LOGAN, Utah -

Utah State Game Notes

Boise State Game Notes

Mountain West Football Release

AGGIES CONTINUE MOUNTAIN WEST PLAY AT BOISE STATE SATURDAY NIGHT
Game will be televised live on ESPN2 at 8:21 p.m.

UTAH STATE (2-2, 0-1 MW) vs. #24 BOISE STATE (3-0, 0-0 MW)
SATURDAY, OCT. 1, 2016 • 8:21 P.M. (MT) • BOISE, IDAHO • ALBERTSONS STADIUM (36,387)

GAME 5 INFORMATION
TV: ESPN2
• Play-by-Play: Roy Philpott
• Analyst: Tom Ramsey
• Reporter: Alex Corddry
• Comcast (Utah): Ch. 36/669HD
• DISH: Ch. 143
• DirecTV: Ch. 209

RADIO: AGGIE SPORTS NETWORK
• Play-by-Play: Al Lewis
• Analyst: Craig Hislop
• Local: KVNU 610 AM
• Online: 610kvnu.com / Tunein.com
• National: Sirius 145 / XM 203

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

KICKOFF COVERAGE
• Utah State (2-2, 0-1 MW) plays at No. 24 Boise State (3-0, 0-0 MW) in Mountain West play on Saturday, Oct. 1, at 8:21 p.m., in a nationally televised game on ESPN2. USU is 5-15 all-time against the Broncos, including a 2-8 road record, and has lost seven-straight games on the Blue Turf.

• Utah State tied its single-game school record for turnovers forced with eight (five fumbles, three interceptions) against No. 21 Boise State last season. Those eight forced turnovers are the most in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) since Arkansas State forced eight turnovers against Idaho on Nov, 1. 2014.

• Utah State is 18-7 (.720) all-time in the Mountain West and has won 29 of its last 36 (.806) league games dating back to 2011.

• Utah State has won 13 of its last 18 (.722) conference road games and 15 of its last 30 (.500) road games overall. Under head coach Matt Wells, USU is 7-5 (.583) in Mountain West road games and 8-13 (.381) overall in road games.

• Utah State is 12-4 under coach Wells following a loss, and has lost back-to-back games just four times in the last five seasons, a span of 65 games.

• Utah State has won 13 of its last 21 games played during the month of October and is 5-6 all-time in known games played on Oct. 1.

• Utah State has 37 players on its roster from the state of Utah, while Boise State has 21 players on its roster from the state of Idaho.

• Utah State has won 43 of its last 63 games (.683) to rank as the third-most wins in the West behind Oregon (53) and Boise State (48) over the last five seasons.

UTAH STATE CONTINUES MOUNTAIN WEST PLAY AT BOISE STATE
• Utah State (2-2, 0-1 MW) continues Mountain West play at No. 24 Boise State (3-0, 0-0 MW) on Saturday, Oct. 1, at 8:21 p.m. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN2 (Comcast Ch. 36/669HD, Dish Network Ch. 143, DirecTV Ch. 209) with Roy Philpott (play-by-play), Tom Ramsey (analyst) and Alex Corddry (reporter) on the call. Live audio of the game is available on www.UtahStateAggies.com. USU, which is 533-526-31 (.503) in its previous 118 seasons, has 10 nationally televised games on ESPN, CBS Sports Network and the Pac-12 Network in 2016.

VERSUS ASSOCIATED PRESS RANKED TEAMS
• Utah State is 5-53 all-time against Associated Press ranked teams, but has won four of its last seven meetings against top-25 competition, including its 52-26 home win against No. 21 Boise State last season. In 2014, USU notched a 35-20 road win at No. 18 BYU as the Cougars are the highest ranked AP team USU has ever defeated. In 2013, USU posted a 21-14 win against No. 24 Northern Illinois in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl. In 2012, USU posted a 48-41 overtime win at No. 19 Louisiana Tech and in 1991 it defeated No. 25 Fresno State at home, 20-19.

• This will be the eighth meeting between Utah State and Boise State when the Broncos have been nationally ranked and BSU is 7-1 in those games.

• Under head coach Matt Wells, Utah State is 3-3 versus Associated Press ranked teams.

AGGIES HAVE 11-GAME MOUNTAIN WEST HOME WINNING STREAK SNAPPED
• Utah State had its 11-game Mountain West home winning streak snapped last weekend with its 27-20 loss to Air Force. With the loss, Utah State is now 31-26-3 all-time in conference openers, including a 3-1 record in Mountain West home openers, and 19-13 in league openers at home. Despite the loss, Utah State is still 25-4 in its last 29 home games and 16-2 in its last 18 conference home games.

• Under head coach Matt Wells, Utah State is now 17-4 at home, including an 11-2 Mountain West record as its only other MW loss at home was to Boise State (34-23), in 2013. USU had also won nine-straight home games during the month of September prior to its loss to Air Force.

UTAH STATE LOSES TURNOVER BATTLE WITH AIR FORCE
• For the first time this season, Utah State did not force a turnover in its 27-20 home loss to Air Force, and lost the turnover battle as USU committed two turnovers with an interception and fumble that the Falcons turned into 14 points. For Utah State, it was the first time in six games dating back to last season that it did not force a turnover, and the first time this year that is committed more turnovers than it forced.

• Utah State has forced five turnovers this year (four interceptions, one fumble) and 104 turnovers in its last 54 games, including at least one turnover in 44 of its last 54 games. USU has also recorded 50 interceptions in its last 41 games, including at least one pick in 24 of its last 41 games and multiple interceptions in 15 of its last 41 games. Overall, USU has forced three or more turnovers in 12 of its last 30 games.

AGGIES' DEFENSE HOLDS ITS OWN VERSUS AIR FORCE ATTACK
• Utah State's defense played well in its 27-20 loss to Air Force last weekend as it held the nation's top-ranked rushing offense to 219.5 yards below its average as the Falcons entered the game averaging 432.5 rushing yards per game, but managed just 213 rushing yards against the Aggies. Air Force also entered the game ranking fifth nationally in total offense (566.5 ypg), but was held to just 326 yards as it converted just 6-of-15 third downs.

TARVER HAS CAREER GAME AGAINST AIR FORCE
• Sophomore WR Ron'Quavion Tarver had his best game as an Aggie as he caught nine passes for 143 yards in his last outing against Air Force, for his first career 100-yard receiving game. Tarver also had a career-long 42-yard reception against the Falcons.

• Tarver is the first Aggie this season to post a 100-yard receiving game and his 143 receiving yards are the most by an Aggie since Hunter Sharp had 193 yards at Air Force last season. Tarver's nine receptions are also a season high for a USU player.

• After not catching a pass against Weber State in his first career game as an Aggie, Tarver now leads the team in receptions (12) and yards (204), and is tied for the team lead in touchdown catches (1). Tarver entered the Air Force game with seven receptions for 61 yards on the season.

• Of his 12 receptions this year, 10 have gone for first downs (83.3 percent), including six that came on third down. On third down alone, Tarver has caught seven passes for 125 yards (17.8 ypc) with six first downs and one touchdown. Against Air Force, six of his career-high nine catches resulted in a first down, including three that came on third-down situations.

MYERS PUTS UP CAREER NUMBERS AGAINST AIR FORCE
• Junior QB Kent Myers had one of the best passing games of his career against Air Force last weekend as he was 29-of-47 passing for 360 yards with one touchdown and one interception. His 29 completions are a career high, while his 47 attempts ties his career high that was set at Air Force last season. Furthermore, his 360 passing yards are the second-most in his career, trailing the 364 he had at Air Force last season.

• Myers also scored on a 1-yard run against the Falcons for his first rushing touchdown of the season and the ninth of his career.

• Overall, Myers now has two 300-yard and six 200-yard passing games in his career, including two 200-yard games this season.

• With his touchdown pass against Air Force, Myers now has three touchdown passes this season and 24 in his career and is just five touchdown passes shy of entering the career top 10 in school history. Overall, Myers has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 11 of his last 13 games.

• For his career, Myers has an interception percentage of just 0.020, which ranks first all-time in school history, with his 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions on 444 career attempts. Overall, Myers is 12-6 as Utah State's starting quarterback.

RODRIGUEZ HAS CAREER HIGH IN RECEPTIONS AGAINST AIR FORCE
• Senior WR Andrew Rodriguez caught a career-high seven passes for 64 yards in his last game against Air Force. Entering the game, Rodriguez had just four receptions for 21 yards on the year.

LEWIS CATCHES FIRST CAREER TOUCHDOWN
• Freshman WR Rayshad Lewis caught his first career touchdown in his last game against Air Force on a career-long 43-yard reception. Lewis has multiple receptions in each of his first four games as an Aggie.

HOUSTON CONTINUES TO PRODUCE AT TIGHT END
• Senior TE Wyatt Houston has caught at least one pass in 10 straight games for the Aggies, which is the longest active streak on the team. During that span, he has recorded 27 receptions for 309 yards and three touchdowns.

• For his career, Houston ranks tied for second all-time in school history for touchdown receptions by a tight end with eight, along with Aubrey Thompson (1992-93). Chris Cooley (2000-03) holds the school record for touchdown receptions by a tight end with 11.

WARREN KICKING THE BALL WELL THIS SEASON
• Senior PK Brock Warren has made four consecutive field goals as he has connected from 38, 30, 23 and 23 yards, respectively, in his last two games. He is now 5-of-6 on field goals this season and 13-of-18 in his career.

DID YOU KNOW?
• Utah State has won 18 of its last 19 games, including a 1-0 record this year, when it has a 100-yard rusher, and has won 21 of its last 22 contests, including a 2-0 record this year, when rushing at least 40 times in a game.

HUERTA RECORDS CAREER-HIGH 13 TACKLES AGAINST AIR FORCE
• Junior LB Alex Huerta had the best game of his Aggie career last weekend against Air Force with a career-high 13 tackles for his first-ever double-digit tackle game. Huerta also added one quarterback hurry in the contest.

WILLIAMS RECORDS CAREER-HIGH 11 TACKLES AGAINST AIR FORCE
• Redshirt senior LB Anthony Williams recorded his first-ever double-digit tackle game last weekend with a career-high 11 stops against Air Force. Williams also recorded his first career sack in the game and his first career forced fumble, to go along with a career-best two quarterback hurries.

DAVIS RECORDS CAREER-HIGH EIGHT TACKLES AGAINST AIR FORCE
• Junior CB Jalen Davis recorded a career-high eight tackles last weekend against Air Force, which included a career-high-tying 2.0 tackles for loss, to go along with a forced fumble and pass breakup. In his last three games, he has recorded 17 tackles (5.7 pg).

SEEFELDT RECORDS CAREER-HIGH SEVEN TACKLES AGAINST AIR FORCE
• Redshirt senior NG Travis Seefeldt recorded a career-high seven tackles last weekend against Air Force, which included 0.5 tackles for loss. In his last two games, he has recorded 11 tackles (5.5 pg).

UTAH STATE DEFENSIVE PLAYER NOTABLES FROM AIR FORCE GAME
• Senior DE Ricky Ali'ifua had 1.0 sacks and now has 1.5 sacks and 4.0 tackles for loss this season, and 6.0 sacks and 14.0 tackles for loss in his career... Junior DE Ian Togiai had 0.5 tackles for loss, giving him 1.0 tackles for loss this year and 1.5 in his career... Senior DE Edmund Faimalo tied his career high with three tackles... Sophomore NG Gasetoto Schuster tied his career high with three tackles.

UTAH STATE OFFENSIVE PLAYER NOTABLES FROM AIR FORCE GAME
• Junior RB Tonny Lindsey, Jr. had a career-long 24-yard reception as part of his career-high 40 receiving yards on a career-high-tying four receptions... Junior WR Braelon Roberts had a career-high 32 receiving yards... Sophomore QB DJ Nelson completed his first career pass for 12 yards.

AGGIE SPECIAL TEAM PLAYER NOTABLES FROM AIR FORCE GAME
• Senior PK Brock Warren made a pair of 23-yard field goals and is now 5-of-6 this season and 11-of-16 in his career on field goal attempts, including 2-of-2 this year and 6-of-8 in his career from 20-29 yards... Sophomore P Aaron Dalton had two punts downed inside the 20-yard line giving him six punts this year and 33 in his career downed inside the 20-yard line... Senior K Jake Thompson caught his first career pass for 12 yards.

TEAM NOTABLES THIS SEASON
• Utah State has had four scoring drives of less than one minute this season and eight scoring drives of less than two minutes. USU has also had six scoring drives that went at least 80 yards, and five scoring drives that have lasted at least four minutes.

• Utah State's 14-play scoring drive in the second quarter against Air Force is its longest since it had a 14-play scoring drive against Nevada last season.

UASIKE MAKES MOST OF FIRST CAREER GAME
• Senior LB Leki Uasike made the most of his first-ever game as an Aggie as he started at middle linebacker against Weber State and led the team with nine tackles, while adding one tackle for loss. 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.

MAYS HAD CAREER GAME AGAINST WEBER STATE
• Utah State senior RB Devante Mays had the best game of his career in Utah State's 45-6 season-opening home win against Weber State. Mays rushed for a career-high 208 yards on 18 carries and tied his career-high with three rushing touchdowns (18, 18, 66) during his first seven carries. Mays' 66-yard touchdown in the second quarter was a career-long rush as he gained 79 yards in each of the first two quarters and 50 yards in the third. He did not play in the final quarter.

• Against Weber State, Mays' first 10 rushes went for at least eight yards, and eight of those 10 rushes went for at least 10 yards,

• Those 208 rushing yards are tied for the 19th-most in a single-game in school history and the most by an Aggie since the 2012 campaign, when Kerwynn Williams gained 235 yards against Toledo in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

• Mays' 208 rushing yards against Weber State are tied for the 11th-most in college football at the FBS level this season and is one of just 13 200-yard performances this season.

A LOOK AT UTAH STATE
• Utah State is 2-2 on the season and 0-1 in Mountain West play following its 27-20 home loss to Air Force last weekend. Offensively, USU is led by junior QB Kent Myers, who is 76-of-126 (.603) passing for 800 yards (200.0 ypg) with three touchdowns and three interceptions. Senior RB Devante Mays leads the team in rushing with 234 yards on 27 carries (8.7 ypc) with three touchdowns, and sophomore WR Ron'Quavion Tarver has a team-best 16 receptions for 204 yards (12.8 ypr) with one touchdown. Defensively, redshirt senior LB Anthony Williams leads the team with 30 tackles, which includes 1.0 sacks and 2.0 tackles for loss, while redshirt junior BS Dallin Leavitt has 29 tackles, which includes 2.0 tackles for loss, and two interceptions. As a team, Utah State is averaging 26.5 points and 382.2 yards of total offense (203.0 passing, 179.2 rushing), and allowing 24.5 points and 337.5 yards of total offense (195.2 passing, 142.2 rushing).

UTAH STATE RANKS THIRD IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST IN TOTAL DEFENSE
• Through the first four weeks of the college football season, Utah State is allowing 337.5 yards per game, which ranks third in the Mountain West and 32nd nationally. USU also ranks tied for second in the MW and tied for 42nd nationally in sacks per game (2.5), fourth in the conference and 32nd nationally in passing defense (195.2 ypg), fourth in the MW and 54th in the nation rushing defense (142.2 ypg), fourth in the MW and 56th nationally in scoring defense (24.5 ppg), and fifth in the conference and 77th in the nation in passing efficiency defense (132.2).

UTAH STATE RANKS 28TH IN THE NATION IN TACKLES FOR LOSS
• Utah State has recorded 30 tackles for loss in its first four games and that average of 7.5 tackles for loss per game ranks second in the Mountain West and 28th nationally.

UTAH STATE RANKS 25TH NATIONALLY IN THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS
• Utah State has converted 31-of-64 third downs through its first four games, and that percentage of .484 ranks third in the Mountain West and 25th nationally. Last year, USU converted 35.8 percent (66-184) of its third downs.

• Offensively, Utah State ranks fourth in the Mountain West in completion percentage (.597), sixth in the conference in passing offense (203.0 ypg), seventh in the MW in scoring offense (26.5 ppg), eighth in the MW in rushing offense (179.2 ypg), eighth in the conference in total offense (382.2 ypg), ninth in the MW in passing efficiency (115.6) and 10th in the MW in sacks allowed (2.8 pg).

UTAH STATE RANKS 18TH NATIONALLY IN FEWEST PENALTY YARDS PER GAME
• Utah State has committed just 22 penalties for 168 yards this season, and that average of 42.0 penalty yards per game ranks second in the Mountain West and 18th in the nation. Furthermore, USU's average of 5.50 penalties per game ranks sixth in conference and 40th nationally.

UTAH STATE RANKS 22ND NATIONALLY IN KICKOFF RETURN DEFENSE
• Utah State is allowing just 17.67 yards per kickoff return, to rank third in the Mountain West and 22nd nationally. USU also ranks third in the MW and 53rd in the nation in punt returns (9.2 ypr).

UTAH STATE RANKS THIRD IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST IN TURNOVER MARGIN
• With its five takeaways and four turnovers this season, Utah State ranks third in the Mountain West and 52nd nationally in turnover margin (+0.25). USU also ranks fourth in the conference and 26th nationally with its four turnovers offensively, and third in the MW and 28th in the nation with its four interceptions thus far this season.

• Utah State scored three defensive touchdowns last year to rank second in the Mountain West and 25th in the nation. Over its last 38 games, USU has scored 11 defensive touchdowns.

AGGIES IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST AND NCAA RANKINGS
• Redshirt junior BS Dallin Leavitt ranks tied for third in the Mountain West and tied for 19th nationally in interceptions (0.50 pg), and tied for 17th in the conference in tackles (7.2 pg). Sophomore FS Jontrell Rocquemore ranks tied for third in the MW and tied for 19th nationally in interceptions (0.50 pg). Senior DE Siua Taufa ranks tied for second in the MW and tied for 21st in the nation in fumbles recovered (0.25 pg). Senior WR Andrew Rodriguez ranks third in the MW and 45th nationally in punt returns (9.2 ypr). Junior QB Kent Myers ranks fourth in the MW and 69th nationally in total offense (227.2 ypg), fourth in the conference and 75th in the nation in passing (200.0 ypg), fifth in the MW and 64th nationally in completion percentage (.603), and ninth in the MW and 99th nationally in passing efficiency (116.7). Senior RB Devante Mays ranks sixth in the MW and 63rd in the nation in rushing (78.0 ypg), and tied for 10th in the MW and tied for 66th nationally in rushing touchdowns (0.75 pg). Sophomore WR Ron'Quavion Tarver ranks tied for seventh in the MW in receptions (4.0 pg). Junior RB Tonny Lindsey, Jr., ranks tied for 10th in the MW and tied for 66th nationally in rushing touchdowns (0.75 pg). Redshirt senior LB Anthony Williams ranks tied for 15th in the MW in tackles (7.5 pg). Senior LB Brock Carmen ranks tied for 28th in the MW in tackles (6.5 pg). Junior LB Alex Huerta ranks tied for 30th in the MW in tackles (6.2 pg). Senior LB Leki Uasike ranks tied for 34th in the MW in tackles (6.0 pg). Senior FS Devin Centers ranks tied for 36th in the MW in tackles (5.8 pg). Junior PK Brock Warren ranks tied for third in the conference and tied for 46th nationally in field goals per game (1.25), and tied for fourth in the MW and tied for 25th in the nation in field goal percentage (.833). And sophomore P Aaron Dalton ranks 10th in the MW in punting (36.6 ypp).

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 276-of-444 (.622) passing for 3,259 yards with 24 touchdowns and just nine 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, who is 12-6 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 32 punts for 313 yards in his career, and that average of 9.8 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 33 kickoffs for 809 yards in his career and that average of 24.5 yards per kickoff return ranks eighth 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 Taylor, 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 57-of-60 all-time on extra points and that percentage of .950 ranks eighth all-time in school history.

• Warren has made 57 extra points in his career and is tied with Doug Beach (1990-92) for ninth all-time in school history. He is also just four extra point attempts away from entering the career top 10 in school history in that category.

• 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.

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.

A QUICK LOOK AT BOISE STATE
• Boise State is 3-0 on the season following its 38-24 road win at Oregon State last weekend. The Broncos are led by sophomore QB Brett Rypien, who is 60-of-104 passing for 861 yards (287.0 ypg) with four touchdowns and three interceptions. Junior RB Jeremy McNichols leads the team in rushing with 372 yards on 59 carries (6.3 ypc/124.0 ypg) with seven touchdowns, and senior WR Thomas Sperbeck has caught 19 passes for 367 yards (19.3 ypr/122.3 ypg) with two touchdowns. Defensively, senior LB Tanner Vallejo has 27 tackles, which includes 2.5 tackles for loss, while senior LB Ben Weaver also has 27 tackles. As a team, Boise State is averaging 38.0 points and 505.3 yards of total offense per game (321.0 passing, 184.3 rushing), and allowing 20.7 points and 358.0 yards of total offense (285.7 passing, 72.3 rushing). Boise State returns 12 starters (O-8, D-4) and 42 lettermen (O-21, D-19, S-2) from last year's team that went 9-4 overall and 5-3 in Mountain West play to tie for second in the Mountain Division. The Broncos concluded their season with a 55-7 win against Northern Illinois in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl. Bryan Harsin is 24-6 in his third season at Boise State and 31-11 in four seasons as a collegiate head coach.

AGGIES AND BRONCOS SERIES HISTORY
• Utah State trails in the all-time series against Boise State, 15-5, including a 2-8 road record. The first game played in the series was on Oct. 15, 1975, in Boise with USU winning, 42-19. Boise State won 12 straight games in the series, including five straight in Logan, before USU posted a 52-26 home win last year. Boise State has won seven-straight games in the series at home, including a 50-19 win on Nov. 29, 2014, the last time the two teams played one another in Boise. USU's last win against the Broncos in Boise was on Oct. 19, 1996, by a final score of 39-14.

UTAH STATE AND BOISE STATE AS CONFERENCE FOES
• Utah State and Boise State have spent 15 years as league foes, including four seasons in the Mountain West as Boise State joined the league in 2011 and Utah State joined in 2013. Both schools were also members of the Big West Conference from 1996 to 2000 and members of the Western Athletic Conference from 2005 to 2010.

AGGIES vs. BRONCOS SERIES 16TH-LONGEST IN SCHOOL HISTORY
• Utah State and Boise State will be meeting for the 21st time in series history this weekend for the 16th-most played rivalry in school history.

WELLS VERSUS BOISE STATE
• Matt Wells is 1-2 all-time against Boise State as Utah State's head coach and also faced the Broncos three times as an assistant at Tulsa.

UTAH STATE VERSUS THE GEM STATE
• Utah State is 40-34-2 (.539) all-time against teams from the state of Idaho with a 20-17-2 record against Idaho, a 15-2 record against Idaho State and a 5-15 record against Boise State.

UTAH STATE CONNECTIONS WITH BOISE STATE
• Tony Knap was head coach for both Utah State and Boise State, compiling a 25-14-1 (.637) record at USU from 1963-66. In 1968, he succeeded Lyle Smith at BSU, then still known as Boise College. It was the school's first year in Division II (then the "college division"); it had previously competed (and dominated) in the junior college ranks. Knap led the Broncos to a 71-19-1 (.788) record in eight years, including three 10-win seasons.

MORE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN UTAH STATE AND BOISE STATE
• Utah State cornerbacks coach Julius Brown was a four-year letterwinner (2000-03) at Boise State and spent eight seasons on the Broncos' coaching staff (2006-11, 2014-15). USU special assistant to the head coach Dave Kragthorpe was the head coach at Oregon State from 1985-90 and coached BSU associate head coach/running backs coach/special teams coordinator Kent Riddle. USU Director of Player Personnel Jared Russell spent two years (2014-15) as the on-campus recruiting coordinator at Boise State.

PLAYER CONNECTIONS BETWEEN UTAH STATE AND BOISE STATE
• Utah State senior OL Austin Albrecht and BSU freshman NT Sonatane Lui both attended Alta HS in Sandy, Utah... USU senior WR Andrew Rodriguez and BSU junior S Cameron Hartsfield both attended Allen (Texas) HS... USU senior LB Brock Carmen and senior DE Edmund Faimalo attended Riverside (Calif.) CC along with BSU senior CB Raymond Ford and senior PK Tyler Rausa... USU sophomore NG Gasetoto Schuster and BSU freshman NT Emmanuel Fesili and freshman CB DeAndre Pierce all attended Long Beach (Calif.) Poly HS... USU sophomore DE Jake Templeton and BSU freshman LS Nicholai Pitman both attended Timberline HS in Boise, Idaho... USU redshirt freshman NG Christopher `Unga and BSU junior OL Archie Lewis both attended Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.) HS... USU freshman S Baron Gajkowski and BSU junior DT Daniel Auelua both attended Lone Peak HS in Alpine, Utah... USU freshman LS Brandon Pada and BSU junior WR Austin Cottrell both attended Mountain Ridge HS in Glendale, Ariz.

UTAH STATE AT ALBERTSONS STADIUM
Utah State will be playing in Albertsons Stadium for the 15th time this weekend, which includes appearances in four bowl games, having played Cincinnati in the 1997 Humanitarian Bowl, Ohio in the 2011 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, Toledo in the 2012 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl and Akron in the 2015 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. USU has also faced Boise State at Albertsons Stadium 10 times (1975, 1982, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2014).

AGGIES FROM THE STATE OF IDAHO
• Utah State has two players in its program from the state of Idaho in senior CB Austin Cheney (Boise/Borah HS) and sophomore DE Jake Templeton (Boise/Timberline HS), as Templeton redshirted during the 2014 season at Boise State. BSU has four players on its roster from the state of Utah in junior DT Daniel Auelua (Alpine/Lone Peak HS), sophomore DE Durrant Miles (South Jordan/Bingham HS), freshman S Hayden Israelson (Riverton/Riverton HS) and freshman NT Sonatane Lui (Sandy/Alta HS).

WELLS AND HARSIN TWO OF JUST 19 HEAD COACHES AT ALMA MATER
• Utah State head coach Matt Wells (Utah State, 1996) and Boise State head coach Bryan Harsin (Boise State, 1999) are two of just 19 FBS coaches who are the head football coach at their alma mater. Wells is in his fourth season as the Aggies' head coach, while Harsin is in his third season leading the Broncos. Other FBS head coaches currently at their alma mater include John Bonamego (Central Michigan), Troy Calhoun (Air Force), Paul Chryst (Wisconsin), Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern), Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State), Jim Harbaugh (Michigan), Paul Haynes (Kent State), Kliff Kingsbury (Texas Tech), Sean Kugler (UTEP), Mike Neu (Ball State), Barry Odom (Missouri), Mark Richt (Miami), Nick Rolovich (Hawai'i), Scott Satterfield (Appalachian State), David Shaw (Stanford), Kalani Sitake (BYU) and Kirby Smart (Georgia).

STATS FOR CURRENT AGGIES VERSUS BOISE STATE
• The following is a look at what current Utah State players have done against Boise State. Senior DE Ricky Ali'ifua has six tackles, including 1.0 tackles for loss and 1.0 sacks, and a forced fumble in three games. Senior FS Devin Centers has eight tackles, three pass breakups, one blocked kick and one punt return for four yards in three games. Senior K Jake Thompson has 13 kickoffs for 808 yards (62.1 ypk) and eight touchbacks, to go along with a 52-yard field, in three games. Senior WR Kennedy Williams has caught two passes for five yards (2.5 ypc) in three games. Senior TE Wyatt Houston has caught six passes for 43 yards (7.2 ypc) and a touchdown in two games. Redshirt senior NG Travis Seefeldt has four tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss and 1.0 sacks, and one blocked kick in two games. Senior DE Siua Taufa has three tackles, including 0.5 tackles for loss, in two games. Senior CB Daniel Gray returned a fumble 50 yards for a touchdown in two games. Senior RB Devante Mays has 63 yards rushing and one touchdown on 11 carries (5.7 ypc) in one game. Senior WR Andrew Rodriguez has two catches for 15 yards, to go along with one punt return for eight yards, in one game. Senior PK Brock Warren has seven extra points in one game. Junior CB Jalen Davis has 11 tackles, one forced fumble, one interception, two pass breakups and two kickoff returns for 27 yards (13.5 ypr), to go along with a two-point conversion following a blocked extra point in two games. Junior RB LaJuan Hunt has rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries (6.3 ypc), to go along with two catches for 51 yards, in two games. Junior QB Kent Myers is 33-of-52 (.635) passing for 316 yards with three touchdowns and one interception, to go along with 106 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 25 carries (4.2 ypc) in two games. Junior QB Damion Hobbs has 21 yards rushing on six carries (3.5 ypc) in one game. Sophomore P Aaron Dalton has seven punts for 282 yards (40.3 ypp) in one game. Sophomore LB Derek Larsen has one kickoff return for nine yards in one game. Senior CB Jentz Painter has one tackle in two games. Sophomore FS Jontrell Rocquemore has two tackles in one game.

UTAH STATE VERSUS THE MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE
• Utah State is 145-169-8 (.463) 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, a 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 2-3 record vs. Air Force, and a 1-11 record vs. San Diego State.

BOISE STATE ONE OF NINE BOWL TEAMS ON UTAH STATE'S 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).

LOOKING BACK AT UTAH STATE'S 52-26 HOME WIN AGAINST NO. 21 BOISE STATE
• Utah State snapped a 12-game losing streak to Boise State, including five-straight losses at home, with its 52-26 home win on Oct. 16, 2015. USU improved 5-15 all-time against the Broncos, including a 3-7 record at home, as it recorded its first victory against BSU since its 24-20 home win in 1997.

• Utah State improved to 5-53 all-time against Associated Press ranked teams with its 52-26 win against No. 21 Boise State, including a 3-3 record under head coach Matt Wells. It was also USU's first home win against a ranked opponent since defeating No. 25 Fresno State, 20-19, in 1991, and only its second-ever home win against a ranked team. Furthermore, the 26-point margin of victory was USU's largest ever against a ranked opponent.

• Utah State tied the single-game school record with its eight forced turnovers against Boise State (five fumbles, three interceptions), joining the 1971 team that forced eight turnovers against Idaho (seven interceptions, one fumble), the 1969 team that forced eight turnovers against Idaho (seven interceptions, one fumble), and the 1961 team that forced eight turnovers against New Mexico (seven fumbles, one interception).

• Seven of Boise State's eight turnovers were in the first half and led to 35 points. According to ESPN, the seven turnovers by the Broncos were the most by an FBS team in a first half in 10 years.

• The final turnover by Boise State in the first half was on the last play of the second quarter and resulted in a 90-yard interception return for a touchdown by senior SS Marwin Evans. The score gave the Aggies a 45-10 lead at the break.

• The eight turnovers by the Broncos were the most in a single game in the program's FBS history (since 1996) and the most since committing 12 at Montana in 1989. Boise State entered the game having committed just six turnovers in its first six games.

• Those eight forced turnovers by Utah State are not only tied for the most in school history, but are also the second-most in Mountain West history, trailing the nine turnovers San Diego State forced against Wyoming in 2001. Those eight turnovers are also the most at the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level since Arkansas State forced eight turnovers against Idaho on Nov. 1, 2014.

• Utah State's 52 points are the most in series history against Boise State, as is its 26-point margin of victory. Overall, it was the most points allowed by BSU in a loss since Louisiana Tech posted a 63-23 win in 1998, and its most points allowed as a ranked team ever. It was also Boise State's worst conference loss since Rice notched a 45-14 Western Athletic Conference win in 2001. And its 35-point half-time deficit was its largest since trailing Louisiana Tech 42-0 in 1998.

• Utah State held the Broncos to just 34 yards rushing (1.1 yards per carry), a season-low for an Aggie opponent, as well as a season-low for BSU, and 333 total yards. Furthermore, Boise State had minus 26 yards of total offense following the first quarter.

• Coming into the game, the Broncos had committed only six turnovers all season and defeated their prior four opponents by a combined score of 204-24. Freshman QB Brett Rypien, who had just one interception in 104 passes coming into the game, was intercepted three times and lost two fumbles.

• Prior to taking on the Aggies, Boise State ranked 10th in the nation in scoring (40.7 ppg), 19th in total offense (482.3 ypg) and 44th in rushing (193.7).

LOOKING BACK AT THE AGGIES' EIGHT FORCED TURNOVERS AGAINST THE BRONCOS
• Utah State forced a school-record-tying eight turnovers against No. 21 Boise State on Oct. 16, 2015. Boise State converted a 46-yard field goal on its opening possession of the game and was then forced to punt after just three plays on its second series of the night. The following is a recap of Boise State's next nine possessions in which USU forced those eight turnovers spanning from late in the first quarter until early in the third quarter as the Aggies went on a 45-7 scoring spree.

• With Utah State leading 10-3, junior DE Ricky Ali'ifua forced the first turnover of the night with 2:12 left in the first quarter as he sacked Boise State QB Brett Rypien and senior LB Kyler Fackrell recovered the fumble at the BSU 11-yard line. Three plays later, USU scored on a 10-yard pass from sophomore QB Kent Myers to senior WR Hunter Sharp for a 17-3 Aggie lead.

• Just two plays later, junior LB Nick Vigil sacked Rypien and forced a fumble that was recovered by senior DE Jordan Nielsen at the BSU 15-yard line with 12 seconds left in the first quarter. Four plays later, sophomore RB LaJuan Hunt scored on a 4-yard run for a 24-3 Aggies lead.

• On Boise State's next series, Rypien was intercepted on the 10th play of its drive by senior LB Torrey Green at the USU 29-yard line and returned to the USU 38 with 11:16 to play in the second quarter. USU's drive, however, stalled after just three plays and the Aggies punted the ball.

• On Boise State's next series, Rypien was intercepted on the seventh play of its drive by sophomore CB Jalen Davis at the USU 35-yard line and returned to the BSU 49 before he fumbled the ball that was recovered by the Broncos with 6:11 to play in the half.

• Following a Boise State touchdown to make the score 24-10, Utah State had its second three-and-out of the game and punted the ball back to the Broncos with 2:20 remaining in the half.

• Just two plays later, senior SS Marwin Evans forced a Devan Demas fumble that was recovered by Vigil at the Boise State 46-yard line with 2:09 to play in the half. On the second play of USU's drive, Myers scored on a 39-yard run to give the Aggies a 31-10 lead.

• On the very first play of the next series, Fackrell forced a Chaz Anderson fumble on a pass from Rypien at the Boise State 21-yard line that was recovered by senior CB Bryant Hayes with 1:12 on the clock. On USU's first play following the turnover, Myers connected with Sharp for a 21-yard touchdown pass to increase USU's lead to 38-10 with 1:05 to play in the half.

• On Boise State's last drive of the first half, Rypien was intercepted on the ninth play by Evans at the BSU 10-yard line. Evans then returned the interception 90 yards for a touchdown as time expired to give USU a 45-10 half-time lead.

• Boise State's eighth and final turnover of the game occurred on its first possession of the second half as Davis forced a Thomas Sperbeck fumble following a pass from Rypien that was recovered by Fackrell at the Utah State 38-yard line with 14:19 to play in the third quarter. USU did not score following BSU's final turnover of the game as it went three-and-out.

UTAH STATE SCORED 21 POINTS IN 85 SECONDS AGAINST BOISE STATE
• Utah State scored an amazing 21 points in just 85 seconds to close out the second quarter as USU forced two fumbles and intercepted one pass that was returned 90 yards for a touchdown by senior SS Marwin Evans. USU's other two touchdowns during that sequence were on a 39-yard run by sophomore QB Kent Myers and a 21-yard touchdown pass from Myers to senior WR Hunter Sharp.

LAST MEETING vs. BOISE STATE
LOGAN, Utah - Behind a stellar defensive showing, Utah State remained undefeated in Mountain West play as it rolled to a 52-26 victory over 21st-ranked Boise State on Oct. 16, 2015 on Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium. The Aggies (4-2, 3-0 MW) forced a school-record-tying eight turnovers, including seven in the first half, with five interceptions and three fumbles, turning them into 35 points. This was the Aggies' first home win against an Associated Press-ranked team since defeating No. 25 Fresno State 20-19 in 1991. However, USU is 3-3 against top-25 opponents over the past three years under head coach Matt Wells. Sophomore QB Kent Myers completed 17-of-24 passes for 157 yards and a career-high-tying three touchdowns as the Aggies extended their home winning streak to 12 in a row. Myers also tied for the team high in rushing with 63 yards and a score on 14 carries. Redshirt senior RB Kelsey Young rushed for 60 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries for Boise State (5-2, 2-1), while freshman QB Brett Rypien completed 25-of-50 passes for 299 yards and three interceptions. Junior RB Devante Mays also rushed for 63 yards and a touchdown for the Aggies, who outgained the Broncos 334 to 333. Senior WR Hunter Sharp caught seven passes for 42 yards and two touchdowns to help Utah State snap a 12-game losing streak to Boise State dating back to the 1997 season. Junior LB Nick Vigil led the Aggies on defense with 14 tackles, including 2.0 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss. He also had two quarterback hurries, a fumble recovery and forced fumble. Senior LB Kyler Fackrell added 11 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble. The Broncos, who were the last team to defeat the Aggies at Maverik Stadium (34-23 on Oct. 12, 2013), struck first courtesy of a 46-yard field goal by junior PK Tyler Rausa. Utah State answered as Myers threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to junior TE Wyatt Houston on fourth down, giving the Aggies a 7-3 lead with 7:33 left in the quarter. The score was set up by a career-long 51-yard reception by sophomore RB LaJuan Hunt. The Aggies made it 10-3 the very next time they touched the ball as junior PK Jake Thompson drilled a career-long-tying 52-yard field goal with 3:22 remaining in the first quarter. Utah State's defense set up the next two scores. A fumble recovery by Fackrell turned into a 10-yard touchdown pass from Myers to Sharp, making it 17-3 late in the first. On Boise State's next possession, senior DE Jordan Nielsen recovered a fumble at the Broncos' 15. Four plays later, Hunt scored from four yards out to give Utah State a 24-3 lead early in the second quarter. Following a 1-yard touchdown run by Young, Utah State scored 21 points in the final 1:25 of the first half, capped by a 90-yard interception return by senior SS Marwin Evans. The defense, again, set up the other two scores as Vigil and senior CB Bryant Hayes each recovered a fumble. Myers then turned the turnovers into a 39-yard touchdown run and a 21-yard touchdown pass to Sharp. The Aggies and Broncos traded touchdowns in the third quarter as Mays scored on a 1-yard run to give the hosts a 52-17 lead at the end of the quarter. Sophomore CB Jalen Davis and senior LB Torrey Green also had interceptions for the Aggies and USU finished with 10.0 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks.

LAST MEETING at BOISE STATE
BOISE, Idaho - Jay Ajayi rushed for a career-high 229 yards and scored five touchdowns in leading 25th-ranked Boise State (10-2, 7-1 MW) to a 50-19 home win against Utah State (9-4, 6-2 MW) on Nov. 29, 2014 to claim the Mountain Division of the Mountain West Conference. Utah State had its five-game winning streak snapped and is now 2-2 against Associated Press ranked teams record under current head coach Matt Wells. USU also lost its 12th-straight game to Boise State, including its seventh-straight in Boise. Boise State finished the game with 498 yards of total offense, including 283 on the ground, both of which are season-highs for a Utah State opponent. USU had just 268 yards of total offense, with 159 yards passing and 109 yards rushing. Ajayi rushed 27 times for his 229 yards and is the first back to rush for 200 yards against Utah State since Oklahoma's DeMarco Murray in 2010. In all, the 283 rushing yards allowed by the Aggies are its most since Nevada rushed for 387 yards in 2010. Freshman QB Kent Myers led Utah State as he was 16-of-28 passing for 159 yards with one interception as he recorded season-highs in both pass attempts and completions. Myers also rushed a season-high 11 times for 43 yards and scored USU's only offensive touchdown of the game on a 9-yard run in the first quarter. Senior SS Frankie Sutera led Utah State's defense with a career-high 15 tackles, including 1.0 sacks, while sophomore LB Nick Vigil had 13 tackles, which included 2.0 tackles for loss and 1.0 sacks, to go along with a forced fumble. Senior LB Zach Vigil added 12 stops and 1.0 sacks, while senior DE B.J. Larsen and junior NG Travis Seefeldt also registered sacks in the game. Utah State provided the first spark in the game as freshman RB LaJuan Hunt rushed for 55 yards on the first offensive play of the game. However, USU was unable to do anything else with its opening drive and eventually missed a 39-yard field goal. Boise State then scored back-to-back touchdowns on a 9-yard run by Ajayi and a 2-yard pass from Grant Hedrick to Alec Dhaenens to take a 14-0 lead before Myers' 9-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter capped a 7-play, 75-yard drive to cut the deficit to 14-7. Ajayi scored his second touchdown of the game on a 19-yard run just two minutes later, but the extra point was blocked by Seefeldt and freshman CB Jalen Davis took it the length of the field for a two-point conversion to make the score 20-9 after one period of play. Boise State added two more touchdowns in the second quarter on an 8-yard run by Ajayi and a 24 yard pass from Hedrick to Thomas Spearbeck, while Utah State converted a 46-yard field goal from senior PK Nick Diaz to make the score 34-12 at halftime. Following a scoreless third quarter, Boise State got two more touchdowns from Ajayi on runs of 62 and 1 yard, and added a safety to make the score 50-12. USU scored its final points of the game on a 50-yard fumble return for a touchdown by sophomore CB Daniel Gray that was forced by Nick Vigil to make the final score 50-19.

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 106 games during their Aggie careers, with a combined 82 career starts. Furthermore, USU has three other offensive linemen who have collegiate experience at USU in junior Jarom Ioane (13 games played), senior Jude Hockel (9 games played), junior Brandon Taukeiaho (7 games played), sophomore Cody Boyer (6 games played) and sophomore KJ Uluave (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' 27 WINS TIED FOR FIFTH-MOST IN SCHOOL HISTORY
• Utah State head coach Matt Wells' 27 career wins rank as the fifth-most in school history, while his 60.0 winning percentage (27-18) ranks fifth 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), CB Tay Glover-Wright (Indianapolis),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) and LB Bobby Wagner (Seattle). 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 Tampa Bay Buccaneers and had three tackles and one pass defended in their 37-32 win.

• Will Davis (CB - Baltimore Ravens) - Davis is in his second season with the Ravens. He did not play in their 19-17 win against Jacksonville.

• Marwin Evans (S - Green Bay Packers) - Evans, who is in his first season with the Packers, played against the Lions, but did not record any stats in their 34-27 home win against the Detroit.

• Kyler Fackrell (LB - Green Bay Packers) - Fackrell is in his first season with the Packers. He recorded his first-career sack and had two tackles in their 34-27 home win against the Lions.

• Tyler Larsen (OG - Carolina Panthers) - Larsen is in his first season with the Panthers. He did not play in their 22-10 loss against the Vikings.

• Nevin Lawson (CB - Detroit Lions) - Lawson, who is in his third season with the Lions, started at cornerback and had three tackles - two solo and one assisted - in the Lions' 34-27 road loss at the Packers.

• Donald Penn (OT - Oakland Raiders) - Penn is in his third year with the Raiders. He started at left tackle in their 17-10 road win at Tennessee.

• Patrick Scales (LS - Chicago Bears) - Scales is in his second year with the Bears. He played on special teams in their 31-17 road loss at the Cowboys.

• DJ Tialavea (TE - Atlanta Falcons) - Tialavea is in his first year with the Falcons. The Falcons will face the Saints on Monday Night Football.

• Robert Turbin (RB - Indianapolis Colts) - Turbin is in his first year with the Colts. He had four rushes for nine yards and scored a touchdown in the third quarter against the Chargers. It was his second-consecutive game with a rushing touchdown. He also acted as a punt returner and picked up one tackle on special teams in their 26-22 win against San Diego.

• Nick Vigil (LB - Cincinnati Bengals) - Vigil is in his first year with the Bengals. He had one tackle on special teams in their 29-17 home loss against the Broncos.

• Zach Vigil (LB - Miami Dolphins) - Vigil is in his second year with the Dolphins. He did not play in their 30-24 home win against Cleveland.

• Bobby Wagner (LB - Seattle Seahawks) - Wagner is in his fifth year with the Seahawks. He started at middle linebacker and had six tackles and one interception that he returned for nine yards in their 37-18 home win against San Francisco.

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 27-18, including an 18-7 Mountain West record. Those 27 wins are a school record by a USU coach in his first 45 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 18 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 AIR FORCE GAME
LOGAN, Utah - Sophomore WR Ron'Quavion Tarver had his best game as an Aggie, but it still wasn't enough as Utah State lost its Homecoming game to Air Force, 27-20, in front of 23,104 fans Saturday night on Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium. Tarver caught a career-best nine passes for a career-high 143 yards, including a career-long of 42 yards. His final catch of the night, a 35-yarder, set up junior QB Kent Myers' 1-yard touchdown run on third-and-goal that pulled Utah State (2-2, 0-1 MW) to within 27-20 with 32 seconds left in the Mountain West opener for both teams. However, the Falcons (3-0, 1-0 MW) recovered the ensuing on-side kick and proceeded to run out the clock. Quarterback Nate Romine was 5-of-13 for 113 yards and a touchdown for Air Force. Utah State finished the game with 414 yards of total offense (372 passing, 42 rushing) as compared to 326 total yards for Air Force (213 rushing, 113 passing). The difference in the game was turnovers, as the Falcons scored 14 points off two Aggie miscues and did not commit a turnover. In all, Utah State's defense held the nation's top-ranked rushing offense to 219.5 yards below its season average as the Falcons entered the game averaging 432.5 rushing yards per game to lead the nation. AFA also ranked fifth nationally in total offense (566.5 ypg) entering the game, but was held to just 326 yards. Myers completed a career-best 29 passes on a career-high-tying 47 attempts for 360 yards and a 43-yard touchdown pass to freshman WR Rayshad Lewis that gave Utah State a 7-3 lead with 6:53 left in the first quarter. For Lewis, who caught three passes on the night for 52 yards, it was his first career touchdown. Fellow wide receiver, senior Andrew Rodriguez, had a career-best seven receptions for 64 yards. Defensively, a pair of Aggie linebackers shined for Utah State as junior Alex Huerta recorded a game- and career-best 13 tackles, while senior Anthony Williams added a career-high 11 stops, including 1.0 sacks, to go along with two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble. Junior CB Jalen Davis also had a career-high in tackles with eight, which included a career-high-tying 2.0 tackles for loss, to go along with a forced fumble and pass breakup. Redshirt senior NG Travis Seefeldt was the fourth Aggie defender to have a career-night as he posted a career-high seven tackles, including 0.5 tackles for loss. Utah State trailed 17-10 after the Falcons drove 88 yards in six plays, capped by a 12-yard touchdown pass from Romine to Ryan Reffitt with just 13 seconds left in the second quarter. Defensive back Roland Ladipo helped set up the score when he intercepted Myers' pass in the red zone. The Falcons also cashed in on a fumble by Myers in the fourth quarter, turning the takeaway into seven points and a 27-13 lead with 2:57 to go. After Lewis' first-quarter score, senior PK Brock Warren made it 10-3 in the second when he booted a 23-yard field goal. Warren added another 23-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to pull the Aggies to within 17-13 with 12:02 remaining. Utah State finished the game converting 10-of-20 third down attempts.