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USU Football routes Hawaii, claims bowl eligibility

The Utah State Aggies are bowl eligible for the first time since 2019 after a 51-31 win over the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. 

The Aggies got out to a quick start, holding Hawaii to a three and out on their first drive. They followed up with a long drive finished by a three-yard touchdown run from Elelyon Noa. The Aggies would score 17 unanswered points to start the game and score a season-high 14 points in the first quarter.

The Rainbow Warriors would get a touchdown and a field goal of their own before the half, and Utah State would take a 17-10 lead into the break.

The Aggies got the second-half kick and came out firing, putting together a 75-yard scoring drive in just under two minutes, capped by a 46-yard completion from Logan Bonner to Derek Wright to put USU up 27-10.

Utah State and the Rainbow Warriors traded blows throughout a wild second half that saw 55 total points coming from the offense, defense and special teams.

After Hawaii cut the score to 44-31 in the fourth quarter, the final blow would come after Brandon Bowling returned a Rainbow Warrior onside kick for 46 yards to put the game out of reach.

Bonner ended the game throwing for 361 yards and four touchdowns, completing 21 of 30 attempts. He tied a career-high with four touchdown passes, the fifth time he’s thrown for four touchdowns in his career.

Today was only the second time he’s done that in his time with Utah State, and the first without throwing any interceptions. 

Devin Thompkins also had a career day, ending the game with 176 yards on seven catches and becoming Utah State’s first 1,000-yard receiver since Kevin Curtis in 2002. 

“He’s a stud,” said Bonner. “He plays bigger than he is, and that’s what makes him so special. He’s really hard to cover.”

Currently sitting at 1,099 receiving yards for the season, Thompkins is just 432 yards behind the Utah State record for most receiving yards in a single season. The record is currently held by  Curtis, who had 1,531 in 2001.

Despite having just a 1-5 record last season, the Aggies are now bowl eligible and control their own destiny for the Mountain Division in head coach Blake Anderson’s first year with the program.

 “I never doubted that we would be bowl eligible. I really didn’t,” coach Anderson said after the win. “I didn’t know if it was going to be pretty or ugly, but we were going to find a way.” 

With a good mix of both pretty and ugly, Utah State has already surpassed their pre-season win projection and look to get back to the Mountain West Championship for the first time since 2013.

Utah State will travel to Las Cruces next Saturday to take on New Mexico State in a battle of the Aggies.