Estimated read time: 6-7 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
LOGAN — BYU knocked Utah State quarterback Chuckie Keeton out of the game in the first quarter and defeated the Aggies 31-14 for the Cougars’ third straight win in the battle for the Old Wagon Wheel.
Keeton threw an interception on the first play of the game, which was returned for a 15-yard touchdown by Kyle Van Noy, the fifth score of his career.
“Kyle Van Noy is better than you at anything you have ever done,” tweeted @j85royals.
Utah State was unable to answer on its next possession, but was given excellent field position after Taysom Hill fumbled while rushing for a first down on BYU’s first offensive series.
Keeton hit Travis Van Leeuwen on a 5-yard out on third-and-two from the BYU 7, and Van Leeuwen dove for the pylon to put the Aggies on the scoreboard.
“How did Travis Van Leeuwen not get an offer from #BYU?” tweeted @Captain_Strongo.
BYU responded by picking up four first downs on its next series. A 28-yard reception by Mitch Matthews set the Cougars up with first-and-goal on the Utah State 9.
However, the Cougars were unable to find the end zone, resulting in BYU’s 12th red-zone opportunity of the season that hasn’t ended in a touchdown.
“Anae’s redzone play calling is still an uncontained dumpster fire,” tweeted @zbloxham.
Utah State’s next possession concluded with a punt after Keeton rushed for eight yards on third-and-15, but the stadium fell silent as he lay on the turf, writhing in pain.
Keeton went airborne on the play to elude a Cougar defender before he was hit by Uani Unga. The collision coincided with Keeton landing on his feet and caused his knee to buckle at an awkward angle. Keeton was incapable of putting any weight on the leg as he was helped to the sideline.
“MRI pending, but USU officials fear torn ACL and MCL for Chuckie Keeton,” tweeted @ScottyG1280.
Aggie head coach Matt Wells said after the game that Keeton’s prognosis “doesn’t look good.”
Both Utah State and BYU fans expressed their sympathy for the Aggie leader.
“Moment of silence in the Goodman home for Chuckie Keeton's knee,” tweeted @JodiJean88.
The injury is potentially the second of the season-ending variety suffered by a starting quarterback in the last two matchups between the in-state rivals.
The Cougars went three-and-out following the Keeton injury, and junior Craig Harrison entered the game as the new signal-caller for the Aggies.
Harrison helped the Aggies pick up a first down on his first series under center, but coughed up the ball on the BYU 41 for Utah State’s second turnover of the game.
After back-to-back punts following the fumble, the Cougars put together their longest drive of the game. Jamaal Williams, who saw his first action since leaving BYU’s loss to Utah with a concussion, busted a 44-yard run down the sideline. Hill hooked up with a wide-open Matthews on the next play, who trotted into the end zone. The pitch-and-catch capped the Cougars’ 4-play, 81-yard scoring march.
The Utah State offense showed signs of life on its next series. Joey DeMartino broke free for a 39-yard run that set the Aggies up at the BYU 36. The gain marked the fourth consecutive week DeMartino has had a carry for that distance or longer. Utah State tried to cut the Cougar lead to three after a short rush and two incomplete passes, but the kick was blocked by Daniel Sorensen.
BYU came out of the locker rooms after halftime firing on all cylinders. The Cougars converted a third-and-eight from their own 27 before Cody Hoffman hauled in a 20-yard pass. Hill then scampered for 24 yards to the Utah State 20. The possession again ended in a Hill to Matthews touchdown pass. Matthews finished the night with five catches for 112 yards and three touchdowns, the first three of his career.
“Only thing bad about Mitch Matthews tonight is his haircut,” tweeted @Morty13.
Meanwhile, Harrison and the Aggie offense continued to struggle against BYU.
“#USU last 10 drives: 7 punts. Fumble. Blocked field goal. Turnover on downs,” tweeted @koryaldous.
Harrison threw his second touchdown of the season to Ronald Butler with just over a minute and a half remaining to build some confidence for the Aggies' (3-3, 2-0) next game against conference foe Boise State (3-2, 1-1), but the Cougar secondary was already lining up in soft zone coverage.
The victory is BYU’s 12th in its last 14 contests versus the Aggies. The Cougars (3-2) return home to play Georgia Tech (3-1) next week. Kyle Spencer is a ksl.com intern. He is studying journalism at Utah Valley University and is the sports editor of the UVU Review. Follow him on twitter @kyledspencer.
