“It’s for all of Aggie nation”

Utah State football proved itself to the nation Friday night, beating No. 18 BYU 35-20 in Provo for the first time since 1978.

After Head Coach Matt Wells announced Thursday that USU’s starting quarterback Chuckie Keeton was “unlikely” to play for the remainder of the season after sustaining injuries from a game against Wake Forest, many fans lost hope of seeing success this weekend.

“It was a tough couple weeks,” Wells said following the game. “A lot of people were doubting us out there, and it’s a sweet win. It’s for all of Aggie nation.”

When BYU scored just 1:16 into the game, it appeared the tone was set for the rest of the game. However, USU stayed in the game, tying the score at 7-7 before the end of the first quarter. The Cougars scored again early in the second quarter, but USU responded with three straight touchdowns in the last five minutes of the first half, heading to the locker room with a 28-14 advantage.

As they scored, the sound of booing from Cougar fans penetrated the glass windows of the press box while the small section of Utah State fans yelled their habitual chants at the top of their lungs. The Aggies held onto their lead all the way to the end, posting their first victory at LaVell Edwards Stadium since 1978.

The rivalry game ended BYU’s winning streak this season, dropping their record to 4-1 and bringing the Old Wagon Wheel back to Logan. The cougars are the highest ranked football team the Aggies have ever beaten in football.

Key to the Aggies’ success Friday was linebacker Nick Vigil, who doubled as a running back for the first time in his USU career. He led the team in rushing with 57 total yards and added a touchdown, all while leading the team on the defensive end with nine tackles.

“At the end of the game after the clock hit zero, and we knew we had won, that was pretty cool to see,” Vigil said. “And all the U-State fans lined up to congratulate us as we walked to the locker room.”

Vigil said he felt the defense played well Friday, referencing their success to “eliminat(ing) explosive plays” and causing four turnovers.

Vigil had 16 carries but said he hadn’t anticipated that much action. He said Wells had approached him about running the ball during the summer, but he was injured and couldn’t make his debut until Friday.

Despite experiencing cramps and throwing up on the sidelines during a timeout, Vigil asked Wells not to take him out of the game.

He also said confidence and momentum increased as the team, now ranked eighth in the nation for rushing defense, was able to make bigger plays.

Though quarterback Darell Garretson commended his teammate Vigil for leading the team in rushing and tackles, Garretson himself earned national recognition after passing for 321 yards and three touchdowns.

“Here’s what he did; he remained calm and composed,” Wells said. “For him to come into this environment and this arena and everything surrounding the last two weeks, my hat’s off to that young man. He’s a talented kid, … but I’m going to tell you this team’s not about Darell. It’s not about Nick. It’s about the team.”

Garretson credited his offensive line for creating opportunities for teammates to make plays downfield. Garretson’s longest pass of the night, a 72-yard touchdown pass to Hunter Sharp, came with under a minute remaining in the first half, capping a 21-point second quarter for the Aggies.

He said the difference in this game in contrast to the last one was the team’s ability to follow through.

“Honestly we were always one or two things away from really busting one open,” Garretson said of the game against Arkansas State.

Garretson added that the feeling in the locker room was impossible to explain, literally running out of the press conference to rejoin his teammates after speaking with the media.

Devonte Robinson, a wide receiver for the Aggies who notched two touchdowns and caught six passes for a total of 98 yards, acknowledged that after the last game the team still needed to refocus and prepare for their first conference matchup.

“BYU is a big opponent. They’re in the top 25, obviously one of the best teams out there,” Robinson said.

He said the win was a big deal to not only the current coaches and players, but past players as well.

Several key players from BYU were injured throughout the game, including star quarterback Taysom Hill who, like Keeton, will be out for the remainder of the season.

Wells said Hill is a “tremendous competitor”, and he knows what it feels like from a head coach’s standpoint to have a key player go down.

“I hate that for him,” Wells said. “I really do.”

Wells said this game gives the team momentum to go into games for the Mountain West conference.

The team will play again Saturday in USU’s homecoming game in Logan against Air Force.