LOGAN, Utah – On homecoming night at Maverik Stadium, Utah State football delivered their strongest performance of the season, holding Troy scoreless in the second half on the way to a 21-10 win on Saturday night in the team's nonconference finale.
The Aggie defense recorded three interceptions and forced another turnover on downs while graduate quarterback
Grady Brosterhous garnered over 300 yards of total offense to lead USU to its 11th win in its past 15 homecoming games. Senior linebacker
Harrison Taggart, who exited last week's game at Utah in an ambulance, was in attendance and was wheeled out with USU's captains at the start of the game.
After forcing a three-and-out from Troy to begin the game, the offense needed only one play to reach the end zone themselves as Brosterhous threw short to senior wide receiver
Javon Robinson who broke a tackle and went 57 yards for a touchdown. It was USU's first touchdown on the first offensive play from scrimmage since former Aggie Jaylen Warren went 86 yards against Fresno State in 2020.
Troy responded with an 11-play, 75-drive ending in a 13-yard TD pass from Goose Crowder to Howard Kinchen. It would be the only time the Trojans found the end zone on the night as the Aggie defense put together another strong effort. USU drove into Trojan territory on the ensuing drive as Brosterhous picked up 21 yards on a scramble, but the Aggies were forced to punt as junior punter
Landon Rehkow pinned Troy at their five-yard line. The Trojans advanced the ball past midfield but a botched snap on a 4th-and-10 returned the ball to USU.
Graduate running back
Javen Jacobs recorded a 36-yard run to push USU into the red zone but the drive ended in a missed field goal. Troy moved past midfield on the ensuing drive, using a 39-yard run to move into Aggie territory but only came away with a 45-yard field goal by Ethan Head as junior cornerback
D'Angelo Mayes recorded the key pass break up on third down.
Neither team threatened scoring range on the next several possessions before Troy moved deep into Aggie territory in the final minute of the first half. Mayes then made an interception at USU's 15-yard line and returned the ball to near midfield. Utah State's attempt to tie the game before half ran out of time as the Aggies entered the break trailing 10-7.
Receiving the ball to begin the third quarter, the deficit was short-lived. Brosterhous found graduate wide receiver
Eli Wood for gains of 18 and 25 yards, the latter of which came on 4th-and-2 from Troy's 30-yard line. The duo capped off the drive with a five-yard TD pass to put the Aggies ahead 14-10. After Troy's next drive stalled near midfield due to penalties, the Aggies were helped by several more Trojan flags, using a pass interference and face mask penalty to move the ball into the red zone. Jacobs then scored from six yards out to extend USU's lead to 21-10.
Kicking woes then plagued the Trojans as the Aggie defense bowed up to force a pair of field goal attempts on Troy's next two possessions, both missing to the right from 28 and 48 yards out. The Aggies looked the ice the game away with another touchdown drive, moving the ball into the red zone on a pass play of nearly 40 yards before a forced fumble thwarted USU's chance at pushing the lead to three possessions.
Troy moved the ball into Aggie territory and attempted to crawl back within one possession but senior safety
Brevin Hamblin intercepted the pass near the goal line and returned the ball to the 35-yard line. Utah State's drive then melted over four minutes off the clock before Rehkow pinned the Trojans inside their own 15-yard line for the second time on the night. Troy's final possession never threatened the scoreboard as sophomore safety
David Kabongo made the third INT of the night to preserve the victory for Utah State.
Brosterhous had career-highs in both passing and rushing yards, finishing with 242 yards on 18-of-28 passing with two TDs and an interception while rushing for 89 yards on 15 carries. Jacobs ended with 84 yards on 14 carries with one touchdown while adding two catches for 11 yards. Wood led the Aggie receiving corps with seven receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown. Robinson added four catches for 67 yards a score and freshman wide receiver
Nikko Boncore set a career-high with four catches for 66 yards.
Defensively, Hamblin led the Aggies with 12 tackles, his first double-digit tackle outing of the season, along with the interception. Mayes added eight tackles to his pick plus another pass break up. Junior safety
Chapman Lewis added seven tackles while sophomore defensive tackle
Carson Tujague and senior defensive tackle
Tyree Morris both added pass break ups from the defensive line. Tujague also tied for the team lead with junior linebacker
Asher Cunningham with a tackle-for-loss apiece.
Utah State football faces their first-ever Pac-12 contest on the road at Boise State on Saturday, Oct. 3, at 5:30 p.m. (MT). The game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
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