Utah State Concludes Non-Conference Play at UConn on Saturday

Game will be televised on CBS Sports Network at 10 a.m. (MT).

Football 9/25/2023 10:16:00 AM

Utah State Game Notes | UConn Game Notes | Mountain West Release | Watch Live | Listen Live | Live Stats | Digital Game Program

UTAH STATE CONCLUDES NON-CONFERENCE PLAY AT UCONN SATURDAY
Game will be televised on CBS Sports Network at 10 a.m. (MT).

UTAH STATE (1-3, 0-1 MW) vs. UCONN (0-4)
Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023 • 10 a.m. (MT) • East Hartford, Connecticut • Pratt & Whitney Stadium (38,066)

GAME 5 INFORMATION
TV: CBS Sports Network
• Play-by-Play: Chris Lewis
• Analyst: Ross Tucker
• Reporter: Keiana Martin
• Xfinity (Utah): Ch. 269/753HD
• DISH: Ch. 158
• DirecTV: Ch. 221

RADIO: Aggie Sports Network
• Play-by-Play: Scott Garrard
• Analyst: Kevin White
• Online: kslsports.com/kslsportszone

SOCIAL MEDIA: #AGGIESALLTHEWAY
• X/Instagram: @USUFootball
• Facebook: USUFootball
• YouTube: UtahStateFootball
• Live Stats: stats.statbroadcast.com

KICKOFF COVERAGE
• Utah State (1-3, 0-1 MW) concludes its non-conference schedule at UConn (0-4) on Saturday, Sept. 30, at 10 a.m. (MT), on CBS Sports Network (Xfinity Ch. 269/753HD, DISH Ch. 158, DirecTV Ch. 221) with Chris Lewis (play-by-play), Ross Tucker (analyst) and Keiana Martin (reporter) on the call.

• Utah State is 19-16 (.543) in road games over the last six years, including a 9-6 (.600) record under third-year head coach Blake Anderson. USU is also 24-16 (.600) in games played during the month of September over the last 10 seasons and 7-10 (.412) all-time in known games played on Sept. 30.

• Senior WR Terrell Vaughn has 94 receptions for 971 yards (10.3 ypr) and 11 touchdowns in his two-year Aggie career and is six catches shy of becoming the 22nd Aggie in school history with 100 career receptions and 29 yards shy of becoming the 38th Aggie all-time with 1,000 career receiving yards.

• Vaughn has 38 receptions for 347 yards (9.13 ypr/86.8 ypg) and six touchdowns on the season and is tied for first in the nation in receiving touchdowns along with Keon Coleman (Florida State), Jerjuan Newton (Toledo), Will Sheppard (Vanderbilt) and Roman Wilson (Michigan). Vaughn also ranks second in the Mountain West and third in the nation in receptions (9.5 pg), fifth in the MW and 31st in the nation in receiving yards, fifth in the MW and 72nd in the nation in all-purpose yards (101.3 ypg), and seventh in the MW and 32nd in the nation in scoring (9.0 ppg).

• Utah State is 25th in the nation in rushing yards per attempt (5.3), 26th in the nation in scoring offense (37.8 ppg) and 42nd in the nation in passing offense (268.5 ypg).

• Utah State will be playing at 10 a.m. (MT) for the second time this season (Iowa) and for the fourth time in the last three years under Anderson. USU also played Boise State in 10 a.m. games in both 2021 and 2022, and played an 11 a.m. game at New Mexico in 2021.

• Utah State has 61 new players on its roster, which is the sixth-most in the nation, behind Colorado (88), Arizona State (79), Oklahoma State (63), Nebraska (62) and New Mexico State (62).

SCOUTING UCONN
• UConn is 0-4 on the season following its 41-7 home loss to No. 18 Duke last weekend. The Huskies are led by redshirt junior QB Ta'Quan Roberson, who is 47-of-90 (.522) passing for 500 yards (166.7 ypg) with three touchdowns and one interception. Sophomore RB Victor Rosa leads the team in rushing with 218 yards on 42 carries (5.2 ypc/54.5 ypg) with two touchdowns. And, graduate WR Brett Buckman has caught 18 passes for 205 yards (11.4 ypr/51.3 ypg) with one touchdown. Defensively, senior LB Jackson Mitchell has 32 tackles, which includes 0.5 sacks and 2.0 tackles for loss, while junior DB Durante Jone has 26 tackles and one fumble recovery. As a team, UConn is averaging 13.0 points and 286.3 yards of total offense per game (118.0 rushing, 168.3 passing), and allowing 31.0 points and 361.0 yards of total offense (153.3 rushing, 207.8 passing). UConn returns 16 starters (O-8, D-8) and 63 lettermen (O-32, D-26, S-5) from last year's team that went 6-7 overall and finished its season with a 28-14 loss to Marshall in the 2022 Myrtle Beach Bowl. The Huskies are coached by Jim Mora, who is 6-11 in his second season at UConn and 52-41 in eight years as a collegiate head coach.

AGGIES AND HUSKIES SERIES HISTORY
• Utah State and UConn will play one another for the second-straight season and third time in series history this weekend. USU won the first meeting, 38-31, on Nov. 10, 2001, in Storrs, Connecticut, and posted a 31-20 home win last season on Aug. 27, 2022.

AGGIES FROM CONNECTICUT
• Utah State has one player on its roster from the state of Connecticut in junior CB Gabriel Bryan (Windsor/Windsor HS/Navarro (TX) CC). Furthermore, junior RB Rahsul Faison attended Salisbury (CT) HS during his senior season. Faison is from Pottstown, Pennsylvania.

• In 126 years of Aggie football, Utah State has had just three other players from the state of Connecticut in LS Emmett Odegard (2016-17), who was from Greenwich, TE Norvich Hunter (1994-95), who was from Stamford, and DT Jim Pauciello (1983-86), who was from Trumbull.

PLAYER CONNECTIONS BETWEEN UTAH STATE AND UCONN
• The following are connections between Utah State and UConn players. USU graduate senior ILB MJ Tafisi Jr. and UConn sophomore DB Zakhari Spears both began their collegiate careers at Washington. USU sophomore ILB Gavin Barthiel and UConn graduate DB Armauni Archie both began their collegiate careers at Washington State. USU sophomore S Simeon Harris and redshirt freshman WR Grant Page both began their collegiate careers at Colorado, as did UConn redshirt junior OL Valentin Senn.

UTAH STATE vs. FBS INDEPENDENTS
• Utah State is 3-0 all-time against current Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) Independents with a 2-0 record against UConn and a 1-0 record against Army.

LAST ROAD MEETING vs. UCONN
• Senior RB Emmett White ran for 117 yards and scored two touchdowns to lead Utah State to a 38-31 road win in Storrs, Connecticut, on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2001. The Aggies (3-5) held on as UConn (2-7) rallied from a 38-10 deficit in the second half. White, the Aggies' leader in all-purpose yards, had a 3-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and caught a 6-yard scoring pass from junior QB Jose Fuentes in the third. Fuentes completed 20-of-31 passes for 234 yards and three touchdowns. UConn's Dan Orlovsky threw two touchdown passes and finished with 245 yards, completing 19-of-51 attempts. He also ran for a score. The Aggies scored on their opening drive, moving 65 yards in under two minutes, on a 10-yard reception by junior TE Casey Poppinga. USU extended the lead to 14-0 when senior CB Tony Walker intercepted Orlovsky's pass on the Huskies' first possession and ran it in from 31 yards. USU built a 28-10 lead at the half on sophomore WR Chris Stallworth's 10-yard reception and White's 3-yard run. UConn got its only touchdown of the first half from its special teams, with Jamal Lundy recovering a fumbled punt in the end zone. The teams combined for 222 yards in penalties. Pass-interference calls against Utah State in the second half kept alive two UConn scoring drives, allowing the Huskies to get back in the game. With a sore right knee and the Aggies up by 28 points, White was sidelined for much of the second half until UConn began to rally, scoring on three straight possessions. Orlovsky hit Wes Timko for a 34-yard strike with 4:57 left in the third quarter. After an Aggies' punt, Orlovsky found Cliff Hill on a 4-yard scoring pass early in the fourth quarter to cut the lead to 38-24. With just over five minutes left in the game, Orlovsky scored from the 1, capping a 13-play, 85-yard drive. Utah State relied on White and ball control in the closing minutes to seal the win. White ran for 34 yards in the Aggies' final possession before Utah State was forced to punt with under a minute left. Sophomore DT Jorge Tapia intercepted Orlovsky's pass on the UConn 30 and ran it back to the 7 with 25 seconds left to play to seal the win. Junior LB Jesse Busta had a team-high 11 tackles, which included 1.0 sacks and 2.0 tackles for loss, to go along with a fumble recovery for the Aggies.

ROSTER BREAKDOWN
• Utah State has 44 players on its roster from the Beehive State, while Connecticut has 24 players on its roster from the Constitution State.

LAST MEETING vs. UCONN
LOGAN, Utah - Utah State graduate senior QB Logan Bonner was 20-of-29 passing for 281 yards and three touchdowns, while graduate senior RB Calvin Tyler Jr. gained a career-high 161 yards on a career-best 33 carries to lead Utah State to a season-opening 31-20 home win against UConn on Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022.

Utah State, who scored 24 unanswered points to rally back from a 14-point first quarter deficit, made it a habit of rallying from double-digit deficits during the 2021 campaign, as it has now won seven games when trailing by 10 or more points under head coach Blake Anderson.

Utah State had seven players start their first-career game, while 20 players made their Aggie debut on Saturday.

Graduate senior WR Brian Cobbs made his Aggie debut by leading all receivers in the game with a career-high eight catches for a career-best 108 yards and a touchdown. Overall, it was his first-career 100-yard game.

Bonner also threw touchdown passes to junior WR Kyle Van Leeuwen and senior WR 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 and his three receptions tied his career high. Junior college transfer Terrell Vaughn added two receptions for 41 yards in his first game for USU.

In all, Utah State amassed 542 yards of total offense, including 261 on the ground.

The Huskies led 14-0 at the end of the first quarter following a 1-yard touchdown run by Ta'Quan Roberson and a 13-yard touchdown pass from Zion Turner to Keelan Marion. Turner was 12-of-31 passing for 109 yards and one touchdown to go along with two interceptions. UConn's Nate Carter led all rushers in the game with 190 yards on 20 carries.

Utah State began its comeback in the second quarter when Bonner found Van Leeuwen from 11 yards to cut the deficit to 14-7 with 12:28 left until the half. The Aggies then scored 17 more points in the final 3:42 of the quarter on a 23-yard touchdown run by freshman RB Robert Briggs, a 14-yard touchdown pass from Bonner to McGriff and a 45-yard field goal by graduate senior PK Connor Coles. Briggs finished the game with 85 yards on 10 carries.

The Huskies pulled within 24-20 with 10:09 left in the fourth quarter following a pair of 47- and 54-yard field goals from Noe Ruelas, but Cobbs' 11-yard touchdown reception with six minutes to go cemented the win.

UConn's final series of the game ended with 4:46 left after redshirt freshman S Ike Larsen intercepted a pass by Turner. Graduate senior S Hunter Reynolds also had an interception for the Aggies.

Junior ILB MJ Tafisi led Utah State in tackles with a career-high 10, including a career-best 2.0 tackles for loss in his Aggie debut, while senior CB Ajani Cater tied his career-high with seven stops and a forced fumble that was recovered by graduate junior DE Daniel Grzesiak in his first game for USU. Junior OLB Kaleo Neves also had a career-high in tackles with seven.

UConn's Jackson Mitchell had a game-high 16 tackles, including 1.0 sacks, to go along with a forced fumble and fumble recovery.

Utah State racked up 11.0 tackles for loss, 11 quarterback hurries and four pass breakups.

GAME 4 RECAP vs. JAMES MADISON
LOGAN, Utah - For the second time in as many outings, Utah State dug itself a huge first-quarter hole and could not recover. The Aggies went down fighting, though.

James Madison scored the first four times it touched the ball – three touchdowns and a field goal – but had to hold in a thrilling 45-38 win against Utah State in front of 19,994 fans on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023.

The Aggies (1-3) trailed 24-0 just nine seconds into the second quarter and 38-17 at halftime, but fought all the way back to tie it up at 38-all with 11:01 to go in the game after junior WR Micah Davis caught a career-long 76-yard touchdown pass from freshman QB McCae Hillstead.

In his first-career start for the Aggies, Hillstead was 25-of-47 passing for 399 yards – the most in school history by a freshman – and four touchdowns. However, he also threw three interceptions.

Senior WR Terrell Vaughn caught a game-best 10 passes for a season-high 124 yards and a career-high-tying two touchdowns.

Both of Vaughn's touchdown receptions were in the third quarter, a 20- and 6-yarder, respectively, to pull the Aggies within 38-31.

Jordan McCloud was 23-of-34 passing for 364 yards and four touchdowns, to go along with two interceptions, for the Dukes (4-0), who finished with a dozen more yards (512-500).

McCloud's final touchdown pass of the night was a 74-yarder to Reggie Brown to give JMU the lead back for good, 45-38 with 5:52 to go in the fourth quarter.

However, Utah State got the ball back three more times before the clock hit zero. Unfortunately for the Aggies, they turned it over on downs once and Hillstead was intercepted twice – the second of which went off the hands of graduate junior WR Colby Bowman following a hard hit by a JMU defender.

Bowman finished with two receptions for a career-high 78 yards, including a career-long 63-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter.

Down by 24 early in the second quarter, Utah State started chipping away at the deficit when it successfully executed a fake field goal. Junior PK Elliott Nimrod initially lined up for a 35-yard field goal, but instead of going through with the kick, he took the pitch from senior P/H Stephen Kotsanlee and ran 18 yards for the touchdown.

The touchdown was set up by sophomore S Devin Dye's first-career interception. It was one of five turnovers the Aggies had on the night as junior S Anthony Switzer had both a pick and a fumble recovery, while junior DE Blaine Spires also recovered a fumble.

Graduate senior OL Wade Meacham also recovered a fumble after James Madison's Jarius Reimonenq intercepted a pass, but lost the ball on the return courtesy of a hit by junior OL Cole Motes.

Sophomore S Ike Larsen had a game-high 10 tackles, including 1.0 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble. Besides his interception, Dye added a career-best nine tackles, including 0.5 tackles for loss and one pass breakup.

Junior RB Davon Booth led all rushers with a career-high 103 yards on 21 carries for the Aggies, who had negative 22 yards and zero first downs after the first quarter.

UTAH STATE'S COMEBACK FALLS SHORT AGAINST JAMES MADISON
• Utah State rallied from an early 24-point deficit last weekend against James Madison to tie the game at 38-all, only to lose to the Dukes 45-38. USU trailed 24-0 early in the second quarter and later 31-7, before mounting one of its largest comebacks in school history. USU got within 38-17 at the half and then scored 21 straight points in the second half to tie the game at 38-38 with 11:01 to play. However, JMU answered with a 74-yard touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter to preserve the win.

• For Utah State, its 24-point comeback would have been the second-largest in school history, trailing only its 2001 home game against Idaho State as it trailed 27-0 at halftime before fighting back for a 28-27 win.

UTAH STATE'S OFFENSE PLAYS WELL AGAINST JAMES MADISON
• Utah State's offense had lots of success against James Madison last weekend, despite having zero first downs and minus 22 yards of total offense at the end of the first quarter. During the final three quarters of the game, USU scored 38 points and finished the game with 500 total yards, which included 402 passing yards, which are the 17th-most in school history. USU also rushed for 98 yards, which are the most allowed by the Dukes this season. In fact, JMU entered the game leading the nation in rushing yards allowed at 22.7 yards per game and had not allowed a 100-yard rusher in its last eight games dating back to last season.

UTAH STATE FORCES FIVE TURNOVERS AGAINST JAMES MADISON
• Utah State forced a season-high five turnovers with three fumbles and two interceptions against James Madison last weekend, which are its most turnovers in a game since it forced five New Mexico State turnovers in 2018. Against JMU, USU got interceptions from redshirt junior S Anthony Switzer and sophomore S Devin Dye, and had fumble recoveries by graduate senior OL Wade Meacham, junior DE Blaine Spires and Switzer.

UTAH STATE SCORES SPECIAL TEAMS TOUCHDOWN AGAINST DUKES
• Utah State scored its first special teams touchdown of the season last weekend against James Madison as junior PK Elliott Nimrod ran a fake field goal 18 yards for a touchdown. For USU, it was its third special teams touchdown in its last eight games as it scored a touchdown on a fake field goal against New Mexico and returned a blocked punt for a touchdown against San José State last year.

• Utah State now has six special teams touchdowns under head coach Blake Anderson. During the 2021 season, USU returned two kickoffs for scores. In 2022, USU returned one kickoff for a touchdown, to go along with its fake field goal and blocked punt, both of which were returned for touchdowns. And this year, USU scored a touchdown on a fake field goal.

UTAH STATE HAS THREE PLAYERS MAKE FIRST-CAREER START AGAINST JMU
• Utah State had three players make their first-career start last weekend against James Madison in junior RB Rahsul Faison, redshirt freshman OL Teague Andersen and freshman QB McCae Hillstead. USU has now had 18 players make their first-career start through the first four weeks of the season. Furthermore, USU has had 16 players appear in their first-ever Division I game this year and 39 players have made their Aggie debut this fall.

UTAH STATE MILESTONES THAT EQUAL SUCCESS
• Utah State has won 44 of its last 55 games when it has a 100-yard rusher, including a 1-1 record this year, and 50 of its last 58 contests when rushing at least 40 times in a game, including a 1-0 record in 2023. USU has also won 67 of its last 73 games when scoring at least 30 points, including a 1-1 record this year.

UTAH STATE HAD WON 11-STRAIGHT ONE-SCORE GAMES BEFORE JMU LOSS
• Utah State had won eight-straight one-score games under head coach Blake Anderson and 11 straight overall prior to its 45-38 loss to James Madison last weekend. Its last loss in a one-score game prior to the JMU game was at Wake Forest (L, 35-38) in 2019.

UTAH STATE HAD FIVE COME-FROM-BEHIND WINS DURING THE 2022 SEASON
• Utah State had to come-from-behind to win five of its six games last year as it trailed UConn 14-0 in the first quarter before posting a 31-20 win, trailed Air Force 24-20 in the fourth quarter before posting a 34-27 win, scored 10 of the final 13 points to defeat Colorado State 17-13, after trailing 10-7 at halftime, scored the final 20 points to post a 27-10 home win against New Mexico, after trailing 10-7 at halftime, and scored a touchdown in the final three minutes against San José State for a 35-31 win.

• Overall, Utah State has won 12 games under head coach Blake Anderson when it has trailed at some point in the contest, which includes rallying from double-digit deficits in seven games.

• Utah State has won five games under Anderson when trailing in the fourth quarter, as it rallied to defeat Washington State, Air Force and UNLV in 2021, and Air Force and San José State in 2022.

• And, Utah State is a perfect 14-0 under Anderson, including a 5-0 record last year, when it has the lead heading into the fourth quarter.

HILLSTEAD SETS FRESHMAN PASSING RECORD AGAINST JAMES MADISON
• Freshman QB McCae Hillstead was 25-of-47 (.532) passing for 399 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions, all of which are career highs, in his first-career start against James Madison last weekend. Those 399 passing yards are the most by a freshman and tied for the 14th-most in school history. It is also the most yards thrown by an Aggie since Jordan Love threw for 416 yards at Wake Forest in 2019.

• In the first extended playing time of his career two weekends ago at Air Force, Hillstead was 18-of-27 passing for 202 yards and three touchdowns.

HILLSTEAD EIGHTH TRUE FRESHMAN TO START AT QUARTERBACK FOR AGGIES
• Freshman McCae Hillstead made his first-career start at quarterback for Utah State last weekend against James Madison. Hillstead was the eighth true freshman to start at quarterback for the Aggies in school history and first since Bishop Davenport started one game last year. Kent Myers started five games as a true freshman in 2014. Darell Garretson started seven games as a true freshman in 2013. Chuckie Keeton started eight games as a true freshman in 2011. Riley Nelson started six games as a true freshman in 2006. Jerod Walker started two games as a true freshman in 2005. And, Jeff Crosbie started four games as a true freshman in 1998.

VAUGHN TIES CAREER HIGH WITH TWO TOUCHDOWNS AGAINST JAMES MADISON
• Senior WR Terrell Vaughn caught 10 passes for a season-high 124 yards and tied his career high with two touchdowns last weekend against James Madison. It is his second-career 100-yard receiving game, third-career double-digit reception game and third-career game with two touchdown catches.

• Vaughn has also had at least 10 receptions in three of his first four games this year as he had a career-high 12 receptions for 93 yards and one touchdown in the season opener at No. 25 Iowa and caught 11 passes for 73 yards and a career-high-tying two touchdowns against Idaho State Vaughn is the first Aggie since Kevin Curtis in 2001 to have double-digit receptions in consecutive games.

VAUGHN SETS SCHOOL RECORD IN JAMES MADISON GAME
• Senior WR Terrell Vaughn is the first player in school history to have a touchdown reception in each of his first four games of the season as he had one touchdown catch at No. 25 Iowa, a career-high-tying two touchdown catches against Idaho State, one touchdown reception at Air Force, and a career-high-tying two touchdown receptions against James Madison last weekend.
The last Aggie to have a touchdown catch in four-straight games was Brandon Bowling and Derek Wright in 2021. In fact, Wright had a touchdown catch in seven straight games that season.

BOOTH RECORDS FIRST-CAREER 100-YARD RUSHING GAME
• Junior RB Davon Booth recorded his first-career 100-yard rushing game last weekend against James Madison as he carried the ball 21 times for 103 yards, both of which are career highs.

DAVIS RECORDS CAREER-HIGH 163 ALL-PURPOSE YARDS AGAINST DUKES
• Junior WR Micah Davis recorded a career-high 163 all-purpose yards last weekend against James Madison as he had two receptions for 82 yards, including a career-long 76-yard touchdown catch, while adding 46 kickoff return yards and 35 punt return yards.

• In his previous game at Air Force, which is where he played during his first two years of college, Davis caught a career-high-tying four passes for a season-high 84 yards and one touchdown. Davis now has touchdown receptions in each of his last three games to give him five in his career.

ROYALS HAS CAREER HIGHS AGAINST JAMES MADISON
• Junior WR Jalen Royals had a career-high seven receptions for a career-best 57 yards, including a career-long 25-yard reception, last weekend against James Madison. In his previous game at Air Force, he had a then-career-high 52 receiving yards on four catches, including his second touchdown of the year and in his career.

BOWMAN HAS FIRST-CAREER TOUCHDOWN IN JAMES MADISON GAME
• Graduate junior WR Colby Bowman scored his first-career touchdown on a 63-yard pass against James Madison last weekend. He finished the game with two receptions for a career-high 78 yards.

TIA HAS CAREER GAME AGAINST JAMES MADISON
• Sophomore WR Otto Tia had a career-high three receptions for a career-best 47 yards, including a career-long 37-yard reception, against James Madison last weekend.

OTHER OFFENSIVE NOTABLES AGAINST JAMES MADISON
• Graduate senior OL Wade Meacham recovered his first-career fumble that was forced by junior OL Cole Motes following an Aggie interception. For Motes, it was his first-career forced fumble.

LARSEN POSTS DOUBLE-DIGIT TACKLES IN CONSECUTIVE GAMES
• Sophomore S Ike Larsen has posted double-digit tackles in each of his last two games as he had 10 tackles, which included 1.0 tackles for loss, to go along with his first-career forced fumble against James Madison last weekend. In his previous game at Air Force, Larsen recorded his first-career double-digit tackle outing as he had a career-high 11 stops.

• Against Idaho State, Larsen intercepted his fifth-career pass and returned it 47 yards for his second-career pick-six. Larsen also had five tackles, including 0.5 tackles for loss, against the Bengals.

• In the season opener at No. 25 Iowa, Larsen had four tackles, tied his career high with two pass breakups, and blocked his fourth-career punt to extend his own school record.

DYE HAS CAREER GAME AGAINST JAMES MADISON
• Sophomore S Devin Dye had his best game as an Aggie as he recorded a career-high nine tackles, which included 0.5 tackles for loss, to go along with his first-career interception and second-career pass breakup.

SWITZER RECORDS TWO TURNOVERS AGAINST JAMES MADISON
• Redshirt junior S Anthony Switzer recorded a pair of turnovers against James Madison last weekend as he intercepted his first pass of the season and second of his career, to go along with his first fumble recovery of the season and the second of his career.

• Switzer began the season by posting eight tackles at No. 25 Iowa and then notched a career-high 10 tackles against Idaho State for his first-career double-digit tackle game.

OTHER DEFENSIVE NOTABLES FROM JAMES MADISON GAME
• Redshirt sophomore CB Avante Dickerson had a career-high four tackles, to go along with one pass breakup to give him three pass breakups this year and in his career. Redshirt freshman DT Sir Mells had a career-high three tackles, including his first-career sack, while adding his first-career forced fumble. Junior DE Cian Slone had a career-high three tackles. Junior DT Clifton Mosley Jr. had a career-high two tackles, including 0.5 tackles for loss, which is the first of his career. Junior DE Blaine Spires had his first fumble recovery of the season and the second of his career. Spires also had 0.5 tackles for loss to give him 2.0 TFLs on the season and 12.0 in his career, to go along with his first pass breakup of the season and the second of his career. Graduate senior ILB MJ Tafisi Jr. had 0.5 tackles for loss to give him 4.5 TFLs on the season and 15.0 TFLs in his career. Graduate senior CB Michael Anyanwu had one pass breakup, his first this season, to give him 14 PBUs in his career. Sophomore DT Seni Tuiaki had 1.0 tackles for loss to give him 2.5 TFLs on the season and 5.0 in his career. And, junior CB Jaiden Francois had his first-career pass breakup.

NIMROD SCORES CAREER-HIGH 14 POINTS AGAINST JAMES MADISON
• Junior PK Elliott Nimrod scored a career-high 14 points last weekend against James Madison as he scored his first-career touchdown on an 18-yard run on a fake field goal in the second quarter. Nimrod was also 5-of-5 on extra points and 1-of-2 on field goals as he made a 28-yarder and missed a 37-yarder. Nimrod is now 3-of-4 on the season on field goals, including 1-of-1 from 20-29 yards and 1-of-2 from 30-39 yards.

KOTSANLEE FIFTH ALL-TIME IN SCHOOL HISTORY IN PUNTING
• Senior P Stephen Kotsanlee punted five times for an average of 45.4 yards last weekend against James Madison and has now punted 174 times in his career for an average of 42.6 yards per punt (7,418 yards), which is the fifth-best average in school history. For his career, he has 36 punts of at least 50 yards and 64 punts that have been downed inside the 20-yard line.

• As a freshman in 2020, Kotsanlee earned honorable mention all-Mountain West honors as he punted 37 times for an average of 40.7 yards.

UTAH STATE HAS TWO KICKERS MAKE A FIELD GOAL IN SAME GAME
• For the first time since the 2017 season, Utah State had a pair of placekickers make a field goal in the same game. In its season opener at No. 25 Iowa, junior PK William Testa made a 32-yard field, while junior PK Elliott Nimrod made a 45-yard field goal. In 2017, Utah State had a pair of placekickers make field goals against Idaho State in Dominik Eberle and Michael Smith.

DID YOU KNOW?
• Utah State's starting punter Stephen Kotsanlee (Australia) and starting placekicker William Testa (Italy) are both international players. The only other FBS schools that have international players at both punter and placekicker are Bowling Green, Colorado State and Oklahoma State.

UTAH STATE 26TH IN THE NATION IN SCORING OFFENSE
• Utah State is first in the Mountain West and 44th in the nation in total offense (430.5 ypg), second in the MW and 26th in the nation in scoring offense (37.8 ppg), fourth in the MW and 42nd in the nation in passing offense (268.5 ypg), fifth in the MW and 55th in the nation in completion percentage (.631), fifth in the MW and 69th in the nation in passing efficiency (138.1), sixth in the MW and 60th in the nation in rushing offense (162.0 ypg), and 11th in the MW and 112th in the nation in sacks allowed with 12 (3.0 pg).

• Utah State is also second in the MW and 17th in the nation in fumbles lost with one (0.25 pg), third in the MW and 25th in the nation in yards per rush attempt (5.3), fifth in the MW and 36th in the nation in turnover margin (+0.50), sixth in the MW and 68th in the nation in turnovers lost with six, seventh in the MW and 49th in the nation in fourth down conversions (.583), and seventh in the MW and 69th in the nation in red zone offense (.917).

UTAH STATE 62ND IN THE NATION IN TACKLES FOR LOSS
• Utah State is fourth in the Mountain West and 62nd in the nation in tackles for loss with 23 (5.8 pg), sixth in the MW and 90th in the nation in passing defense (241.8 ypg), sixth in the MW and 101st in the nation in passing efficiency defense (145.9), eighth in the MW and 102nd in the nation in total defense (412.0 ypg), ninth in the MW and 101st in the nation in sacks with six (1.50 pg), 10th in the MW and 103rd in the nation in rushing defense (170.2 ypg), and 10th in the MW and 115th in the nation in scoring defense (34.0 ppg).

UTAH STATE 20TH IN THE NATION WITH EIGHT FORCED TURNOVERS
• Utah State is third in the Mountain West and 11th in the nation in fumbles recovered with four (1.0 pg), fourth in the MW and 41st in the nation in passes intercepted with four (1.0 pg), and fourth in the MW and 20th in the nation in turnovers forced with eighth (2.0 pg).

UTAH STATE ONE OF 19 FBS TEAMS WITH TWO DEFENSIVE TOUCHDOWNS
• Utah State is one of 19 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams in the nation with two defensive touchdowns this season.

UTAH STATE BLOCKS FIRST PUNT OF 2023 SEASON
• After leading the Mountain West and ranking 10th in the nation with four blocked kicks (3 punts, 1 extra point) in 2022, Utah State started the 2023 season by blocking a punt at No. 25 Iowa. USU has blocked six punts in its last 19 games dating back to the 2021 season.

• Utah State has blocked eight kicks (6 punts, 1 field goal, 1 extra point) under head coach Blake Anderson, which included four blocks (3 punts, 1 extra point) during the 2022 campaign. The school record for blocked kicks in a season is six set in 2012.

UTAH STATE 30TH IN THE NATION IN PUNT RETURNS
• Utah State is second in the MW and 30th in the nation in punt returns (12.0 ypr), second in the MW and 48th in the nation in punt return defense (4.2 ypr), fourth in the MW and 45th in the nation in net punting (40.5 ypp), seventh in the MW and 70th in the nation in kickoff returns (19.4 ypr), and 11th in the MW and 125th in the nation in kickoff return defense (28.2 ypr).

AGGIES IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST AND NCAA RANKINGS
• Utah State sophomore S Ike Larsen is tied for first in the nation with one defensive touchdown (0.25 pg), is first in the Mountain West and third in the nation with one blocked kick (0.25 pg), and is sixth in the MW and 71st in the nation with one interception (0.25 pg). Junior CB Jaiden Francois is tied for first in the nation with one defensive touchdown (0.25 pg), and is sixth in the MW and 71st in the nation with one interception (0.25 pg). Senior WR Terrell Vaughn is first in the nation in receiving touchdowns with six (1.50 pg), second in the MW and third in the nation in receptions (9.5 pg), fifth in the MW and 31st in the nation in receiving yards (86.8 ypg), fifth in the MW and 72nd in the nation in all-purpose yards (101.3 ypg), and seventh in the MW and 32nd in the nation in scoring (9.0 ppg). Junior WR Micah Davis is first in the MW and 13th in the nation in yards per reception (23.5), first in the MW and 13th in the nation in punt returns (12.0 ypr), fifth in the MW and 37th in the nation with three receiving touchdowns (0.75 pg), and ninth in the MW in all-purpose yards (91.3). Graduate senior QB Cooper Legas is second in the MW and 31st in the nation in completion percentage (.676), seventh in the MW and 77th in the nation in completions per game (16.0), and ninth in the MW and 99th in the nation in passing efficiency (121.3). Senior P Stephen Kotsanlee is third in the MW and 17th in the nation in punting (44.5 ypp). Freshman QB McCae Hillstead is third in the MW and 46th in the nation in passing touchdowns with seven (2.33 pg), fourth in the MW and 49th in the nation in passing efficiency (145.7), fifth in the MW and 77th in the nation in passing (206.3 ypg), eighth in the MW and 82nd in the nation in completions per game (15.3), eighth in the MW and 84th in the nation in total offense (205.3 ypg), and 10th in the MW and 89th in the nation in completion percentage (.582). Junior RB Davon Booth is fourth in the MW and 43rd in the nation in yards per rush (5.7), and ninth in the MW in rushing (59.5 ypg). Redshirt junior S Anthony Switzer is fifth in the MW and 19th in the nation in fumbles recovered with one (0.25 pg), and sixth in the MW and 71st in the nation in interceptions with one (0.25 pg). Graduate senior OL Wade Meacham is fifth in the MW and 19th in the nation in fumbles recovered with one (0.25 pg). Junior DE Cian Slone is fifth in the MW and 19th in the nation in fumbles recovered with one (0.25 pg). Junior DE Blaine Spires is fifth in the MW and 19th in the nation in fumbles recovered with one (0.25 pg). Junior PK Elliott Nimrod is sixth in the MW and 54th in the nation in field goal percentage (.750), and ninth in the MW and 83rd in the nation in field goals (0.75 pg). Sophomore S Devin Dye is sixth in the MW and 71st in the nation in interceptions with one (0.25 pg). Sophomore ILB Cole Joyce is seventh in the MW and 98th in the nation in sacks with two (0.5 pg). And, redshirt freshman DE Paul Fitzgerald is seventh in the MW and 98th in the nation in sacks with two (0.5 pg).

WHAT'S RETURNING IN 2023
• Utah State returns nine starters (O-4, D-5) as part of 35 letterwinners (O-19, D-13, S-3) from last year's team that posted a 6-7 record, tied for second in the Mountain Division of the Mountain West with a 5-3 mark, and concluded its season by playing in its 10th bowl game in the past 12 years against Memphis (L, 38-10) in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl in Dallas, Texas. USU also welcomes back 14 redshirts (O-7, D-6, S-1) and three squadmen (O-1, D-2).

• Highlighting Utah State's returners in 2023 are a trio of all-Mountain West performers in sophomore S Ike Larsen, senior ILB MJ Tafisi Jr. and senior WR Terrell Vaughn. Larsen earned second-team all-MW accolades and was named a College Football News Honorable Mention Freshman All-American, while Tafisi and Vaughn both garnered honorable mention all-MW honors. USU also returns senior P Stephen Kotsanlee, who earned honorable mention all-MW honors in 2020.

• Other starters returning for Utah State in 2023 include graduate senior CB Michael Anyanwu, graduate senior QB Cooper Legas, graduate senior OL Wade Meacham, senior DT Hale Motu'apuaka, senior TE Josh Sterzer and senior DT Poukesi Vakauta.

UTAH STATE WELCOMES 61 NEWCOMERS
• Utah State welcomes 61 newcomers (O-27, D-32, S-2) to its program this fall, which is the sixth-most in the nation. Among the group of new players are 14 four-year transfers in graduate senior OL Ralph Frias III (Arizona State), senior RB Sione Finau (BYU), graduate junior WR Colby Bowman (Stanford), junior CB Jaiden Francois (UCF), junior QB Zeke Payne (New Mexico Highlands), junior DE Blaine Spires (Bowling Green), redshirt sophomore CB Avante Dickerson (Oregon), sophomore CB Al Ashford III (Wisconsin), sophomore ILB Gavin Barthiel (Washington State), sophomore S Simeon Harris (Colorado), redshirt freshman DT Sir Mells (Oregon), redshirt freshman WR Grant Page (Colorado), redshirt freshman ILB Logan Pili (BYU) and redshirt freshman S Jackson Sundstrom (Concordia). USU also welcomes 21 junior college transfers (O-9, D-11, S-1), to go along with 26 high schoolers (O-13, D-12, S-1).

• Among the 21 junior college transfers, five of those players began their careers at the FBS level in junior WR Micah Davis (Air Force), junior RB Rahsul Faison (Marshall), junior CB Jaylen Martin (California), sophomore DE Ioholani Raass (UCLA) and sophomore S Javar Strong (Arkansas State).

UTAH STATE HAS FOUR SETS OF BROTHERS ON 2023 ROSTER
• Utah State has four sets of brothers on its 2023 roster in senior DT Hale Motu'apuaka (Honolulu, Hawaii/Punahou HS) and redshirt freshman OL Tavo Motu'apuaka (Honolulu, Hawaii/Mililani HS), junior DE Cian Slone (Rocklin, California/American River JC/Rocklin HS) and sophomore S Teeg Slone (Rocklin, California/American River JC/Rocklin HS), sophomore OL Elia Migao (Temecula, California/Chaparral HS) and sophomore DE Enoka Migao (Temecula, California/Chaparral HS), and redshirt freshman DE Kaden Jolley (Fruita, Colorado/Fruita Monument HS) and freshman DT Tanner Jolley (Fruita, Colorado/Fruita Monument HS).

NINE AGGIES WITH BACHELOR'S DEGREES
• Utah State has nine players on its 2023 roster that have already received their bachelor's degrees in graduate senior CB Michael Anyanwu (kinesiology), graduate senior OL Ralph Frias III (interdisciplinary studies), graduate senior OL Calvin Knapp (interdisciplinary studies), graduate senior QB Cooper Legas (economics), graduate senior OL Wade Meacham (psychology), graduate senior CB Xavion Steele (sociology), graduate senior ILB MJ Tafisi Jr. (integrated studies), graduate junior WR Colby Bowman (science, technology and society) and graduate junior QB Levi Williams (integrated studies).

AGGIES WHO HAVE SERVED LDS CHURCH MISSIONS
• Utah State has 14 players on its 2023 roster who have served missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in graduate senior OL Wade Meacham, senior RB Sione Finau, senior TE Josh Sterzer, senior WR Kyle Van Leeuwen, sophomore DE Kaden Jolley, sophomore DT Seni Tuiaki, redshirt freshman K/P Ryan Marks, redshirt freshman ILB Bronson Olevao Jr., redshirt freshman LB Logan Pili, redshirt freshman OL Adam Pond, freshman DE Emerson Conlon, freshman ILB Bowen Fjord, freshman DT Tanner Jolley and freshman S Titan Saxton.

AGGIES WHO ARE MARRIED
• Utah State has four players on its 2023 roster who are married in graduate senior OL Wade Meacham, senior DT Hale Motu'apuaka, senior TE Josh Sterzer and junior OL Cole Motes.

DID YOU KNOW?
• Utah State sophomore S Devin Dye's dad, Jermaine, spent 13 years in Major League Baseball as an outfielder for several teams, including the 2005 World Champion Chicago White Sox, as he was named World Series MVP. He was a two-time All-Star, a Gold Glove Award recipient in 2000 and a Silver Slugger Award recipient in 2006.

• Utah State junior WR Micah Davis' dad, Dexter, spent five years in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals and St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams.

ANDERSON ENTERS THIRD SEASON AT UTAH STATE
• Blake Anderson, who is entering his third season at Utah State, is just the second head coach in program history to lead the Aggies to consecutive bowl games in his first two seasons. Overall, Anderson is the fifth head coach in school history to coach in multiple bowls, along with E. Lowell Romney (1946-47), John Ralston (1960-61), Gary Andersen (2011-12, 2019) and Matt Wells (2013-15, '17).

• In 2021, Anderson led the Aggies to their first-ever Mountain West Championship with a 46-13 win at No. 19 San Diego State, which was the program's first win against a nationally-ranked opponent in six years. Anderson also led USU to its sixth bowl win in school history with a 24-13 victory against Oregon State in the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl, and a school-record-tying 11 wins after being picked to finish fifth in the Mountain Division of the Mountain West in the preseason polls. USU concluded its season ranked 24th in the nation in the final Associated Press poll, marking just the fifth-time ever that USU finished a season nationally ranked.

• Under Anderson, Utah State tied for the best turnaround in the nation in 2021, as the Aggies became the first Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) team ever to go from zero or one win to 11 wins the following season. USU also became the first FBS program in eight years to post a 7-0 road record.

• Anderson, who was named the 2021 AFCA Region 5 Coach of the Year and a finalist for the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year Award, was the only first-year head coach in the nation to lead his team to nine or more wins. In 2022, Anderson led USU to the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl.

• Anderson has won three conference championships as a head coach with two Sun Belt titles at Arkansas State (2015, 2016), along with one Mountain West title at Utah State (2021). Anderson coached in his eighth bowl game in nine seasons last year and has a 3-5 bowl record.

ANDERSON AS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR AND QUARTERBACKS COACH
• Along with his head coaching responsibilities, Blake Anderson is also serving as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach this season. During his time as a head coach at Arkansas State, Anderson also served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. In 2017, ASU ranked fifth in the nation in passing (342.2 ypg), 10th in total offense (494.8 ypg) and 13th in scoring (37.8 ypg). In 2018, ASU ranked 17th in the nation in total offense (466.2 ypg), 21st in passing (281.5 ypg) and 54th in scoring (30.3 ppg).

CEFALO HAS COACHED THREE BILETNIKOFF SEMIFINALISTS
• Utah State co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Kyle Cefalo has coached a Biletnikoff Award Semifinalist in three of the last four seasons. In his first year at USU in 2021, Cefalo coached Deven Thompkins, who set school records with 102 receptions for 1,704 yards. At Arkansas State, Cefalo coached Jonathan Adams in 2020 and Omar Bayless in 2019, as both players were named Sun Belt Conference Offensive Players of the Year.

OTHER COACHING NOTABLES
• Utah State welcomes six new coaches to its staff this fall in defensive coordinator Joe Cauthen, defensive passing game coordinator and cornerbacks coach Mitchell White, offensive line coach Cooper Bassett, defensive line coach Tevita Finau, running backs coach Rodney Freeman III and safeties coach Ethan Morriss.

• Cauthen spent five years working with USU head coach Blake Anderson at Arkansas State (2014-18) as the Red Wolves played in five-straight bowl games and won a pair of conference championships (2015-16).

• Anderson has two former Aggies on his staff in tight ends coach DJ Tialavea (2010-13) and director of player development and community engagement Austin Albrecht (2014-16).

• Finau spent five years (2012-16) in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals, Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys, New York Jets and Houston Texans.

• White spent six years in professional football, including in the NFL with the Oakland Raiders (2013) and Philadelphia Eagles (2017). White also played four years in the Canadian Football League and won back-to-back Grey Cups with the Ottawa Redblacks (2016) and Toronto Argonauts (2017). During the 2016 campaign, he was named a CFL East All-Star.

HEAD COACH BLAKE ANDERSON
• Blake Anderson (hired on Dec. 12, 2020) is in his third year as Utah State's head coach and is the 29th head coach in program history. He has a 69-50 overall record, including a 49-24 conference mark. He has posted an 18-13 record at USU, including an 11-6 Mountain West record.

• Anderson has 30 years of coaching experience and has been part of six conference championships. He has also coached in 13 bowl games and he won a national championship at the junior college level.

• During the 2022 campaign, Anderson led Utah State to six wins and its 10th bowl game in the past 12 seasons, including its second in as many years. USU also tied for second-place in the Mountain Division of the Mountain West with a 5-3 mark as the Aggies had nine players earn various all-conference accolades. Graduate senior safety Hunter Reynolds was named a ProFootballFocus Honorable Mention All-American, while redshirt freshman safety Ike Larsen was named a College Football News Honorable Mention Freshman All-American.

• In his first season at Utah State, Anderson led the Aggies to their first-ever Mountain West Championship with a 46-13 win at No. 19 San Diego State, their sixth bowl win in school history with a 24-13 victory against Oregon State in the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl, and a school-record-tying 11 wins as USU was picked to finish fifth in the Mountain Division of the MW in the preseason polls.

• Under Anderson, Utah State tied for the best turnaround in the nation in 2021 as the Aggies became the first FBS program ever to go from zero or one win to 11 wins the following season.

• During the 2021 season, Utah State set 10 school records, including 4,248 passing yards and 41 touchdown passes, and tied four more as it became the first FBS program in eight years to go 7-0 on the road. USU also ranked 15th in the nation in passing offense (303.4 ypg) and 23rd in total offense (445.6 ypg), and was top three in the MW in passing offense, total offense and scoring offense (32.6 ppg).

• Anderson, who was named the AFCA Region 5 Coach of the Year in 2021 at Utah State, mentored a pair of Aggies that broke several single-season school records in quarterback Logan Bonner and wide receiver Deven Thompkins. Bonner set school records in passing touchdowns (36) and passing yards (3,628), while Thompkins set school records for receptions (102) and receiving yards (1,704).

• Overall, Anderson saw nine of his players earn all-Mountain West honors, including Thompkins, who was named a third-team All-American by The Associated Press.

• Anderson came to Utah State after spending seven years as the head coach at Arkansas State, leading ASU to six-consecutive winning seasons and six-straight bowl games (2014-19), including a 31-13 win against UCF in the 2016 Cure Bowl and a 34-26 win against FIU in the 2019 Camellia Bowl. ASU also won back-to-back Sun Belt Conference Championships under Anderson (2015-16).

• During that six-year stretch, the Red Wolves broke 12 school records, including 494.8 yards of total offense per game, 4,106 passing yards and 38 touchdown passes in 2017, 520 points scored and 69 total touchdowns in 2015, and 6,174 yards of total offense and 1,024 total plays in 2014.

• The Red Wolves won at least seven games, including at least five league games, six-straight years under Anderson, including a nine-victory campaign in 2015 and eight-win seasons in 2016, 2018 and 2019. In all, Anderson posted a 51-37 (.580) record at ASU, including a 38-18 (.679) mark in the Sun Belt Conference. Those 51 wins, 40 of which were by double digits, are tied for the third-most in school history.

• Statistically, Arkansas State annually ranked as one of the top offensive teams in the nation under Anderson. In 2020, the Red Wolves led the Sun Belt Conference and ranked 15th nationally in total offense at 489.7 yards per game. ASU also led the Sun Belt in total offense in 2018 (466.2 ypg), 2017 (494.8 ypg) and 2014 (476.5 ypg), and ranked second in 2015 (438.5 ypg). Furthermore, the 2017 team ranked 10th in the nation in total offense, while the 2018 team was 17th and the 2014 team was 20th nationally.

• As for passing offense, Arkansas State led the Sun Belt Conference and ranked third in the nation in 2020 at 364.4 yards per game. In 2019, the Red Wolves finished second in the conference and 10th in the nation with 312.1 passing yards per game. ASU also led the Sun Belt in passing offense in both 2017 and 2018 with 342.2 and 281.5 passing yards per game, respectively. The 2017 team also ranked fifth nationally in that category, while the 2018 team was 21st in the nation.

• Arkansas State also led the Sun Belt Conference in scoring offense three times under Anderson as the 2017 team averaged 37.8 points per game to rank 13th nationally, while the 2015 team averaged 40.0 points per game to rank 12th in the nation, and the 2014 team averaged 36.7 points per game to rank 18th nationally. In fact, six of Anderson's seven Red Wolves' teams averaged over 30 points per game.

• Following the 2019 campaign, Anderson received the Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award and was named the Grant Teaff Coach of the Year, presented annually by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, as he guided the Red Wolves to an 8-5 record and Camellia Bowl championship after his wife, Wendy, passed away prior to the start of the season following a courageous battle with cancer.

• A two-year letterwinner at wide receiver for Sam Houston State from 1990-91, Anderson was named Southland Conference all-academic as a senior. He also played for two years as a quarterback and receiver at Baylor (1988-89). Anderson graduated with his bachelor's degree in kinesiology from SHSU in 1992. He also attained his master's degree in sports administration from Eastern New Mexico in 1994.

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