Utah State dominates Nevada in Logan

After both teams scored a touchdown in the first quarter, Utah State would score 17 points in the 2nd quarter. Cooper Legas completed 18 of his 33 passes and threw for three touchdowns and two interceptions. Utah State also finally found some more success in running the football as Rahsul Faison rushed for 181 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. Junior receiver Micah Davis led the team in receiving, with six receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown. A stronger third quarter with scoring 10 points and not giving up any points to New Mexico helped Utah State continue to extend their lead, and Utah State would close out the game, winning 41-24.

Team Statistics

First downs: USU: 22 first downs; Nevada: 18 first downs

Third down conversions: USU: 7-16 (44%); Nevada: 3-14 (21%)

Total yards: USU: 474 yards; Nevada: 347 yards

Passing yards: USU: 182 passing; Nevada: 164 yards

Rushing yards: USU: 292 yards; USU: 183 yards

Penalties: Nevada: 12-107; USU: 13-126

Turnovers: Nevada: 2 turnovers; USU: 2 turnovers

Time of possession: Nevada: 31:17; USU: 28:43

Players of the Game

Offensive Player of the Game: The offensive player of the game is Rahsul Faison, who was able to be productive in the run game for the Aggies with 181 yards, a touchdown, and a long rush of 46 yards. Faison averaged 8.2 yards per carry, which was a big reason as to why Utah State had success on offense.

Defensive Player of the Game: The defensive player of the game is defensive tackle Seni Tuiaki, who had five tackles and also made a big play in the second quarter, returning an interception for 63 yards.

Overall Thoughts

Utah State played a more consistent game against Nevada. Part of the reason might be because Utah State played a struggling Nevada team. The other reason is because Utah State was more balanced against Nevada with the effective run game. Cooper Legas has been more effective in leading this offense and should continue to start. The Aggies still struggled in penalties, remaining one of the most penalized teams in the nation, averaging 7.50 penalities per game.

Utah State is now 5-5 (3-3) and faces a Boise State team that is 5-5 (4-2) and has recently hit a stride. With two games remaining, Utah State must win one of the last two games against Boise State or New Mexico to become bowl eligible. Boise State’s secondary has struggled this year which is to Utah State’s advantage, but Utah State needs to find a way to stop a red hot Boise State offense. The Aggies must limit penalities and convert on third down to stay competitive with the Broncos, and those are two things that Utah State has not quite figured out yet this season. Utah State and Boise State will play at 4:00 P.M. PST on CBS Sports Network.