is,” Utah State interim head coach Nate Dreiling said. “We’re missing 12 or 13 starters on both sides of the ball, so you’re going to get tired eventually, especially for a team that’s ranked in the top 20.

“Our kids played their hearts out and played as well as they could for as long as possible, but in the end it was too much for them. Proud of their effort tonight and we will continue to improve.”

Getting knocked out of a bowl game isn’t ideal, especially for a program like Utah State that has recently made postseason appearances a regular occurrence, but Dreiling didn’t exactly mind that either.

“Not at all,” he said. “We are not looking for results, we are looking for improvement. We are looking for the process. It is what it is. Would it be cool to go bowling? Hell yes. Do these children deserve to go to one? Yes, but that’s not going to change our approach tomorrow and I think that’s what we discovered about this team in the summer. We will be resilient no matter the circumstances.

Then he added: “Listen, we’re with an interim coach and it’s an offseason with only two wins and everyone shows up playing their hearts out.”

The Dreiling players accepted it. This was also clear after the loss to WSU.

Senior safety Jordan Vincent said, “My mentality, our mentality, is to keep focusing on the process and the results will come eventually. … We have a resilient group and while the wins don’t come, there’s no point in the game where I look at the guys and feel like they’re giving up.

“I know the guys that are on the field with me, and on offense and special teams, they’re giving it their all, no matter the score, no matter the wins or losses.”

Don’t confuse it. The Aggies still want to win. That’s why a fake punt was whistled and executed in the game. Therefore a side kick was attempted, although it was unsuccessful. That’s why sixth-year quarterback Spencer Petras is still playing full games at 25 years old. That’s why senior running back Rahsul Faison tried to play Saturday night with an injured knee. That’s why the Aggies haven’t fielded a team made up solely of sophomores and freshmen.

All of this meant that Utah State was competitive at times with Washington State, especially in the first half. However, given the season the Aggies have had, wins and losses are no longer paramount. It’s about progression, development and finding things to celebrate.

“We’re not going to get to where we wanted to get to at the beginning of the season,” Dreiling said, “but we’re still going to have special moments and we’re going to celebrate them.”

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

Or it was true freshman running back Herschel Turner’s 111 all-purpose yards.

Or the career-high departure of second-year wide receiver Grant Page, who finished with a team-high seven catches for 54 yards.

Whatever the bright spot, that’s the focus for Utah State, even as the team is now 2-7 and won’t be bowling this year after another crushing loss.