Aggies Bucked by Broncos in First every PAC-12 matchup

The Utah State Aggies made the trip to Boise to take on the Broncos in their first-ever PAC-12 matchup. The Aggies were down minutes into the game and were unable to come back, ultimately losing 37-18. The Aggies entered the game coming off their first win of the season, after defeating the Troy Trojans at home last week. The game was the third consecutive ranked opponent the Aggies have faced on the road. Going into the game tonight, the Aggies haven’t beaten the Broncos since 2015 and haven’t won in Boise since 1996.

USU opened the game with a promising set of plays to move quickly into Boise State territory, but a holding penalty against the Aggies took the wind out of their sails, and the team was forced to punt. 

Following the punt, the Broncos moved with minimal resistance on their way to the first score of the night, taking the lead, which they would not give up for the rest of the night. Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen opened up the passing game right away, as he found Resean Jones for a 63-yard gain, moving the Broncos into the red zone.

Following a three-play, six-yard drive ending in a punt by the Aggies, the Broncos found the end zone again as Madsen completed an 11-yard pass to Matt Wagner.

The Aggies experimented throughout the night with a new dual quarterback system, with both McCae Hillstead and Grady Brosterhous taking turns at quarterback. Brosterhous entered the night as the starter, with Hillstead making his first appearance late in the first quarter. The change made little difference as the Aggie offense was off the field after another three-play drive.

“We were planning to play [Hillstead] and integrate him throughout the game,” head coach Bronco Mendenhall said. “ We wanted to reintroduce him back into offense after the time he was out.” 

Following the three-and-out, the Broncos took the ball down the field for another touchdown, extending the lead to 21-0. The drive was capped off with a 33-yard touchdown run by running back Dylan Riley.

The offense finally found some life after Javon Jacobs broke free for a 64-yard rush to get the Aggies into Bronco territory. After a Boise State timeout, Brosterhous was substituted back into the game and found Jacobs for the first touchdown of the night. 

The defense put the Aggies into a position to cut into the lead more after the Aggies forced the Broncos to punt, giving USU the ball inside their own 20. The drive was short-lived as Hillstead had a pass tipped, which was then intercepted and returned for a touchdown, extending the Broncos’ lead to 28-7.

The Aggies recovered quickly as Jacobs had another rush for 40 yards to move the Aggies into the red zone once again just before half. The Aggies were unable to find the end zone and added three as the first half came to a close.

“I thought our offense showed improvement; I thought they were more diverse and moved the ball very efficiently,” Mendenhall said. “I thought we did a lot of really good things; I was encouraged and excited about what I saw offensively tonight.”

Jacobs finished the night with 139 yards, which was a career high as well as his first career 100-yard rushing game. In the last two games, Jacobs has totaled 219 yards, nearly double his yardage from the first three games combined.

“It felt amazing to go out and do my part for the team and the success of the offense. I just try to take it one play at a time, and whenever the ball comes my way, I try to make it happen,” Jacobs said. “I feel like it was bound to happen because I know what I can bring to the team in the run game. I think our o-line did a great job in creating those lines for me.”

The Aggies were able to hold the Broncos to a field goal in the opening drive of the half, and largely limited Boise State’s offense for the entirety of the third quarter. The teams traded punts for the rest of the quarter with neither team gaining much traction.

The Aggies opened the fourth quarter with possession and were able to move into Bronco territory. The drive was almost ended early by a Boise State interception, but the ball was tipped and wide receiver Eli Wood was able to come down with the ball to keep the drive going. Shortly after, the drive stalled out, and the Aggies turned the ball over on downs.

The Aggie offense was back on the field quickly after linebacker Asher Cunningham forced a fumble at the Bronco 30-yard line, which the defense was able to recover. The Aggies were able to capitalize on the fumble as Brosterhous found Wood in the end zone for a 30-yard touchdown.

“Those plays are electric for us on both defense and offense. Football is about momentum; us making plays and the offense making plays is complementary football,” Cunningham said. “If we can do that for the rest of the season, I feel like we’ll be in a good position.”

The Broncos responded quickly with back-to-back 30-yard completions to extend the lead to 37-18. Neither team w

ould score for the rest of the night.

With the loss, the Aggies are now 1-4 on the season and currently sit tied for last place in the conference. The Aggies will take on Washington State in Maverik Stadium Friday night.