Aggie football dethrones Boise State at home
“It’s out of respect for Boise, until someone knocks them off the throne it’s theirs,” said Utah State University head coach Matt Wells. “I told the players, ‘This isn’t the championship game, but it puts you in the driver’s seat.’ We’re in the driver’s seat now. We will control our own destiny.”
Fueled by seven first-half forced turnovers, Utah State beat Boise State 52-26 for the first time in 18 years.
The total of eight turnovers is the most turnovers BSU has committed since being in the FBS, 1996. USU’s defense caused five fumbles, all of which were recovered and three interceptions as well as a defensive touchdown.
“When you look at the stats, it’s almost all even, except for one thing,” Wells said. “We’ve been preaching it all week. I just didn’t know it was going to come like that.”
With just over three minutes to play in the second quarter, the Aggies had their 24-3 lead cut to 24-10 on a Kelsey Young short run. The Broncos forced a three-and-out, and it looked like BSU would take the momentum into the half. Looks can be deceiving. USU forced three turnovers and scored three touchdowns in the final minute and a half to take a 45-10 lead into halftime.
It all began with a Marwin Evans forced fumble recovered by Nick Vigil. Myers turned that into six points with a nifty 39-yard touchdown run. On the next Bronco play, Kyler Fackrell — who had 11 tackles, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries — forced a fumble and defensive back Bryant Hayes jumped on it. That was quickly converted into six points when Myers hit Hunter Sharp for 21 yards.
“I’ve never been a part of anything like that,” said Vigil, who had 14 tackles, two sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovered. “That was amazing. Even our coach, the defensive coordinator, he said, ‘I don’t even know what to say right now.’”
The culmination of the Bronco turnover spree came on the last play of the first half, an Evans’ 90-yard interception return for a touchdown.
“The guys were fired up and screaming in the locker room,” Vigil said. “We had to calm everyone down and let them know we still had a second half to play.”
The USU offense was efficient in the first half as well, Kent Myers threw for 109 yards and three touchdowns in the first half as well as rushing for 69 yards and a touchdown. LaJuan Hunt added a short run for a touchdown in the first half.
In the second half, both teams settled down. After a poor start by the Broncos fumbling on the first play, the teams traded punts and each scored a touchdown in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter Boise added two more scores, another Kelsey rushing touchdown and a field goal making the final score 52-26.
“I’m really proud of my team — offense and defense,” Myers said. “Defense got a lot of turnovers, and us not turning over the ball. We told each other we were going to have to take shots and out physical them, and that’s what we did.”
— kalen.s.taylor@gmail.com
Twitter: @kalen_taylor