Aggie football defeats UTSA

TAVIN STUCKI, sports editor

Utah State took its seventh victory of the year Saturday with a 48-17 victory over the UTSA Roadrunners in San Antonio, Texas.

The Aggies started quickly, forcing a three and out on UTSA’s first drive. Junior Devonta Glover-Wright blocked sophomore Kristian Stern’s punt out of bounds to the 5-yard line.

Sophomore quarterback Chuckie Keeton hit tight end Kellen Bartlett two plays later on a sideline pass to put Utah State up 7-0 with just fewer than three minutes run off the clock.

Stern hit a 29-yard field goal with 5:26 left in the first quarter to make it 7-3. It was only the second time Utah State has allowed a score in the first quarter all season.

Aggie kicker Nick Diaz nailed his first of two field goals, this one a 22-yarder, on the third play of the second quarter go put USU back up by a touchdown.

Junior wide receiver Cameron Webb caught a 29-yard pass about eight minutes later to put Utah State up 24-3. It was Webb’s first career touchdown catch.

Webb led the Aggie recievers with five catches for 59 yards.

Diaz kicked a 24-yard field goal with fewer than two minutes to play in the half and the Aggies took a  27-3 lead into halftime.

Senior running back Kerwynn Williams busted a 68-yard run over the right guard on the first play of the third quarter to get Utah State to the 4-yard line. Williams punched the ball in two plays later to put the Aggies up 34-3.

It was Williams’ second of the day, finishing with 13 carries for 90 yards rushing and three catches for 68 yards.

UTSA’s first touchdown came with nine minutes to play in the third quarter. Roadrunner junior running back Evans Okotcha took the ball in seven yards for the score to cut USU’s lead to 31.

USU’s Joe Hill responded with less than a minute in the third when he caught a 16-yard pass from Keeton for his second score of the game to make it 48-10.

Hill finished with seven rushes for 21 yards and three catches for 64, giving him two total touchdowns.

UTSA receiver Cole Hicks scored the only fourth quarter touchdown, a 23-yarder from freshman quarterback Ryan Polite.

Polite finished with 248 yards and one touchdown on 21 completions and threw two interceptions.

Keeton had 340 yards and three touchdowns on 27 completions and one interception.

Freshman Kyler Fackrell led the Aggie defense with seven tackles, one for a loss of two yards, and an interception.

The win brings Utah State to 7-2 and 3-0 in Western Athletic Conference play.

The Aggies will next face Texas State at home in Romney Stadium on Saturday at 1 p.m.

— tavin.stucki@aggiemail.usu.edu
Twitter: @StuckiAggies