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LOGAN — Utah State recorded its first win of the season in the team's home opener against Idaho State, beating the Bengals 78-28.
The Aggies had a breakout second quarter, scoring 44 points in the quarter alone. The Aggies scored 20 points in a 71-second stretch during that time, ultimately entering the locker room with a 51-14 lead. The Aggies' 51 points were the second-most scored in a half in school history, according to available school records.
Additionally, the Aggies' 78 points were the fourth-most in school history and the most since 1919, when Utah State (1-1) beat Idaho State 136-0. Head coach Blake Anderson didn't seem to care, though, saying that his focus was on correcting mistakes leading up to the team's game at Air Force Friday night.
"We'll take it for what it's worth and not allow ourselves to — because of the score, because of the win — overlook things that still need to be corrected," Anderson said.
He added that it's one of the most difficult challenges as a coach to ensure his team will "dissect" the game to correct their mistakes, rather than sugar-coating them because of the positive result.
The Aggies tried not to run up the score, Anderson said, but the coaching staff wanted to give valuable reps to as many players as possible. He noted that the only reason his team's 78 points is significant to him is that his mom turns 78 years old Sunday.
Utah State's success on offense was led by an aggressive rushing attack from Robert Briggs Jr., Rahsul Faison and Davon Booth, as each neared or eclipsed the 100-yard mark in rushing yards. Each also recorded at least one touchdown on the evening.
Briggs gave credit to his offensive line, saying he saw "nothing but a big hole" each time he touched the ball. The Aggies finished the game with 380 total rushing yards on 41 attempts, averaging just under 10 yards per carry.
Aggies quarterback Cooper Legas impressed spectators, as well, completing 14-of-16 passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns. He was replaced by Levi Williams in the third quarter, who added two additional passing touchdowns; freshman McCae Hillstead led the offense in the fourth quarter.
The Aggies did not turn the ball over once.
Of the 14 completions from Legas, 10 were to slot receiver Terrell Vaughn, who finished with 11 receptions and two receiving touchdowns. Vaughn is the first Utah State receiver to record double-digit receptions in back-to-back games since 2001.
The Aggies defense, though appearing inconsistent at times, made some impressive plays, including three forced turnovers: two pick-six scores from defensive backs Ike Larsen and Jaiden Francois, and a forced fumble from defensive back Michael Anyanwu.
The 28 points they allowed, however, were too many for safety Anthony Switzer, who recorded a career-high 10 total tackles against the Bengals.
"I feel like we gave them those points," he said, while adding that the Aggies will need to fix small communication errors and little details before its game next week in Colorado Springs.
Anderson agreed, saying that "even in a game like today, there's still a bunch of mistakes. … We've got to fix those things or they'll show up in games that are critical and moments that are critical."
Utah State opens up Mountain West play with a difficult road game against Air Force (2-0) Friday (6 p.m. MDT, CBSSN). Since Air Force's loss to Utah State in October, the Falcons have recorded a 8-1 record and have not lost a game by a margin bigger than seven since 2020.
Air Force has also posted 10 or more wins every season since 2019 (excluding 2020).
