WEEKLY AGGIE UPDATE - NOVEMBER 8, 2021
Weekly Aggie Update
FOOTBALL
Contact: Doug Hoffman - (435) 797-3714
This Week
Sat., Nov. 13--- at San José State, 8:30 p.m. (MT) (FS1)
• Utah State football (7-2, 4-1 MW) continues its 2021 season this weekend with a Mountain West road game at San José State (5-5, 3-3 MW) on Saturday, Nov. 13, at 8:30 p.m. (MT). USU is 18-20-1 all-time against SJSU, which includes a 7-11-1 road record. The game will be televised live on Fox Sports 1 (Comcast Ch. 265/HD691, DirecTV Ch. 219, DISH Ch. 150).
Last Week
W, 35-13 --- at New Mexico State
• Graduate junior quarterback Logan Bonner passed for 359 yards and a career-high-tying four touchdowns and senior wide receiver Deven Thompkins caught nine passes for a career-best 215 yards and a career-high-tying two touchdowns as Utah State pulled away in the second half for a 35-13 non-conference win at New Mexico State. Bonner was 23-of-32 passing with one interception, helping Utah State score 28 unanswered points – all in the second half – and finish with 457 yards of total offense. It is the 26th time in school history that the Aggies have won seven games in a season. At 7-2 through the first nine games, it is the third-best start by the Aggies in the last 43 years, trailing only the 2012 and 2018 teams that both went 11-2. USU improved to 4-0 on the road this season, rallying from double-digit deficits in each of those contests. It is the first time the Aggies have won their first four road games to start a season since 1973. Bonner threw touchdown passes of 26 and 54 yards, respectively, to Thompkins, as well as a 4-yarder to senior wide receiver Derek Wright and a 1-yarder to junior wide receiver Justin McGriff. Bonner has thrown 21 touchdown passes on the year, the fourth-most in single-season school history. Thompkins' 215 yards are tied for the ninth-most in school history. It marked the fifth-straight game he has gone over the century mark in receiving yards as the native of Fort Myers, Florida, now has 2,129 yards receiving in his career – just the 11th player in USU history to accomplish that feat. Thompkins also returned two kickoffs for 27 yards, giving him a career-high 242 all-purpose yards against New Mexico State. Sophomore running back Elelyon Noa led Utah State on the ground with 57 yards on 16 carries. His 4-yard touchdown run with 5:08 to go in the third quarter gave the Aggies a 28-13 lead. Defensively, USU had season highs in tackles for loss (14.0) and sacks (7.0). Graduate senior defensive tackle Marcus Moore recorded a career-best 3.0 tackles for loss, while junior defensive end Patrick Joyner Jr. tallied a career-high 1.5 sacks. Graduate senior safety Shaq Bond led USU with nine tackles, including his first-career sack, to go along with a career-high-tying two pass breakups. Graduate junior safety Hunter Reynolds added eight stops.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Contact: Kyle Cottam - (435) 797-2066
This Week
Tues., Nov. 9 --- UC DAVIS, 7:30 p.m. (MWN)
Fri., Nov. 12 --- vs. Richmond, Annapolis, Maryland, 4 p.m. (MT) (CBSSN)
• Utah State men's basketball (0-0, 0-0 MW) begins its 2021-22 season on Tuesday, Nov. 9, with a home game against UC Davis (0-0) at 7:30 p.m. USU will then play Richmond (0-0) in Annapolis, Maryland, as part of the Veterans Classic on Friday, Nov. 12, at 4 p.m. The UC Davis game will be streamed on the Mountain West Network, online at www.utahstateaggies.com/watch, while the Richmond game will be televised live on CBS Sports Network (Xfinity Ch. 269/753HD, DISH Ch. 158, DirecTV Ch. 221). USU is 2-1 all-time against the Aggies, including a 2-0 home record, and will be facing Richmond for the first time ever.
Last Week
W, 81-51 --- MONTANA WESTERN (Ex.)
• Utah State posted an 81-51 home exhibition win against Montana Western on Oct. 27. Senior forward Justin Bean recorded a double-double with a team-best 21 points and 10 rebounds, while also leading the Aggies with five assists and two blocks. Fellow senior forward Brandon Horvath also finished in double figures, totaling 14 points and adding eight rebounds and two blocks. Utah State finished the game shooting 50.8 percent (33-of-65) from the floor, 27.3 percent (6-of-22) from behind the 3-point line and 75.0 percent (9-of-12) at the charity stripe. The Bulldogs finished their night shooting 32.2 percent (19-of-59) from the floor, 26.7 percent (8-of-30) from behind the 3-point line and 55.6 percent (5-of-9) at the free throw line.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Contact: Daniel Hansen - (435) 797-8584
This Week
Tues., Nov. 9 --- WESTMINSTER, 5 p.m. (MWN)
Sat., Nov. 13 --- CS FULLERTON, 2 p.m. (MWN)
• Utah State women's basketball (0-0, 0-0 MW) begins its 2021-22 season on Tuesday, Nov. 9, with a home game against Westminster (0-0) at 5 p.m. USU then hosts CS Fullerton on Saturday, Nov. 13, at 2 p.m. Both games will be streamed on the Mountain West Network, online at www.utahstateaggies.com/watch.
Last Week
W, 90-43 --- FORT LEWIS COLLEGE (Ex.)
• Utah State posted a 90-43 exhibition victory over Fort Lewis College last week as five players scored in double digits for the Aggies. Graduate transfer Laci Hawthorne had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while adding five assists. Senior transfer Kaylin Randhawa posted a team-high 15 points, to go along with five rebounds and three steals. Junior transfer Adryana Quezada added 13 points and five rebounds, and sophomores Kinley Falslev and Meagan Mendazona also reached double digits in scoring with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Senior transfer Manna Mensah matched Hawthorne with a team-best five assists on the night. As a team, the Aggies forced 22 turnovers, including 13 steals. USU finished the night shooting 48.6 percent from the field (34-of-70), 33.3 percent from 3-point range (10-of-30) and 75.0 percent at the free throw line (12-of-16). Fort Lewis shot 23.0 percent overall (14-of-61), including 14.3 percent from three-point range (3-of-21) and 57.1 percent at the charity stripe (12-of-21).
CROSS COUNTRY
Contact: Wade Denniston - (435) 797-1361
This Week
Fri., Nov. 12 --- at NCAA Mountain Regional, Provo, Utah, 11 a.m.
• Utah State's men's and women's cross country teams will return to action on Friday, Nov. 12, at the NCAA Mountain Region Championships in Provo, Utah, at the Timpanogos Golf Club. The regional championships are slated to begin at 11 a.m.
Last Competition
M: 3rd/9; W: 2nd/11 --- at MW Champs., Albuquerque, New Mexico
• All five of the Utah State scoring runners were among the top-19 finishers and senior Katie Haviland placed 10th overall to help lead the 28th-ranked Aggie women to their best-ever finish at the Mountain West Cross Country Championships two weekends ago. USU placed second ahead of No. 12 Colorado State, which took third. New Mexico, the top-ranked team in the nation, captured its 14th-consecutive MW title. USU's previous best-ever finish on the women's side at the MW Cross Country Championships was in 2017, when the Aggies took third en route to their first-ever appearance at the NCAA Championships. In the men's 8K race, No. 21 Utah State placed third, just ahead of No. 19 Colorado State, which was fourth. No. 11 Air Force defended its title from last year in dominant fashion as all five of its scoring runners were among the top nine. No. 23 Boise State took second. Haviland, who crossed the finish line in 20:05.1 – a personal best for the MW Championships – garnered second-team all-league honors for the second-consecutive year. Fellow senior Mica Rivea also earned second-team all-MW honors as she placed 12th with a time 20:07.7 – her best-ever finish at the conference meet. Chase Leach was the Aggies' top runner on the men's side as he placed 12th with a time of 23:50.2 to earn both MW Freshman of the Year and second-team all-league honors. Senior Caleb Garnica, who was the defending champion, also earned second-team all-MW accolades as he placed 14th with a time of 23:54.1.
VOLLEYBALL
Contact: Daniel Hansen - (435) 797-8584
This Week
Thur., Nov. 11 --- at San José State, 5 p.m. (MT) (MWN)
Sat., Nov. 13 --- at Nevada, 2 p.m. (MT) (MWN)
• Utah State volleyball (19-7, 11-3 MW) continues its 2021 season this week with a pair of Mountain West road matches as it plays at San José State (16-8, 10-4 MW) on Thursday, Nov. 11, at 5 p.m. (MT), and at Nevada (3-22, 0-14 MW) on Saturday, Nov. 13, at 2 p.m. (MT). USU is 24-22-1 all-time against the Spartans and 25-25 all-time against the Wolf Pack. Both matches will be streamed on the Mountain West Network, online at www.utahstateaggies.com/watch.
Last Week
W, 3-1--- AIR FORCE
W, 3-0 --- NEW MEXICO
• Utah State posted a 2-0 Mountain West home record last week with wins against Air Force (3-1) and New Mexico (3-0). Against the Falcons, senior outside Kristy Frank led USU with 15 kills and a .294 hitting percentage (15-5-34), while freshman setter Beatriz Rodrigues posted a double-double with 24 assists and 15 digs. USU hit .218 (48-22-119) and held AFA to a .090 (40-28-133) hitting percentage. Rodrigues also shined against the Lobos, posting another double-double featuring a career-high 29 assists to go along with 11 digs, while sophomore outside Tatum Stall had 15 kills and hit .316 (15-3-38). The Aggies hit .301 (47-13-113) as a team as compared to a .144 (29-14-104) hitting percentage for the Lobos.
WOMEN'S TENNIS
Contact: Daniel Hansen - (435) 797-8584
This Week
Fri.-Sun., Nov. 12-14 --- at CS Northridge Invitational, All Day
• Utah State women's tennis will conclude its fall season at the CS Northridge Invitational from Friday, Nov. 12, through Sunday, Nov. 14.
Last Competition
NTS --- at ITA Regionals, Las Vegas, Nevada
• Seniors Annaliese County and Gabrielle Dekkers represented Utah State at the ITA Regionals in Las Vegas last month. In doubles play, the duo were dispatched in round one by New Mexico State's Harsha Challa and Lisa Zhu, 8-2. In the singles draw, Dekkers fell in her first-round match versus Nevada's Anastasia Luneva, 6-0, 6-1. County notched USU's sole victory with a straight-set win over Utah's Anastasia Goncharova, 6-3, 6-4, before falling to the tournament's No. 6-seeded Taylor Melville from Denver in the second round, 6-2, 6-2.
MEN'S TENNIS
Contact: Daniel Hansen - (435) 797-8584
This Week
Fri.-Sun., Nov. 12-14 --- at CS Northridge Invitational, All Day
• Utah State men's tennis will conclude its fall season at the CS Northridge Invitational from Friday, Nov. 12, through Sunday, Nov. 14.
Last Competition
NTS --- at Utah Invitational
• Utah State men's tennis continued its fall tournament schedule last month as it competed in the Utah Invitational. USU faced a round-robin schedule versus doubles and singles opponents from Utah, Weber State, Idaho State, Montana and Montana State. The Aggies went a combined 10-14 in doubles contests and 11-13 in singles matches during the weekend. Freshman Sergi Mico Fenollar and sophomore Jack Ninteman spearheaded the effort in doubles play, defeating opponents from Utah and Montana. Juniors Javier Ruiz and Roko Savin also notched two doubles victories versus Weber State and Montana State. In singles play, Mico Fenollar again led the Aggie effort with three singles victories over opponents from Weber State, Montana State and Idaho State. Senior Felipe Acosta also showed out in singles matches, capturing straight-set wins over opponents from WSU, MSU and ISU.
SOCCER
Contact: Kyle Cottam - (435) 797-2066
Last Week
Mountain West Championships, Boise, Idaho
W, 1-0 --- vs. #5 Colorado State
L, 1-2 (2 OT) --- vs. #1 New Mexico
• Utah State soccer (13-6-3, 5-4-2 MW) concluded its season with a 2-1 double-overtime loss to top-seeded New Mexico in the Mountain West Tournament semifinals. The Aggies opened the tournament with a 1-0 victory over No. 5 Colorado State when senior midfielder Ashley Cardozo scored her school-record 13th game-winning goal in the 50th minute. The Aggies finished the match with eight shots, including four on goal, compared to 14 shots by the Rams, including five on frame. In the semifinals against the Lobos, senior midfielder Kami Warner, playing in her school-record 88th career match, scored an equalizer in the 90th minute off an assist from sophomore defender Kelsey Steed-Kaufusi. USU finished the match with 16 shots, including seven on goal, to UNM's 19 shots, including six on frame. USU finished the year with an overall mark of 13-6-3, the second-most overall wins by any team in the MW and the most wins by USU during the MW era.
