BACK IN ACTION
No. 19 Utah State soccer (7-2-2, 0-0-0 Pac-12) opens the conference portion of its 2026 campaign this week with its first-ever Pac-12 matches. The Aggies will host No. 22 Texas State on Thursday, Oct. 1, at Chuck & Gloria Bell Field, at 7:30 p.m., and will then travel to face Colorado State on Sunday, Oct. 4, at noon.
FOLLOW ALONG
Both of this week's matches, along with every conference match this year, will be streamed free on the Pac-12 YouTube page. Fans can also follow along via StatBroadcast, with stream and stat links available on the team's schedule page at www.utahstateaggies.com.
ICYMI
Utah State wrapped up nonconference play with a 6-0 road win over Idaho State, then a 1-1 draw at home against unbeaten Saint Mary's. Against the Bengals, the USU defense posted a shutout without allowing a single shot on goal, while five different players scored for the Aggies, led by a brace for senior midfielder Summer Diamond. Versus Saint Mary's, USU outshot the Gaels 18-5 though the only two goals in the match came from the penalty spot. The Aggies equalized in the 89th minute with a PK goal for sophomore midfielder Mia Lopez.
A BATTLE OF THE BEST
Thursday's game will be a showdown of two of the Pac-12's finest, when No. 19 Utah State hosts No. 22 Texas State. This will not just be USU's inaugural Pac-12 game, it will also be the first time in program history that Bell Field has hosted a ranked-versus-ranked matchup. The Aggies and Bobcats were picked first and second, respectively, in the preseason coaches poll, and combined to go 14-3-4 in nonconference play.
AGGIES VS BOBCATS
Thursday's matchup will be just the third all-time meeting between Utah State and Texas State. The Aggies lead the series 2-0-1, including a 1-0-1 record in Logan, though the sides haven't met since 2012, a 4-0 Aggie victory in Logan.
SCOUTING THE BOBCATS
• Texas State enters the week ranked 22 nationally, currently with a 7-1-2 overall record. In nonconference, it defeated UTRGV, Texas A&M, Baylor, East Texas A&M, Texas Southern, Rice and Louisiana Tech, with draws versus UTSA and Santa Clara and a loss to Louisiana.
• The Bobcats have scored 28 goals this season while surrendering 13.
• Senior midfielder Victoria Meza leads the squad and ranks 17th nationally with eight goals this season.
AGGIES VS RAMS
Sunday's match will be the 18th all-time meeting between Utah State and Colorado State. The Aggies are unbeaten at 6-0-3 in the past nine meetings versus the Rams, with CSU's last win in the series coming back in 2021. When the teams faced off last year in Logan, the match ended in a 1-1 draw with a 42nd minute goal by USU's Austin Miller and a 51st minute goal by Colorado State's Olivia Fout.
SCOUTING THE RAMS
• Colorado State enters the week with a 1-7-2 overall record. In nonconference, it defeated Denver, posted draws against Kansas State and Colorado College, and lost to Colorado, Northern Colorado, South Carolina, BYU, Utah Tech, Wyoming and Weber State.
• The Rams have scored eight goals this season while surrendering 15.
• Senior midfielder Mia Casey leads the squad in points and goals with five points coming on two goals and an assist.
• CSU will open league play at Fresno State on Thursday before hosting the Aggies.
IN THE POLLS
• Utah State is ranked in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 for the third-straight week, holding steady at No. 19 after a week with no games.
• This is just the second season USU has ever been ranked. Previously, it made its Top 25 debut in 2024, when the Aggies climbed all the way to No. 7.
• USU received 56 points in the poll, ranking as the top non-P4 team in the country. League-mate Texas State is also ranked at No. 22.
• Additionally, the Aggies are No. 24 in the TopDrawerSoccer Top 25 Poll.
POSTSEASON SOCCER COMING TO THE BELL
This year's Pac-12 Championship will be hosted by Utah State at Chuck & Gloria Bell Field. The Aggies earned the right to host by posting the league's highest RPI in nonconference play. The four-team tournament will be held Nov. 11-14, with a pair of semifinal matches on Wednesday, Nov. 11, and the championship on Saturday, Nov. 14. This will be just the second time USU has hosted a conference tournament, after previously hosting the 2012 WAC Tournament.
SPREADING THE WEALTH
Not only does Utah State have one of the top scoring offenses in the country this season, the team's goals have come from all across the field. USU's 28 goals have come from 13 different players, with nine players scoring multiple goals and nobody scoring more than four. Additionally, 14 different players have recorded at least one assist this season.
QUEENS OF THE HIVE
Utah State faced four Beehive State opponents during nonconference play, coming out victorious in each contest and outscoring those teams by a combined 14-1. USU earned road wins at Utah Valley (1-0) and Utah (1-0), and defeated Utah Tech (8-1) and BYU (4-0) in Logan. This is the second time in the past three seasons the Aggies have swept in-state opponents, along with 2024.
A TIP OF THE CAP
• Just 11 games into the season, USU sophomore defender Capriel Winder has already tallied six assists. This ranks second in the Pac-12 and 35th in the nation.
• Winder needs just one more assist to crack the program's single-season top 10. She would be the only defender to do so.
• As a team, the Aggies rank 10th in the NCAA with 31 assists this year.
THE ELLIE HENDRIX EXPERIENCE
Utah State junior forward Ellie Hendrix is having a major breakout season, and has been on a tear as of late. Hendrix was a consistent contributor each of the past two seasons, but after entering 2026 with four goals and seven assists in her career, she already has three goals and three assists this season.
Additionally, Hendrix has scored game-winning goals in three games this year (at Utah Valley, at Utah, vs Utah Tech). Against Utah Tech, she matched the program's single-game record for assists with three. She was named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 1.
A WIN FOR THE RECORD BOOK
In what was its first-ever meeting against in-state foe Utah Tech, USU put together one of the most prolific offensive performances in program history.
With an 8-1 win, Utah State tied for the fourth-most goals in a contest in program history, and tied for the third-largest margin of victory in program history. The Aggies out-shot the Trailblazers 32-2, which was tied for the fifth-most shots in a game in program history.
WELCOME TO BELL
• Chuck & Gloria Bell Field is home to the nation's longest unbeaten streak, as Utah State has gone undefeated in 33-straight games, a streak of longer than three calendar years. The team's last loss in Logan came Aug. 24, 2023 against Utah.
• In the past six years under Manny Martins, Utah State holds a 40-5-11 home record. During those games, the Aggies have out-scored opponents by a combined 134-38.
• Across the 2024 and 2025 seasons, USU went 13-0-5 at home and out-scored opponents by a combined 58-10.
• All-time, Utah State is 135-49-35 at home.
THE BEST SHOW IN TOWN
Helping Utah State to one of the best home field advantages in the country is one of the best crowds in the country at Chuck & Gloria Bell Field. Through five home games this season, the Aggies are averaging 1,387 fans per game, a mark which ranks 12th in the nation. USU set a program record attendance with its first-ever Bell Field sell-out this season against BYU, playing in front of 3,181 fans.
MARTINS MAGIC
• Utah State head coach Manny Martins, the two-time Mountain West Coach of the Year (2023, 24) and three-time Pacific Region Coach of the Year (2023, 24, 25) has led the most successful stretch of Aggie soccer in program history.
• As the head coach at USU, he has a 70-27-26 (.674) record, including a 31-15-11 (.640) mark in conference games. In the three years prior to his arrival, the team won just 16 total games.
HERE TO STAY
Utah State head coach Manny Martins, who has led the Aggies to the winningest five-year stretch in program history during his time in Logan, signed a contract extension following last season which will keep him in Logan through at least the 2030 season.
DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Under coach Manny Martins, USU has established a reputation as one of the nation's top defenses, allowing less than a goal per game every year. The past five seasons combined, the Aggies have limited opponents to 0.81 goals per game. Four of the top seven seasons for goals allowed average in program history have come under Martins.
UP NEXT
Utah State will continue Pac-12 play next week as it hosts Washington State on Thursday, Oct. 8, at 3 p.m., before traveling to take on Boise State on Sunday, Oct. 11, at 1 p.m.
