LOGAN, Utah -

USU Football End of Season Release

UTAH STATE AGGIES (6-7, 5-3 MOUNTAIN WEST)

UTAH STATE PLAYS IN FIFTH-STRAIGHT BOWL GAME
Utah State played in its fifth-straight bowl game for the first time in school history, and its 11th bowl all-time, as it faced Akron in the 2015 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. USU is 4-7 all-time in its 11 bowl game appearances.

AGGIES TIE SCHOOL RECORD FOR SIX-WIN SEASONS
- Utah State's six wins in 2015 mark the 34th time in 118 years of Aggie football that the program has won at least six games in a single season. Furthermore, USU has won at least six games in each of the past five seasons, which is tied with the 1971-75 teams for the longest streak in school history.

- Utah State also won five conference games for the fifth-straight season in 2015, which is a school record. Overall, it is just the 15th time in program history that USU has won at least five conference games as the Aggies have been associated with a conference for 80 seasons.

2015 SENIORS SECOND-WINNINGEST CLASS EVER
- Utah State's 2015 senior class recorded 36 career wins, which is the second-most in school history, trailing the 2014 senior class that set the school record with 37 wins.

- Utah State's 2015 senior class is the only group in school history to be associated with five straight bowl games. Those eight players who were in the program for five years and part of five bowl games includes senior LB Kyler Fackrell, senior OG Taani Fisilau, senior LB La'Bradford Harold, redshirt senior QB Chuckie Keeton, senior LB Michael Okonkwo, senior DE Jordan Nielsen, senior NG Travis Seefeldt and senior WR Brandon Swindall.

UTAH STATE'S DEFENSE FINISHES THE SEASON NATIONALLY RANKED
Utah State finished the 2015 season 17th nationally in total defense, allowing 332.5 yards per game. The Aggies were also 12th in passing defense (180.5 ypg allowed), 47th in rushing defense (151.9 ypg allowed), 61st in scoring defense (26.7 points per game allowed) and 21st in third down defense, allowing opponents to convert third downs 33.8 percent of the time.

UTAH STATE PLAYED 13 GAMES FOR FIFTH TIME IN SCHOOL HISTORY
After playing a school-record 14 games in each of the past two seasons, Utah State played 13 games during the 2015 season. Overall, USU has played in at least 13 games in each of its last five seasons after not playing in more than 12 games prior to its current run.

AGGIES ONE OF THE BEST IN THE WEST OVER THE PAST FIVE SEASONS
Utah State has won 41 of its last 60 games (.683) to rank as the third-most wins in the West behind Oregon (51) and Boise State (45) over the last five seasons.

UTAH STATE RUSHES FOR 2,000 YARDS FOR SEVENTH STRAIGHT SEASON
Utah State's 2,146 rushing yards this year marks the seventh straight season it has rushed for at least 2,000 yards. Prior to its current streak, USU went 33 years without rushing for 2,000 yards.

UTAH STATE TIES TWO SPECIAL TEAMS SCHOOL RECORDS
Utah State averaged 25.6 yards on 33 kickoff returns this year, which ties the school record set in 2007. USU also returned 44 punts for 429 yards (9.8 ypr) this year, which is tied with the 1998 team for the most punt returns in a single season. On the season, USU ranked 10th nationally in kickoff returns and 49th in punt returns.

UTAH STATE HAD 18 PLAYERS WITH TOUCHDOWNS THIS SEASON
Utah State had a school-record 18 players score touchdowns this year, breaking last year's record of 17, while 11 players forced fumbles, the most since 1999.

NIELSEN SETS SCHOOL RECORD FOR GAMES PLAYED
Senior DE Jordan Nielsen (2012-15) played in 54 games during his Utah State career, setting the school record that was previously held by DE B.J. Larsen (2011-14), who played in 53 career games.

A FINAL LOOK AT UTAH STATE
Utah State ended its 2015 season with a 6-7 record and finished tied for second in the Mountain Division of the Mountain West with a 5-3 mark. USU concluded its season with a 23-21 loss to Akron in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Offensively, USU was led by sophomore QB Kent Myers, who was 121-of-199 (.608) passing for 1,593 yards (177.0 ypg) with 16 touchdowns and three interceptions. Junior RB Devante Mays led the team in rushing with 966 yards on 165 carries (5.9 ypc/74.3 ypg) with nine touchdowns, and senior WR Hunter Sharp had a team-best 71 receptions for 835 yards (11.8 ypr/75.9 ypg) with nine touchdowns. Defensively, junior LB Nick Vigil led the team with 144 tackles, which included 3.0 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss, while senior LB Kyler Fackrell had 82 tackles, which included 4.0 sacks and 15.0 tackles for loss. As a team, Utah State averaged 29.0 points and 370.6 yards of total offense (205.5 passing, 165.1 rushing) and allowed 26.7 points and 332.5 yards of total offense (180.5 passing, 151.9 rushing).

UTAH STATE BOWL HISTORY
Utah State has a 4-7 bowl record all-time as it lost to San José State, 20-0, in the 1946 Raisin Bowl (Fresno, Calif.); lost to Pacific, 35-21, in the 1947 Grape Bowl (Lodi, Calif.); lost to New Mexico State, 20-13, in the 1960 Sun Bowl (El Paso, Texas); lost to Baylor, 24-9, in the 1961 Gotham Bowl (New York City); defeated Ball State, 42-33, in the 1993 Las Vegas Bowl II; lost to Cincinnati, 35-19, in the 1997 Humanitarian Bowl; lost to Ohio, 24-23, in the 2011 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl; defeated Toledo, 41-15, in the 2012 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, defeated No. 24 Northern Illinois, 21-14, in the 2013 San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl; defeated UTEP, 21-6, in the 2014 Gildan New Mexico Bowl; and lost to Akron, 23-21, in the 2015 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

UTAH STATE HAD NINE BOWL TEAMS ON ITS 2015 SCHEDULE
Utah State's 2015 schedule featured nine teams that played in bowl games a year ago as Utah played in the Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl (W, 45-10 vs. Colorado State); Washington played in the TicketCity Cactus Bowl (L, 30-22 vs. Oklahoma State); Colorado State played in the Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl (L, 45-10 vs. Utah); Fresno State played in the Hawai'i Bowl (L, 30-6 vs. Rice); Boise State played in the Vizio Fiesta Bowl (W, 38-30 vs. Arizona); San Diego State played in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl (L, 17-16 vs. Navy); Air Force played in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (W, 38-24 vs. Western Michigan); Nevada played in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl (L, 16-3 vs. Louisiana-Lafayette); and BYU played in the Miami Beach Bowl (L, 55-48 vs. Memphis in 2OT).

UTAH STATE'S NINE BOWL TEAMS RANK TIED FOR FIFTH-MOST NATIONALLY
Utah State's nine bowl teams from the previous year on its 2015 schedule rank tied for the fifth-most nationally. Alabama, Arkansas, Vanderbilt and Virginia all had 10 bowl teams on its schedule this year, while Georgia Tech, Kentucky, LSU, Michigan State, Ole Miss, Purdue, South Carolina, Texas A&M, USC and Utah State all had nine bowl teams on its 2015 ledger.

UTAH STATE'S 2015 SCHEDULE WAS ONE OF THE TOUGHEST IN THE NATION
According to Phil Steele's Magazine, Utah State had the toughest schedule in the Mountain West in 2015 and the 35th toughest schedule in the nation as its opponents were a combined 88-68 (.564) last year. And that preseason prediction proved to be true as USU's 2015 regular season opponents combined for an 82-62 (.569) regular season record as only two of its opponents had losing records in 2015, while six of the teams won at least eight games.

UTAH STATE VERSUS 2015 BOWL TEAMS
Utah State went 3-6 against teams that played in bowl games in 2015 as it posted wins against Colorado State (33-18), Boise State (52-28) and Nevada (31-27), and lost to Utah (24-14), Washington (31-17), San Diego State (48-14), New Mexico (14-13), Air Force (35-28) and BYU (51-28).

AGGIES WHO PLAYED IN THEIR FOURTH-STRAIGHT BOWL GAME
Of the six current Utah State players who are four-year letterwinners, only senior DE Jordan Nielsen played in his fourth-straight bowl game this year, tying Frankie Sutera (2011-14) for the school record. Nine Aggies played in their third bowl game this year, including senior LB Jarom Baldomero, junior TE Wyatt Houston, senior LB Kyler Fackrell, redshirt senior QB Chuckie Keeton, senior LB Michael Okonkwo, junior OT Jake Simonich, junior PK Jake Thompson, junior LB Nick Vigil and junior RB Kennedy Williams.

AGGIES IN OVERTIME
Utah State is 6-5 all-time in overtime, including winning three of its last four. All-time, USU is 4-3 in single-overtime games, 2-1 in double-overtime games, and 0-1 in triple-overtime games. Utah State's last overtime game was on Sept. 20, 2014, when it lost at Arkansas State, 21-14.

UTAH STATE AT MAVERIK STADIUM
Utah State went 5-1 at home inside Maverik Stadium during the 2015 season and is 23-3 in its last 26 home games, which includes a 15-3 record under head coach Matt Wells. USU is also 12-3 in its last 15 non-conference home games, including a 4-2 record under Wells. All-time, Utah State is 135-99 (.577) in Maverik Stadium.

UTAH STATE RECORDS SECOND-BEST ATTENDANCE IN SCHOOL HISTORY
For the fourth-straight season, Utah State averaged over 20,000 fans, marking the first time in school history it has accomplished that feat. During the 2015 season, USU averaged 21,362 fans (128,172) to rank second all-time in school history behind the 2013 season that saw an average of 23,263 fans (139,576). UTAH STATE CONCLUDES THIRD SEASON IN MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE
Utah State concluded its third season in the Mountain West with a 5-3 record in league play and finished tied for second in the Mountain Division for the second straight year as it went 6-2 in conference play a year ago and won the division in 2013 with a 7-1 record. All-time, Utah State is 18-6 (.750) in Mountain West play and has won 29 of its last 35 league games dating back to 2011. At home, USU is 11-1 in Mountain West play and has won its last 11 conference home games and 16 of its last 17 conference home games overall.

UTAH STATE VERSUS THE MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE
Utah State is 145-168-8 (.464) all-time against current members of the Mountain West with a 38-24-4 record vs. Wyoming, a 33-37-2 record vs. Colorado State, a 15-7 record vs. UNLV, a 16-20-1 record vs. San José State, an 11-17-1 record vs. Fresno State, a 10-12 record vs. New Mexico, an 8-6 record vs. Hawai'i, a 6-17 record vs. Nevada, a 5-15 record vs. Boise State, a 2-2 record vs. Air Force, and a 1-11 record vs. San Diego State.

AGGIES ON THE ROAD IN CONFERENCE PLAY
Utah State is 14-5 in its last 19 conference road games and 8-12 on the road in all games under head coach Matt Wells, including a 7-5 Mountain West road record. Overall, USU is 29-6 in its last 35 league games, including an 18-6 (.750) record in Mountain West play.

FIRST TIME STARTERS
Utah State had 14 players make their first career start this year as senior SS Marwin Evans, senior CB Tyler Floyd, senior NG David Moala, senior OL Ben Wysocki, junior DE Ricky Ali'ifua, redshirt junior WR Andrew Rodriguez and redshirt freshman WR Zach Van Leeuwen all started against Southern Utah, junior RB Devante Mays started at Utah, sophomore DE Ian Togiai started at Fresno State as a tight end, senior DE John Taylor started at San Diego State, junior TE Chris Copier and sophomore WR Braelon Roberts both started against Wyoming, redshirt sophomore RB Tonny Lindsey started against Nevada, and junior CB Jentz Painter started against Akron.

TWENTY-FOUR AGGIES GET FIRST DIVISION I EXPERIENCE THIS SEASON
Utah State had 24 players play in their first-ever Division I game this year in senior CB Promise Amadi, redshirt freshman LB Chasen Andersen, redshirt freshman OL Cody Boyer, junior LB Brock Carmen, redshirt freshman LB Chase Christiansen, sophomore WR Jaren Colston-Green, junior TE Chris Copier, redshirt freshman P Aaron Dalton, redshirt junior DE Edmund Faimalo, redshirt freshman WR Tyler Fox, redshirt freshman RB Justen Hervey, sophomore QB Damion Hobbs, junior OL Jude Hockel, sophomore LB Alex Huerta, sophomore OL Jarom Ioane, redshirt freshman LB Derek Larsen, redshirt sophomore RB Tonny Lindsey, junior RB Devante Mays, freshman TE Dax Raymond, redshirt freshman FS Jontrell Rocquemore, redshirt freshman NG Gasetoto Schuster, redshirt freshman OL KJ Uluave, redshirt freshman WR Zach Van Leeuwen and redshirt freshman SS Aaron Wade.

WELLS' 25 WINS MOST BY ANY AGGIE COACH IN HIS FIRST THREE YEARS
Utah State head coach Matt Wells already ranks as the seventh-winningest coach in school history with his 25 wins, along with Tony Knap (1963-66), while his 61.0 winning percentage (25-16) ranks sixth all-time in school history with a minimum of 15 games coached. Furthermore, Wells' 25 wins is a school record for a coach in his first three seasons, bettering the 23 wins John Ralston produced from 1959-61.

MORE ON UTAH STATE'S HEAD COACH
Matt Wells, the 2013 Mountain West Coach of the Year, is the 17th-youngest head coach at the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level and one of just 14 coaches to lead his alma mater. He is also just the second Utah State graduate to be appointed its head football coach, joining Chris Pella, who graduated from USU in 1965 and coached the Aggies from 1983-85.

DID YOU KNOW?
Matt Wells coached in his third bowl game in 2015 to set the school record for most bowl games by a head coach. E. Lowell 'Dick' Romney (1946, 1947), John Ralston (1960, 1961) and Gary Andersen (2011, 2012) all coached the Aggies in two bowl games, while Charlie Weatherbie (1993) and John L. Smith (1997) each coached one bowl game at USU.

FACKRELL NAMED FOURTH TEAM ALL-AMERICAN
Senior LB Kyler Fackrell was named a fourth-team All-American by Phil Steele. Fackrell is the 37th football player in Utah State history to earn All-America honors as the Aggies have had an individual named to one of the All-American teams 72 times in school history, including in each of the past four seasons. This is the third All-American honor for Fackrell as he was tabbed a College Football News Sophomore Honorable Mention All-American in 2013 and a Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-American in 2012, the first Aggie to ever garner that award.

FACKRELL NAMED ONE OF 10 SEMIFINALISTS FOR BUTKUS AWARD
Senior LB Kyler Fackrell was one of 10 semifinalsts for the 31st annual Butkus Award honoring the nation's best linebacker. Joining Fackrell as a semifinalist was Kendall Beckwith (LSU), Su'a Cravens (USC), Leonard Floyd (Georgia), Deion Jones (LSU), Blake Martinez (Stanford), Raekwon McMillan (Ohio State), Antonio Morrison (Florida), Reggie Ragland (Alabama) and Jaylon Smith (Notre Dame).

FACKRELL AND VIGIL EARN FIRST-TEAM ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST HONORS
- Utah State senior LB Kyler Fackrell and junior LB Nick Vigil both earned first-team all-Mountain West honors, marking the second straight year that a pair of Aggie linebackers were named to the conference's first team. In 2014, Nick Vigil and his older brother Zach Vigil both earned first-team all-MW honors, while Zach Vigil was also named the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year.

- For Fackrell, it marks the third time that he has earned all-conference honors as he was named first-team all-Western Athletic Conference as a redshirt freshman in 2012, second-team all-Mountain West as a sophomore in 2013, and first-team all-Mountain West this season. Fackrell, who missed the 2014 season due to injury, is just the 15th player in school history to earn all-conference honors (first or second team) at least three times, joining Kent Ryan (1934-36), Murray Maughan (1938-40), Ralph Maughan (1943, '46-47), Guy McClure (1978-81), Dave Kuresa (1982-84), Warren Bowers (1990-92), Abu Wilson (1992, '94-96), Demario Brown (1996-97, '99), Ken Watts (1996-98), Brent Passey (1998-2000), Emmett White (1999-2001), Bobby Wagner (2009-11), Tyler Larsen (2011-13) and Zach Vigil (2011-14).

UTAH STATE THIRD IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST IN ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS
- Utah State ranked third in the Mountain West in all-conference honorees in 2015 as it had six offensive players, five defensive players and one specialist recognized for a total of 12 all-conference awards. San Diego State led the Mountain West with 14 all-conference selections, followed by Boise State (13), Utah State (12) San José State (11), Colorado State (9), Air Force (7), Nevada (7), Hawai'i (6), New Mexico (4), Wyoming (4), Fresno State (3) and UNLV (3).

- Overall, Utah State's 12 total all-conference honorees rank eighth all-time in school history behind the 18 all-Big West Conference picks in 1997, the 17 all-Western Athletic Conference picks in 2012, the 16 all-Big West selections in 1996, the 16 all-Mountain West selections in 2014, the 15 all-Pacific Coast Athletic Association picks in 1978, the 14 all-Mountain West selections in 2013, and the 13 all-Pacific Coast Athletic Association picks in 1979.

- Utah State players to earn first-team all-Mountain West honors include senior LB Kyler Fackrell and junior LB Nick Vigil, while senior WR Hunter Sharp was named to the second team. Aggies who earned honorable mention all-league honors include junior OT Austin Albrecht, sophomore CB Jalen Davis, senior NG David Moala, sophomore OG Tyshon Mosley, sophomore QB Kent Myers, senior DE Jordan Nielsen, redshirt junior PR Andrew Rodriguez, junior OT Jake Simonich and junior OC Austin Stephens.

NIELSEN EARNS ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS FOR THE THIRD TIME
Senior DE Jordan Nielsen earned all-conference honors for the third time in his career as he garnered second-team all-WAC honors as a redshirt freshman in 2012 and honorable mention all-Mountain West honors in both 2014 and 2015. Nielsen began his career at Utah State as a walk-on.

AGGIES WITH MULTIPLE ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS
- Of the 12 Utah State players named to the various all-Mountain West teams, six are earning all-conference recognition for at least the second time. Along with senior LB Kyler Fackrell and senior DE Jordan Nielsen, who are both three-time all-conference honorees, Utah State had four players recognized for the second time in senior WR Hunter Sharp, junior OT Jake Simonich, junior OC Austin Stephens and junior LB Nick Vigil. During the 2014 season, Vigil was named first-team all-Mountain West, while Nielsen, Sharp, Simonich and Stephens all earned honorable mention honors.

- Aggies who earned all-conference honors for the first time in their careers this year include junior OT Austin Albrecht, sophomore CB Jalen Davis, senior NG David Moala, sophomore OG Tyshon Mosley, sophomore QB Kent Myers and redshirt junior PR Andrew Rodriguez.

NOTABLES ON UTAH STATE'S HONOREES
JUNIOR OT Austin Albrecht - Graded out at 75 percent this season, which included two games over 80 percent. Overall, he recorded a team-best 60 knockdowns, while allowing just three sacks, and had only had 10 missed assignments.

SOPHOMORE CB Jalen Davis - Ranked first on the team with eight passe breakups (0.85 pg) to rank ninth in the Mountain West, including a career-high three against Southern Utah (9/3). Ranked tied for first on the team with three interceptions, which was tied for 10th in the MW. Tied for third on the team with two quarterback hurries and sixth in tackles (51), to go along with 3.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks and a forced fumble. Twice during the season he tied his career high with seven tackles, doing so against New Mexico (11/7) and Boise State (10/16). On special teams, he returned six punts for 57 yards (9.5 ypr) and six kickoffs for 106 yards (17.7 ypr).

SENIOR LB Kyler Fackrell - Ranked first in the nation in fumbles recovered with five (0.38 pg), sixth in the Mountain West in tackles for loss with 15.0 (1.15 pg) and 27th in the MW in tackles with 82 (6.3 pg). Overall, he ranked first on the team with his 15.0 tackles for loss, first on the team with his school-record 12 quarterback hurries and second with his 4.0 sacks.

- His 82 tackles were second on the team, as were his three games with double-digit tackles, all of which came against Mountain West opponents. He is also tied for first on the team with his two forced fumbles, to go along with a defensive touchdown on a fumble recovery in the end zone against Nevada (11/21).

- On the season, he was named the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week twice after his performances against Boise State (10/16) and Nevada (11/21). Against the Broncos, he had 11 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble. Against the Wolf Pack, he recorded 10 tackles, including 0.5 tackles for loss, two quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery in the end zone for a touchdown.

SENIOR NG David Moala - Ranked tied for first in the Mountain West and tied for seventh in the nation in blocked kicks with two (0.18 pg) to lead the team, and tied for fifth in the MW in forced fumbles with two (0.18 pg), which tied for the team lead. Overall, he ranked first on the team with 4.5 sacks, eighth on the team and second among defensive linemen with 50 tackles, including a career-high eight against Utah (9/11) and Akron (12/22). He was also third on the team with his 12.5 tackles for loss, including a career-high 2.5 against Akron (12/22). He also had two pass breakups.

SOPHOMORE OG Tyshon Mosley - Graded out at 73 percent this season, which included one game over 80 percent. Overall, he recorded 37 knockdowns, and did not allow a single sack all year, while only having one missed assignment. SOPHOMORE QB Kent Myers - Ranked fourth in the Mountain West with his 16 passing touchdowns (1.79 pg). Overall, he led the team in both completions (121) and attempts (199) on the season for 1,593 yards and 16 passing touchdowns, all of which are career highs. On the season, he set a career high in passing efficiency (151.56). Against Air Force (11/14), he set single-game career highs with 25 completions, 47 attempts, 364 yards and four touchdowns.

- He set a school single-game rushing record for a quarterback with his 191 yards against Colorado State (10/3) as he was named the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week. Overall, he ranked second on the team with his 356 rushing yards and his 39.6 rushing yards per game, while ranking third on the team with three rushing touchdowns.

SENIOR DE Jordan Nielsen - Ranked tied for fourth in the Mountain West in fumbles recovered with two (0.15 pg) and was fourth in tackles among defensive linemen in the league with 55 (4.2 pg). Overall, he ranked tied for second on the team in fumbles recovered with two, first among defensive linemen and fifth overall in tackles (55), including a career-high nine against San Diego State (10/23), sixth in tackles for loss (5.5) and tied for fourth in sacks (3.0), while adding a pass breakup.

REDSHIRT JUNIOR PR Andrew Rodriguez - Ranked tied for second in the Mountain West and tied for 13th in the nation in punt returns for touchdowns with one (0.08 pg), and second in the MW and 30th in the nation in punt return average (9.8 ypr). On the season, he returned 26 punts for 258 yards and one touchdown that went for 88 yards against Southern Utah (9/3). Against Southern Utah, he set school and MW records with eight punt returns that totaled 136 yards. For his efforts, he was named the Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week following the game. He also forced a fumble during a special teams tackle against New Mexico (11/7).

SENIOR WR Hunter Sharp- Ranked first in the Mountain West and 28th in the nation in receiving touchdowns with nine (0.8 pg), second in the MW and 19th in the nation in receptions with 71 (6.5 pg), third in the MW and 41st in the nation in receiving with an average of 76.3 yards per game, eighth in the MW and 85th in the nation in all-purpose yards (106.5 pg), and 11th in the MW in scoring (5.5 ppg). He is also tied for second in the MW and tied for 11th in the nation in kickoff return touchdowns with one (0.09 pg).

- On the season, he caught a team-leading 71 passes for a team-best 835 yards and a team-high nine touchdowns, to go along with two 100-yard receiving games with a career-high 193 yards against Air Force (11/14) and 100 yards against BYU (11/28). He also returned seven kickoffs for 248 yards (35.4 ypr) and one touchdown on a 96-yard return against Nevada (11/21), 10 punts for 64 yards (6.4 ypr), and carried the ball eight times for 20 yards (2.5 ypc).

JUNIOR OT Jake Simonich - Graded out at 74 percent this season, which included four games over 80 percent. Overall, he recorded 43 knockdowns, while allowing just two sacks, and only had 11 missed assignments.

JUNIOR OC Austin Stephens - Graded out at 78 percent this season, which included five games over 80 percent. Overall, he recorded 42 knockdowns, while allowing just one sack, and only had seven missed assignments.

JUNIOR LB Nick Vigil - Ranked first in the Mountain West and sixth in the nation in tackles with 144 (11.1 pg), tied for fourth in the MW and tied for 26th in the nation in fumbles recovered with two (0.15 pg), and eighth in the MW in tackles for loss with 13.5 (1.04 pg).

- On the season, Vigil led the team with 144 tackles and was second with 13.5 tackles for loss and four quarterback hurries, while tying for fourth on the team with 3.0 sacks and tying for first with two forced fumbles. He also tied for fourth on the team with two pass breakups, to go along with two fumble recoveries, which ranked tied for second on the team.

- He recorded a career-high 20 tackles against Air Force (11/14), which ranked tied for the fourth-most at the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level this year, and had seven double-digit tackle outings on the season, including five during Mountain West play. His 144 tackles this year ranks just outside the top five in a single season in Mountain West history, while ranking eighth in Utah State history. Overall, Vigil led the Aggies in tackles in 10 of their 13 games this season.

UTAH STATE CONCLUDES SEASON WITH 23-21 BOWL LOSS TO AKRON
- Utah State concluded its 2015 season with a 23-21 loss to Akron in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. With the loss, USU had its three-game bowl winning streak snapped as it is now 4-7 all-time in bowl games, including a 1-3 record in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. USU is also now 6-15 all-time in games played in December.

- With the loss to Akron, Utah State is now 9-3 all-time against current members of the Mid-American Conference, including a 3-2 bowl record. All-time, Utah State is 2-3 in bowl games that are not played on Saturday.

- With its bowl loss, Utah State finished the 2015 season with a 6-7 record, its first losing season since 2010 (4-8).

AGGIES LOSE BOWL GAME DESPITE HAVING 100-YARD RUSHER
For the first time in 21 games, Utah State did not win when it had a 100-yard rusher. Junior RB Devante Mays rushed for 124 yards on 12 carries in USU's 23-21 loss to Akron. In fact, the last time USU lost a game with a 100-yard rusher was in the 2011 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl to Ohio (24-23).

UTAH STATE FORCES ONE TURNOVER AGAINST AKRON
- With its interception against Akron, Utah State forced 22 turnovers on the season, including 10 interceptions. Overall, USU has forced at least one turnover in 41 of its last 50 games and 99 turnovers in its last 50 games, while recording 46 interceptions in its last 37 games, including at least one interception in 22 of its last 37 games and multiple interceptions in 14 of those 37 games. Overall, USU has forced at least three turnovers in 11 of its last 26 games.

- During a four-game stretch during the middle of the season, Utah State forced a total of 18 turnovers with three takeaways against Washington and Colorado State, and four against Fresno State, to go along with its school-record-tying eight takeaways against then No. 21 Boise State.

TEAM NOTABLES FROM THE FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL
- Utah State was 6-0 under head coach Matt Wells following a bye or multiple weeks off prior to its 23-21 loss to Akron. USU was also 3-3 this year and is 11-4 under Wells following a loss as it has lost back-to-back games just four times in its last 61 games.

- Utah State is now 2-5 this season and 3-12 under head coach Matt Wells when trailing after the first quarter, 2-6 this year and 4-12 under Wells when trailing at the half, and 2-7 this year and 2-13 under Wells when trailing after the third quarter.

- Utah State is now 8-6 in day games under Wells, including a 1-5 record this year.

TEAM BOWL RECORDS FROM THE FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL
- Utah State was 28-of-45 passing against Akron in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, and its 28 completions and 45 attempts are USU bowl records. USU also had three passing touchdowns in the game, tying the school record in bowl games.

- Utah State had two quarterbacks throw for 100 yards in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, marking the first time that has happend since 1996 as redshirt senior Chuckie Keeton was 14-of-25 passing for 114 yards, while sophomore Kent Myers was 14-of-20 passing for 123 yards.

UTAH STATE TRENDS
Utah State was ... under head coach Matt Wells: 5-0 this year and 18-0 all-time when scoring at least 30 points; 3-1 this year and 12-1 all-time with a 100-yard rusher; 5-4 this year and 22-7 all-time when it out-gains its opponent; 4-4 this year and 21-9 all-time with 300-plus yards of offense; and 4-1 this year and 16-5 all-time when it controls the time of possession.

KEETON SETS SCHOOL RECORD FOR TOTAL OFFENSE IN FINAL GAME
Redshirt senior QB Chuckie Keeton had 108 yards of total offense against Akron in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl to set the school record with 8,803 yards of total offense. Keeton moved ahead of Jose Fuentes (2000-02), who held the record with 8,791 yards. Keeton also added his fourth touchdown pass of the season against the Zips, giving him 62 career touchdown passes, which is also a school record.

MYERS THROWS TWO TOUCHDOWN PASSES IN BOWL GAME
Sophomore QB Kent Myers threw two touchdown passes in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl for his fourth multi-touchdown passing game of the season and the fifth of his career. Myers now has 21 career touchdown passes, including 16 this season.

MAYS RECORDS THIRD CAREER 100-YARD RUSHING GAME
Junior RB Devante Mays recorded his third 100-yard rushing game of the season against Akron in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl as he carried the ball 12 times for 124 yards, which ranks as the 11th-most rushing yards in the 19-year history of the bowl. Mays also had a career-long 61-yard run against the Zips, which was the longest rush from scrimmage by a USU player this season and the longest rush by an Akron opponent this season. It was also just the second time this season that Akron allowed a 100-yard rusher.

SWINDALL TIES CAREER HIGH WITH TWO TOUCHDOWN RECEPTIONS
Senior WR Brandon Swindall tied his career high with two touchdown receptions from nine and two yards against Akron in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl as he finished the game with three receptions for 35 yards. Overall, Swindall had three touchdown receptions this season and nine in his career. For Swindall, it is the second time in his career he has caught two touchdown passes in a game, also doing so at Utah in 2013.

SHARP SETS UTAH STATE BOWL RECORD WITH 11 RECEPTIONS
Senior WR Hunter Sharp set a Utah State bowl record with his 11 receptions against Akron in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Sharp finished the game with 89 receiving yards, including a 19-yard touchdown catch. For Sharp, it was the second time this year and fourth time in his career he has caught at least 10 passes in a game. Overall, Sharp had six-career 100-yard receiving games.

MOALA HAS CAREER GAME AGAINST AKRON
Senior NG David Moala had a career game against Akron in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl as he tied his career high with eight tackles, which included a career-best 2.5 tackles for loss, while adding 0.5 sacks and one pass breakup. Overall, Moala finished the season with 4.5 sacks to lead the team and 12.5 tackles for loss, which ranked third on the team. For his career, Moala had 5.0 sacks and 14.0 tackles for loss.

DAVIS INTERCEPTS FIFTH CAREER PASS IN BOWL GAME
Sophomore CB Jalen Davis intercepted his third pass of the season and fifth of his career against Akron in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Davis also had five tackles against the Zips. Those three interceptions on the season are tied with junior FS Devin Centers for the team lead.

DALTON SETS RECORD IN FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL
- Redshirt freshman P Aaron Dalton had a career-long and Famous Idaho Potato Bowl-record 69-yard punt. He also had two punts downed inside the 5-yard line and another downed at the 15-yard line, giving him 27 punts this year downed inside the 20-yard line, including nine downed inside the 10-yard line. Against Akron, Dalton punted six times for 267 yards, averaging 44.5 yards per punt.

- Dalton had 27 punts downed inside the 20-yard line this season, and had at least one in 12 of USU's 13 games this year. The only game Dalton did not have a punt downed inside the 20 was against Wyoming when he punted just once.

- On the season, Dalton punted 72 times for 2,974 yards (41.3 ypk), and had nine punts of at least 50 yards with 27 of his punts being downed inside the 20-yard line.

OTHER PLAYER NOTABLES VERSUS AKRON
Sophomore RB LaJuan Hunt tied his career high with two kickoff returns for a career-best 55 yards, including a career-long 33-yard return... Junior TE Wyatt Houston had four receptions to tie his career high for the fourth time... Freshman TE Dax Raymond tied his career high with one reception, while also tying his career-long reception of 22 yards... Senior LB Kyler Fackrell had 1.5 tackles for loss, giving him 15.0 tackles for loss this season and 36.0 in his career... Senior LB Torrey Green had 1.0 tackles for loss, giving him 11.5 tackles for loss this season and 18.5 in his career, while also adding his first career pass breakup... Junior LB Nick Vigil had 1.0 tackles for loss, giving him 13.5 tackles for loss this year and 38.5 in his career... Senior DE Jordan Nielsen had 1.0 tackles for loss, giving him 5.5 tackles for loss this year and 22.5 in his career... Senior CB Bryant Hayes had his first pass breakup of the year and the sixth his career... Junior CB Jentz Painter made his first career start and recorded 0.5 sacks, giving him 1.5 sacks in his career... Senior SS Marwin Evans recorded his fifth pass breakup of the season and his career, while adding 0.5 tackles for loss, giving him 10.0 tackles for loss this season and in his career... Senior CB Tyler Floyd had one pass breakup, giving him three pass breakups this year and four in his career.

FACKRELL AND VIGIL UNSTOPPABLE IN MOUNTAIN WEST PLAY
Utah State's linebacker duo of senior Kyler Fackrell and junior Nick Vigil took their play to another level during Mountain West play as the duo combined for 154 tackles, including 5.0 sacks and 18.0 tackles for loss, while adding three forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries and 12 quarterback hurries. In eight Mountain West games, Fackrell recorded 57 tackles, which included 2.0 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss, while adding five fumble recoveries, one forced fumble and 10 quarterback hurries. Vigil recorded 97 tackles, which included 3.0 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss, while adding two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two quarterback hurries.

VIGIL ONLY FBS PLAYER WITH NINE-PLUS TACKLES IN EVERY GAME THIS YEAR
Junior LB Nick Vigil recorded at least nine tackles in every regular season game (12) this year and was the only Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) player to accomplish that feat, bettering Missouri's Kentrell Brothers, who had nine or more tackles in 11 games this year. Overall, Vigil had seven double-digit tackle outings, and five games with nine tackles, giving him 13 career double-digit tackle games. On the season, Vigil led the Aggies in tackles 10 times in 13 games.

TEAM SEASON NOTABLES
- Utah State's 83 penalties are its fewest since 2011, when the Aggies committed 82 penalties.

- Utah State had nine players start all 13 games this season in six defenders (senior SS Marwin Evans, sophomore CB Jalen Davis, senior LB Kyler Fackrell, senior LB LT Filiaga, senior DE Jordan Nielsen and junior LB Nick Vigil), and three offensive players (junior OT Austin Albrecht, junior OT Jake Simonich and junior OC Austin Stephens).

- Nineteen of Utah State's 43 touchdowns this year were scored on explosive plays (12 receiving, 7 rushing), while 19 of its 54 scoring drives were less than two minutes.

AGGIE DEFENDERS USED IN THE RUNNING GAME IN 2015
Utah State had several defenders get to play both offense and defense this season as senior NG David Moala, junior DE Ricky Ali'ifua, junior DE Siua Taufa, junior LB Nick Vigil and sophomore DE Ian Togiai all saw time as either fullbacks, running backs or tight ends on offense, along with playing their normal positions on defense. In fact, Moala and Vigil are two of the eight players on the team who had a rushing touchdown this season.

DID YOU KNOW?
Utah State had two quarterbacks throw for 1,000 yards in the same season in 2015 as sophomore QB Kent Myers had 1,593 passing yards and redshirt senior QB Chuckie Keeton had 1,006 passing yards. Overall, it is just the fourth time in school history that USU has had two 1,000 yard passers in the same season, also doing so in 2013, 1998 and 1979. In 2013, Keeton threw for 1,388 yards, while Darell Garretson threw for 1,446 yards. In 1998, Riley Jensen passed for 1,231 yards and Jeff Crosbie threw for 1,111 yards. and in 1979, Eric Hipple passed for 1,924 yards and Craig Bradshaw passed for 1,021 yards.

UTAH STATE IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST AND NCAA RANKINGS
- Utah State's defense finished the 2015 season ranked among the top 45 in the nation in 10 categories, including ranking third in the Mountain West and 17th nationally in total defense (332.5 ypg). The Aggies also ranked fourth in the MW and 12th nationally in passing defense (180.5 ypg), fourth in the MW and 47th in the nation in rushing defense (151.9 ypg), fourth in the MW and 61st in the nation in scoring defense (26.7 ppg), fifth in the MW and 48th in the nation in pass efficiency defense (121.8), and sixth in the MW and 67th in the nation in sacks (2.1 pg).

- Offensively, Utah State ranked fifth in the Mountain West and 42nd nationally in sacks allowed (1.6 pg), fifth in the MW and 77th nationally in completion percentage (.568), fifth in the MW and 88th in the nation in passing (205.2 ypg), sixth in the MW and 64th nationally in scoring (29.0 ppg), seventh in the MW and 77th nationally in passing efficiency (124.6), ninth in the MW and 93rd in the nation in total offense (370.2 ypg), and 10th in the MW and 71st nationally in rushing (165.1 ypg).

- On special teams, Utah State ranked second in the Mountain West and 10th nationally in kickoff returns (25.6 ypr), sixth in the MW and 49th in the nation in punt returns (9.8 ypr), and sixth in the MW and 52nd in the nation in net punting (37.9 ypk). USU has also blocked two punts to rank first in the MW and 11th nationally, while its four total blocks ranked first in the MW and seventh in the nation.

UTAH STATE RANKED 11TH NATIONALLY IN FUMBLES RECOVERED
Utah State ranked first in the Mountain West and 11th in the nation with its 12 fumble recoveries, and ranked fourth in the MW and 43rd nationally with its 22 turnovers forced. USU also ranked third in the MW and 21st nationally in opponent's third down conversions (.338), third in the MW and 22nd nationally in first downs allowed (17.6 pg), sixth in the MW and 50th nationally in tackles for loss (6.6 pg), sixth in the MW and 84th nationally in turnover margin (-0.15), and seventh in the MW and 78th nationally with its nine passes intercepted. USU also ranked sixth in the nation in forcing three-and-outs with 5.38 per game.

UTAH STATE RANKED 25TH NATIONALLY WITH THREE DEFENSIVE TOUCHDOWNS
Utah State scored three defensive touchdowns this year to rank second in the Mountain West and 25th in the nation. Over its last 34 games, USU has scored 11 defensive touchdowns.

FACKRELL LEADS THE NATION IN FUMBLES RECOVERED
Senior LB Kyler Fackrell recovered five fumbles this season to lead the nation. He also ranked sixth in the Mountain West in tackles for loss (1.15 pg) and 27th in the MW in tackles (6.3 pg).

VIGIL FINISHES SIXTH IN THE NATION IN TACKLES
Junior LB Nick Vigil ranked first in the Mountain West and sixth nationally in tackles (11.1 pg), tied for fourth in the MW and tied for 26th nationally with two fumble recoveries, and eighth in the MW in tackles for loss (1.04 pg).

SHARP FINISHES 19TH IN THE NATION IN RECEPTIONS PER GAME
Senior WR Hunter Sharp ranked second in the Mountain West and 19th nationally with his 6.5 receptions per game. He also ranked first in the MW and 28th nationally with his nine receiving touchdowns (0.8 pg), tied for second in the MW and tied for 11th nationally with his one kickoff return for touchdown (0.09 pg), third in the MW and 41st nationally in receiving yards (76.3 ypg), and eighth in the MW and 85th in the nation in all-purpose yards (106.5 ypg).

OTHER AGGIES IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST AND NCAA RANKINGS
Junior WR Andrew Rodriguez ranked tied for second in the Mountain West and tied for 13th nationally with his one punt return for touchdown (0.08 pg), and second in the MW and 30th nationally in punt returns (9.8 ypr). Senior NG David Moala ranked tied for first in the MW and tied for seventh nationally with his two blocked kicks (0.18 pg), and tied for fifth in the MW in fumbles forced with two (0.18 pg). Senior DE Jordan Nielsen ranked tied for fourth in the MW and tied for 26th in the nation with two fumble recoveries (0.15 pg). Sophomore QB Kent Myers ranked fourth in the MW and 57th nationally in passing touchdowns with 15 (1.79 pg). Junior RB Devante Mays ranked third in the MW and 39th nationally in rushing yards per carry (5.9 ypc), seventh in the MW and 74th nationally with his nine rushing touchdowns (0.69 pg), and 10th in the MW and 79th in the nation in rushing (74.3 ypg). Junior FS Devin Centers ranked tied for 10th in the MW and tied for 76th nationally with three interceptions (0.20 pg). Sophomore CB Jalen Davis ranked ninth in the MW in passes defended (0.85 pg), and tied for 10th in the MW and tied for 76th nationally with three interceptions (0.20 pg). Redshirt freshman FS Jontrell Rocquemore ranked tied for second in the MW and tied for 13th nationally with his one punt return for touchdown (0.08 pg). Senior LB LT Filiaga ranked 31st in the MW in tackles (6.0 pg). Senior SS Marwin Evans ranked 36th in the MW in tackles (5.6 pg). Junior PK Brock Warren ranked seventh in the MW in extra point percentage (.951) and eighth in the MW in field goals made with eight (0.62 pg). And redshirt freshman P Aaron Dalton ranked ninth in the MW and 61st nationally in punting (41.3 ypk).

AGGIES HAVE BLOCKED THREE EXTRA POINTS IN THEIR LAST 15 GAMES
Utah State blocked its second extra point of the season and third in its last 15 games against Nevada (11/21/14) as senior NG David Moala blocked the extra point. USU's two other blocked extra points have been returned for two-point conversions as senior LB Torrey Green returned a blocked PAT by Moala against Southern Utah (9/3/15), while sophomore CB Jalen Davis returned a blocked PAT by senior NG Travis Seefeldt at Boise State (11/29/14).

MAYS RANKS SEVENTH ALL-TIME IN SCHOOL HISTORY IN RUSHING AVERAGE
- Junior RB Devante Mays rushed for 966 yards on 165 carries with nine touchdowns and that average of 5.9 yards per carry ranks tied for seventh all-time in school history along with Robert Turbin (2007-09, 2011). The school record is 7.1 yards per carry set by Michael Smith (2009-11). As for this season, Mays' 5.9 yards per carry average ranks ninth all-time in school history. The single-season school record for yards per carry is 8.4 set by Tom Larscheid in 1960.

- During the season, Mays had three multi-touchdown games as he had a team-best nine rushing touchdowns. Mays also had a team-best 11 explosive runs on the season, including three that went for touchdowns.

- Mays had 23 rushes of at least 10 yards this year and had double-digit rushing attempts in nine of his last 10 games, including eight straight.

MYERS THIRD ALL-TIME IN SCHOOL HISTORY IN COMPLETION PERCENTAGE
- Sophomore QB Kent Myers was 200-of-318 (.629) passing for 2,459 yards with 21 touchdowns and just six interceptions in his career, and that completion percentage ranks tied for second all-time in school history, along with Chuckie Keeton (2011-15) and trailing Darell Garretson, who completed 63.1 percent of his passes. Furthermore, Myers completed 121-of-199 (.608) passes for 1,593 yards with 16 touchdowns and just three interceptions this season, and that completion percentage ranks fifth all-time at USU for a single season. The single season school record of 69.4 percent was set by Keeton in 2012.

- Myers, who is 10-4 as Utah State's starter, was named the Offensive MVP of the 2014 Gildan New Mexico Bowl as he rushed for 70 yards on 15 carries, including a 48-yard touchdown, and was 5-of-12 passing for 68 yards.

WARREN ENTERS SINGLE-SEASON TOP 10 IN EXTRA POINTS
Junior PK Brock Warren was 39-of-41 on extra points this season to rank tied for fifth in school history for a single season in extra points made with Brad Bohn (1997), and fifth in school history for a single season in extra points attempted. Josh Thompson holds the record for both extra points made (57) and attempted (58) in a season, as both were set in 2011. Warren also ranks tied for eighth all-time in school history with a career extra point percentage of 95.1, along with Steve Steinke (1977-80). The school record was set by Willie Beecher (1981-84) and Russ Moody (1988-89) as both players were perfect on extra points in their careers.

FACKRELL TIES MOUNTAIN WEST SINGLE SEASON RECORD
- Senior LB Kyler Fackrell had a nation's best five fumble recoveries this year, which is tied for the most in a single-season in Mountain West history. For his career, Fackrell recovered seven fumbles, while adding nine double-digit tackle games, which included three this year.

- Fackrell also recorded a school-record 12 quarterback hurries this season.

VIGIL RANKS NINTH IN SCHOOL HISTORY FOR TACKLES IN A SEASON
Junior LB Nick Vigil had a team-best 144 tackles, which ranks as the eighth-most in a single-season in school history. Tony D'Amato holds the single-season school record with 170 tackles set in 1998. For his career, Vigil ranks 13th all-time in school history with his 324 tackles, as Bobby Wagner (2008-11) and Del Lyles (1988-91) hold the career record with 446 tackles. Vigil also had 3.0 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss this season, giving him 15.5 sacks and 38.5 tackles for loss in his career.

RODRIGUEZ RANKS NINTH IN CAREER PUNT RETURN AVERAGE
Redshirt junior WR Andrew Rodriguez returned 26 punts for 258 yards this season and that average of 9.9 yards per return ranks sixth all-time in school history. Tom Larscheid (1959-61) holds the school record with 18.8 yards per punt return.

WILLIAMS RANKS NINTH IN CAREER KICKOFF RETURN AVERAGE
Junior RB Kennedy Williams has returned 27 kickoffs for 714 yards in his career and that average of 26.4 yards per kickoff return ranks third all-time in school history behind Overton Curtis (1957-58), who averaged 31.0 yards per kickoff return and Altie Taylor (1966-68), who averaged 29.3 yards per kickoff return. Williams returned 12 kickoffs for 367 yards this year and that average of 30.6 yards per kickoff return ranks second all-time at USU for a single-season, trailing only Taylor, who averaged 31.9 yards per kickoff return during the 1967 season.

SHARP RANKS NINTH ALL-TIME IN TOUCHDOWN RECEPTIONS
- Senior WR Hunter Sharp caught 16 touchdown passes during his Aggie career, tying Rod Moore (1988-91) and Mike O'Shea (1966-68) for ninth all-time in school history. Sharp also had nine touchdown receptions during his senior season, tying Kevin Curtis (2002) for ninth all-time in school history.

SHARP RANKS 12TH ALL-TIME IN SCHOOL HISTORY IN RECEPTIONS
- With his 11 receptions for 89 yards against Akron in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, senior WR Hunter Sharp finishes his career ninth all-time in school history with 137 career receptions and 14th all-time with 1,770 receiving yards. Sharp is one of just 19 players in school history with 100 career receptions and one of 33 players with 1,000 career receiving yards.

- Sharp's 71 receptions during the 2015 season rank seventh all-time in school history, while his 66 receptions in 2014 rank tied for 10th all-time, along with James Murphy (1980). In fact, Sharp is just one of three players in school history to rank in the top 10 all-time in school history in receptions twice, along with Kevin Curtis (2001, 2002) and Nakia Jenkins (1996, 1997).

- Overall, Sharp caught at least one pass in 23 straight games, which is the longest streak by an Aggie since Stanley Morrison (2008-11) caught a pass in 37 straight games, which was every game of his career.

- Sharp had a team-best 11 explosive plays this season, including seven that went for touchdowns. In all, Sharp had 13 career games with five or more receptions.

- Sharp averaged 106.1 all-purpose yards per game, the most by an Aggie since Kerwynn Williams averaged 171.2 all-purpose yards in 2012.

SHARP RECORDS FIRST CAREER KICKOFF RETURN FOR TOUCHDOWN
Senior WR Hunter Sharp returned his first career kickoff for a touchdown against Nevada (11/21) as he returned a second-quarter kick 96 yards, which ranks tied for the sixth-longest kickoff return in school history, along with Marvin Ellis (Idaho State, 1991) and Overton Curtis (Idaho, 1958), and the longest since Kevin Robinson had a 100-yard return against Hawai'i in 2007. That return by Sharp was also the first Aggie kickoff return for a touchdown since Kerwynn Williams had a 92-yard return at Nevada in 2010. Overall, Sharp has returned just six kickoffs this season for an average of 36.7 yards per return. In his career, he has returned 12 kickoffs for 366 yards (30.5 ypr).

DID YOU KNOW?
Senior WR Hunter Sharp led the nation with four touchdown receptions of 70-plus yards (81, 72, 75, 70) last season and is one of just two Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) players in the last five years to accomplish this feat along with USC's Marqise Lee in 2012. Sharp's 81-yard touchdown reception was at Arkansas State (9/20), his 72-yard touchdown reception was at BYU (10/3), his 75-yard touchdown reception was against Air Force (10/11), and his 70-yard touchdown reception was at Hawai'i (11/1).

KEETON IN THE AGGIE RECORD BOOK
Redshirt senior QB Chuckie Keeton ends his Utah State career ranking among the top 10 in school history in the following categories: - First all-time with 62 career touchdown passes.

- First all-time with 8,808 yards of total offense (7,393-passing, 1,415-rushing).

- First all-time with an interception percentage of 0.022 as he has thrown just 24 interceptions in 1,068 pass attempts.

- First all-time among quarterbacks and 14th overall with 1,415 career rushing yards (322 carries, 4.4 ypc). Demario Brown (1996-99) holds the school record with 4,053 yards. Overall, Keeton is one of just 27 players in school history to rush for 1,000 yards and just the second quarterback along with Diondre Borel.

- Second all-time with a career completion percentage of 62.9 percent (672-of-1,068). Darell Garretson holds the record at 63.1 percent.

- Second all-time with 7,393 passing yards. Fuentes holds the school record with 9,168 yards.

- Second all-time with 672 career completions. Fuentes holds the school record with 704.

- Second all-time with 1,068 career pass attempts. Fuentes holds the school record with 1,270.

- Set single-season school records as a sophomore in 2012 for touchdown passes (27), passing yards (3,373), total offensive yards (3,992), completions (275) and completion percentage (.676), and broke his own completion percentage record as a junior (.694).

- Is the only quarterback in school history to have five touchdown passes in three games as he tied the single-game school record against both Air Force (9/7/13) and Weber State (9/14/13) during his junior season, as well as against Wyoming (10/8/11) as a freshman.

- Set a then single-game school record with an 88.0 percent completion percentage against Southern Utah (8/30/12) during his sophomore season as he was 22-of-25 passing.

- Tied the then school record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 121 yards on a career-high tying 17 carries in a 48-41 overtime win at No. 19 Louisiana Tech (11/17/12) during his sophomore season. Tony Adams set the record in 1972.

KEETON AMONG ACTIVE FBS QUARTERBACKS
In just 37 career games, redshirt senior Chuckie Keeton finished his senior season ranking among the top 10 FBS quarterbacks in the following categories: - Fifth among QBs with 6,000 passing yards & 1,000 rushing yards (7,393 passing/1,415 rushing), trailing Oregon's Vernon Adams Jr. (13,076 passing/1,379 rushing), TCU's Trevone Boykin (10,728 passing/2,049 rushing), Mississippi State's Dak Prescott (9,376 passing/2,521 rushing), and North Carolina's Marquise Williams (7,970 passing/2,453 rushing).

- Ninth in completion percentage (.629), trailing Western Kentucky's Brandon Doughty (.686), Washington State's Luke Falk (.680), USC's Cody Kessler (.675), Houston's Greg Ward Jr. (.672), Bowling Green's Matt Johnson (.654), Oregon's Vernon Adams Jr. (.649), Western Michigan's Zach Terrell (.639), and Colorado's Sefo Liufau (.629).

MORE NOTABLES ON KEETON
- Utah State redshirt senior QB Chuckie Keeton is one of just two FBS quarterbacks to start five season openers along with Tulsa's T.J. Rubley (1987-91).

- Keeton is the second-winningest QB in school history with his 20 wins (20-15), trailing Tony Adams (1970-72), who won 22 games, and ahead of John Pappas (1966-68), who won 18 games.

- Keeton had 16 rushing touchdowns in his career to rank tied for 11th all-time in school history and was just one shy of tying the school record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback at 17, set by Diondre Borel (2007-10).

WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN FOR KEETON IN 2013
- Redshirt senior QB Chuckie Keeton was putting up some gaudy numbers during his junior season before missing the final eight games with a knee injury suffered against BYU on Oct. 4. Through his first five games, Keeton ranked second in the nation with 17 touchdown passes, while also ranking first in the Mountain West and second in the nation in points responsible for (22.8 pg), second in the MW and 22nd in the nation in passing efficiency (161.6), third in the MW and eighth in the nation in completions (26.4 pg), third in the MW and 11th in the nation in completion percentage (.710), third in the MW and 18th in the nation in total offense (317.2 ypg), and fourth in the MW and 25th in the nation in passing (272.4 ypg). Keeton concluded his junior campaign completing 136-of-196 passes for 1,388 yards (231.3 ypg) and 18 touchdowns and two interceptions, while rushing for 241 yards on 55 carries (40.2 ypg/4.4 ypc) and two more scores. Those 18 touchdown passes rank tied for ninth all-time at USU, while his completion percentage of 69.4 percent ranks first all-time.

- In 2014, Keeton played in just two and one-half games before re-injuring his surgically repaired left knee in the first half against Wake Forest (9/13). He missed the rest of the season and received a medical redshirt from both the NCAA and Mountain West.

FACKRELL NAMED MW DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK AGAINST NEVADA
- Senior LB Kyler Fackrell was named the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season on Monday, Nov. 23 as he helped Utah State to a 31-27 come-from-behind Mountain West home win against Nevada. Overall, it is the third time in his career that Fackrell has been named MW Defensive Player of the Week and it is the fifth time he has been honored by a conference office.

- Against Nevada, Fackrell scored his second career defensive touchdown as he recovered a fumble in the end zone in the fourth quarter to complete Utah State's rally from down 27-7 to give the home team a 28-27 lead en route to its 31-27 victory. Fackrell's other defensive touchdown was in 2013 as he returned an interception 99 yards against Hawai'i, earning MW Defensive Player of the Week honors for that game as well. The linebacker also has one offensive touchdown in his career as he caught a 4-yard pass against Weber State in 2013.

- Along with his touchdown against Nevada, Fackrell also had 10 tackles, including 0.5 for loss, to go along with two quarterback hurries against the Wolf Pack.

FACKRELL NAMED MW DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK AGAINST BOISE STATE
Senior LB Kyler Fackrell was named the Mountain West's Defensive Player of the Week on Monday, Oct. 19, following Utah State's 52-26 home win against No. 21 Boise State. Against the Broncos, Fackrell recorded 2.5 tackles for loss as part of his season-high 11 total stops, and added a career-best two fumble recoveries, to go along with one forced fumble and two quarterback hurries.

MYERS NAMED HONORABLE MENTION NATIONAL PERFORMER FROM CFPA
- Utah State sophomore QB Kent Myers tied his career high with four total touchdowns in Utah State's 58-27 home win against Wyoming on Oct. 30, earning honorable mention national performer honors from College Football Performance Awards.

- Against the Cowboys, Myers tied his career high with three touchdown passes and added a 5-yard touchdown run. Against Wyoming, Myers was 14-of-17 passing for 246 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions, while rushing for another 48 yards on 11 carries with one touchdown. In the first half against Wyoming, Myers was 10-of-10 passing for 171 yards with one touchdown.

- Myers also had four total touchdowns in a 52-26 home win against No. 21 Boise State earlier this season with three touchdown passes and one rushing touchdown, and in a 41-7 home win against San José State last season with three rushing touchdowns and one passing touchdown.

MYERS NAMED MW OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK AGAINST COLORADO STATE
- Utah State sophomore QB Kent Myers was named the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week on Monday, Oct. 5 after setting a school record for rushing yards by a quarterback with a career-high 191 yards on a career-best 16 carries in Utah State's 33-18 Homecoming win against Colorado State. The previous record was 121 yards set by redshirt senior QB Chuckie Keeton against Louisiana Tech (17 carries) in 2012 and Tony Adams against Colorado State (12 carries) in 1972. For Myers, it was his first career 100-yard rushing game.

- Myers' 191 rushing yards are the most by a FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) quarterback this year. It is also the most rushing yards by an Aggie since Kerwynn Williams rushed for 235 yards against Toledo in the 2012 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

- Myers had four explosive runs (34, 34, 27, 26) against Colorado State. He was also 12-of-21 passing for 137 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions against Colorado State, including a 42-yard touchdown pass to senior WR Hunter Sharp.

RODRIGUEZ NAMED MW SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK AGAINST SOUTHERN UTAH
- Redshirt junior WR Andrew Rodriguez was named the Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week following Utah State's 12-9 season-opening home win against Southern Utah on Sept. 3, 2015. Rodriguez returned a USU and Mountain West record eight punts for 136 yards against the Thunderbirds, including one 88 yards for a touchdown with 4:54 to play in the game to turn a 9-5 Aggie deficit into a 12-9 come-from-behind win. The previous school record for punt returns in a game was seven by Kelley Deist against Southern Mississippi in 1974, while the previous MW record was also seven by Scott Harding (Hawai'i) in 2014.

- That 88-yard punt return for Rodriguez is a Maverik Stadium record and the third-longest in USU history trailing Kevin Robinson, who returned a punt 90 yards for a touchdown at Troy in 2004 and Dale Leatham, who also returned a punt 90 yards for a touchdown at Wichita State in 1950. Robinson held the previous Maverik Stadium record as he returned a punt 87 yards for a touchdown against San José State in 2005.

- Rodriguez's 88-yard punt return is also tied for the second-longest in Mountain West history trailing Dallas Davis (Colorado State), who returned a punt 89 yards against Utah in 1999 and tied with Anthony Wright (Air Force), who returned a punt 88 yards against Army in 2009.

AGGIES IN THE NFL
Utah State currently has 11 players on NFL rosters and has had eight players drafted into the NFL in the past five years. Former Aggies currently in the NFL include: SS Maurice Alexander (St. Louis), CB Will Davis (Baltimore), WR Chuck Jacobs (Baltimore),CB Nevin Lawson (Detroit), OT Donald Penn (Oakland), LS Patrick Scales (Chicago), TE D.J. Tialavea (Atlanta), RB Robert Turbin (Dallas), LB Zach Vigil (Miami), LB Bobby Wagner (Seattle) and RB Kerwynn Williams (Arizona).

AGGIES WHO ARE MARRIED
Utah State has nine players on its roster who are married in junior OL Austin Albrecht, junior DE Ricky Ali'ifua, redshirt freshman LB Chase Christiansen, senior LB Kyler Fackrell, redshirt freshman LB Dillon Filiaga, senior LB LT Filiaga, sophomore OL Jarom Ionae, sophomore OL Brandon Taukeiaho and senior OL Ben Wysocki.

AGGIES WHO HAVE SERVED LDS CHURCH MISSIONS
Utah State has 22 players on its roster who have served two-year LDS Church Missions: junior DE Ricky Ali'ifua, senior LB Jarom Baldomero, junior DE Eric Berntson, junior OL Preston Brooksby, junior CB Austin Cheney, junior TE Chris Copier, redshirt freshman LB Dillon Filiaga, senior LB LT Filiaga, senior LS Salanoa Galea'i, freshman LB Braden Harris, junior TE Landon Horne, sophomore OL Jarom Ioane, redshirt freshman LB Derek Larsen, redshirt freshman QB DJ Nelson, junior CB Jentz Painter, freshman TE Dax Raymond, junior DE Siua Taufa, sophomore OL Brandon Taukeiaho, redshirt junior LB Leki Uasike, redshirt freshman OL KJ Uluave, redshirt freshman WR Zach Van Leeuwen and freshman DE Jacoby Wildman.

AGGIE FOOTBALL EARNS ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FROM AFCA
Utah State's football team earned recognition from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) as it is one of 65 institutions to receive the Academic Achievement Award for graduating 75 percent or more of their student-athletes. Utah State has a Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 86 percent to rank second in the Mountain West behind Air Force (88). The Aggies rank first among the other football programs in the Beehive State, ahead of Utah (69), BYU (56), Weber State (48) and Southern Utah (52). This is the second consecutive year Utah State has earned honorable mention Academic Achievement Award honors from AFCA.

AGGIES ONE OF FIVE
Utah State is one of just five FBS schools with a Graduation Success Rate (GSR) above 80 percent, while averaging 10 wins a season from 2012-14 along with Central Florida, Northern Illinois, Notre Dame and Stanford.

AGGIES HAVE TWELVE PLAYERS WHO HAVE ALREADY GRADUATED FROM USU
Entering its bowl game, Utah State had 12 players on its 2015 roster who had already graduated from Utah State University: senior SS Marwin Evans (sociology); senior LB Kyler Fackrell (business administration); senior OG Taani Fisilau (interdisciplinary studies); senior LB La'Bradford Harold (interdisciplinary studies); senior CB Deshane Hines (sociology); senior LS Mark Hutchinson (sociology); redshirt senior QB Chuckie Keeton (business administration); senior DE Jordan Nielsen (human movement science); senior LB Michael Okonkwo (finance); senior WR Hunter Sharp; and senior WR Brandon Swindall (interdisciplinary studies).

AGGIES IN THE CLASSROOM
Along with all of its success on the field, Utah State has also excelled in the classroom as it had 21 football players earn academic all-Mountain West honors in 2014, which ranked second in the league, along with two Mountain West Scholar-Athletes. Over the past six years, USU has had 128 players earn academic all-league honors and 131 players have graduated from Utah State. USU also had a Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 86 percent to rank second in the Mountain West during the 2014-15 academic year.

DID YOU KNOW?
Utah State had 17 players on its 2015 roster who had earned academic all-conference honors prior to the 2015 season. Those Aggies who are three-time academic all-conference honorees are senior DE Jordan Nielsen (2012, 2013, 2014) and senior NG Travis Seefeldt (2012, 2013, 2014). Aggies who have earned academic all-conference honors twice include senior LB Jarom Baldomero (2013, 2014); senior LB Michael Okonkwo (2012, 2014); junior DE Ricky Ali'ifua (2013, 2014); and junior TE Wyatt Houston (2013, 2014). And those Aggies who have earned academic all-conference honors once thus far include senior LB LT Filiaga (2014); senior CB Tyler Floyd (2014); senior LS Salanoa Galea'i (2014); senior CB Deshane Hines (2014); senior NG David Moala (2014); junior CB Austin Cheney (2014); junior CB Daniel Gray (2014); junior OL Jake Simonich (2014); junior PK Jake Thompson (2013); junior LB Nick Vigil (2013); and sophomore QB Kent Myers (2014). Note: The Mountain West will announce 2015 academic all-conference honorees in January, 2016.

HEAD COACH Matt Wells
- Matt Wells has wasted little time putting his stamp on the Aggie football program in his first three seasons as head coach, as USU is 25-16, including an 18-6 Mountain West record. Those 25 wins are a school record by a USU coach in his first 41 games. USU also played in its fifth-straight bowl game in 2015.

- In his three years as head coach, Wells has led Utah State to three wins against top 25 opponents, one more than USU had overall prior to his tenure.

- During the 2015 season, Wells mentored 12 players who earned all-Mountain West honors, which were the third-most in the conference.

- Wells led Utah State to 10 wins in 2014 to rank as the second-most in school history behind the 2012 team that finished with an 11-2 record, including its third-straight bowl win with a 21-6 victory against UTEP in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl.

- During the 2014 season, Wells mentored 15 players who earned 16 all-Mountain West honors, which were the most in the league and tied for the third-most in school history. Wells also coached two All-Americans as Zach Vigil was named a second-team All-American by USA Today Sports, while Jalen Davis was named a True Freshman All-American by 247Sports. Vigil was also named the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year.

- Wells was named the 2013 Mountain West Coach of the Year as he set the school record for wins by a first-year head coach as the Aggies finished with a 9-5 record.

- Wells led Utah State to the inaugural Mountain West Championship game after winning the Mountain Division with a 7-1 record in 2013. He also led USU to just its third-ever bowl victory as it posted a 21-14 win against No. 24 Northern Illinois in the 2013 San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl.

- During his first year as Utah State's head coach, Wells mentored 14 Aggies who earned various all-Mountain West honors, including three All-Americans as Tyler Larsen was named a second-team All-American by USA Today Sports, Nevin Lawson was named a third-team All-American by College Sports Madness, and Kyler Fackrell was named an honorable mention Sophomore All-American by College Football News.

- Wells coached a school-record four players who were invited and participated in the 2014 NFL Combine in Larsen, Lawson, Maurice Alexander and D.J. Tialavea, while a total of 11 players from the 2013 roster were invited to NFL camps, including Alexander (St. Louis Rams) and Lawson (Detroit Lions), who were both selected in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. - Overall, Wells is the second USU coach and fifth in school history to garner conference coach of the year honors along with Bruce Snyder (1978), Chuck Shelton (1991), John L. Smith (1997) and Gary Andersen (2012). Wells is also the fourth individual to earn MW Coach of the Year honors in his first season along with BYU's Gary Crowton (2001), Utah's Urban Meyer (2003) and Air Force's Troy Calhoun (2007).

- Wells, who is the 17th-youngest head coach at the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level and one of just 14 coaches to lead his alma mater, is just the second Utah State graduate to be appointed its head football coach, joining Chris Pella, who graduated from USU in 1965 and coached the Aggies from 1983-85.

- Prior to being named the head coach at his alma mater, Wells spent the previous two seasons as an assistant at Utah State, including serving as the team's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2012. In 2011, Wells coached USU's quarterbacks and was the team's recruiting coordinator. - During his five years at Utah State, Wells has been part of a USU program that has played in five straight bowl games for the first time in school history, and won three-straight bowl games for the first time ever. - As offensive coordinator in 2012, Utah State concluded its most successful season in program history with a school-best 11-2 record. USU also won its first outright conference championship since 1936.