Career-highs help USU football beat Fresno State
Two weeks, two career games for Kent Myers.
A week after rushing for a career high 191 yards, the sophomore quarterback threw for a career-high 260 yards and one touchdown Saturday night as the Utah State football team spoiled Fresno State’s homecoming 56-14.
“I’m proud of those kids for their preparation throughout the week,” said head coach Matt Wells. “They turned it into a physical contest, which is something we really wanted to do.”
The win pushed USU to 2-0 in the Mountain West and 3-2 overall.
The Aggies hadn’t beaten the Bulldogs in Fresno since 1980 – 16 years before Myers was born.
“It’s just breaking down another barrier, you know — accomplishing something that hadn’t been done in a long time,” Wells said.
Ranked second-to-last in the nation in total offense just two weeks ago, Utah State out-gained Fresno 482 to 194. The 56 points is the most a USU team has scored since a 70-14 win over Weber State in 2013.
The Aggies got started early, scoring their first offensive touchdown in the opening quarter this season on a 15-yard run by sophomore running back LaJuan Hunt. The score came after an eight-play, 64-yard drive highlighted by a 43-yard pass from Myers to senior wide receiver Hunter Sharp on 3rd and 15.
The play set the tone for the rest of the game. Myers passed for 140 yards in the second quarter alone and led the Aggies on three touchdown drives in the quarter. The defense also scored on a safety as USU opened up a 29-7 lead by halftime.
“It was a classic example of playing and feeding off of each other’s energy,” Wells said.
The Aggie special teams also joined in, blocking a punt and recovering it at the eight-yard line to set up the second touchdown of the quarter.
Junior running back Devantae Mays scored on a 42-yard run on the first drive of the third quarter to give the visitors a 36-7 lead and effectively end the game. Mays rushed for a career high 92 yards and scored his first three touchdowns in a Utah State uniform.
Mays was one of five different players who scored for the Aggies. Senior receiver Devonte Robinson took a short screen pass and ran 44 yards for a touchdown late in the second quarter for his lone touchdown. Hunt added a touchdown in the second quarter barrage to total two for the game. Sophomore quarterback Damion Hobbs and freshman running back Justen Hurvey each added a second-half score. Overall, USU had seven rushing touchdowns in the game.
“It’s a culmination of the offensive line really coming together,” Wells said. “I thought it was a great plan by Josh Heupel and the offensive staff.”
Not to be outdone, the defense dominated Fresno’s offense the entire game. In addition to the safety and the blocked punt, the Aggies also had three interceptions, including one by junior safety Devin Centers on the first play of the game. In his first career start, redshirt freshman Kilton Anderson was held to 112 yards on 10/20 passing.
After not forcing any turnovers in the first two games, the Aggie defense has forced nine turnovers in the last three games, including five interceptions.
Sharp led all receivers with six catches for 99 yards. Robinson had four receptions for 80 yards and the one touchdown. Hunt had 41 yards rushing and the two first-half touchdowns.
Defensively, junior linebacker Nick Vigil led all players with nine tackles, including one sack. Senior safety Marwin Evans had two sacks on the night.
The next game for the Aggies will be a pivotal home game against No. 25 Boise State on Friday.
— thomas.sorenson@aggiemail.usu.edu
Twitter: @tomcat340