Utah State runs over Colorado State

After another slow 1st quarter start to Colorado State, going down 17-3, Cooper Legas started to lead the Utah State offense and Legas would finish the night going 19 of 29 and throwing for 387 yards and four touchdowns while also throwing two interceptions. A running back would finally break free for Utah State in Davon Booth, who rushed for 141 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries. Terrell Vaughn caught eight passes for 143 yards and a touchdown. After giving up 17 points in the first quarter Utah State would hold Colorado State scoreless in the second and third quarters while the Aggies scored 14 points in both the second and third quarters. The Aggies would also outscore Colorado State 13-7 in the 4th quarter in the comeback win. A key part of Utah State’s win over the Rams was the three interceptions that the Aggies forced on their way to victory.

Team Statistics

First downs: USU: 28 first downs; CSU: 20 first downs

Third down conversions: USU: 8-17 (47%); CSU: 6-19 (32%)

Total yards: USU: 629 yards; CSU: 320 yards

Passing yards: USU: 347 yards; CSU: 225 yards

Rushing yards: USU: 252 yards; CSU: 95 yards

Penalties: USU: 7-70; CSU: 8-55

Turnovers: USU: 4 turnovers (2 interceptions, 2 fumbles); CSU: 5 turnovers (Two fumbles, three interceptions)

Time of possession: USU: 32:50; CSU: 27:10

Players of the Game

Offensive Player of the Game: The offensive player of the game is freshman quarterback Cooper Legas, who helped the Aggies out of another early funk and threw four touchdowns on the day. Davon Booth was another intriguing option for the offensive player of the game, however, the four touchdowns for Legas was the difference as was the 387 yards passing as this helped to rally Utah State to their big 20-point win.

Defensive Player of the Game: The defensive player of the game is safety Ike Larsen, who made 7 tackles and a pass deflection against the Rams. Larsen gets the nod for player of the game due to grabbing two interceptions against Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi in critical moments of the game. This also helped Utah State to stay in the game and allowed Cooper Legas and the offense to get into a rhythm that eventually wore down Colorado State.

Overall Thoughts

This was a big win for the Aggies. It wasn’t necessarily the point margin... Well that’s part of it. What it came down to was Utah State being able to control every aspect of this game. The Aggies had leverage over the Rams in categories such as first downs, penalties, turnovers, third-down conversions, total yards, passing yards, rushing yards, and time of possession, which certainly led to the 20 point win.

The Aggies once again went down 17-0. Why? Well it was another slow start for Utah State in several aspects. The offense was making plenty of mistakes. The defense looked lost. Special teams allowed a touchdown. Whatever mind set that changed after the first quarter however worked very well for the Aggies as they would find a rhythm on offense and become disruptive on defense. Cooper Legas looked good after the first quarter and the Aggies looked more confident than they have looked in any other game this season.

The Colorado State win is big for building Utah State’s confidence and this will help the Aggies to continue to improve moving forward. Coaches will look at what worked well. Players will focus on continuing to learn and build on their skill sets. In a short week with a game against Fresno State looming on Friday night,