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LOGAN — Back in his house following the loss to Weber State, Utah State quarterback Logan Bonner found a quiet room to sit in and had just one thought on his mind: "How did this happen?"
Entering the game, Bonner felt the most confidence he had all season, with his injured knee feeling good. It was not reflected on the field.
The Aggies were routed 35-7 by the Wildcats; and Bonner, who threw a season high 31 passes, three interceptions, and no touchdowns, was booed by some of his own fans.
No doubt a low point for the senior, it has ramped up chatter around the fan base during the bye week about backup Cooper Legas perhaps getting an opportunity.
When asked about Bonner's status Monday, coach Blake Anderson — who's message earlier in the season often emphasized Bonner's ongoing return from injury — insisted his QB1 is physically healthy but battling some anxieties surrounding the injury and second-guessing his own ability.
Any excuses, however, won't save Bonner for long; Anderson admitted he was on a "short leash" and must play well to keep the job.
Fortunately for Bonner, he is not one to take things personally. Since he started his career at Arkansas State in 2016, he has lost quarterback battles, endured season-ending injuries and understands his performance will always be under fire.
When facing uncertainty, it helps to have great support; Bonner has a trusted circle, which includes his parents, Linda and Bane, who travel from their home in Dallas for every game. He also has former teammates, such as former Arkansas State and Utah State linebacker Justin Rice and receiver Brandon Bowling, both of whom transferred with Bonner to Logan last season. Certain members of the Aggies coaching staff are also in his circle.
The most important trait Bonner has, though, is an unshakeable belief in himself, even amid the on-field and psychological issues he's combatting.
"I know the score doesn't really show it, but I felt more comfortable in this last game," Bonner said. "Obviously, we didn't play very well in every facet of the ball, including me, but I felt the most comfortable I felt all all year.
"Anybody that's gone through (injury) knows, it's more mental than physical. I didn't know that until I'm going through it, so it's always easier to tell people it's hard to explain. But I think it comes with it; you've got to do your job. I mean, Division I football is either you do it or you don't, so I've just got to push through it and get better every day."
Saturday's game against UNLV is no doubt the most important of the season yet — for Bonner and his team. Opening conference play with a win could help change the tone of the season and keep the Aggies' goal of winning the Mountain West for a second consecutive season on track.
Glancing at the history of their opponent, a win seems reasonable. The last time UNLV beat the Aggies, in the late summer of 2008, Lehman Brothers was still in business; and the last time the Rebels made a bowl game in 2014, the former social media app Vine still had a two-year shelf life.
None of that should be of comfort, however, because on paper, the Rebels look like the better team this season.
Last year, despite going 2-10, UNLV matched up well against the Aggies, particularly on the defensive front, where they suffocated the Utah State rushing attack and held the Aggies to 3.2 yards per carry. The run-stopping ability has transitioned into this year, too, and held California to 92 rushing yards and a 2.9 yard average.
The development of third-year head coach Marcus Arroyo seems to be paying off, because the rest of the team is catching up to the rush defenses' prowess.
Former walk-on Jarrae Williams is playing at a high level at defensive back and leads the team in solo tackles; he leads a secondary capable of playing well in man coverage.
Offensively, quarterback Doug Brumfield has become a revelation for the Rebels. Coming off a season-ending injury in 2021, he beat out Cameron Friel — who won Mountain West freshman of the year last season — as the starter, and through three games has completed 60-of-85 passes for 773 yards and seven touchdowns. His QB rating of 73.7 is 37th nationally.
Brumfield is complemented by running back Aidan Robbins, who posted 227 yards on 29 attempts and three touchdowns en route to a win over North Texas last week.
"UNLV is a much better football team than we saw a year ago," Anderson said. "A lot of returners. I think the quarterback makes it go — Broomfield is playing very well. ... They're big, they run the ball, they commit to running the ball; they're good at it. We can't play like we did a week ago; if we do, we won't like the result."
Winning won't just require an improved effort from the Weber State game; it will require transformational effort from an Aggies offense that has not scored a point on offense since the Connecticut game.
Always coy when talking schematics, coaches and players haven't publicly proposed specific tactics to improve the offense beyond executing better at every position. Accountability is emphasized, but quotable solutions are vague, generally surrounding morale topics, such as emphasizing better leadership and getting better synched up.
"We've just got to find our use and our confidence back," Bonner said. "I think we can, and that starts at practice; and I think we're doing a good job of that."
Bonner knows, however, the only answer that will satisfy him is his on-field performance, and that of his teammates. He is a quarterback who savors the sport, who says his favorite aspect of it is the week-to-week journey — starting with watching film on Sunday, running installs and practicing throughout the week, and working up to Saturday game day.
One thing you can get from Bonner is his best preparation and effort. It's the bare minimum required for Utah State to give themselves a shot on Saturday.
"We want to start off fast and start dominating like we know we can do," Bonner said. "It's just the process of having good practices. And leading up to the game, I think that we're on the right track to do that. It doesn't guarantee us a win, it just gives us a chance to compete at the highest level."
