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LARAMIE, Wyo. — Utah State jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the frigid mountain air of Wyoming and cruised to a 20-3 win over the Cowboys in a rare Friday night game at War Memorial Stadium.
True freshman Kent Myers moved to 2-0 as a starter by completing 13 of 16 passes for 150 yards with no interceptions. But it was one of his wide receivers who stole the show against the Pokes (4-6, 2-4 MWC).
Here are a few quick thoughts about the seventh win of the year for the Aggies (7-3, 4-1 MWC).
Utah State entered 2014 looking to accomplish a historic feat. The Aggies had never gone to a bowl game in four straight seasons, and could be the first to do so with the highest-winning senior class in school history.
Mission accomplished.
Utah State will almost assuredly receive a nod to play in a postseason bowl game, though the location of the bid won’t be selected for several weeks. A Mountain West championship also remains in play for the Aggies, though they will need some help from Colorado State at 4-1 in the Mountain Division with a loss to the Rams.
Not many teams have punted the ball to Natson in 2014, but when they have, the junior from Florida has made them pay. That was the case Friday, when Natson went off for 144 all-purpose yards — in the first half, including an 80-yard punt return that ranks as the longest of his career. He finished with 99 yards on five carries (with 66 of them coming on a touchdown run in the second quarter), to go along with three receiving yards on two catches and his long punt return.
It’s hard to be picky about a dominant 17-point win, but the Aggies allowed their first 100-yard rusher since Arkansas State’s Johnston White had exactly 100 yards rushing in a 21-14 overtime win on Sept. 20. The offense didn't score in the second half, and Utah State's defense seemed content to allow cheap yardage to the Cowboys — sometimes with good reason, sometimes not so much. B.J. Larsen forced a pair of turnovers, so it was a good overall defensive effort by Utah State. But Wyoming’s Brian Hill, who received national attention for his standout performance a week ago at Fresno State, ran the ball 25 times for 149 yards — joining a small club of solid running back performances against the fourth-best rush defense in the country. Hill only averaged 4.3 yards per carry, which shouldn’t be a major worry — but the defense has set a high bar for itself, and dipped just underneath it Friday night.
Fortunately for Utah State, when the Aggies needed a stop they got it. The Pokes only managed a season-low three points, and quarterback Colby Kirkegaard completed only 50 percent of his passes for 5.3 yards per reception and two interceptions.
