PROVO, Utah – Junior quarterback Cooper Legas passed for 188 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for another score, but it wasn't enough as Utah State wrapped up non-conference play with a 38-26 loss to No. 19 BYU on Thursday night at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
 
Legas, playing in place of the injured Logan Bonner, made his first-career start for the Aggies (1-4) and completed 19-of-31 passes. He also threw two interceptions. His favorite target on the night was graduate wide receiver Brian Cobbs, who caught 10 passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns.
 
Jaren Hall was 17-of-27 for 273 yards and three touchdowns for the Cougars (4-1), who outscored Utah State 21-9 in the second half.
 
The Aggies scored on the opening possession for the first time this season when Legas led them on a 12-play, 75-yard drive that he capped with a 7-yard touchdown run. The native of Orem, Utah, finished with 54 yards rushing on 20 carries.
 
Grad senior running back Calvin Tyler Jr. led all rushers in the game with 104 yards on 18 carries.
 
BYU tied the game at 7-all with 9:56 remaining in the first quarter, then grabbed a 14-7 lead less than two minutes later when Max Tooley intercepted a pass from Legas and returned it 34 yards for a touchdown.
 
A season-long 50-yard field goal from grad senior placekicker Connor Coles cut the deficit to 14-10 with 9:34 left in the second quarter. Utah State moved back in front 17-14 when Cobbs caught the first of his two touchdowns, a 14-yarder from Legas with 5:04 remaining.
 
The two teams went into the halftime break knotted at 17-apiece after Jake Oldroyd made a 45-yard field goal with 2:32 left in the quarter.
 
BYU scored 21 of the first 24 points in the second half to pull away from the Aggies, who fought until the very end. Cobbs caught a 27-yard touchdown pass from Legas with 1:09 to go in the game, making it 38-26.
 
Utah State elected to go for a two-point conversion, but did not get it. The Aggies also tried an onside kick, but the Cougars recovered and ran out the remainder of the clock.
 
Senior inside linebacker AJ Vongphachanh and grad senior safety Hunter Reynolds had nine tackles apiece for the Aggies, while junior inside linebacker MJ Tafisi added eight stops.
 
BYU finished with 396 yards of total offense, while Utah State tallied 394 total yards, including 206 on the ground.
 
UP NEXT 
 
Utah State returns to Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 8, when the Aggies host Air Force in a Mountain West showdown.
 
For more information on the Utah State football program, follow the Aggies on Twitter at @USUFootball, on Facebook at USUFootball and on Instagram at USUFootball. 
 
-USU-