USU Football: Saturday’s victory was extra special for RB Tyler Jr.
Utah State defeated Washington State 26 to 23 Saturday night, a defining moment for the program. The first Aggie road win against a Power Five team since 1971, it whisked away sentiments of failure from last season and replaced them with exhilaration.
One player in particular who embraced the glory of victory was running back Calvin Tyler Jr.
The junior (eligibility-wise) played a vital role in the offense’s success on Saturday night, rushing for 84 yards on 14 carries with his first game with the Aggies.
It was a memorable victory for Tyler Jr. for a few reasons. It was his first-ever start in a college football game, and it was a chance to serve up revenge.
Having played for Oregon State the past four seasons, the weekend victory wasn’t Tyler Jr’s first trip to Pullman. He’d been there for defeats in 2017 and 2019, the latter being particularly painful.
Entering their Nov. 23, 2019 showdown against the Cougars, the 5-5 Beavers needed one more win to reach bowl eligibility. Up 53-42 with a little over 2:00 to play, the coveted sixth win seemed all but secured. But as it often happens in Pac-12 games played after dark, absurdity ensued.
Washington State scored a touchdown with 2:10 left. Then utilizing their three timeouts, they stopped the clock and forced a four and out on Oregon State’s final possession. Getting the ball back on their own 43-yard line with 1:13 to play, the Cougars marched 57 yards downfield. Max Borghi rushed for the game-winning touchdown with one second to play.
“It was a horrible feeling for me,” said Tyler Jr. during Monday’s press conference. “We were supposed to go bowling that year and we lost the game. I just remember Washington State (throwing their helmets) like they were bowling balls because they were going bowling. So that was the last thing that had happened to me on that field.”
Clearly, nabbing a victory in Pullman with his new team meant a lot to Tyler Jr.
“I don’t know if anybody saw but I was very emotional about the game, ” he said. “It was just a blessing to get that win.”
But it almost didn’t happen.
On the final drive of Saturday’s game, the Aggies faced a third and four from their own 40-yard line. Quarterback Logan Bonner dished the ball out to Tyler Jr. in the flat. With a first down in sight, he lost his footing and fell short of the yard to gain.
“I slipped and you know that easily would have been a first down,” he said. “So I’m like, man, this is a crucial time.”
Facing a do-or-die fourth down, Offensive Coordinator Anthony Tucker called a similar play to get the ball back to Tyler Jr.
“I knew it was time for me to execute and I knew my coaches were stressing me to get that job done because the play is really designed for me,” Tyler Jr. said. “It was basically the same thing we’d just run the play before. So once I got that done, it was just about seeing the ball and getting the first, then getting out of bounds knowing time wasn’t on our hands. I knew we were going to execute and I knew Logan was going to trust me enough to get that ball to me.”
Tyler Jr’s seven-yard reception for the first down kept the drive alive with 1:02 to play, and the Aggies finished it off with the game-winning touchdown pass from Bonner to Deven Thompkins.
The chance for him to play a direct role in helping his team win down the stretch is something he never experienced at Oregon State. He played just 14 games in his four years in Corvallis, rushing for 124 yards on 30 carries.
Needless to say, being the Aggies’ leading rusher in a game against an old foe is something he is going to cherish. But he isn’t content.
“First and foremost I thank the good Lord because without him I wouldn’t have done this, as far as entering the transfer portal and then getting a call from coach Chuckie (Keeton),” he said. “As far as the day I had Saturday, I think it was a very average day for me. I could have done better, hydrated a lot more. I was cramping from the first play of the game. So I gotta thank the big men upfront and wide receiver core for getting it done as far as blocking.
Tyler Jr. and the Aggies’, now look forward to Friday’s game against North Dakota.
“We want to go 1-0 every week. We all have that same mentality,” Tyler Jr. said. “And like I was saying to the guys this week in the (running back) room, don’t forget last year we were 1-5. I wasn’t part of it. But I’m part of this program now so we need to treat every game like we’re a 1-5 team. With our backs against the wall like we’re the underdogs.”