LOGAN, Utah -

USU Game Notes

San Diego State Game Notes

Mountain West Release

AGGIES HOST SAN DIEGO STATE IN MOUNTAIN WEST PLAY FRIDAY NIGHT
Game will be televised live on CBS Sports Network at 6 p.m.

(RV) SAN DIEGO STATE (6-1, 3-0 MW) vs. UTAH STATE (3-4, 1-3 MW)
FRIDAY, OCT. 28, 2016 • 6 P.M. (MT) • LOGAN, UTAH • MAVERIK STADIUM (25,100)

GAME 8 INFORMATION
TV: CBS Sports Network
• Play-by-Play: Carter Blackburn
• Analyst: Aaron Taylor
• Reporter: Jenny Dell
• Comcast (Utah): Ch. 269/753HD
• DISH: Ch. 158
• DirecTV: Ch. 221

RADIO: AGGIE SPORTS NETWORK
• Play-by-Play: Al Lewis
• Analyst: Craig Hislop
• Local: KVNU 610 AM
• Online: 610kvnu.com / Tunein.com
• National: Sirius Ch. 83 / XM Ch. 201

SOCIAL MEDIA: #AGGIESALLTHEWAY
• Twitter/Instagram: @USUFootball
• Facebook: USUFootball
• YouTube: UtahStateFootball
• Live Stats: UtahState.Statbroadcast.com

KICKOFF COVERAGE
• Utah State (3-4, 1-3 MW) hosts San Diego State (6-1, 3-0 MW) in Mountain West play on Friday, Oct. 28, at 6 p.m., in a nationally televised game on CBS Sports Network. USU is 1-11 all-time against the Aztecs, including an 0-3 home record. Overall, USU has lost nine straight games to SDSU, which is its longest active streak against any opponent in school history.

• Utah State is 19-9 (.679) all-time in the Mountain West and has won 30 of its last 39 (.769) league games dating back to 2011.

• Utah State has won 26 of its last 30 home games (.867), including 17 of its last 19 conference home games (.895). Under head coach Matt Wells, USU is 18-4 (.818) at home, including a 12-2 (.857) Mountain West record. All-time, USU is 138-100 (.580) at Maverik Stadium.

• Junior QB Kent Myers, who is 13-8 as Utah State's starting quarterback, has 28 career touchdown passes and is just one touchdown pass shy of entering the top 10 all-time in school history. Myers also needs just 222 yards of total offense (4,622) and 282 passing yards (3,939) to enter the USU top 10 in both of those categories, as well. Myers has completed 340 passes in his career, which ranks 10th all-time in school history.

• San Diego State has forced 12 turnovers on the season to rank third in the Mountain West and 51st nationally, while Utah State has committed just six turnovers, which ranks second in the conference and seventh nationally.

• San Diego State ranks second nationally in rushing defense (93.6 ypg) and 14th nationally in rushing offense (252.7 ypg), while Utah State ranks 54th in the nation in rushing defense (151.6 ypg) and 59th in the nation in rushing offense (177.6 ypg).

• Utah State has won 14 of its last 24 (.583) games played during the month of October, including six straight at home, and is 4-8 all-time in known games played on Oct. 28.

UTAH STATE CONTINUES MOUNTAIN WEST PLAY AGAINST SAN DIEGO STATE
• Utah State (3-4, 1-3 MW) continues Mountain West play this weekend as it hosts San Diego State (6-1, 3-0 MW) on Friday, Oct. 28, at 6 p.m. The game will be televised nationally on CBS Sports Network (Comcast Ch. 269/753HD, Dish Network Ch. 158, DirecTV Ch. 221) with Carter Blackburn (play-by-play), Aaron Taylor (analyst) and Jenny Dell (reporter) on the call. Live audio of the game is available on-line at www.UtahStateAggies.com.

UTAH STATE PLAYING BACK-TO-BACK CONFERENCE HOME GAMES
• Utah State is playing back-to-back conference home games for the third time under head coach Matt Wells and USU has won all five of those Mountain West games. In fact, USU has had consecutive conference home games four times in the last nine years and is 8-3 in those contests.

UTAH STATE SNAPS THREE-GAME LOSING STREAK WITH FRESNO STATE WIN
• Utah State snapped a three-game losing streak, its longest since 2010, with its 38-20 home win against Fresno State last weekend. For USU, it marked the first time since 1981 (23 games) that the Aggies have posted consecutive wins against the Bulldogs.

• Utah State has now won 35 straight games when scoring at least 30 points following its victory against Fresno State, and the last time it lost when scoring 30 or more points was at home in 2011 to Colorado State (35-34 2OT).

• Utah State improved to 5-0 all-time under head coach Matt Wells following a bye week and is now 13-6 under Wells following a loss. USU is also now 3-1 this season and 24-3 under Wells when leading at the half and 3-0 this year and 22-2 under Wells when scoring first.

UTAH STATE WINS SECOND HALF
• After being out-scored 89-34 in the second half in its last five games, and 35-3 in the third quarter in its last four games, Utah State finally had a productive second half in its 38-20 home win against Fresno State.

• Utah State began the third quarter by driving 75 yards in eight plays for its first third-quarter touchdown since Sept. 10 at USC and its first score of any kind on its first possession of the second half this year. USU then added a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to cement the win as it out-scored FS 21-6 in the final 30 minutes.

NEITHER TEAM COMMITS A TURNOVER IN UTAH STATE-FRESNO STATE GAME
• For the second straight game and third time in its last four outings, Utah State had zero takeaways in its 38-20 home win against Fresno State. In fact, USU has forced multiple turnovers just once this season (3 vs. Arkansas State) and has forced a total of just 10 turnovers in its last 14 games dating back to last season after forcing a school-record-tying eight turnovers in its 52-26 home win against No. 21 Boise State on Oct. 16, 2015.

• Offensively, Utah State did not commit a turnover for the third time this season after doing so just once all of last season. In fact, USU ranks seventh nationally in turnovers lost with just six this season.

• Utah State has forced six turnovers this year (four interceptions, two fumbles) and 105 turnovers in its last 57 games, including at least one turnover in 45 of its last 57 games. USU has also recorded 50 interceptions in its last 44 games, including at least one pick in 24 of its last 44 games and multiple interceptions in 15 of its last 44 games. Overall, USU has forced three or more turnovers in 12 of its last 33 games.

PAINTER CHANGES FRESNO STATE GAME WITH BACK-TO-BACK PLAYS
• Senior CB Jentz Painter single-handedly changed the momentum in Utah State's 38-20 home win against Fresno State last weekend with back-to-back plays in the second quarter. On a third-and-12 from their own 26-yard line, Bulldog QB Chason Virgil was sacked by Painter for a loss of six yards, forcing a punt. Painter then blocked his first career kick on the very next play and the ball was recovered in the end zone by senior CB Austin Cheney to give the home team a 14-7 lead as USU led the rest of the game.

• For Painter, the sack was his first of the season as he now has 1.0 sacks and 1.5 tackles for loss this year, and 2.5 sacks and 3.0 tackles for loss in his career.

• For Utah State, Painter's blocked punt was its first since blocking a punt and returning it for a touchdown against Wyoming last season.

MYERS THROWS SEASON-HIGH THREE TOUCHDOWN PASSES AGAINST BULLDOGS
• Junior QB Kent Myers continues to play well under center for Utah State and had another solid game in his last outing as he threw a season-high three touchdown passes against Fresno State. For Myers, it is the fifth time in his career he has thrown at least three touchdown passes in a game. Overall, Myers has now thrown at least one touchdown pass in 13 of his last 16 games and multiple touchdowns for the sixth time in his career. In all, Myers has seven touchdown passes this season and 28 in his career.

• In his previous game at Colorado State, Myers had a pair of rushing touchdowns, marking the second time in his career that he has rushed for multiple touchdowns in a single game. Overall, Myers is tied for the team lead with three rushing touchdowns this season and his 11 career rushing touchdowns are the second-most on the team behind senior RB Devante Mays, who has 12 rushing touchdowns.

• On the season, Myers has a team-leading five rushes of at least 20 yards. He also ranks second on the team in carries with 73 and third in yards with 272.

• For his career, Myers has an interception percentage of just 0.018, which ranks first all-time in school history, with his 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions on 556 career attempts. Overall, Myers is 13-8 as Utah State's starting quarterback.

HOUSTON RECORDS CAREER HIGH IN RECEPTIONS AGAINST BULLDOGS
• Senior TE Wyatt Houston had a career-high five receptions for 43 yards with one touchdown in his last game against Fresno State and has now caught at least one pass in 13 straight games for the Aggies, which is the longest active streak on the team. During that span, he has recorded 38 receptions for 416 yards and four touchdowns. Houston's streak of catching a pass in 13 straight games is the longest by an Aggie since Hunter Sharp caught at least one pass in each of his final 23 games at Utah State.

• Houston now ranks second all-time in school history for touchdown receptions by a tight end with nine, trailing Chris Cooley (2000-03), who holds the school record with 11.

A DIFFERENT AGGIE HAS LED THE TEAM IN TACKLES EVERY GAME THIS YEAR
• Utah State has had a different player lead the team in tackling in each of its first seven games and is just one of two Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams to do that along with Temple. Against Weber State, senior LB Leki Uasike had 10 tackles. Against USC, redshirt junior BS Dallin Leavitt had 15 tackles. Against Arkansas State, senior LB Brock Carmen had 12 tackles. Against Air Force, junior LB Alex Huerta had 13 tackles. Against Boise State, redshirt senior LB Anthony Williams had seven tackles. Against Colorado State, sophomore FS Jontrell Rocquemore had 10 tackles. And against Fresno State, senior FS Devin Centers and Uasike each had 10 tackles. In comparison, LB Nick Vigil led USU in tackling 10 times last year in the team's 13-game season.

DID YOU KNOW?
• Utah State has won 18 of its last 20 games, including a 1-1 record this year, when it has a 100-yard rusher, and has won 22 of its last 23 contests, including a 3-0 record this year, when rushing at least 40 times in a game.

• Utah State's opponents have scored just 21 points following six Aggie turnovers this season, for an average of 3.5 points allowed per turnover.

CENTERS HAVING PRODUCTIVE SENIOR SEASON
• Senior FS Devin Centers had a season-high 10 tackles in his last game against Fresno State for his third career double-digit tackle outing. On the season, Centers has recorded at least five tackles in all seven games, and has 44 tackles overall, as he ranks first on the team and tied for 25th in the Mountain West with 6.3 tackles per game.

UASIKE TIES HIS CAREER HIGH WITH 10 TACKLES AGAINST BULLDOGS
• Senior LB Leki Uasike tied his career high with 10 tackles in his last game against Fresno State. He also had 10 stops in the season opener against Weber State, giving him a pair of double-digit tackle outings this season. Uasike is in his third year at Utah State as he redshirted in 2014 and did not play a year ago. In fact, Uasike was not even a scholarship player for USU until receiving one during fall camp this year.

HANEY MAKES MOST OF FIRST CAREER START
• Redshirt freshman CB Cameron Haney recorded his first two career pass breakups and added a career-high eight tackles in his first career start last weekend against Fresno State.

UTAH STATE DEFENSIVE NOTABLES FROM THE FRESNO STATE GAME
• Sophomore LB Chase Christiansen had a career-high nine tackles. Sophomore LB Derek Larsen had a career-high eight tackles. Larsen also had 1.0 tackles for loss giving him 3.5 tackles for loss this year and in his career. Junior DE Ian Togiai tied his career high with six tackles. Senior DE Edmund Faimalo had a career-high four tackles. Senior CB Austin Cheney scored his first career touchdown as he recovered a blocked punt in the end zone. Redshirt junior CB Wesley Bailey had a career-high two pass breakups, giving him three this season.

UTAH STATE OFFENSIVE NOTABLES FROM THE FRESNO STATE GAME
• Junior WR Braelon Roberts caught his first career touchdown on a 21-yard reception in the first quarter. He finished the game with a career-high 49 receiving yards. Sophomore WR Ron'Quavion Tarver caught his second career touchdown on a 25-yard reception in the fourth quarter. Junior RB Tonny Lindsey, Jr. had a career-high 23 carries. Junior QB Damion Hobbs scored on a 4-yard run in the fourth quarter for his second rushing touchdown of the season and third of his career.

UTAH STATE SPECIAL TEAMS NOTABLES FROM THE FRESNO STATE GAME
• Sophomore P Aaron Dalton had two punts downed inside the 20-yard line, giving him 14 punts this year and 41 in his career downed inside the 20-yard line.

WARREN MAKES CAREER-LONG FIELD GOAL AGAINST FRESNO STATE
• Senior PK Brock Warren scored eight points as he was 5-of-5 on extra points and made a career-long 43-yard field goal in his last game against Fresno State. Overall, Warren is now 8-of-10 this season and 16-of-22 in his career on field goal attempts, including 1-of-1 this year and 3-of-5 in his career from 40-49 yards. Overall, Warren has a career field goal percentage of .727 to rank fourth all-time in school history. For his career, Warren is 66-of-69 on extra points in his career as he is now eighth all-time in school history in both extra points made and attempted.

STOPPING THE RUN IS KEY TO UTAH STATE SUCCESS
• In its three victories this season, Utah State's run defense has allowed Weber State, Arkansas State and Fresno State to rush for a combined 292 yards and three touchdowns on 111 carries (2.6 ypc / 97.3 ypg). Against the Red Wolves, the Aggies limited ASU to 70 yards rushing on 31 carries (2.3 ypc), which is a season low by an opponent. Against the Wildcats and Bulldogs, USU allowed 108 yards rushing on 41 carries (2.6 ypc) and 114 yards on 39 carries (2.9 ypc), respectively. Conversely, in the Aggies' four losses on the season, Utah State's defense has allowed USC, Air Force, Boise State and Colorado State to rush for a combined 769 yards and five touchdowns on 183 carries (4.2 ypc / 192.3 ypg).

RUNNING THE BALL HAS BEEN KEY IN UTAH STATE'S THREE WINS
• In its three victories this season against Weber State, Arkansas State and Fresno State, Utah State's ground attack has been extremely productive as it has churned out 830 yards and 10 touchdowns on 131 carries (6.3 ypc / 276.7 ypg). The Aggies had a season-high 428 yards rushing and six touchdowns on 44 carries against the Wildcats, then followed that up with 198 yards and three more scores on 47 carries against the Red Wolves and 204 yards and a touchdown on 40 carries last weekend versus Fresno State.

DID YOU KNOW?
• Utah State is 6-5 all-time in overtime, 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. USU's last overtime game was a 21-14 loss at Arkansas State on Sept. 20, 2014.

• Utah State has won 44 of its last 66 games (.667) to rank as the third-most wins in the West behind Oregon (53) and Boise State (52) over the last five seasons.

A LOOK AT UTAH STATE
• Utah State is 3-4 on the season and 1-3 in Mountain West play following its 38-20 home win against Fresno State last weekend. Offensively, USU is led by junior QB Kent Myers, who is 140-of-238 (.588) passing for 1,480 yards (211.4 ypg) with seven touchdowns and four interceptions. Junior RB Tonny Lindsey, Jr. leads the team in rushing with 442 yards on 99 carries (4.5 ypc) with three touchdowns, and freshman WR Rayshad Lewis has a team-best 28 receptions for 377 yards (13.5 ypr) with one touchdown. Defensively, redshirt senior FS Devin Centers leads the team with 44 tackles, which includes 3.0 tackles for loss, while senior LB Anthony Williams has 40 tackles, which includes 1.0 sacks and 3.0 tackles for loss. As a team, Utah State is averaging 25.4 points and 390.7 yards of total offense (213.1 passing, 177.6 rushing), and allowing 24.3 points and 359.6 yards of total offense (208.0 passing, 151.6 rushing).

UTAH STATE RANKS THIRD IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST IN TOTAL DEFENSE
• Through the first eight weeks of the college football season, Utah State is allowing 359.6 yards per game, which ranks third in the Mountain West and 35th nationally. USU also ranks third in the MW and 45th nationally in scoring defense (24.3 ppg), fourth in the conference and 40th nationally in passing defense (208.0 ypg), fifth in the conference and 70th in the nation in passing efficiency defense (133.4), sixth in the MW and 54th in the nation in rushing defense (151.6 ypg), and seventh in the MW and 84th nationally in sacks per game (1.9).

UTAH STATE RANKS FOURTH IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST IN TACKLES FOR LOSS
• Utah State has recorded 42 tackles for loss in its first seven games and that average of 6.0 tackles for loss per game ranks fourth in the Mountain West and 60th nationally.

AGGIES RANK FIFTH IN THE CONFERENCE IN THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS
• Utah State has converted 46-of-110 third downs through its first seven games, and that percentage of .418 ranks fifth in the Mountain West and 53rd nationally. Last year, USU converted 35.8 percent (66-184) of its third downs.

• Offensively, Utah State ranks fourth in the Mountain West and 67th nationally in completion percentage (.586), fifth in the conference and 84th in the nation in passing offense (213.9 ypg), eighth in the MW and 59th nationally in rushing offense (177.6 ypg), ninth in the MW and 81st nationally in total offense (391.4 ypg), ninth in the MW and 90th in the nation in scoring offense (235.4 ppg), 10th in the conference in passing efficiency (116.3) and tied for 10th in the MW in sacks allowed (2.7 pg).

UTAH STATE RANKS 55TH NATIONALLY IN FEWEST PENALTY YARDS PER GAME
• Utah State has committed 48 penalties for 369 yards this season, and that average of 52.7 penalty yards per game ranks seventh in the Mountain West and 55th in the nation.

UTAH STATE RANKS 27TH NATIONALLY IN KICKOFF RETURN DEFENSE
• Utah State is allowing just 18.38 yards per kickoff return to rank third in the Mountain West and 27th nationally. USU also ranks third in the MW and 57th in the nation in punt returns (8.2 ypr).

UTAH STATE RANKS FIFTH IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST IN TURNOVER MARGIN
• With its six takeaways and six turnovers this season, Utah State ranks fifth in the Mountain West and 54th nationally in turnover margin (+0.00). USU also ranks second in the conference and seventh nationally with its six turnovers offensively, and second in the MW and fourth nationally with its two fumbles thus far this year.

• Utah State scored three defensive touchdowns last year to rank second in the Mountain West and 25th in the nation. Over its last 41 games, USU has scored 11 defensive touchdowns.

AGGIES IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST AND NCAA RANKINGS
• Junior QB Kent Myers ranks first in the Mountain West and 32nd in the nation in completions per game (20.1), second in the MW and 50th nationally in total offense (251.0 ypg), third in the conference and 60th in the nation in passing (212.1 ypg), fifth in the MW and 62nd nationally in completion percentage (.590), seventh in the MW and 91st nationally in passing efficiency (117.5), and 10th in the MW and 92nd in the nation with seven touchdown passes. Senior WR Andrew Rodriguez ranks fifth in the MW and 46th nationally in punt returns (7.2 ypr). Senior CB Austin Cheney ranks tied for first in the MW and tied for third nationally with one punt return for touchdown. Sophomore FS Jontrell Rocquemore ranks eighth in the MW and 74th nationally with his two interceptions, and tied for 43rd in the MW in tackles (5.1 pg). Senior DE Siua Taufa ranks tied for fifth in the MW and tied for 67th in the nation in fumbles recovered with one. Freshman WR Rayshad Lewis ranks ninth in the MW in receptions (4.0 pg). Senior LB Leki Uasike ranks 24th in the MW in tackles (6.3 pg). Senior FS Devin Centers ranks tied for 25th in the MW in tackles (6.3 pg). Redshirt senior LB Anthony Williams ranks tied for 36th in the MW in tackles (5.7 pg). Junior LB Alex Huerta ranks tied for 40th in the MW in tackles (5.3 pg). Senior LB Brock Carmen ranks tied 47th in the MW in tackles (5.0 pg). And senior PK Brock Warren ranks third in the conference and 48th nationally in field goals per game (1.14), and eighth in the MW and 34th in the nation in field goal percentage (.800).

MAYS RANKS 21ST ALL-TIME IN SCHOOL HISTORY IN RUSHING
• Senior RB Devante Mays has rushed for 1,200 yards on 192 carries (6.3 ypc) during his Aggie career with 12 touchdowns and now ranks 21st all-time in school history in rushing yards and seventh all-time in rushing average. The school record for rushing yards is 4,053 set by Demario Brown (1996-99), while Michael Smith (2009-11) owns the school record for career rushing average at 7.1 yards per carry.

• Mays has four 100-yard rushing games and four multi-touchdown games in his career, and has a team-best 12 rushing touchdowns.

MYERS THIRD ALL-TIME IN SCHOOL HISTORY IN COMPLETION PERCENTAGE
• Junior QB Kent Myers is 340-of-556 (.612) passing for 3,939 yards with 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in his career, and that completion percentage ranks third all-time in school history behind Darell Garretson (.631) and Chuckie Keeton (.629). Furthermore, Myers completed 121-of-199 (.608) passes for 1,593 yards with 16 touchdowns and just three interceptions last 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 Chuckie Keeton in 2012.

• Myers ranks 10th all-time in school history with his 340 completions. He is also just one touchdown pass shy, 222 yards of total offense shy and 282 passing yards shy of entering the career top 10 in school history in each of those categories.

• Myers, who is 13-8 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.

• Myers ranked fourth in the Mountain West in 2015 with his 16 passing touchdowns (1.79 pg). Overall, he led the team in completions (121), attempts (199), passing yards (1,593) and touchdown passes (16), all of which are career highs. He also set a career high in passing efficiency (151.56). Against Air Force (11/14), Myers set single-game career highs with 25 completions, 47 attempts, 364 passing yards and four touchdowns.

• Myers 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 during the season with his 356 rushing yards and his 39.6 rushing yards per game, while ranking third on the team with three rushing touchdowns.

RODRIGUEZ RANKS SIXTH IN CAREER PUNT RETURN AVERAGE
• Senior WR Andrew Rodriguez has returned 37 punts for 337 yards in his career, and that average of 9.1 yards per punt return ranks sixth all-time in school history. Tom Larscheid (1959-61) holds the school record with 18.8 yards per punt return. Last season, Rodriguez returned 26 punts for 258 yards and that average of 9.9 yards per return ranks sixth all-time in school history.

WILLIAMS RANKS EIGHTH IN CAREER KICKOFF RETURN AVERAGE
• Senior WR Kennedy Williams has returned 35 kickoffs for 847 yards in his career and that average of 24.2 yards per kickoff return ranks third all-time in school history. Overton Curtis (1957-58) holds the school record as he averaged 31.0 yards per kickoff return. Williams returned 12 kickoffs for 367 yards last year and that average of 30.6 yards per kickoff return ranks second all-time at USU for a single season, trailing only Altie Taylor (1966-68), who averaged 31.9 yards per kickoff return during the 1967 season.

WARREN RANKS EIGHTH ALL-TIME IN PAT PERCENTAGE
• Senior PK Brock Warren is 66-of-69 all-time on extra points and that percentage of .957 ranks eighth all-time in school history.

• Warren has made 66 extra points in his career to rank eighth all-time in school history, while his 69 career extra-point attempts also ranks eighth all-time.

• Warren is also 16-of-22 in his career on field goals and that percentage of .727 ranks fourth all-time in school history.

• Last season, Warren was 39-of-41 on extra points and ranked 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.

A QUICK LOOK AT SAN DIEGO STATE
• San Diego State is 6-1 on the season and 3-0 in Mountain West play following its 42-3 home win against San José State last weekend. The Aztecs are led by senior RB Donnel Pumphrey, who leads the team in rushing with 1,246 yards on 191 carries (6.5 ypc/178.0 ypg) with 13 touchdowns. Pumphrey also leads the team in receiving as he has caught 20 passes for 145 yards (7.2 ypr/20.7 ypg), while sophomore QB Christian Chapman is 89-of-139 (.640) passing for 1,151 yards (164.4 ypg) with nine touchdowns and three interceptions. Defensively, senior LB Calvin Munson has 61 tackles, which includes 2.0 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss, while senior CB Damontae Kazee has 32 tackles, which includes 3.0 tackles for loss. As a team, San Diego State is averaging 32.4 points and 418.3 yards of total offense per game (252.7 rushing, 165.6 passing) and allowing 17.6 points and 285.7 yards of total offense (192.1 passing, 93.6 rushing). San Diego State returns 14 starters (O-7, D-7) and 44 lettermen from last year's team that went 11-3 overall and 8-0 in Mountain West play to win the West Division. After defeating Air Force 27-24 to win the Mountain West Championship, the Aztecs concluded their season with a 42-7 win against Cincinnati in the Hawaii Bowl. Rocky Long is 49-24 in his sixth season at San Diego State and 114-93 in 17 seasons as a collegiate head coach.

AGGIES AND AZTECS SERIES HISTORY
• Utah State trails in the all-time series against San Diego State, 11-1, including an 0-3 home record. The first game played in the series was on Sept. 20, 1947, in Logan with SDSU winning 24-19. San Diego State has won the last nine games played in the series, including the last meeting between the two teams, 48-14, on Oct. 23, 2015, at home. The Aztecs also won the last meeting between the two teams in Logan, 19-10, on Sept. 27, 1975.

AGGIES VS. AZTECS SERIES 25TH-MOST PLAYED IN SCHOOL HISTORY
• Utah State and San Diego State will be meeting for the 13th time in series history this weekend in what is the 25th-most played series in school history.

UTAH STATE VERSUS THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
• Utah State is 58-69-2 (.457) all-time against teams from California, including a 37-20 (.649) home record. Overall, USU is 21-7 versus Pacific, 16-20-1 against San José State, 12-17-1 versus Fresno State, 8-6 against Cal State Fullerton, 1-11 versus San Diego State, 1-0 against Cal State Northridge, 0-6 versus USC, and 0-1 against Stanford, St. Vincent's and UCLA.

WELLS VERSUS SAN DIEGO STATE
• Matt Wells is 0-1 against San Diego State as a head coach and faced the Aztecs four times as an assistant at New Mexico (3) and Navy (1).

UTAH STATE CONNECTIONS WITH SAN DIEGO STATE
• Utah State head coach Matt Wells was the wide receivers coach/recruiting coordinator at New Mexico in 2007 and 2008 for then-head coach Rocky Long. Wells was also on staff at New Mexico with SDSU safeties coach Danny Gonzales, who was the special teams/safeties coach for the Lobos in 2007 and 2008. Furthermore, SDSU cornerbacks coach/recruiting coordinator Tony White was the linebackers coach at New Mexico in 2008. And SDSU linebackers coach Zach Arnett was a linebacker at New Mexico from 2005-08.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
• Utah State is 20-26-1 (.436) all-time in games played on Friday, including a 1-0 record this year with its 34-20 home win against Arkansas State. Overall, USU is 7-3 (.700) in Friday night games under head coach Matt Wells.

DID YOU KNOW?
• Utah State has 37 players on its roster from the state of Utah, while San Diego State has 83 players on its roster from the state of California.

LAYER CONNECTIONS BETWEEN UTAH STATE AND SAN DIEGO STATE
• Utah State senior LB Brock Carmen and San Diego State (SDSU) junior TE David Wells both attended Clovis North (Calif.) HS... USU senior WR Kennedy Williams and SDSU sophomore DL Noble Hall both attended Valley HS in Las Vegas, Nev... USU senior OL Jude Hockel and senior DE Siua Taufa both attended Diablo Valley (Calif.) CC along with SDSU senior S Na'im McGee... USU junior WR Alex Byers and SDSU senior WR Curtis Anderson III both attended Antelope Valley (Calif.) JC... USU junior CB Jalen Davis and SDSU freshman DL Forrest Hanlon both attended Helix HS in La Mesa, Calif... USU junior RB Tonny Lindsey, Jr. and SDSU junior QB Jimmy Walker both attended Cerritos (Calif.) CC... USU junior WR Jaren Colston-Green and SDSU senior LB Randy Ricks both attended Arizona Western CC... USU redshirt freshman NG Christopher `Unga and SDSU redshirt freshman WR Jerry Chaney both attended Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.) HS...USU freshman LB Justus Te'i and SDSU freshman S Will Stricklin II both attended Mission Hills HS in San Marcos, Calif... USU redshirt freshman CB Cameron Haney and SDSU freshman WR Kaylen Williams both attended Cathedral HS in Los Angeles, Calif... USU freshman LS Brandon Pada and SDSU freshman LS Turner Bernard both attended Mountain Ridge HS in Glendale, Ariz.

FROM THE RECORD BOOKS
• Utah State's 31-25 win at San Diego State on Nov. 25, 1967 snapped a 25-game winning streak for the Aztecs, which still ranks as the 20th-longest in NCAA history. In 1971, USU's defense held SDSU to minus 22 yards rushing, ranking as the third-fewest allowed in school history. In 1967, USU's defense held SDSU to minus five yards rushing to rank as the seventh-fewest allowed in school history.

AGGIES FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
• Utah State has 23 players on its 2016 roster from the state of California, which is the second-most on the team behind the 37 players from Utah. Those players from the Golden State currently in USU's program include Demytrick Ali'ifua (San Leandro), Ricky Ali'ifua (San Leandro), Jay Brown (Chino Hills), Brock Carmen (Clovis), Andrew Chen (Calabasas), Jalen Davis (La Mesa), Dominik Eberle (Redondo Beach), Edmund Faimalo (Riverside), Ritisoni Fata (Redlands), Cameron Haney (Los Angeles), Jude Hockel (Walnut Creek), Tonny Lindsey, Jr. (Long Beach), Jordan Love (Bakersfield), Kevin Meitzenheimer (Moreno Valley), Jordan Nathan (Monrovia), Matt Nelson (Mission Viejo), Gasetoto Schuster (Long Beach), Jake Simonich (Danville), Siua Taufa (Concord), Sean Taylor (Vallejo), Justus Te'i (San Marcos), Christopher `Unga (Rancho Cucamonga), and Morian Walker, Jr. (San Jose).

UTAH STATE VERSUS THE MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE
• Utah State is 146-171-8 (.462) all-time against current members of the Mountain West with a 38-24-4 record vs. Wyoming, a 33-38-2 record vs. Colorado State, a 15-7 record vs. UNLV, a 16-20-1 record vs. San José State, a 12-17-1 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 5-16 record vs. Boise State, a 2-3 record vs. Air Force, and an 1-11 record vs. San Diego State.

AGGIES IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE
• Utah State is in its fourth year as a member of the Mountain West and has been a Division I-A/Bowl Championship Series football playing school in each of its 119 seasons of competition. USU joined the Mountain States/Skyline Conference in 1938 until 1961. USU then played as a football independent from 1962-77 when the Aggies became members of the Pacific Coast Athletic Association in 1978. The PCAA changed its name to the Big West Conference in 1988. Following the 2000 season when the Big West no longer sponsored football, USU spent two years as an independent (2001-02) and two years in the Sun Belt Conference (2003-04), before joining the Western Athletic Conference for eight seasons from 2005-12.

UTAH STATE HAS NINE BOWL TEAMS ON ITS 2016 SCHEDULE
• Utah State's 2016 schedule features nine teams who played in bowl games a year ago as USC played in the Holiday Bowl (L, 23-21 vs. Wisconsin); Arkansas State played in the New Orleans Bowl (L, 47-28 vs. Louisiana Tech); Air Force played in the Armed Forces Bowl (L, 55-36 vs. California); Boise State played in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl (W, 55-7 vs. Northern Illinois); Colorado State played in the NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl (L, 28-23 vs. Nevada); San Diego State played in the Hawaii Bowl (W, 42-7 vs. Cincinnati); New Mexico played in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl (L, 45-37 vs. Arizona); Nevada played in the NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl (W, 28-23 vs. Colorado State); and BYU played in the Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl (L, 35-28 vs. Utah).

LAST MEETING vs. SAN DIEGO STATE
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Utah State junior RB Devante Mays rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown on a career-high 15 carries, but it still wasn't enough in a 48-14 loss to San Diego State on Oct. 23, 2015 at Qualcomm Stadium. Aztecs junior RB Donnel Pumphrey rushed for 181 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries against the Aggies, who had a difficult time stopping the run without the services of starting senior NG David Moala, who missed his first game of the season due to an injury suffered against Boise State a week ago. Both teams came into the game unbeaten in Mountain West play and leading their respective division with a 3-0 league mark, but the Aztecs took control early and never looked back en route to defeating the Aggies for the ninth straight time, including the eighth consecutive time at home. San Diego State (5-3, 4-0 MW) scored on six straight possessions in the first half and finished with 429 yards of total offense, compared to just 239 by Utah State (4-3, 3-1). The Aggies committed four turnovers, which the Aztecs turned into 17 first-half points. Conversely, Utah State did not force a turnover for the third time this year after forcing 18 turnovers in its last four games. Chase Price nearly gave San Diego State a second 100-yard rusher in the game as the senior RB rushed for 97 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. The Aztecs rushed for 336 yards and five touchdowns on 61 carries (5.5 ypc). Senior WR Hunter Sharp scored the Aggies' other touchdown on a 45-yard pass from sophomore QB Kent Myers in the second quarter. Sharp finished with four catches for 63 yards, while Myers completed 8-of-19 passes for 93 yards with one touchdown and one interception. San Diego State scored the first 24 points of the game and never looked back. After the two teams traded punts to begin the game, the Aztecs scored on their second series when senior QB Maxwell Smith threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to sophomore WR Mikah Halder to make it 7-0 with 9:35 left in the first quarter. Less than a minute later, San Diego State was on the board again. Following a fumble recovery by junior LB Calvin Munson at the Utah State 14-yard line, the Aztecs needed just two plays to find the end zone as Smith scored on a 1-yard run for a 14-0 lead. San Diego State made it 17-0 late in the first courtesy of a 41-yard field goal by Donny Hageman. The senior placekicker was also good from 21 yards out with 1:29 left in the opening half to give the Aztecs a commanding 34-7 lead at the break. Pumphrey scored on touchdown runs of 4 and 62 yards, respectively, in the second quarter. The second one came right after Sharp's 45-yard touchdown pass from Myers that pulled the Aggies within 24-7 with 5:14 remaining until halftime. Utah State took the second-half kickoff and went 65 yards in six plays, capped by a 26-yard touchdown run by Mays to pull within 34-14. San Diego State tacked on two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter courtesy of a 1-yard run by Price and a 7-yard run by sophomore RB Rashaad Penny. Senior LB Kyler Fackrell and junior LB Nick Vigil led Utah State's defensive effort with 10 tackles apiece, while senior DE Jordan Nielsen added a career-best nine stops.

LAST HOME MEETING vs. SAN DIEGO STATE
LOGAN, Utah - Senior TB Louie Giammona rushed for 108 yards on 27 carries and one touchdown in Utah State's 19-10 home loss to San Diego State on Sept. 27, 1975. USU fell to 1-2 overall with the loss, while SDSU improved to 4-0. Giammona also returned three kickoffs for 70 yards and finished the game with 190 all-purpose yards. Utah State finished the game with 211 yards of total offense (118 rushing, 93 passing) as compared to 301 yards (214 passing, 87 rushing) for San Diego State. Junior QB Greg Van Ness was 8-of-14 passing for Utah State for 93 yards with two interceptions, while junior WR Paul Tippets caught three passes for a team-leading 50 yards. San Diego State was led by QB Craig Penrose, who was 18-of-32 passing for 214 yards, while WR Duke Gergerson caught six passes for 98 yards, and RB Monty Reedy had 14 carries for 40 yards with two touchdowns. San Diego State got on the board first via a two-yard touchdown run by Reedy with 10:18 to play in the opening quarter to cap an 8-play, 54-yard drive. Utah State's only points in the first half came off the leg of junior PK Tom Mayes, who converted a 29-yard field goal with 13:45 remaining in the second quarter to cap a 56-yard drive that took 10 plays. Holding a 7-3 lead at the half, San Diego State put the game away with back-to-back scores in the third quarter as the Aztecs' Steve LaPlant made a 30-yard field following an 8-play, 89-yard drive to push its advantage to 10-3. On USU's next possession, Van Ness had an interception returned 34 yards by CB Ed Kertel to the USU 2-yard line. SDSU then scored two plays later on a one-yard run by Reedy to make the score 16-3 as LaPlant's extra point was blocked by USU senior LB Brian Longuevan. Utah State scored its only touchdown of the game with 10:18 to play on a one-yard run by Giammona to make the score 16-10. Prior to the score, USU senior DT Bob Dzierzak recovered a fumble on a punt attempt by the Aztecs at its 2-yard line. Following Utah State's touchdown, San Diego State drove 76 yards in nine plays and set up a 37-yard field goal by LaPlant to make the final score 19-10. Both teams finished the game with 14 first downs, while San Diego State had three turnovers (all fumbles) as compared to two turnovers (interceptions) for the Aggies. USU also finished the game with just two penalties for 20 yards and SDSU had just five penalties for 45 yards. Defensively, senior DE Steve Maughan led Utah State with 11 tackles, including 2.0 tackles for loss, to go along with one fumble recovery. Longuevan finished the game with eight stops to go along with his blocked extra point, while senior LB Al Bettman had seven tackles, including 1.0 tackles for loss and senior NG Jim Samaduroff finished the game with eight stops. Travis Hitt had 17 tackles, including 1.0 tackles for loss, to lead San Diego State, while Reggie Lewis had 14 stops, including 1.0 tackles for loss.

WHAT'S RETURNING IN 2016
• Utah State returns 12 starters (O-9, D-3) and 38 letterwinners (O-20, D-15, S-3) from last year's team that finished tied for second place in the Mountain Division of the Mountain West with a 5-3 record, and played in its school-record fifth-straight bowl game. Highlighting Utah State's returners in 2016 are six players who earned honorable mention all-Mountain West honors a year ago in senior offensive linemen Austin Albrecht, Jake Simonich and Austin Stephens, senior punt returner Andrew Rodriguez, junior cornerback Jalen Davis and junior quarterback Kent Myers. Along with the players mentioned above, Utah State also returns five other starters on offense in senior tight end Wyatt Houston, senior running back Devante Mays, junior running back LaJuan Hunt and junior wide receiver Braelon Roberts, along with Rodriguez at wide receiver. USU also returns two other starters on defense in senior defensive end Ricky Ali'ifua and senior free safety Devin Centers, to go along with three specialists returning in senior kicker Jake Thompson, senior placekicker Brock Warren and sophomore punter Aaron Dalton.

WHAT UTAH STATE MUST REPLACE FROM 2015
• Utah State must replace six players who earned various all-Mountain West honors in 2015, including LB Kyler Fackrell and LB Nick Vigil, who both earned first-team honors, WR Hunter Sharp, who was named to the second team, and NG David Moala, junior offensive lineman Tyshon Mosley and DE Jordan Nielsen, who were all named to the honorable mention team. Fackrell also earned fourth-team All-American honors from Phil Steele's Magazine. Other offensive starters lost include OL Taani Fisilau, QB Chuckie Keeton, WR Devonte Robinson and OL Ben Wysocki. Other defensive starters lost include SS Marwin Evans, LB LT Filiaga, CB Tyler Floyd and CB Deshane Hines.

DID YOU KNOW?
• Utah State returns three starters along its offensive line in senior OT Austin Albrecht, senior OT Jake Simonich and senior OC Austin Stephens, as all three players earned honorable mention all-Mountain West honors in 2015. In fact, both Simonich and Stephens also earned honorable mention all-conference honors as sophomores in 2014. In all, these three offensive linemen have combined to play in 115 games during their Aggie careers, with a combined 91 career starts. Furthermore, USU has three other offensive linemen who have collegiate experience at USU in junior Jarom Ioane (14 games played), senior Jude Hockel (12 games played), junior Brandon Taukeiaho (10 games played), sophomore KJ Uluave (9 games played) and sophomore Cody Boyer (6 games played).

UTAH STATE COACHING CHANGES FOR 2016
• Utah State's coaching staff had an FBS-high six changes during the off-season as fourth-year head coach Matt Wells hired Mike Canales as an assistant head coach working with the running backs and tight ends, Frank Maile as the co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach, Stacy Collins as the special teams coordinator, Julius Brown as the cornerbacks coach, Steve Farmer as the offensive line coach, and David Kotulski as the linebackers coach. Coaches who left the USU program following the 2015 season include associate head coach/offensive line coach Mark Weber, who went to Fresno State, assistant head coach/offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Josh Heupel, who went to Missouri, defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Kevin Clune, who went to Oregon State, special teams coordinator/running backs coach Dave Ungerer, who went to Fresno State, safeties coach Joe Lorig, who went to Memphis, and defensive line coach Ikaika Malloe, who went to Washington. Other programs with six coaching changes this year include Fresno State and Western Kentucky.

UTAH STATE ONLY PROGRAM WITH NEW COORDINATORS THREE YEARS IN A ROW
• Utah State is the only FBS program to have new offensive and defensive coordinators for the third straight season under the same head coach. In 2014, Kevin McGiven was the offensive coordinator, while Todd Orlando was the defensive coordinator. In 2015, Josh Heupel was the offensive coordinator and Kevin Clune was the defensive coordinator. And in 2016, Jovon Bouknight and Luke Wells are co-offensive coordinators, while Frank Maile and Kendrick Shaver are co-defensive coordinators. McGiven and Orlando left USU after the 2014 season for similar positions at Oregon State and Houston, respectively, while Heupel and Clune left USU following the 2015 season for similar positions at Missouri and Oregon State, respectively.

UTAH STATE PUTTING EXTRA EMPHASIS ON SPECIAL TEAMS IN 2016
• Utah State is putting an extra emphasis on special teams in 2016 as fourth-year head coach Matt Wells hired Stacy Collins as the programs special teams coordinator. Collins, who spent the previous four years as the head coach at South Dakota School of Mines, is one of just 10 assistants at the FBS level who only coach special teams, along with Boston College, Florida International, Kansas, Kansas State, Nebraska, San Diego State, Washington State, Western Michigan and Wisconsin.

WELLS' 28 WINS FIFTH-MOST IN SCHOOL HISTORY
• Utah State head coach Matt Wells' 28 career wins rank as the fifth-most in school history, while his 58.3 winning percentage (28-20) ranks sixth all-time 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 one of just 19 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?
• Utah State is one of just 14 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs to have at least three alumni/former letterwinners on its current full-time staff in head coach Matt Wells, assistant head coach/running backs/tight ends coach Mike Canales, and assistant head coach/co-defensive coordinator/defensive line coach Frank Maile. BYU leads the nation with nine former alumni/letterwinners on its current staff, followed by Air Force (7), Boise State (5), Hawai'i (4), Wisconsin (4), Auburn (3), Ball State (3), Clemson (3), Iowa (3), Massachusetts (3), Missouri (3), Troy (3), Utah (3) and Utah State (3). The USU record for alumni on its staff is six during the 1984 season, and its three this season is the most since 1985 when four former Aggies were on the coaching staff.

ACADEMICALLY SPEAKING
• Along with all of its success on the field, Utah State has also excelled in the classroom as it had 19 football players earn academic all-Mountain West honors in 2015. Over the past seven years, USU has had 147 players earn academic all-league honors and 154 players have graduated from USU.

• Entering the 2016 season, Utah State has five players who have already received degrees in senior WR Andrew Rodriguez (interdisciplinary studies), redshirt senior NG Travis Seefeldt (management information systems), senior OT Jake Simonich (sociology), senior OC Austin Stephens (interdisciplinary studies), and senior PK Brock Warren (family, consumer and human development).

• Utah State's football team earned recognition from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) in 2015 as it was one of 65 institutions to receive the Academic Achievement Award for graduating 75 percent or more of their student-athletes. USU 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).

LOOKING BACK AT UTAH STATE'S 2015 SEASON
• 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).

AGGIES TIE SCHOOL RECORD FOR SIX-WIN SEASONS
• Utah State's six wins in 2015 marked the 34th time in 118 years of Aggie football that the program won at least six games.. 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.

UTAH STATE PLAYS IN FIFTH-STRAIGHT BOWL GAME IN 2015
• Utah State played in its fifth-straight bowl game for the first time in school history in 2015, 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.

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.

AGGIES CURRENTLY IN THE NFL AND CFL
• Utah State currently has 14 players on NFL rosters and has had 10 players drafted into the NFL in the past six years. Former Aggies currently in the NFL include: SS Maurice Alexander (Los Angeles), CB Will Davis (Baltimore), S Marwin Evans (Green Bay), LB Kyler Fackrell (Green Bay), OC Tyler Larsen (Carolina), CB Nevin Lawson (Detroit), OT Donald Penn (Oakland), LS Patrick Scales (Chicago), TE DJ Tialavea (Atlanta), RB Robert Turbin (Indianapolis), LB Nick Vigil (Cincinnati), LB Zach Vigil (Miami), LB Bobby Wagner (Seattle) and RB Kerwynn Williams (Arizona). The three former Aggies currently in the Canadian Football League are DE John Chick (Hamilton), LB Chris Randle (Winnipeg) and DE Connor Williams (Ottawa).

• Maurice Alexander (S - Los Angeles Rams) - Alexander is in his third season with the Rams. He started at free safety against the New York Giants and had four tackles in 56 defensive snaps in their 17-10 loss in England.

• Will Davis (CB - Baltimore Ravens) - Davis is in his second season with the Ravens. He played on five defensive and one special teams snaps in their 24-16 road loss to the New York Jets.

• Marwin Evans (S - Green Bay Packers) - Evans, who is in his first season with the Packers, played in 14 special teams snaps and had one tackle in kick coverage in their 26-10 home win against the Chicago Bears.

• Kyler Fackrell (LB - Green Bay Packers) - Fackrell is in his first season with the Packers. He played in 10 defensive and 16 special teams snaps in their 26-10 home win against the Chicago Bears, but did not record any stats.

• Tyler Larsen (OG - Carolina Panthers) - Larsen is in his first season with the Panthers. The Panthers had a bye in week seven.

• Nevin Lawson (CB - Detroit Lions) - Lawson, who is in his third season with the Lions, started at cornerback and had six tackles in their 20-17 home win against the Washington Redskins. Lawson played in 63 defensive and nine special teams snaps.

• Donald Penn (OT - Oakland Raiders) - Penn is in his third year with the Raiders. He started at left tackle in their 33-16 road win against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Penn played in all 72 offensive snaps and six special teams snaps.

• Patrick Scales (LS - Chicago Bears) - Scales is in his second year with the Bears. He played in seven special teams snaps in their 26-10 road loss to the Green Bay Packers.

• DJ Tialavea (TE - Atlanta Falcons) - Tialavea is in his first year with the Falcons. He did not play in their 33-30 home loss against the San Diego Chargers.

• Robert Turbin (RB - Indianapolis Colts) - Turbin is in his first year with the Colts. He had two rushes for three yards and one reception for 19 yards, while playing in 11 offensive and 12 special teams snaps in their 34-26 road win at the Tennessee Titans. He also recovered an onside kick in the second quarter.

• Nick Vigil (LB - Cincinnati Bengals) - Vigil is in his first year with the Bengals. He played on one defensive and 16 special teams snaps in their 31-17 home win against the Cleveland Browns, but did not record any stats.

• Zach Vigil (LB - Miami Dolphins) - Vigil is in his second year with the Dolphins. He did not play in their 28-25 home win against the Buffalo Bills.

• Bobby Wagner (LB - Seattle Seahawks) - Wagner is in his fifth year with the Seahawks. He started at middle linebacker and recorded 13 tackles, a blocked field goal (which he recovered) and a game-saving tackle in a goal-line stand in overtime, while playing on 94 defensive and eight special teams snaps in their 6-6 road tie against the Arizona Cardinals.

• Kerwynn Williams (RB - Arizona Cardinals) - Williams is in his third year with the Cardinals and fourth year in the NFL. He played in 14 special teams snaps in their 6-6 home tie against the Seattle Seahawks.

HEAD COACH Matt Wells
• Matt Wells has wasted little time putting his stamp on the Aggie football program in his first four seasons as head coach, as USU is 28-20, including a 19-9 Mountain West record. Those 28 wins are a school record by a USU coach in his first 48 games. USU also played in its fifth-straight bowl game in 2015.

• In his four 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 also coached Kyler Fackrell, who was named a fourth-team All-American by Phil Steele.

• Wells coached three players who participated in the 2016 NFL Combine in Fackrell, Hunter Sharp and Nick Vigil, while 10 players from the 2015 roster were invited to NFL camps, including Vigil (Cincinnati Bengals) and Fackrell (Green Bay Packers), who were both selected in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft.

• 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 went 9-5.

• 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 USU'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 participated in the 2014 NFL Combine in Larsen, Lawson, Maurice Alexander and D.J. Tialavea, while 11 players from the 2013 roster were invited to NFL camps, including Alexander (Los Angeles 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 is one of just 19 FBS coaches to lead his alma mater and 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.

RECAPPING THE FRESNO STATE GAME
LOGAN, Utah - Junior QB Kent Myers passed for 188 yards and three touchdowns to three different receivers as Utah State won its first Mountain West game of the season with a 38-20 victory against Fresno State on Saturday, Oct. 22, on Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium. Myers was 17-of-29 and threw touchdown passes of 21, 5 and 25 yards, respectively, to junior WR Braelon Roberts, senior TE Wyatt Houston and sophomore WR Ron'Quavion Tarver. It is the first time this season and fifth time in his career Myers has thrown at least three touchdown passes in a game. Houston led the Aggies (3-4, 1-3 MW), who snapped a three-game losing streak, with a career-high five catches for 43 yards. His 5-yard touchdown reception with 11:50 left in the third quarter gave the Aggies a 24-14 lead. Just 35 seconds into the fourth, Tarver pulled down a 25-yard touchdown catch in the back corner of the end zone to make it 31-17. While senior RB Devante Mays returned from injury and played briefly, it was junior RB Tonny Lindsey, Jr. that led Utah State's rushing attack with a career-high 23 carries for 90 yards. Myers added 66 yards on just eight carries. Junior QB Damion Hobbs capped the Aggies' scoring output with a 4-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter. The Aggies finished with 392 yards of total offense, including 204 on the ground and 188 through the air. Defensively, senior FS Devin Centers and senior LB Leki Uasike had 10 tackles apiece for Utah State. Uasike had eight of his tackles in the first quarter alone. Sophomore LB Chase Christiansen added a career-high nine tackles, while redshirt freshman CB Cameron Haney recorded a career-high eight tackles to go along with a career-best two pass breakups. Fresno State (1-7, 0-4) recorded 319 yards of offense. Quarterback Chason Virgil was 27-of-44 for 205 yards and a touchdown, while RB Dontel James rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries. Kody Kroening kicked a 27- and 49-yard field goal for Fresno State, which lost for the fifth straight time. Utah State opened the scoring when Roberts caught his first career touchdown pass, a 21-yarder from Myers with 10:23 left in the first quarter. Fresno State followed suit with a 15-play, 86-yard drive that resulted in a 3-yard touchdown run by James to tie the game at 7-apiece. The Aggies went back in front for good thanks to a nice special teams play. Senior CB Jentz Painter came in untouched from the left side and blocked a punt, which was recovered by fellow senior CB Austin Cheney in the end zone for a touchdown to give Utah State a 14-7 lead with 6:22 remaining in the first half. Painter forced the Bulldogs to punt one play earlier as he sacked Virgil on a third-and-12 play. A career-long 43-yard field goal by senior PK Brock Warren made it 17-7 for the Aggies with 3:45 to go. However, the Bulldogs went into the halftime break with momentum as Jared Rice caught a 1-yard touchdown pass from Virgil to pull Fresno State within three.