Nov. 1, 2008

Final Stats | Notes | Photo Gallery

LOGAN, Utah - Behind sophomore QB Diondre Borel's 310 yards of total offense and some pivotal turnovers by the defense, Utah State knocked off defending Western Athletic Conference champion Hawai'i, 30-14, Saturday at Romney Stadium.

Borel helped the Aggies celebrate National College Football Day and USU Military Appreciation Day by passing for 223 yards on a 14-of-19 effort with two TD's while rushing for 87 yards on 14 carries to give USU its first WAC win over Hawai'i in four tries. With the victory, the Aggies improve to 2-7 overall and 2-3 in conference play, matching last season's total and league wins with three games left in the season. The Warriors, who won the WAC title last season and played in the Sugar Bowl, fall to 4-5 overall and 3-3 in conference action.

Utah State now leads its series with Hawai'i, 5-4, as the Aggies' last win over the Warriors was in 1966, as the two teams did not play from 1966 until 2005, USU's first season in the WAC.

The USU defense and special teams played a huge role in the Aggies' success, blocking two field goals, recovering a fumble inside the five, as well as forcing and recovering a fumble on a kickoff return following USU's final score.

USU amassed 368 yards of total offense, as Borel led USU in both rushing and passing for the fourth game in a row and the sixth time this season. The Aggies had 145 rushing yards to go with the 223 passing yards. UH had 374 total offense yards with 141 rushing and two different QB's combining for 233 yards.

Sophomore PK/P Peter Caldwell made all three of his field goal attempts as well as all three of extra points, moving into USU's top 10 for career field goals made (21) and made percentage (fifth at .677).

It was a total team effort on defense as four players: senior CB Roy Hurst, junior LB Paul Igboeli, junior S James Brindley and senior LB Jake Hutton, shared honors for leading tackles with six each.

Igboeli had the first blocked field goal of the game and also recovered the Hawai'i fumble inside the five, thwarting the Warriors' third-quarter opening drive with USU holding its 13-7 lead.

The Aggies scored first on a 34-yard field goal from Caldwell on USU's opening drive of the game, marking the second time in as many games to score on its initial possession after failing to do so in the previous 14 games.

On the Warriors' ensuing possession, Igboeli ended the drive by blocking the field goal. Early in the second quarter, Hurst sped around the edge to block UH's next field goal attempt.

USU went up 10-0 on the very next play on a 62-yard scoring strike from Borel to junior WR Nnamdi Gwacham. On its very next possession, UH scoring on a 34-yard pass from starting QB Greg Alexander to Michael Washington to pull within, 10-7.

That would be the closest the Warriors would get as Caldwell booted another 34-yard field goal on the first half's final play to send USU into intermission with a 13-7 lead, the Aggies' first halftime lead of the season and just the sixth in the last three seasons. By holding Hawai'i to seven points in each half, the USU defense matched the Idaho game for fewest points allowed in a half on the season.

After Igboeli's fumble recovery denied Hawai'i on its opening third-quarter drive, USU scored the stanza's only points with a 23-yard scoring toss from Borel to redshirt-freshman RB Robert Turbin. Caldwell's upright split put USU ahead, 20-7 entering the final frame.

Hawai'i closed to 20-14 with seven minutes remaining in the game on a 9-yard run by Alexander but USU tacked on a 21-yard Caldwell field goal to take a 23-14 advantage. Facing a fourth-and-10 from the USU 20, Hawai'i went for it, but senior S De'von Hall broke up his second-straight pass and third of the day.

The Aggies punched it in from there, with a six-yard rumble by Turbin and Caldwell's PAT capped the scoring at 30-14.

The scoring wasn't almost done though, as Malcolm Lane had a 91-yard kickoff return, but a gutsy effort by USU senior CB Joshua Taylor denied Lane, as Taylor forced the fumble. Redshirt freshman WR Austin Alder scooped the ball and ran it out to the USU 22 where the Aggies ran out the clock and sparked the celebration.

Utah State opens a tough two-game road swing with a trip to Boise, Idaho to take on Boise State, currently ranked No. 11, on Saturday, Nov. 8. Kickoff is slated for Noon at BSU's Bronco Stadium.

The Aggies then head to Ruston, La. to face Louisiana Tech on Saturday, Nov. 15, before USU's second bye week of the season. Utah State then hosts New Mexico State in the Aggies' home and season-finale on Saturday, Nov. 29.

USU football games are will be aired on KVNU (610 AM) and KLZX (95.9 FM) in Logan, on 1230 AM in Salt Lake City, or KLZX (1320 AM) in Montpelier, Idaho.

Fans can also listen on the Internet at www.UtahStateAggies by clicking on "Listen Live" links either on the right hand column or in the Upcoming Events list at the bottom of the page or on the schedule/results link on the football page.

USU home football are also streamed on the Internet through "Aggies All Access," by clicking on the "Live Aggies Video" link in the right hand column on the home page of www.UtahStateAggies.com.

Aggie football tickets are available in person through the USU Ticket Office at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, online 24 hours a day at www.UtahStateAggies.com and clicking on "tickets" in left column, or by phone by calling 1-888-USTATE-1 or (435) 797-0305.