Utah State dominates Colorado State in conference opener
Utah State opened Mountain West Conference play for the final time on Dec. 12, hosting defending conference champion Colorado State. The matchup would be the final Mountain West opener for both squads as they’ll move to the PAC-12 in 2026.
Utah State dominated the Rams in a wire-to-wire 100-58 blowout to move to 10-1 for the second straight season under head coach Jerrod Calhoun.
“I thought we had a great week of prep, and our kids played lights out,” Calhoun said. “I thought tonight, guys played their part, they played their role. They did that throughout the week, and they were rewarded for their hard work.”
It was all Aggies from the tip on Saturday, starting the game on a 12-0 run behind 10 quick points from Mason Falslev, who led all scorers with 18 points. Colorado State stopped the bleeding with a layup, their first points of the game, with 14:38 in the half.
“It felt good,” Falslev said. “I don’t think we’ve had a great start in any of our games, so it felt really good, and hopefully, we can continue to do it.”
Utah State then went on another 15-3 run to stretch the lead to 22 with just under 11 minutes left in the half. The Aggies were able to stretch the lead to as many as 28 at one point, but CSU went on a late 8-0 run to cut the deficit down. Utah State got some back and went into the locker room with a 45-24 lead.
The Aggies got it done on both sides of the floor in the first half, shooting a season-high 64% from the floor, knocking down 7 of 11 3-pointers while holding Colorado State to just 26% shooting.
The game seemed doomed from early on for the Rams, as their leading scorer Kyle Jorgensen went down just four minutes into the game with an injury and did not return. Without Jorgensen, the Rams struggled to get their offense going and find scoring production from the rest of the lineup.
The second half was more of the same for Utah State, as they cruised to a 42-point victory. The Aggies started the second half methodically extending their lead as Colorado State attempted to fight back, but it was a trio of 6-8 point runs later in the half that extended the lead to blowout territory.
“We had a really good two or three days of practice, so we were ready for them,” Falslev said. “I think that’s the most we’ve ever played like a team together. I think everyone was doing their part. Sure, we had some ups and downs, but for the most part, I think everyone bought into the team, and that’s what we need.”
After Utah State’s overtime win over Montana State and loss to South Florida, Calhoun was frustrated with the team’s physicality and energy. Against the Rams, it was their physicality and toughness that gave CSU fits all afternoon on both ends of the floor. Utah State held the Rams to just 37% shooting while forcing 15 turnovers and dominating the boards with a 40-20 rebounding advantage.
Offensively, it was the most complete performance the Aggies have gotten to this point, as they shot 64% from the floor, coupled with an impressive 58% from three, while getting production from their entire lineup. Utah State had six double-digit scorers on Saturday, including 15 points and 8 rebounds from freshman Adlan Elamin.
The Aggies will be back in action on Dec. 30 against Fresno State, as they’ll have over a week off for Christmas.