Aggies' wide receiver trio shines in win over Colorado State

LOGAN — Of the 26 passes that were completed for Colorado State throughout the evening, nine receivers caught at least one.

The Aggies' 19 completions, however, went to just three receivers — Terrell Vaughn, Jalen Royals and Micah Davis — a trio that has proved to be effective pass catchers for their team.

"I'd love for a lot of guys to catch the ball, but those are the three guys that got it done tonight," Utah State head coach Blake Anderson said.

Anderson called the trio "explosive," but was also surprised the three were the only receivers that had a reception in the game.

Don't be fooled, though, the higher number of completions and receivers involved does not signal a better passing attack for the Rams. Their quarterback, Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, attempted 57 passes and gained 225 yards through the air with three interceptions and no touchdowns.

Cooper Legas, on the other hand, passed for 387 yards on 29 attempts for four touchdowns and two interceptions. Vaughn, Royals and Davis have been great assets for Legas, and they stepped up to help lift the Aggies to their third win of the season.

"I think you saw what we're capable of with our wideouts in space; we've recruited really well," said Anderson, who also gave praise to the wide receivers coach Kyle Cefalo and his team's offensive line for the trio's success.

Legas had nothing but praise for the three receivers he connected with Saturday evening, calling them "awesome playmakers" while complimenting their determination to get any ball that was thrown their way.

Many of the trio's catches Saturday did require a fight. Many were contested 50-50 balls, like Davis' touchdown reception late in the game that he ripped out of the outstretched hands of a Colorado State defender.

"It's really hard to get a guy wide open, so sometimes you've just got to put it up and trust that (your receivers are) going to get it, and they started doing that," Legas said. "It was awesome."

The trio has carried a sizable portion of their offense's workload all season, and account for over three quarters of the team's total receiving yards and 90% of the team's receiving touchdowns through six games. The trio has an average of more than 225 total receiving yards per game.

On a team that has been plagued with attrition and uncertainty on the line and at quarterback, having a solid corps of receivers has been all Utah State could have asked for this season.

The receivers will need to have an impressive game Friday evening if the Aggies hope to beat Fresno State at home, who are the reigning Mountain West champions and lost their first game of the season to Wyoming Saturday.

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