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AGGIES CONTINUE MOUNTAIN WEST PLAY AT AIR FORCE SATURDAY NIGHT
Game will be nationally televised on ESPN2 at 8:15 p.m. (MT).
UTAH STATE (4-2, 3-0 MW)
vs. AIR FORCE (5-2, 3-1 MW)
Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019 • 8:15 p.m. (MT) • USAFA, Colo. • Falcon Stadium (46,692)
GAME 7 INFORMATION
TV: ESPN2
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Play-by-Play: Mike Couzens
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Analyst: Kirk Morrison
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Reporter: Taylor McGregor
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Xfinity (Utah): Ch. 36/669 HD
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DISH: Ch. 143
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DirecTV: Ch. 129
RADIO: AGGIE SPORTS NETWORK
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Play-by-Play: Scott Garrard
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Analyst: Kevin White
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Online: 1280thezone.com / Tunein.com
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National: Internet 978
SOCIAL MEDIA: #AGGIESALLTHEWAY
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Twitter/Instagram: @USUFootball
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Facebook: USUFootball
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YouTube: UtahStateFootball
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Live Stats: UtahState.Statbroadcast.com
KICKOFF COVERAGE
• Utah State is looking to start Mountain West play with a 4-0 record for the second time in its seven years in the conference, joining last year's team.
• Utah State is 20-5 (.800) in its last 25 games under head coach
Gary Andersen, which includes an 8-4 road record. USU has also won 14 straight conference games under Andersen, which includes a 3-0 record in the Mountain West this season and 11 straight wins in the Western Athletic Conference during the 2011-12 seasons.
• Utah State is 33-18 (.647) all-time in the Mountain West, including a 14-11 (.560) road record, and has won 44 of its last 62 (.710) league games dating back to 2011. USU is 12-2 (.857) in its last 14 MW games and 15-4 (.789) in its last 19 games against all opponents.
• Utah State is 8-5 (.615) in its last 13 road games, including a 7-2 Mountain West record. In its last 13 road games, USU has also scored at least 30 points seven times and has had at least 500 yards of total offense five times.
• Junior WR
Savon Scarver leads the nation in kickoff returns (43.4 yards per return) and is tied for first nationally with his two kickoff returns for a touchdown, while junior LB
David Woodward ranks second in the nation in both tackles (13.7 per game) and forced fumbles (4). Both players were All-Americans a season ago.
• Senior PK
Dominik Eberle has scored 307 points in his career and is just two points shy of breaking
Robert Turbin's (2007-11) school record of 308 points. Eberle also ranks second all-time in school history in field goals made (54) and attempted (70), as well as field goal percentage (.771).
• Utah State is among the top-40 teams in the nation in 15 statistical categories, including second in kickoff returns (34.7 yards per return), second in special teams touchdowns with three (two kickoff returns, one punt return), seventh in three-and-outs forced per game (5.83) and eighth in punt returns (18.0 yards per return). USU is also tied for seventh in the nation with its two defensive touchdowns, 22nd in rushing yards allowed per carry (3.2), 27th in sacks allowed with eight (1.33 per game), and 29th in total offense (451.5 yards per game).
UTAH STATE CONTINUES MOUNTAIN WEST PLAY AT AIR FORCE SATURDAY
• Utah State (4-2, 3-0 MW) continues Mountain West play this weekend with a road game at Air Force (5-2, 3-1 MW) on Saturday, Oct. 26, at 8:15 p.m. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN2 (Xfinity Ch. 36/669HD, DISH Ch. 143, DirecTV Ch. 129) with Mike Couzens (play-by-play), Kirk Morrison (analyst) and Taylor McGregor (reporter) on the call. Live audio of the game is available on www.UtahStateAggies.com.
• Utah State has won 18 of its last 30 games played during the month of October, including each of its last five, and is 11-3-1 all-time in known games played on Oct. 26.
UTAH STATE RECEIVING VOTES IN COACHES POLL
• For the fourth time this season, Utah State is receiving votes in the coaches poll as it garnered one vote this week to rank tied for 38th in the nation. USU began the season by receiving 32 votes in the coaches poll and eight votes in The Associated Press poll, to rank 35th and 37th, respectively.
• Utah State has been nationally ranked or receiving votes in 14 of the last 18 coaches polls.
A LOOK AT UTAH STATE
• Utah State is 4-2 on the season and 3-0 in Mountain West play following its 36-10 home win against Nevada last weekend. Offensively, USU is led by junior QB
Jordan Love, who is 133-of-223 (.596) passing for 1,506 yards (251.0 ypg) with seven touchdowns and nine interceptions. Senior RB
Gerold Bright leads the team in rushing with 445 yards on 83 carries (5.4 ypc/74.2 ypg) with four touchdowns, and senior graduate transfer WR
Siaosi Mariner has a team-best 26 receptions for 403 yards (15.5 ypr/67.2 ypg) and two touchdowns. Defensively, junior LB
David Woodward leads the team with 82 tackles, which includes 5.0 tackles for loss, while fellow junior LB
Kevin Meitzenheimer has 40 tackles, which includes 1.0 tackles for loss. As a team, USU is averaging 32.7 points and 451.5 yards of total offense (269.8 passing, 181.7 rushing), and allowing 23.0 points and 406.2 yards (270.0 passing, 136.2 rushing).
A LOOK AT UTAH STATE IN MOUNTAIN WEST GAMES
• In Utah State's three Mountain West games this season, Utah State is averaging 31.0 points and 412.3 yards of total offense (223.7 passing, 188.7 rushing), and allowing 17.0 points and 331.3 yards of total offense (237.0 passing, 94.3 rushing). USU is also converting 40.0 percent of its third downs (20-50) and limiting its opponents to just 30.2 percent (16-53) on third down. Individually, senior RB
Gerold Bright is averaging 107.7 rushing yards in USU's three league games as he has carried the ball 57 times for 323 yards (5.7 ypc) and two touchdowns, while junior LB
David Woodward has 38 total tackles and two forced fumbles. Furthermore, junior WR
Savon Scarver has returned two kickoffs for touchdowns and has caught 10 passes for 127 yards.
UTAH STATE ONE OF 17 TEAMS IN THE NATION WITHOUT A LEAGUE LOSS
• Utah State is 3-0 in Mountain West play and is one of just 17 teams in the nation without a league loss, joining Alabama (4-0, SEC), Appalachian State (3-0, Sun Belt), Ball State (3-0, MAC), Baylor (4-0, Big 12), Boise State (3-0, MW), Cincinnati (3-0, AAC), Clemson (5-0, ACC), LSU (3-0, SEC), Louisiana Tech (3-0, C-USA), Minnesota (4-0, Big Ten), Ohio State (4-0, Big Ten), Oklahoma (4-0, Big 12), Oregon (4-0, Pac-12), Penn State (4-0, Big Ten), SMU (3-0, AAC) and Western Kentucky (4-0, C-USA).
UTAH STATE MILESTONES THAT EQUAL SUCCESS
• Utah State has won 33 of its last 39 games when it has a 100-yard rusher, including a 3-1 record this year, and 36 of its last 39 contests when rushing at least 40 times in a game, including a 3-0 record this year. USU has also won 52 of its last 56 games when scoring at least 30 points, including a 3-1 record this season.
• Utah State has had a 100-yard rusher in 12 of its last 18 games and in 17 of its last 25 contests overall. Between the 2014 and 2016 seasons, USU had a total of nine 100-yard rushers over a 39-game span.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS WITH UTAH STATE'S OFFENSE
• Dating back to the beginning of the 2018 season, Utah State has recorded at least 600 yards of total offense five times, at least 500 yards of total offense eight times, and at least 400 passing yards three times. During its last 17 games, USU has scored at least 30 points 14 times, at least 40 points 10 times, at least 50 points eight times and 60-or-more points five times.
AGGIES IN OVERTIME
• Utah State is 6-6 all-time in overtime, winning three of its last five. All-time, USU is 4-3 in single-overtime games, 2-2 in double-overtime games, and 0-1 in triple-overtime games. USU's last overtime game was a 26-20 loss against New Mexico State in the NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl on Dec. 29, 2017.
DID YOU KNOW?
• Utah State head coach
Gary Andersen ranks sixth all-time in school history with his 30 wins, while his .536 winning percentage (30-26) ranks as the eighth-best. Andersen is also one of just four head coaches in school history to lead the Aggies to multiple bowl games.
SCOUTING AIR FORCE
• Air Force is 5-2 on the season and 3-1 in Mountain West play following its 56-26 road win at Hawai'i last weekend. The Falcons are led by junior QB Donald Hammond III, who is 31-of-61 (.508) passing for 677 yards (96.7 ypg) with five touchdowns and three interceptions. Junior RB Kadin Remsberg leads the team in rushing with 531 yards on 89 carries (6.0 ypc/75.9 ypg) with five touchdowns, and senior WR Geraud Sanders has caught 20 passes for 479 yards (24.0 ypr/68.4 ypg) with four touchdowns. Defensively, junior LB Demonte Meeks has a team-best 49 tackles, which includes 6.5 tackles for loss, while senior LB Kyle Johnson has 43 tackles, which includes 4.0 tackles for loss. As a team, Air Force is averaging 37.4 points and 438.3 yards of total offense per game (304.6 rushing, 133.7 passing), and allowing 24.0 points and 335.6 yards of total offense (231.6 passing, 104.0 rushing). Air Force returns 15 starters (O-8, D-7) and 47 lettermen (O-21, D-24, S-2) from last year's team that went 5-7 overall and 3-5 in the Mountain Division of the MW to finish fourth. Air Force is coached by Troy Calhoun, who is 92-69 in his 13th season as a collegiate head coach.
AGGIES AND FALCONS SERIES HISTORY
• Utah State and Air Force will be meeting for the eighth time in series history this weekend with the Falcons holding a 4-3 advantage, including a 3-1 home record. The Falcons won the first meeting, 38-13, on Nov. 8, 1969, at the USAF Academy. USU then won the next two games with a 52-20 win at the USAF Academy on Sept. 7, 2013, and a 34-16 home win in Logan on Oct. 11, 2014. The Falcons then won three straight meetings with a 35-28 home win on Nov. 14, 2015, a 27-20 road win on Sept. 24, 2016, and a 38-35 home win on Nov. 25, 2017. USU won the last game played between the two teams with a 42-32 home win on Sept. 22, 2018.
ANDERSEN VERSUS AIR FORCE
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Gary Andersen will be facing the Air Force Academy for the first time as a head coach. However, Andersen has faced the Falcons nine times as an assistant at Utah.
UTAH STATE VERSUS THE STATE OF COLORADO
• Utah State is a combined 73-77-6 (.487) against teams from the state of Colorado, with a 35-39-2 mark versus Colorado State, a 13-19-3 ledger against Denver, a 6-11-1 record against Colorado, a 7-0 mark versus Western State, a 5-4 record against Colorado Mines, a 3-0 record versus Colorado College, a 1-0 mark versus Regis, and a 3-4 record against Air Force.
UTAH STATE AND AIR FORCE CONNECTIONS
• U.S. Air Force Academy Colonel and former Air Force football player (1973-76) and Athletics Director (1996-2003)
Randy Spetman spent four years as the Director of Athletics at Utah State (2004-07).
PLAYER CONNECTIONS BETWEEN UTAH STATE AND AIR FORCE
• There is one connection between Utah State and Air Force players as USU freshman OL
Aric Davison and AFA junior LB Lakota Wills both attended Richland (Wash.) HS.
UTAH STATE IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST
• Utah State is 160-180-8 (.471) all-time against current members of the Mountain West with a 39-26-4 record vs. Wyoming, a 35-39-2 record vs. Colorado State, a 17-7 record vs. UNLV, an 18-20-1 record vs. San José State, a 12-17-1 record vs. Fresno State, a 12-13 record vs. New Mexico, a 10-6 record vs. Hawai`i, a 7-18 record vs. Nevada, a 5-18 record vs. Boise State, a 3-4 record vs. Air Force, and a 2-12 record vs. San Diego State.
• Utah State is in its seventh year as a member of the Mountain West in 2019 and has been a Division I-A/Bowl Championship Series football playing school in each of its 122 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 SIX BOWL TEAMS ON ITS 2019 SCHEDULE
• Utah State's 2019 schedule features six teams that played in bowl games a year ago as Wake Forest played in the Birmingham Bowl (W, 37-34 vs. Memphis); San Diego State played in the DXL Frisco Bowl (L, 27-0 vs. Ohio); LSU played in the Fiesta Bowl (W, 40-32 vs. UCF); Nevada played in the NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl (W, 16-13 OT vs. Arkansas State); BYU played in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (W, 49-18 vs. Western Michigan); and Boise State played in the First Responders Bowl (Canceled vs. Boston College). Furthermore, Stony Brook played in the NCAA Division I Football Championship (L, 28-14 vs. Southeast Missouri).
DID YOU KNOW?
• Utah State has 38 players in its program from the Beehive State, while Air Force has six players on its roster from the Centennial State.
• Utah State has two players on its roster from Colorado in redshirt freshman LB
Ethan Vowles (Arvada/Ralston Valley HS) and freshman OL
Logan Wood (Grand Junction/Fruita Monument HS).
ON THIS DATE IN AGGIE FOOTBALL HISTORY
• Utah State scored 14 unanswered fourth quarter points to rally for a 35-28 home win against Idaho on Oct. 26, 1997. With the win, USU improved to 3-0 in Big West Conference play.
Demario Brown rushed for 131 yards on 27 carries with three touchdowns, while
Abu Wilson added two more rushing touchdowns as the Aggies finished with 459 yards of total offense, including 192 on the ground.
Matt Sauk was 17-of-39 passing for 241 yards, while
Nakia Jenkins caught 10 passes for 159 yards.
Donald Dicko sealed the win for USU with a late interception.
SERIES NOTABLES BETWEEN UTAH STATE AND AIR FORCE
• In seven games in series history, Utah State has scored 18 more points than Air Force, 224-206.
• In the last six meetings, Air Force's three wins have been by one score and a total of 17 points (5.7 ppg), while Utah State's three wins have been by double digits (60 points).
• The winning team has scored at least 27 points in each of the seven previous meetings, while six of the seven winners have scored at least 34 points. Conversely, the losing team has only scored less than 20 points twice.
• The team that has more yards of total offense won the first four meetings in the series, before Utah State lost back-to-back meetings despite having 88 more yards of total offense (414-326) in 2016 and 81 more yards (521-440) in 2017. USU won last year's meeting with 18 more yards of total offense (489-471).
• The team that controls the time of possession has won four of the last six games.
• The team with the most rushing yards has won five of the seven games in the series.
• The team that scores first and leads at the half has won six of the seven games played in the series.
• Air Force has had three 100-yard receivers in series history, but has never had a 300-yard passer. Furthermore, AFA did not have a 100-yard rusher against Utah State before the 2017 meeting, when it had a pair of 100-yard rushers. In fact, that is the only meeting in series history where AFA has had a player rush for 100 yards.
• Utah State has had four 300-yard passers and four 100-yard receivers in series history, and has had a 100-yard rusher in each of the last two games played in the series.
• The team with fewer turnovers has won three of the last five games played in the series.
• Utah State has passed for at least 280 yards in each of its last six games against Air Force. In 2018,
Jordan Love was 26-of-38 passing for a then-career high 356 yards and two touchdowns. In 2017,
Love was 17-of-30 for 284 yards with two touchdowns. In 2016,
Kent Myers was 29-of-47 for 360 yards and one touchdown. In 2015,
Myers was 25-of-47 for a career-high 364 yards and four touchdowns. In 2014,
Darrel Garretson was 20-of-29 for 298 yards and two touchdowns. And in 2013,
Chuckie Keeton was 32-of-40 for 360 yards and five touchdowns.
• Utah State has put up some big offensive numbers against Air Force in its six meetings since joining the Mountain West in 2013. In those contests, USU has averaged 35.2 points and 471.4 yards of total offense per game (341.2 passing, 130.2 rushing), which includes two games of 500-plus yards (2013, 2017), two games with over 200 yards rushing (2013, 2017), and passing for over 300 yards in every game except the 2017 when it passed for 284 yards.
FROM THE RECORD BOOKS
Here is a look at some of the top Utah State team and individual statistical performances against Air Force over the years.
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Chuckie Keeton tied his own school record with five touchdown passes at Air Force in 2013.
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Jess Garcia punted a school-record 14 times against Air Force in 1969.
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Kent Myers' 364 passing yards at Air Force in 2015 are tied for the 27th-most in a single-game in Utah State history.
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Hunter Sharp's 193 receiving yards at Air Force in 2015 are tied for the 19th-most in school history.
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Zach Vigil had a career-high 22 tackles against Air Force in 2014, which is tied for the fifth-most in a single-game in school history.
• Utah State punted 14 times against Air Force in 1969, which is tied for the most in a single game in school history.
• Utah State held Air Force to 33 passing yards in its 2017 meeting, which is the 14th-fewest in school history.
STATS FOR CURRENT AGGIES WITH MULTIPLE GAMES VERSUS AIR FORCE
• The following is a look at what current Utah State players have done against Air Force in multiple games. Senior DE
Dalton Baker has nine tackles, including 1.0 tackles for loss, and a quarterback hurry in three games. Senior RB
Gerold Bright has 203 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 20 carries (10.2 ypc), to go along with two catches for 19 yards and one kickoff return for 20 yards in three games. Redshirt senior P
Aaron Dalton has 15 punts for 648 yards (43.2 ypp), including a long of 57, and six punts downed inside the 20-yard line in three games. Senior CB
Cameron Haney has two tackles and one pass breakup in three games. Senior DE
Jacoby Wildman has 11 tackles in three games. Senior DT
Devon Anderson has 10 tackles, including 2.0 tackles for loss and 1.0 sacks, in two games. Senior PK
Dominik Eberle has kicked off 13 times for 792 yards (60.9 ypk) and 10 touchbacks in two games. Senior DT
Christopher Unga has 12 tackles in two games. Redshirt junior LB
Justus Te'i has 14 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss, in three games. Junior QB
Jordan Love is 43-of-68 (.632) passing for 640 yards and four touchdowns, to go along with 35 yards rushing on 11 carries, in two games. Junior WR
Jordan Nathan has three receptions for 38 yards (12.7 ypc) and one punt return for one yard in two games. Junior WR
Savon Scarver has two catches for 59 yards and five kickoff returns for 101 yards (20.2 ypr) in two games. Junior TE
Carson Terrell has one catch for 14 yards in two games. Redshirt junior OL
Mohelika Uasike has eight tackles, including 1.0 tackles for loss, in two games.
LAST MEETING vs. AIR FORCE
LOGAN, Utah - Sophomore QB
Jordan Love passed for a career-high 356 yards and two touchdowns as Utah State defeated Air Force 42-32 in the Mountain West opener for both teams at Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018.
The first of Love's career-high-tying two touchdown passes, a 43-yarder to senior WR
Aaren Vaughns with 1:02 left in the second quarter, put the Aggies ahead for good and gave them a 21-14 lead at the break.
With the win, Utah State improved to 3-1, marking the first time since 2012 the Aggies have opened by winning three of their first four games. Furthermore, Utah State is 5-1 all-time in Mountain West openers. Air Force dropped to 1-2 overall.
After Utah State junior RB
Darwin Thompson opened the game's scoring on a 6-yard touchdown run with 9:18 to go in the first quarter, the Falcons reeled off the next 14 points thanks to a 1-yard touchdown run from Isaiah Sanders and an 8-yard touchdown run from Cole Fagan. Thompson finished the game with two rushing touchdowns.
Less than one minute after Fagan found the end zone, the Aggies answered with a touchdown of their own, a 4-yard run by junior RB
Gerold Bright to knot the score at 14-apiece with 6:18 left in the half. Bright ended the game with 101 rushing yards on 11 carries and two touchdowns.
Beginning with Bright's touchdown, Utah State scored 28 unanswered points to seemingly seize control. Thompson added his second score of the night on a 1-yard run with 9:04 left in the third quarter and junior TE
Dax Raymond caught a 30-yard touchdown pass from Love just 49 seconds later to make it 35-14.
Raymond's touchdown came one play after senior S
Gaje Ferguson recovered a fumble by Air Force. Ferguson finished his night with a career- and game-high 15 tackles, while fellow senior S
Jontrell Rocquemore added a career-best 13 stops, including 2.0 tackles for loss.
Three other Aggies posted double-digit tackles on the night in senior LB
Suli Tamaivena (12), junior LB
Tipa Galeai (career-high 11) and sophomore LB
David Woodward (11).
The Falcons pulled to within 35-32 with exactly 13 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, but the Aggies sealed the victory on a 70-yard touchdown run by Bright with 6:52 to go.
On the ensuing possession, Air Force drove to the Aggies' 16-yard line, where they faced fourth-and-1 with just over two minutes remaining. The Falcons elected to go for it, but Sanders was stuffed for no gain by USU senior DE
Adewale Adeoye.
Utah State senior WR
Ron'quavion Tarver led the Aggies with nine receptions for 128 yards, while Raymond had four catches for 68 yards and senior WR
Jalen Greene also had four receptions for 42 yards. Greene was instrumental in Bright's game-clinching touchdown as he threw a key block.
Utah State finished the night with 489 yards of total offense (356 passing, 133 rushing) as compared to 471 yards (323 rushing, 148 passing) for Air Force. The Falcons dominated the ball as they ran a school-record 107 plays and held it for 43:40. USU ran just 62 plays and had the ball for just 16:20. However, four of USU's touchdown drives were less than a minute, while the other two were 94 seconds and 2 minutes, 51 seconds. The Aggies also had two turnovers in the game as compared to one for the Falcons.
LAST MEETING at AIR FORCE
USAFA, Colo. - Utah State rallied twice in the fourth quarter against Air Force. Unfortunately for the Aggies (6-6, 4-4 MW), they needed a third, but didn't get it as the Falcons (5-7, 4-4 MW) scored with 1:38 remaining in the game to pull out a wild 38-35 victory on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, at Falcon Stadium.
Redshirt freshman QB
Jordan Love completed 17-of-30 passes for 284 yards and a career-high-tying two touchdowns to lead Utah State.
Air Force QB Isaiah Sanders rushed for 203 yards and three touchdowns on 44 carries. His final score of the night was from 10 yards out with 1:38 to go in the fourth quarter, giving the Falcons their final margin of victory.
There was still enough time on the clock for Utah State to drive down the field for a potential game-winning touchdown or game-tying field goal. The Aggies took over on their own 25 with 1:38 to go and following a 33-yard pass to senior WR
Braelon Roberts, they were across midfield at the Falcons' 42.
Love's next four pass attempts fell incomplete, though, and Utah State turned the ball over on downs.
Utah State trailed 24-21 entering the fourth, but a 24-yard touchdown pass from Love to junior WR
Ron'quavion Tarver put the Aggies back on top. The six-play, 99-yard scoring drive was set up by the defense, when redshirt freshman LB
Kevin Meitzenheimer stopped Sanders on a fourth-and-goal play from the 1.
The Falcons regained the lead 3 1/2 minutes later when they recovered a fumble in the end zone, but again, the Aggies rallied. Love found Tarver for the second time in the quarter, this time from 22 yards out, to make it 35-31 with 5:28 to go.
Too much time was left on the clock for Air Force, which drove 75 yards on 13 plays for the game-winning touchdown.
Sophomore WR
Gerold Bright led the Aggies in rushing with a career-best 102 yards on a career-high-tying nine carries, including a career-long 75-yard touchdown run that gave Utah State a 14-3 lead midway through the opening quarter.
Junior WR
Aaren Vaughns added a career-high 69 yards rushing and one touchdown on two carries. He scored on a 71-yard reverse less than two minutes into the first quarter for the game's first touchdown.
Senior RB
LaJuan Hunt produced the Aggies' third rushing touchdown of the first half on an 11-yard run with 5:56 to go in the second quarter, giving Utah State a 21-10 lead.
It appeared as if the Aggies would head into the locker room with that 11-point advantage, but the Falcons drove 91 yards on 11 plays, capped by Sanders' 2-yard touchdown run with four seconds remaining until the break.
Tarver led Utah State in receiving with four catches for 86 yards, while Roberts finished with three receptions for a career-best 64 yards.
As a team, the Aggies gained 521 yards of total offense – 284 through the air and 237 on the ground. Conversely, Air Force had 440 yards of offense, the majority of which came on the ground to the tune of 407 yards.
Redshirt freshman LB
David Woodward led Utah State's defensive effort with a career-high 13 tackles, including 1.0 tackles for loss. Junior LB
Suli Tamaivena added 11 stops.
GAME 6 RECAP vs. NEVADA
LOGAN, Utah - Senior RB
Gerold Bright eclipsed the 100-yard plateau for the seventh time in his career, racking up 126 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries, in Utah State's 36-10 Mountain West home win against Nevada on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019, on Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium.
With the win, the Aggies (4-2, 3-0 Mountain West) pulled into a first-place tie atop the Mountain Division standings. USU also won its 10th straight home game and improved to 17-4 all-time against teams from the West Division of the Conference.
Bright scored on touchdown runs of 67 and 9 yards, respectively, in the fourth quarter. Utah State finished with 244 yards on the ground as part of its 418 total yards. Junior RB
Jaylen Warren churned out 73 yards rushing on 12 carries.
Junior WR
Savon Scarver had a record-setting night for Utah State as he returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. It was his fifth-career kickoff return for touchdown, including second this season, which set the all-time school record. The old mark of four kickoff returns for touchdowns was previously set by
Kevin Robinson (2004-07).
Nevada (4-3, 1-2 MW) had no answer for Utah State's defense. The Aggies forced an eye-popping 10 three-and-outs and the Wolf Pack only had four drives that were more than three plays the entire game. Nevada finished with 326 yards of total offense (213 passing, 113 rushing).
Utah State junior LB
David Woodward was the lone player to record double-digit tackles on the night with 11, marking the 14th time in his career he has accomplished that feat. Sophomore CB
Andre Grayson had a career night for the Aggies as he had nine tackles, including 2.0 tackles for loss and 1.0 sacks, three pass breakups and two forced fumbles. As a team, Utah State tallied a season-high nine pass breakups.
After Nevada opened the game's scoring with a 23-yard field goal by Brandon Talton, Utah State proceeded to score the next 36 points. Scarver ignited the onslaught with his kickoff return for touchdown.
Redshirt junior DE
Justus Te'i made it 9-3 for the Aggies late in the first quarter when he recorded Utah State's first safety since 2015 against Fresno State.
Sandwiched in between a pair of field goals (29 and 32 yards, respectively) by senior PK
Dominik Eberle was a 13-yard touchdown pass from junior QB
Jordan Love to senior grad transfer TE
Caleb Repp, helping USU open a 22-3 lead at the break.
Love was 13-of-31 for 169 yards on the night, while his Nevada counterpart, Malik Henry, was 17-of-38 for 213 yards and two interceptions – one by junior S
Shaq Bond and the other by junior LB
Kevin Meitzenheimer.
Bright's fourth-quarter touchdown runs sealed the deal for the Aggies, who won their 10th straight at home, tying the 1923-27 teams for the fourth-longest home winning streak in school history.
Junior P
Christopher Bartolic punted a season-high seven times for the Aggies for an average of 40.1 yards per punt and had a season-best five of his punts downed inside the 20-yard line. Bartolic also had a pair of 53-yard punts in the game.
UTAH STATE FOURTH IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST IN TOTAL OFFENSE
• Utah State is fourth in the Mountain West and 29th in the nation in total offense (451.5 ypg), fourth in the MW and 47th in the nation in rushing offense (181.7 ypg), fifth in the MW and 27th in the nation in sacks allowed with eight (1.33 pg), fifth in the MW and 38th in the nation in passing offense (269.8 ypg), fifth in the MW and 43rd in the nation in scoring offense (32.7 ppg), fifth in the MW and 56th in the nation in completion percentage (.616), and eighth in the MW and 91st in the nation in passing efficiency (128.8).
• Utah State's offense also ranks fourth in the Mountain West and 58th in the nation with a third down conversion percentage of 40.2 (37-92).
AGGIE DEFENSE FOURTH IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST IN POINTS ALLOWED
• Utah State is fourth in the Mountain West and 44th in the nation in scoring defense (23.0 ppg), third in the MW and 58th in the nation in sacks with 14 (2.33 pg), fourth in the MW and 56th in the nation in tackles for loss (6.3 pg), fifth in the MW and 53rd in the nation in passing efficiency defense (126.3), sixth in the MW and 46th in the nation in rushing defense (136.2 ypg), seventh in the MW and 80th in the nation in total defense (406.2 ypg), and ninth in the MW in passing defense (270.0 ypg).
• Utah State's defense also ranks third in the Mountain West and 22nd in the nation in yards per carry (3.2), second in the MW and 12th in the nation in fourth down conversion percentage of 28.6 (4-14), and sixth in the MW and 41st in the nation with its five fumble recoveries (0.8 pg).
UTAH STATE SECOND IN THE NATION IN KICKOFF RETURNS
• Utah State is second in the nation in kickoff returns (34.7 ypr), first in the Mountain West and eighth in the nation in punt returns (18.0 ypr), sixth in the MW and 84th in the nation in kickoff return defense (21.7 ypr), and 11th in the MW in net punting (35.7 ypp).
• Utah State finished last season first in the nation in kickoff returns at 30.3 yards per return. Junior WR
Savon Scarver highlighted this area as he ranked first nationally in kickoff returns (33.7 ypr) and tied for second nationally with his two kickoff returns for touchdown.
AGGIES HAVE FORCED 10 TURNOVERS THUS FAR THIS YEAR
• After leading the nation last season with 32 turnovers forced (22 interceptions, 10 fumbles), Utah State has forced 10 turnovers (5 fumbles, 5 interceptions) this season to rank sixth in the Mountain West and 64th in the nation. Overall, USU has forced three or more turnovers in 23 of its last 69 games.
UTAH STATE SEVENTH IN THE NATION WITH ITS TWO DEFENSIVE TOUCHDOWNS
• Utah State has scored two defensive touchdowns (
Shaq Bond and
David Woodward) this season to rank tied for first in the Mountain West and tied for seventh in the nation. Overall, USU has scored 24 defensive touchdowns in its last 78 games. Last season, USU was second in the MW and third in the nation with its six defensive touchdowns.
AGGIES IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST AND NCAA RANKINGS IN 2019
• Junior WR
Savon Scarver leads the nation in kickoff returns (43.4 ypr) and is tied for first nationally in kickoff returns for touchdown with two (0.33 pg), and is eighth in the Mountain West in all-purpose yards (93.0 pg). Junior LB
David Woodward is second in the nation in tackles (13.7 pg) and forced fumbles with four (0.7 pg), and ninth in the MW and 54th in the nation in fumbles recovered with one (0.17 pg). Sophomore WR
Deven Thompkins is tied for first in the nation with his one punt return for touchdown (0.17 pg), and 10th in the MW in receiving touchdowns with three (0.50 pg). Senior PK
Dominik Eberle is first in the MW and 18th in the nation in scoring (9.3 ppg), second in the MW and 10th in the nation in field goals made per game (1.8), sixth in the MW and 30th in the nation in field goal percentage (.846) as he is 11-of-13 on the season, and seventh in the MW and 93rd in the nation in points responsible for per game (9.3). Junior RB
Jaylen Warren is first in the MW and 16th in the nation in yards per carry (6.6), fourth in the MW and 47th in the nation in rushing (81.6 ypg), sixth in the MW and 90th in the nation in all-purpose yards (99.2), and ninth in the MW and 91st in the nation in rushing touchdowns with four (0.7 pg). Junior QB
Jordan Love is second in the MW and 16th in the nation in completions (22.2 pg), fourth in the MW and 31st in the nation in passing yards (251.0 ypg), fifth in the MW and 35th in the nation in total offense (264.2 ypg), sixth in the MW and 73rd in the nation in completion percentage (.596), seventh in the MW and 91st in the nation in passing efficiency (118.7), and ninth in the MW and 93rd in the nation in passing touchdowns with seven (1.2 pg). Sophomore CB
Andre Grayson is fourth in the MW and 20th in the nation with two forced fumbles (0.33 pg). Senior graduate transfer WR
Siaosi Mariner is sixth in the MW and 66th in the nation in receiving yards (67.2 ypg), eighth in the MW and 95th in the nation in receptions (4.3 pg), and ninth in the MW in yards per reception (15.5). Senior RB
Gerold Bright is seventh in the MW and 67th in the nation in rushing yards (74.2 ypg), eighth in the MW and 63rd in the nation in rushing yards per carry (5.4), ninth in the MW and 91st in the nation in rushing touchdowns with four (0.7 pg), and 10th in the MW in all-purpose yards (90.0 pg). Junior S
Shaq Bond is seventh in the MW and 38th in the nation with his two interceptions (0.33 pg). Senior DE
Dalton Baker is ninth in the MW and 54th in the nation with one fumble recovery (0.17 pg). Senior DE
Tipa Galeai is ninth in the MW and 54th in the nation with one fumble recovery (0.17 pg). Redshirt junior DE
Justus Te'i is ninth in the MW and 54th in the nation with one fumble recovery (0.17 pg). And, junior S
Troy Lefeged Jr. is ninth in the MW and 54th in the nation with one fumble recovery (0.17 pg).
UTAH STATE'S DEFENSE HOLDS NEVADA TO 13 THREE-AND-OUTS
• Utah State's defense had one of its best games of the season, statistically, in its last outing against Nevada as it forced the Wolf Pack into 13 three-and-outs. Nevada began the game by taking the opening kickoff and driving 75 yards in 10 plays that culminated in a 23-yard field goal. After that drive, however, Utah State forced Nevada into 11 straight three-and-outs with nine punts, a safety and an interception. USU later forced two more three-and-outs with another punt and another interception. All told, Nevada sustained just four drives the entire game that resulted in more than three plays.
TEAM NOTABLES FROM NEVADA GAME
• Utah State has won three of its last four games against Nevada and now trails in the series 7-18, which includes a 5-9 home record. The 10 points allowed by USU are the fewest scored by Nevada in the series in the last 19 meetings dating back to 1950, when USU posted a 7-6 win.
• Utah State improved to 17-4 all-time against teams from the West Division of the Mountain West, which is the best record by any team in the conference.
• Utah State has now won 10 straight home games, which is tied with the 1923-27 teams for the fourth-longest home winning streak in school history. USU has also now won seven straight Mountain West games at home. During its 10-game home winning streak, USU has scored at least 34 points in every game.
• Utah State recorded its first safety since the 2015 season at Fresno State.
WOODWARD RECORDS 14TH CAREER DOUBLE-DIGIT TACKLE OUTING
• Junior LB
David Woodward recorded his 14th career double-digit tackle outing, including his fourth in as many games, with his 11 stops against Nevada. Overall, Woodward now has five double-digit tackle games this season.
• Woodward began the season with a career-high 24 tackles at Wake Forest, which is the most in a single game in the nation at the FBS level this season, and tied for the second-most in both school and Mountain West history. In all, Woodward has two career games with 20-plus tackles.
GRAYSON HAS CAREER GAME AGAINST NEVADA
• Sophomore CB
Andre Grayson had a career game in his last outing against Nevada as he recorded nine tackles, which included 1.0 sacks and 2.0 tackles for loss, to go along with two forced fumbles and three pass breakups, all of which are career highs.
DEFENSIVE NOTABLES FROM NEVADA GAME
• Junior LB
Kevin Meitzenheimer intercepted his first pass of the season and the second of his career and returned it four yards. Junior S
Shaq Bond intercepted his second pass of the season and third of his career and returned it 34 yards. Bond also had one pass breakup to give him four this season and 10 in his career. Senior DE
Tipa Galeai had 1.0 sacks to give him 2.0 sacks and 5.0 tackles for loss this season, and 12.5 sacks and 19.0 tackles for loss in his career. Redshirt junior LB
Justus Te'i had 1.0 tackles for loss to give him 3.5 tackles for loss this season and 8.0 in his career as he forced his first-career safety. Senior CB
DJ Williams had one pass breakup to give him five on the season and 16 in his career. Junior graduate transfer DE
Nick Heninger tied his season high with four tackles and had 0.5 tackles for loss to give him 5.5 this season. Senior DT
Devon Anderson had his first sack of the season to give him 2.0 tackles for loss this year. For his career, he now has 3.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss. Junior S
Troy Lefeged Jr. had one pass breakup to give him three on the season. Redshirt freshman DE
Elijah Shelton tied his season high with three tackles. Freshman CB
Dominic Tatum had his second-career pass breakup.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTABLES FROM NEVADA GAME
• Junior P
Christopher Bartolic had a pair of 53-yard punts, which is his career long, to give him three 50-yard punts this season. He also had five punts downed inside the 20-yard line, the first of his career. Overall, Bartolic punted a career-high seven times.
AGGIE OFFENSIVE LINE PLAYING VERY WELL THIS SEASON
• Despite returning only one starter along the offensive line in sophomore
Alfred Edwards, and starting four others that had combined to play in just 42 career games with four starts, Utah State's offensive line has played very well this fall, allowing just eight sacks through six games, which ranks fifth in the Mountain West and 27th in the nation.
• Utah State has one of just three pair of brothers in the nation at the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level to start along the offensive line in junior
Ty Shaw and redshirt freshman
Karter Shaw. The other two teams that have brothers starting on the offense line are Iowa and North Texas.
DID YOU KNOW?
• Utah State has six players on its current roster who transferred from Power 5 programs in senior DE
Tipa Galeai (TCU), senior DT
Fua Leilua (Oklahoma State), graduate CB
Terin Adams (Arizona State), graduate WR
Siaosi Mariner (Utah), graduate TE
Caleb Repp (Utah), and graduate DE
Nick Heninger (Utah). USU has two more players on its roster that began their careers at Power 5 programs as junior S
Cash Gilliam and junior DE
Jaylin Bannerman both began their collegiate careers at Kentucky.
BRIGHT POSTS SEVENTH-CAREER 100-YARD RUSHING GAME
• Senior RB
Gerold Bright posted his seventh-career 100-yard rushing game in his last outing against Nevada as he carried the ball 15 times for 126 yards and scored a season-high two touchdowns on runs of 67 and nine yards. In fact, his 67-yard touchdown run was a season long. Of his 15 carries, none were for negative yards.
• Bright's other 100-yard game this season was against Colorado State, as he carried the ball 36 times for 179 yards - both career highs - and did not have a single negative rush in the game. Those 36 carries are the most by an Aggie since
Emmett White carried the ball 38 times against Weber State in 2001, while the 179 rushing yards are the most by an Aggie since
Devante Mays rushed for 208 yards against Weber State in 2016.
• With 126 rushing yards in his last game, Bright now ranks 12th all-time in school history with 1,669 career rushing yards. Bright also ranks eighth all-time at USU with a 6.3 yards per carry average, and is just one rushing touchdown shy of entering the top 10 all-time at USU in that category, as well.
• Overall, Bright is one of 32 players in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in a career.
SCARVER SETS SCHOOL RECORD WITH FIFTH-CAREER KICKOFF RETURN FOR TD
• Junior WR
Savon Scarver returned his fifth-career kickoff for a touchdown in his last game against Nevada to set the school record that was held by
Kevin Robinson (2004-07), who returned four kickoffs for touchdowns during his career. Scarver, who has three-career 100-yard kickoff returns, also had a kickoff return for touchdown against Colorado State this season.
• Scarver's five kickoff returns for touchdown are tied for the second-most in Mountain West history with New Mexico's Carlos Wiggins (2012-15). The MW record is seven kickoff returns for touchdown set by San Diego State's Rashaad Penny (2014-17). Furthermore, Scarver's two kickoff returns for touchdown this season and last season are tied for the fourth-most in a single season in MW history as the record is three held by Penny (2015), Wiggins (2013) and Hawaii's Mike Edwards III (2012).
• The NCAA record for kickoff returns for touchdowns in a career is seven set by four players, while Scarver's five kickoff returns for touchdowns is tied for the ninth-most in NCAA history.
• Scarver's 100-yard kickoff return against Nevada and Colorado State this season is tied for the third-longest in school history and marks the 22nd and 23rd time in Mountain West history that a kickoff has been returned 100 yards.
• Of his five kickoff returns for touchdowns, three have been from 100 yards, while the others were from 99 and 96 yards, respectively.
SCARVER NAMED CONSENSUS ALL-AMERICAN IN 2018
• Utah State junior
Savon Scarver was named a consensus All-American as a returner/all-purpose player in 2018, joining
Merlin Olsen (1961) and
Phil Olsen (1969) as the only consensus All-Americans in school history. Scarver was also just the 16th player in Mountain West history to be named a consensus All-American.
• Scarver also earned the Johnny 'The Jet' Award in 2018 as the nation's most outstanding return specialist as he led the nation in kickoff returns (33.7 ypr) and tied for second in the nation with his two kickoff returns for touchdowns.
UTAH STATE SECOND IN THE NATION WITH THREE SPECIAL TEAMS TOUCHDOWNS
• Utah State has already scored three special teams touchdowns this season with two kickoff returns and one punt return for a touchdown, which ranks as the second-most in the nation behind Southern Mississippi, who has four special teams touchdowns with three kickoff returns and one punt return.
• During the 2018 season, USU had four special teams touchdowns to tie for first in the nation, along with New Mexico State.
DID YOU KNOW?
• Utah State has 47 freshmen, which includes 16 redshirts, on its 2019 roster. Those 47 freshmen represent 43.12 percent of its total roster, which ranks as the 29th-most in the nation.
LOVE THIRD-WINNINGEST QUARTERBACK IN SCHOOL HISTORY
• Junior QB
Jordan Love is 18-7 as Utah State's starting quarterback and is tied with
John Pappas (1966-68) as the third-winningest quarterback in program history.
Tony Adams (1970-72) ranks first all-time with 22 career wins, followed by
Chuckie Keeton (2011-15) with 19 wins.
• Love's 25 career starts ranks eighth in the nation among active quarterbacks, trailing North Texas' Mason Fine (43), Georgia's Jake Fromm (34), Colorado's Steven Montez (34), Louisiana Tech's J'Mar Smith (34), Iowa's Nate Stanley (33), Ohio's Nathan Rourke (31) and UL-Monroe's Caleb Evans (29).
• Utah State is averaging 39.9 points in Love's 25 career starts and that scoring average ranks second in the nation among active quarterbacks with at least 15 career starts behind Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa (46.6 ppg) and ahead of Oregon's Justin Herbert (37.8 ppg) and Georgia's Jake Fromm (36.6 ppg), and among others.
LOVE AMONG TOP 10 QUARTERBACKS IN SCHOOL HISTORY IN FIVE CATEGORIES
• Junior QB
Jordan Love is 529-of-875 (.605) passing for 6,704 yards with 47 touchdowns and 21 interceptions during his career. In all, Love ranks third all-time in school history in passing yards, fourth all-time in touchdown passes and completions, and fifth all-time in completion percentage, pass attempts and total offense (7,011 yards).
LOVE SETS FIVE SCHOOL RECORDS IN 2018
• Junior QB
Jordan Love set five school records in 2018, including 32 touchdown passes (27 by
Chuckie Keeton in 2012), 3,567 passing yards (3,373 by Keeton in 2012), seven 300-yard passing games (6 by
Anthony Calvillo in 1993), 234 points responsible for (210 by Keeton in 2012) and being named the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week five times (four by Keeton in 2012). Love also tied the single-season school record with a pair of 400-yard passing games (
Tony Adams in 1972 and
Jose Fuentes in 2000) and tied the single-game school record for touchdown passes with five against both UNLV and San José State, becoming just the fifth quarterback in school history to accomplish the feat.
• Love is the fourth quarterback in school history to throw five touchdown passes in multiple games, along with
Chuckie Keeton, who did it three times, and
Anthony Calvillo and
Tony Adams, who both did it twice. Overall, it is the 10th time in school history that an Aggie quarterback has thrown five touchdown passes in a game.
• On the season, Love was 267-of-417 (.640) passing and ranks second all-time at USU for completions in a single season (Keeton, 275 in 2012), while his completion percentage ranks as the fourth-highest in a single season in school history. Love also had 3,630 yards of total offense in 2018 to rank as the second-most at USU in a single season (Keeton, 3,992 in 2012).
LOVE DIDN'T FINISH MANY GAMES LAST SEASON
• Junior QB
Jordan Love put up some impressive numbers in 2018 and did so without playing entire games. Of his 13 games played, Love did not play in the fourth quarter in six of those contests (New Mexico State, Tennessee Tech, UNLV, New Mexico, Hawai'i, San José State), and did not play in the entire second half twice (Tennessee Tech and Hawai'i). Furthermore, Love played just one series in the third quarter against New Mexico, meaning he sat on the sidelines for over 11 quarters, which translates to nearly three games missed during the season.
LOVE NAMED MOUNTAIN WEST PLAYER OF THE WEEK FIVE TIMES LAST YEAR
• Junior QB
Jordan Love was named the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week five times last year and six times in his career. Those five MW Player of the Week honors are tied with two other players for the third-most in a single season in the 20-year history of the conference.
• Love's five player of the week honors last year are the most by an Aggie in a single season in school history, bettering
Chuckie Keeton, who was named the Western Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week four times during the 2012 campaign. Love's six player of the week honors overall are tied with Keeton for the third-most in school history, trailing
Demario Brown, who was named the Big West Offensive Player of the Week eight times, and
Brad Bohn, who was named the Big West Special Teams Player of the Week seven times. In fact, Brown and Bohn rank first and second, respectively, in Big West history for player of the week honors.
• Overall, Utah State won Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week honors six times last season, as Love won the award five times and Thompson won the award once. In all, USU has now won MW Player of the Week accolades 24 times in its six years in the league.
INTERESTING AGGIE NOTABLE
• Utah State is returning its starting quarterback for the eighth-straight season this fall. The last time USU did not return its top signal-caller, statistically, from the previous season was the 2011 campaign.
DID YOU KNOW?
• Utah State only threw six interceptions last season to rank third in the Mountain West and 14th in the nation. Those six interceptions are the fewest by an Aggie team since the 2011 club also threw six.
EBERLE NAMED MOUNTAIN WEST SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• Senior PK
Dominik Eberle was named the Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week following his performance in Utah State's 23-17 Mountain West road win at San Diego State on Sept. 21, 2019. Eberle scored a season-high 11 points in the game as he was 3-of-4 on field goal attempts and 2-for-2 on extra points. Eberle converted field goals from 30, 29 and 32 yards, before missing from 42 yards.
• For Eberle, it is the third time in his career he has been named the Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week as he won the award twice during the 2018 season.
EBERLE SECOND ALL-TIME IN FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE
• Senior PK
Dominik Eberle is 54-of-70 on field goals in his career and his 77.1 conversion percentage ranks second all-time in school history.
Russ Moody (1988-89) holds the school record at 84.6, as he was 22-of-26 all-time on field goal attempts.
• Eberle has now scored 307 career points to rank second all-time in school history, including first among kickers. The school record is 308 career point scored by
Robert Turbin (2007-09, '11).
• Eberle ranks second all-time in school history in field goals made (54) and attempted (70).
Brad Bohn (1997-2000) was 59-of-89 on field goals in his career, to rank first all-time in school history in both categories.
• Eberle is 1-of-1 in his career from 10-19 yards, 20-of-23 in his career from 20-29 yards, 15-of-17 in his career from 30-39 yards, 14-of-23 in his career from 40-49 yards, and 4-of-6 in his career from 50+ yards. His three 51-yard field goals against New Mexico State (9/8/18) were season longs and tied for the 18th-longest in school history. In fact, Eberle is the only kicker in school history to have four or more 50-yard field goals in a career as he made a career-long 52-yarder last year.
EBERLE SETS SCHOOL RECORD FOR CONSECUTIVE EXTRA POINTS MADE
• Senior PK
Dominik Eberle is a perfect 144-for-144 on extra points in his career, which is a school record. The previous record for consecutive PATs made was 64 by
Willie Beecher (1981-84). Overall, Eberle is one of just three kickers in school history with a minimum of 30 PATs made to have never missed an extra point, joining Beecher, who was 64-of-64 all-time on extra points, and
Russ Moody (1988-89), who was 44-of-44 all-time on extra points. Overall, Eberle ranks first all-time in school history in extra points made and tied for first in attempts with
Nick Diaz (2010-14).
• Eberle also set the single-season school record for extra points made and attempted last year as he was 75-for-75.
• Eberle is one of just seven kickers in school history to not miss an extra point for an entire season, joining
Nick Diaz (2012),
Peter Caldwell (2010, 2007),
Doug Beach (1990),
Willie Beecher (1982),
Tom Mayes (1975) and
Steve Steinke (1978).
EBERLE SETS SINGLE-SEASON SCHOOL RECORD FOR POINTS SCORED
• Senior PK
Dominik Eberle scored 141 points last season with 75 extra points and 22 field goals, which is a single-season school record. The previous record of 138 points was set by
Robert Turbin in 2011. Eberle also averaged 10.8 points per game last season to set the school record that was held by
Jack Hill, who averaged 10.5 points per game in 1956.
• Eberle was 22-of-28 (.786) on field goal attempts last season, ranking second in made field goals and tied for first in field goal attempts for a single season with
Brad Bohn (1998), while his conversion percentage was eighth. Bohn was 24-of-28 on field goal attempts in 1998 to set the single-season record for made field goals, while
Russ Moody made 86.7 percent of his field goals in 1988 to set the single-season record in that category.
EBERLE TIES TWO NCAA RECORDS
• Senior PK
Dominik Eberle tied two NCAA records in Utah State's 60-13 home win against New Mexico State last year. First, Eberle tied the NCAA record for points scored in a game by a kicker with 24, a record that was set by Western Michigan's Mike Prindle in 1984. Eberle also tied an NCAA record with his three 51-yard field goals, becoming just the sixth player ever to kick three 50-plus yard field goals in a game.
• Eberle also set school and Mountain West records with his six made field goals, while his six field goal attempts tied his own school record that was set in 2017. In all, Eberle made field goals from 44, 32, 51, 21, 51 and 51 yards, as those six made field goals are tied for the third-most in a single-game in NCAA history.
EBERLE TOP THREE IN THE NATION IN KICKOFFS AND TOUCHBACKS
• Senior PK
Dominik Eberle kicked off 108 times last season (62.8 yards per kickoff) with 69 touchbacks. On the season, he was third nationally in both kickoffs and touchbacks.
DID YOU KNOW?
• Utah State has made 160 straight extra points to rank as the second-longest active streak in the nation, trailing only Georgia (275). The last time USU missed an extra point was against San Diego State on Oct. 28, 2016.
WHAT'S RETURNING IN 2019
• Utah State returns nine starters (O-2, D-7) as part of 31 letterwinners (O-13, D-16, S-2), including two All-Americans and eight players that earned various all-Mountain West honors, from last year's team that ended the 2018 season ranked 21st in the final Amway Coaches poll and 22nd in the final Associated Press poll as it tied the school record for wins and best record with an 11-2 mark following its 52-13 win against North Texas in the New Mexico Bowl. USU also tied for first place in the Mountain Division of the Mountain West with a 7-1 record.
• Highlighting Utah State's returners in 2019 are two players who earned All-America honors a season ago in junior WR
Savon Scarver and junior LB
David Woodward. Scarver, who is just the third consensus All-American in school history, was named a first-team All-American from the Walter Camp Football Foundation, the Football Writers Association of America and Phil Steele's Magazine, and earned second-team All-American honors from the American Football Coaches Association as a kick returner, while Woodward was named a first-team All-American by ProFootballFocus.com and a third-team All-American by The Associated Press. Six other returning Aggies earned various all-Mountain West honors a year ago as senior DE
Tipa Galeai and junior QB
Jordan Love were both named to the second team, while senior PK
Dominik Eberle, senior DT
Fua Leilua, senior DT
Christopher 'Unga and senior CB
DJ Williams all garnered honorable mention honors. Additionally, Utah State returns three other starters in senior DT
Devon Anderson, junior S
Shaq Bond and sophomore OL
Alfred Edwards.
WHAT UTAH STATE MUST REPLACE FROM 2018
• Utah State must replace 11 starters, including 10 players who earned various all-Mountain West honors in 2018, including OL
Quin Ficklin, who earned first-team honors and OL
Roman Andrus, S
Jontrell Rocquemore and RB
Darwin Thompson, who were all named to the second team, while DE
Adewale Adeoye, OL
Rob Castaneda, S
Gaje Ferguson, TE
Dax Raymond, WR
Ron'quavion Tarver and OL
Sean Taylor were all named to the honorable mention team. USU also must replace LB
Chase Christiansen to graduation.
FINAL NOTES FROM 2018 SEASON
• Utah State's 11 wins and 11-2 record tied the 2012 team for the most wins and best record in school history, while its seven conference wins tied the 2013 team for the most league wins ever. Overall, it is just the third time that USU has won 10 or more games, along with the 2014 team that posted a 10-4 record.
• Utah State concluded the 2018 season ranked 21st in the Amway Coaches poll and 22nd in The Associated Press (AP) poll. For USU, it is just the fourth time in school history that it has ended a season nationally ranked, joining the 1961 team that finished its season 10th in the final AP and United Press International (UPI) polls, the 1972 team that ended its year 19th in the final UPI poll, and the 2012 team that finished its year 16th in the AP poll, 17th in the coaches poll and 22nd in the BCS standings.
• Utah State won its fifth bowl game in 13 appearances with its 52-13 victory against North Texas in the 2018 New Mexico Bowl, which was its seventh bowl game in the last eight seasons. USU's other bowl wins are its 42-33 victory against Ball State in the 1993 Las Vegas Bowl II, its 41-15 win against Toledo in the 2012 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, its 21-14 win against No. 24 Northern Illinois in the 2013 San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, and its 21-6 win against UTEP in the 2014 Gildan New Mexico Bowl.
• Utah State's average margin of victory last year was 25.3 points (618-289), which was the third-highest in the nation behind Clemson at 31.2 points (664-197) and Alabama at 27.5 points (684-271).
• Utah State was one of just 14 teams in the nation with at least 11 wins last season, joining Alabama (15), Clemson (14), Ohio State (13), Fresno State (12), Oklahoma (12), Notre Dame (12), UCF (12), Appalachian State (11), Army (11), Cincinnati (11), Georgia (11), UAB (11) and Washington State (11).
• Utah State scored 618 points in 13 games during the 2018 season to set the Mountain West record, which was previously held by BYU, which scored 608 points in 14 games in 2001.
• Utah State's 10-1 start to the 2018 season was its best in school history, topping Merlin Olsen's 1961 team that finished with a 9-1-1 record. USU also won 10 straight games for the first time in school history last year, topping Olsen's 1960 team that won its first nine games.
• Utah State finished the 2018 season ranking among the top 20 teams in the nation in 24 statistical categories and led the nation in five of those, including scoring drives under one minute (29), turnovers forced (32), passes intercepted (22), kickoff returns (30.30 yards per return) and three-and-outs forced (5.69 per game). USU was also second in the nation in scoring (47.5 points per game) and non-offensive touchdowns (10), third in average margin of victory (25.3 points per game), turnover margin (+1.08) and defensive touchdowns (6), and fourth in sacks allowed with 10 (0.77 per game).
• Utah State set 36 school records and tied six others during the 2018 season.
AGGIES CURRENTLY IN THE NFL
• Utah State currently has 13 players on NFL rosters and has had 12 players drafted into the NFL in the past nine years. Former Aggies currently in the NFL include SS
Maurice Alexander (Buffalo Bills), CB
Jalen Davis (Arizona Cardinals), LB
Kyler Fackrell (Green Bay Packers), OG
Tyler Larsen (Carolina Panthers), CB
Nevin Lawson (Oakland Raiders), SS
Dallin Leavitt (Oakland Raiders), RB
Devante Mays (Jacksonville Jaguars), OT
Donald Penn (Washington Redskins), TE
Dax Raymond (Chicago Bears), LS
Patrick Scales (Chicago Bears), RB
Darwin Thompson (Kansas City Chiefs), LB
Nick Vigil (Cincinnati Bengals) and LB
Bobby Wagner (Seattle Seahawks).
AGGIES WHO HAVE SERVED LDS CHURCH MISSIONS
• Utah State has 17 players on its 2019 roster who have served two-year LDS Church Missions in senior DE
Braden Harris, redshirt junior OL
Mohelika Uasike, junior DT
Caden Andersen, junior WR
Taylor Compton, junior DT
Ritisoni Fata, junior TE
Logan Lee, junior TE
Mosese Manu, junior RB
Chase Nelson, sophomore RB
Sione Fehoko, sophomore LB
Daniel Langi, sophomore OL
Wade Meacham, redshirt freshman LB
Dustin Mathews, redshirt freshman TE
Bryce Mortenson, freshman DT
Josh Bowcut, freshman OL
Sione Lasike, freshman OL
Logan Wood and freshman WR
Kyle Van Leeuwen.
AGGIES WHO ARE MARRIED
• Utah State has seven players on its 2019 roster who are married in senior DE
Dalton Baker, senior DE
Braden Harris, senior DT
Fua Leilua, senior DE
Jacoby Wildman, redshirt junior OL
Mohelika Uasike, junior WR
Derek Wright and sophomore LB
Daniel Langi.
POSITION CHANGES AND NUMBER CHANGES
• Utah State had a number of players change positions and/or numbers from last season. Senior RB
Gerold Bright has changed from No. 8 to No. 1. Bright began his career at No. 25 and was also a wide receiver to begin his collegiate career before moving to running back late in his sophomore season. Redshirt junior
Mohelika Uasike changed positions from the defensive line to the offensive line and has changed from No. 99 to No. 66. Junior S
Shaq Bond has changed from No. 25 to No. 4. Junior S
Braxton Gunther has changed from No. 32 to No. 8. Junior
Logan Lee changed positions from defensive end to tight end. Junior
Chase Nelson changed positions from safety to running back. Junior WR
Savon Scarver has changed from No. 81 to No. 11. Sophomore CB
Andre Grayson has changed from No. 30 to No. 21. Sophomore CB
Jarrod Green has changed from No. 37 to No. 25. Sophomore WR
Deven Thompkins has changed from No. 19 to No. 13. And, redshirt freshman
Sam Lockett changed positions from wide receiver to safety.
COACHING CHANGES AND HOLDOVERS
• Utah State's coaching staff this fall has a mixture of coaches who are new to the program and returning to the program for a second stint, along with holdovers from the previous staff. Head coach
Gary Andersen is on his second tour-of-duty with the Aggies and enters his fifth season overall in charge of the program. Assistant head coach and tight ends coach
Frank Maile is a holdover from the previous staff and is entering his ninth season with the program. Maile also played at USU (2004-07) and graduated from Utah State in 2007. Special teams coordinator and running backs coach
Stacy Collins is also a holdover from the previous staff and is entering his fourth season with the program. Offensive line coach
TJ Woods is also on his second tour-of-duty with the program and enters his fifth season overall as he also coached at USU from 2009-12. Defensive ends coach
Bojay Filimoeatu is in his first year coaching at USU, but was a two-year letterwinner for the Aggies (2011-12) under Andersen and graduated from USU in 2012.
UTAH STATE BOWL HISTORY
• Utah State has a 5-8 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; lost to Akron, 23-21, in the 2015 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl; lost to New Mexico State, 26-20 in overtime, in the 2017 NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl; and defeated North Texas, 52-13, in the 2018 New Mexico Bowl.
ACADEMICALLY SPEAKING
• Utah State earned the 2018 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Academic Achievement Award, which is presented by the Touchdown Club of Memphis.
• Utah State's football team has a Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 92 percent to rank first in the Mountain West. The Aggies also rank first among the other football programs in the Beehive State.
• Over the past nine seasons, USU has had 184 players earn academic all-league honors and 181 players have graduated from Utah State.
• Utah State has six players on its current roster that have already earned their bachelor's degree in senior DE
Jacoby Wildman (sociology), and five graduate transfers in CB
Terin Adams (liberal arts - Arizona State), RB
Riley Burt (exercise and wellness - BYU), DE
Nick Heninger (business - Utah), WR
Siaosi Mariner (sociology - Utah) and TE
Caleb Repp (sociology - Utah).
HEAD COACH GARY ANDERSEN
Gary Andersen (hired on Dec. 9, 2018) makes his return to Utah State after serving as USU's head coach for four seasons (2009-12). Andersen is the first of 27 coaches in USU history to serve as head coach multiple times.
In all, Andersen is entering his 10th season as a Division I head coach, including his fifth at Utah State, and has 30 years of coaching experience. He has been involved in 12 bowl games, including four New Year's Day bowls.
As a head coach, he led Utah State to the 2012 Western Athletic Conference Championship and Wisconsin to the 2014 Big Ten Conference West Division title and has coached 16 NFL Draft picks, including six at USU.
During his career, Andersen was a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award at Utah State in 2012, along with being named the WAC Coach of the Year, and a semifinalist for the Maxwell Coach of the Year Award (2013) and George Munger Coach of the Year Award (2013, 2014) as the head coach at Wisconsin. He was also a finalist for the Frank Broyles Award at Utah in 2008, which is given to the top assistant in college football.
Academically, three of Andersen's teams finished in the top-10 nationally in Academic Progress Rate, in addition to 160 academic all-conference honorees.
During his four-year tenure with the Aggies from 2009-12, Andersen posted a 26-24 overall record, including the school's first back-to-back winning seasons (7-6 in 2011 and 11-2 in 2012) since 1979-80. He was also the first head coach since Phil Krueger (1973-75) to notch an overall winning record.
When initially hired by Utah State on Dec. 4, 2008, Andersen inherited a football program that had suffered through 11 straight losing seasons and only had two winning campaigns in 28 years. Fast forward six years since his departure, and Andersen is inheriting a program that has now appeared in seven bowl games in the past eight years after playing in just four bowl games prior to his arrival.
In just his third year at Utah State, Andersen's 2011 club became the first Aggie team to win seven games since 1993 and the first USU team to play in a bowl game in 14 years. The following season, Andersen led USU to its best season ever with a school-record 11 wins, going undefeated in the WAC and capturing its first outright league title since 1936. USU also won just its second-ever bowl game that season with a 41-15 victory against Toledo in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. USU finished the 2012 campaign with an 11-2 record and was one of just two teams in school history at the time, along with the 1961 club, to finish the season nationally ranked as it was 16th in the final Associated Press poll, 17th in the final Coaches poll and 23rd in the final BCS standings.
During his four years as Utah State's head coach, Andersen built an Aggie football program that set numerous school records, including wins (11), points scored (454), total offense (6,108 yards) and yards per game (469.8) in 2012, and touchdowns (60), rushing yards (3,675) and rushing touchdowns (37) in 2011. The 282.7 rushing yards per game in 2011 ranked sixth in the nation that year and are the second-most in school history. Furthermore, the 34.9 points per game scored in 2012 were the second-most in school history at the time, while that team's defense allowed just 322.1 yards and 15.4 points per game, its fewest at USU since the 1960s. Furthermore, those 15.4 points allowed per game in 2012 ranked seventh nationally.
During his final two seasons at Utah State, Andersen led the Aggies to an 18-8 record, including an 11-2 conference mark.
While at Utah State, Andersen coached six Aggies who went on to earn All-American honors (Will Davis, Kerwynn Williams, Tyler Larsen, Nevin Lawson, Zach Vigil and Kyler Fackrell) and 10 Aggies who played in the NFL, including current Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner, who was selected in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Furthermore, Andersen coached 27 players that earned various all-conference honors during his time in Logan, including running back Robert Turbin, who was named the WAC's Offensive Player of the Year in 2011 and has spent the past seven seasons in the NFL.
Andersen comes back to Utah State after spending the 2018 season as the associate head coach and defensive line coach at the University of Utah, where the Utes posted a 9-4 record and advanced to the Pac-12 Championship game after winning the Pac-12 South. At Utah, Andersen helped coach 10 defensive starters to all-conference honors, including all three of his starters on the defensive line.
In all, Andersen spent 12 years on staff at Utah during three different stints, including helping the Utes to undefeated seasons in 2004 and 2008 as they played in the Fiesta Bowl and Sugar Bowl, respectively. During his time at Utah, Andersen coached two All-Americans, two conference defensive Most Valuable Players, 22 first-team all-conference honorees and 16 NFL draft picks.
Following his four years as Utah State's head coach, Andersen spent two seasons as the head coach at Wisconsin (2013-14) and three years as the head coach at Oregon State (2015-17). At Wisconsin, he led the Badgers to a 19-7 record, a Big Ten divisional championship in 2014 and appearances in the Capital One Bowl and Outback Bowl.
During his two years at Wisconsin, Andersen coached five All-Americans and had seven players selected in the NFL Draft. In 2013, Chris Borland was named a first-team All-American, and the Big Ten Conference Linebacker and Defensive Player of the Year. In 2014, Andersen coached Melvin Gordon, the nation's leading rusher and scorer in 2014, to the Big Ten Conference Offensive Player of the Year Award and a runner-up finish for the Heisman Trophy.
And at Oregon State, Andersen had three players drafted into the NFL in Isaac Seumalo, Sean Harlow and Treston Decoud, and coached two Freshman All-Americans in Xavier Crawford and Gus Lavaka and 12 all-league player.
Andersen's coaching career began in 1988 as the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at Southeastern Louisiana, where he coached for one season before going to Ricks College from 1989-92 as the offensive line coach. His other coaching stints include Idaho State (1992-94, defensive line), Park City HS (1994-95, head coach) and Northern Arizona (1995-96, assistant head coach/defensive line/special teams). Andersen also spent the 2003 season as the head coach at Southern Utah.
A 1986 graduate of Utah, Andersen earned his bachelor's degree in political science. He played center for Utah from 1985-86 after garnering first-team juco All-America honors in 1984 at Ricks College.
Andersen is married to the former Stacey Lambert, and they have three grown children: Keegan (Jen), and twins Chasen (Marquelle) and Hagen (Kaitlin), one grandson (Raylen), and one granddaughter (Baylor).