Aggies clinch bowl eligibility on Tyler's late touchdown run

LOGAN — It's not often players throw Gatorade bottles in the air and splash each other with water when it's 18 degrees outside.

But teams don't often get trounced by their FCS neighbors and start the season 1-4 before completely changing their trajectory to reach bowl eligibility before Thanksgiving.

So, let the water fly, Aggies.

Utah State got a go-ahead score, a stop, and defeated San Jose State 35-31 to improve to 6-5 on Saturday night at Maverik Stadium.

The frigid temperatures didn't stop the game from turning into an offensive affair, nor did it stop Calvin Tyler Jr. from rushing for the game-winning touchdown. And it certainly didn't stop the celebration that ensued on the sideline when Ajani Carter broke up a fourth-down pass to seal the win and postseason berth for the Aggies

"This year it's been adversity, adversity, adversity. A lot of teams don't get through, a lot of teams end up winning three games," Aggies head coach Blake Anderson said. "To battle back and continue to work and continue to practice and not give up on us and each other, it's a huge testament to the kids and the senior class, and really the culture of the program."

With a 21-6 lead in the second quarter, and 28-16 lead late in the third quarter, it appeared the Aggies might run away with a win. But San Jose State, backed by quarterback Chevan Cordeiro, manufactured two scoring drives to take a 31-28 lead with just under seven minutes left in the game.

Utah State immediately responded when Cooper Legas connected with Brian Cobbs for a 31-yard gain, and Tyler rumbled in for a 2-yard score — his third touchdown of the day. The defense forced a four-and-out series on San Jose State's next possession, and the Aggies completed its fifth win in six games to return to a bowl game.

"It's an amazing feeling. I know all of us boys and coaches really are just so happy. It just shows our resiliency," defensive tackle Hale Motu'apuaka said. "When you're 1-4 and might not be doing too well, losing to Weber the way we did, people might drop their gloves. But I know that one thing we did great as a team — coaches and players alike — is we never gave up and we were confident in what we were capable of doing and just worked hard for it and now we're here."

Against one of the top defensive fronts in the Mountain West, Tyler finished with 30 carries for 126 yards and three touchdowns. Legas threw for 244 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions on 23-of-35 passing, and the Aggies put up 430 yards of total offense. The defense had five sacks and six pass breakups, and special teams returned a blocked punt to the end zone.

Eleven seniors who were honored on Saturday night, including Tyler, go out on top at home.

"Our seniors on our team this year are great leaders for us — game changers," Motu'apuaka said. "And to be able to send them off like this, get another game to play with these guys, it's an amazing feeling."

The Aggies got production from the offense throughout the game and held its own physically against the Spartan's defensive front that gives up less than 2.0 yards on the ground per play. In the first quarter, Tyler shed two tackles and went 14 yards to the end zone to complete a 15-play, 96-yard drive to give Utah State a 7-6 lead.

In the second quarter, Tyler broke the end zone plane again on a 2-yard rush to lead 14-6. Then, special teams delivered when Ike Larson got a piece of a punt, and Jaden Smith caught it just past the line of scrimmage and returned it 56 yards for a touchdown.

"We went after several, and when we needed it most we got it," Anderson said. "If you think about it, everyone we've blocked at this point has either a touchback or they follow right on it. But to get the touchdown, you look at the game, and that's a huge momentum swing."

San Jose State refused to go away, however.

Cordeiro finished the night throwing for 257 yards and four touchdowns, and Elijah Cooks caught seven passes for 125 yards and three touchdowns.

Cooks' 9-yard touchdown catch cut the Aggies' lead to 28-23 in the third quarter. The Spartans forced a turnover on downs in its own territory, and its offense marched down the field and took the late lead with a 1-yard touchdown from Cordeiro to Jackson Canaan.

"I loved how (our players) fought back," San Jose State coach Brent Brennan said. "I thought they played hard. I thought they played their butts off. They kept believing."

But trailing late in the fourth, with an opportunity to clinch bowl eligibility on senior night, the Aggies didn't flinch.

"No pressure. Same thing like last year at Washington State; it's no pressure," Tyler said of the game-winning drive. "We've been in these moments, and we practice these moments. All we have to do is go out and execute and play football like we know how; that's what we did. No pressure, but we pushed the urgency. It felt great doing that. The coaches never give up on us. This team will never give up on each other. We're going to keep working and get better."

The Aggies travel to Boise next week and will have plenty of motivation to defeat the Broncos on the Smurf Turf for the first time. They'll travel north with motivation from what was undoubtedly the team's high point of the season.

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