LOGAN, Utah — Utah State football put together its most dominant performance of the season, routing Hawai'i 55-10 on Saturday afternoon at Maverik Stadium.
The 45-point win is USU's largest since defeating Idaho State, 78-28, last season, and its largest against an FBS opponent since a 60-13 win against New Mexico State in 2018.
Utah State's defense recorded season-highs with five interceptions and seven sacks, while the Aggie offense produced 580 yards, including a season-high 321 on the ground. USU also scored a season-high 55 points and allowed a season-low 10 points.
Utah State (3-7, 2-3 MW) was led by senior running back
Rahsul Faison, who had a career-high 191 rushing yards on 20 attempts and a career-high-tying two touchdowns. Graduate quarterback
Spencer Petras was 20-of-30 passing for 255 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, and junior quarterback
Bryson Barnes added a pair of 2-yard touchdown passes. Graduate tight end
Josh Sterzer finished the game with a career-high seven receptions for 62 yards and a career-high two touchdowns.
Hawai'i (4-7, 2-4 MW) was led by freshman quarterback Micah Alejado, who came in for an injured Brayden Schager, and completed 11-of-12 passes for 111 yards and one touchdown. The Rainbow Warriors finished the game with 309 total yards.
The Aggie domination began from the opening kick with a six-play, 71-yard drive that culminated with Petras connecting on a deep shot down the right sideline to junior wide receiver
Otto Tia for a 41-yard touchdown. Tia finished the game with six catches for 68 yards. The Aggies then shut down the Hawai'i offense with three straight three-and-outs. USU extended its lead to 10-0 following a 32-yard field goal from redshirt freshman placekicker
Tanner Cragun.
Both teams threw interceptions on their next drives, with senior safety
Jordan Vincent recording Utah State's first takeaway of the game. The Aggies then went 61 yards across five plays with Petras finding sophomore tight end
Will Monney for a 16-yard score to extend USU's advantage to 17-0 at the end of the first quarter. On the second play of the second quarter, senior safety
Torren Union thwarted a Rainbow Warrior drive, intercepting Schager at USU's 5-yard line. The Aggie offense followed suit with their longest drive of the season, going 95 yards across 14 plays, including a conversion on 4th-and-1 by Barnes, who finished off the drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Sterzer to give Utah State a 24-0 lead.
Hawai'i salvaged a field goal late in the second quarter prior to the teams again exchanging interceptions, with Vincent tallying his second pick and USU's third takeaway of the first half to preserve USU's 24-3 lead entering halftime. The Aggies outgained the Rainbow Warriors, 298-138 in the opening half, and held Hawai'i without a first down until the final play of the opening quarter. The Utah State defense also held the Rainbow Warriors to only 14 rushing yards on 14 attempts in the first half.
Faison got the Aggies on the board in the third quarter as he scored on a 37-yard run, that was set up by a 44-yard punt return from redshirt junior wide receiver
Kahanu Davis. USU then forced its fourth takeaway of the day on Hawai'i's next drive as sophomore cornerback
JD Drew picked off another Hawai'i pass, setting up another 37-yard Faison touchdown run to put the Aggies up, 38-3. The onslaught continued as USU's defense forced another stop on the next drive, giving the offense the runway for a seven-play, 79-yard drive touchdown drive capped off by another 2-yard touchdown pass from Barnes to Sterzer, giving the Aggies a 45-3 lead entering the fourth quarter.
Redshirt freshman cornerback
Noah Flores recorded Utah State's fifth interception of the day, which led to a 21-yard touchdown run from sophomore running back
Derrick Jameson to put the Aggies over 50 points for the first time this season.
After the Rainbow Warriors found the end zone for the first time on the day with a 44-yard touchdown pass from Alejado to Dekel Crowdus, Cragun capped off the day's scoring with a 37-yard field goal to arrive at the final margin of 55-10.
Vincent led Utah State with five tackles and a career-high two interceptions, while senior defensive end
Cian Slone, sophomore inside linebacker
Bronson Olevao Jr. and freshman defensive end
William Holmes all had 1.5 sacks.
Fall Schedule
Utah State remains home to celebrate Senior Day against San Diego State on Saturday, Nov. 23, at 1:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
Ticket Information
Single-game tickets for the 2024 season are on sale now. Purchase your tickets today by visiting utahstateaggies.com or calling the ticket office at 435-797-0305.
Parking
All Single-Game Parking sales will be cashless, starting this year. Those can be purchased in advance for $10
online, or for $15 on game days at the F lot entrances.
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