WEEKLY AGGIE UPDATE - AUGUST 29, 2022

Weekly Aggie Update
 
FOOTBALL          
Contact: Doug Hoffman - (435) 797-3714
 
This Week
Sat., Sept. 3 --- at #1 Alabama, 5:30 p.m. (MT) (SEC Network)
• Utah State football (1-0, 0-0 MW) continues its 2022 season this week at No. 1 Alabama (0-0, 0-0 SEC) on Saturday, Sept. 3, at 5:30 p.m. (MT). USU is 0-2 all-time against the Crimson Tide and 0-2 all-time against the No. 1 team in the nation. The game will be televised live on the SEC Network (Xfinity Ch. 285, DirecTV Ch. 611, DISH Ch. 404).
 
Last Week
W, 31-20 --- CONNECTICUT
•  Utah State graduate senior quarterback Logan Bonner was 20-of-29 passing for 281 yards and three touchdowns, while graduate senior running back Calvin Tyler Jr. gained a career-high 161 yards on a career-best 33 carries to lead USU to a season-opening 31-20 home win against UConn last weekend. Utah State, who scored 24 unanswered points to rally back from a 14-point first quarter deficit, has now won seven games when trailing by 10 or more points under head coach Blake Anderson. USU had seven players start their first-career game, while 20 players made their Aggie debut. Graduate senior wide receiver Brian Cobbs led all receivers with a career-high seven catches for 78 yards and a touchdown. Bonner also threw touchdown passes to junior wide receiver Kyle Van Leeuwen and senior wide receiver Justin McGriff as that duo caught three passes each for 54 and 53 yards, respectively. For Van Leeuwen, his receiving yards are a career-best. In all, USU amassed 542 yards of total offense, including 261 on the ground. Junior linebacker MJ Tafisi led USU in tackles with a career-high 10, including a career-best 2.0 tackles for loss, while senior cornerback Ajani Cater tied his career-high with seven stops and a forced fumble that was recovered by graduate junior defensive end Daniel Grzesiak. Junior linebacker Kaleo Neves also had a career-high in tackles with seven. USU had a pair of interceptions from graduate senior safety Hunter Reynolds and redshirt freshman safety Ike Larsen. In all, USU racked up 11.0 tackles for loss, 11 quarterback hurries and four pass breakups.
 
 
CROSS COUNTRY            
Contact: Wade Denniston - (435) 797-1361 
 
This Week
Sat., Sept. 3 --- USU SAGEBRUSH INVITE, 9 a.m.
•  Utah State's cross country teams will open the season at home on Saturday, Sept. 3, when they host the Sagebrush Invitational at the Steve and Dona Reeder Cross Country Course, beginning at 9 a.m. 
 
Preseason Notes
• Utah State was picked to finish second in the 2022 women's cross country preseason poll, while the Aggie men were picked tied for third with Colorado State. For the Aggie women, this is the highest they have ever been picked to finish in the MW. During the 2021 season, the Aggie women qualified for the NCAA Championships for only their second time in program history, placing 28th out of 31 teams. USU received an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships after placing seventh at the NCAA Mountain Region Championships. The women also recorded the program's best-ever finish at the MW Cross Country Championships, placing second. The Aggie men placed third at the MW Championships. Chase Leach earned MW Freshman of the Year honors as the first freshman across the line, placing 12th with a time of 23:50.2, and also earning all-MW second-team honors in the process. 
 
 
VOLLEYBALL      
Contact: Ashley Springer - (435) 797-5547 
 
This Week
Thur., Sept. 1 --- at #10 BYU, 7 p.m. (BYUtv)
Fri., Sept. 2 --- vs. #6 Pittsburgh, Provo, Utah, 5 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 3 --- vs. Cincinnati, Provo, Utah, 4 p.m.
• Utah State volleyball (2-0, 0-0 MW) continues its non-conference schedule this week at the BYU Invitational. USU opens the tournament against No. 10 BYU (3-0) on Thursday, Sept. 1, at 7 p.m., before facing No. 6 Pittsburgh (2-1) on Friday, Sept. 2, at 5 p.m., followed by a match against Cincinnati (1-2) on Saturday, Sept. 3, at 4 p.m. All-time, the Aggies are 16-41 against the Cougars, 1-0 against the Panthers and 1-0 against the Bearcats. The match against BYU will be broadcast live on BYUtv.
 
Last Week
W, 3-1 --- CAL POLY 
W, 3-1 --- #12 UCLA
•  Utah State began the 2022 season with home wins against Cal Poly (3-1) and No. 12 UCLA (3-1) to win its own USU Invitational. Against the Mustangs, USU hit .188 (54-25-154), while Cal Poly posted a .219 (55-23-146) mark. Senior opposite side hitter Kylee Stokes, graduate opposite Emilee Turner and junior outside hitter Tatum Stall each finished with double-digit kills with 15, 12 and 10, respectively. Junior middle blocker Inka Mehtola had five blocks, including one solo. Both Aggie setters finished with double-doubles as freshman Leah Wilton-LaBoy had 23 assists and 10 digs, while sophomore Beatriz Rodrigues had 19 helpers and 16 digs. Redshirt sophomore libero Jordi Holdaway added 12 digs. Against the Bruins, USU hit .184 (57-30-147), while holding UCLA to a .076 (46-35-145) mark. Three Aggies finished with double-digit kills as Stokes had a match-high 14, Stall had 11 and senior middle blocker Kennedi Boyd had 10. Boyd led USU with a career-high-tying eight blocks, including a career-best three solo. Two Aggies recorded double-doubles as Stall finished with 11 digs, while Wilton-LaBoy posted 25 assists and 10 digs. Holdaway led USU with a match-high 13 digs. 
 
 
SOCCER               
Contact: Kyle Cottam - (435) 797-2066 
 
This Week
Thur., Sept. 1  --- at UC Riverside, 8:30 p.m. (MT) 
•  Utah State soccer (2-0-2, 0-0-0 MW) continues its 2022 season this week with a non-conference match at UC Riverside (2-1-0) on Thursday, Sept. 1, at 8:30 p.m. (MT). USU is 3-2-2 all-time against the Highlanders, including an 0-2-1 road record. Live stats will be available online at www.utahstateaggies.com. 
 
Last Week
W, 2-1 --- ILLINOIS STATE 
T, 3-3 --- GRAND CANYON
•  Utah State remained unbeaten on the year with a 2-1 win over Illinois State, followed by a 3-3 draw against WAC preseason favorite Grand Canyon. Against the Redbirds, sophomore defender Addy Symonds opened the scoring with a goal off of a corner kick in the 30th minute. Freshman forward Kaylie Chambers then secured the victory for the Aggies with a goal from the penalty spot in the 88th minute. Against GCU, USU had goals from seniors Sara Taylor and Sammie Murdock, and junior London Miller. Taylor scored the opening goal in the fifth minute, while Murdock scored the equalizer in the 79th minute. Miller recorded her first goal in the 42nd minute to give USU a 2-1 lead going into the half.
 
 
GOLF    
Contact: Wade Denniston - (435) 797-1361 
 
This Week
Thur.-Fri., Sept. 1-2 --- at Weber State Cup, All Day
•  Utah State's golf team opens the fall season on Thursday and Friday, Sept. 1-2, at the Ogden Golf & Country Club against Weber State in a match play event. 
 
Preseason Notes
•  Utah State returns five letterwinners from last year's team that placed ninth at the Mountain West Championships, including sophomore Esteban Jaramillo, who tied for ninth at the conference championships with a 4-under 212 (74-70-68).