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Logan • Utah State used a passing attack — just not their own — and a solid rushing attack to hand Idaho State a 40-20 loss in front of 20,249 at Romney Stadium Saturday.
The win marked the Aggies' sixth straight home opening victory and their eighth straight victory against a Football Championship Series team.
The last FCS team to beat the Aggies was Idaho State when the Bengals won 27-24 in 2000.
Saturday's game had all the makings of another upset with the Bengals playing Utah State close through much of the first half.
However, the game turned in the second quarter when two interceptions by the Aggies set up two touchdowns and Utah State abandoned its struggling passing attack and put the ball in the hands of its running threats.
The second-half effort satisfied coach Matt Wells.
"We're not where we want to be but I'm happy with the win," he said. "I think there is some good stuff there to look at on the tape."
The run game and defense provided most of the highlights.
Joe Hill was a non-factor in the Aggies' 38-7 loss to Tennessee, finishing with just 22 yards on nine carries, but he proved to be the offensive spark the Aggies needed in the second quarter.
With the game tied at 6-6, the Aggies put together an 8-play, 52-yard scoring drive. Hill carried the ball three times and quarterback Chuckie Keeton scampered 22 yards on a 3rd-and-17 play.
The drive ended with a 5-yard touchdown run by Rashad Hall.
Hill finished with 15 carries for 69 yards. Altogether the Aggies rushed for 311 yards with four players rushing for more than 40 yards.
Hill's effort seemed to liven the Aggies as the Bengals failed to get a first down on their next possession and Utah State's JoJo Natson returned the punt 52 yards to put the Aggies up 20-6 at halftime.
While Natson's play was the game changer, the plays by the defense in the third quarter iced the win.
Utah State defenders Brian Suite and Jalen Davis both came up with interceptions, leading to two USU touchdowns.
On the possession following Suite's interception, Keeton threw a 20-yard strike to Natson which set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Hill. Davis scored the other touchdown after he hauled in the interception off a tipped pass and returned it 44 yards to put the Aggies ahead 33-6.
Davis also had an interception in the first quarter that led to Utah State's first score, a 31-yard field goal by Nick Diaz.
Davis said he didn't know what to do with the first interception as he had "first game jitters," but he had no hesitation with the second.
"The receiver dropped the ball in my hands and I ran," he said.
Arias finished 23-of-47 for 307 yards while Keeton was 13-of-30 for 116 yards and an interception. Keeton also rushed eight times for 74 yards and a touchdown.
"Chuckie is a competitor and a leader and he did a nice job leading those guys and keeping them together," Wells said. "It can be frustrating when you are getting just field goals in the first half and he did a nice job as a leader." —
Utah State 40, Idaho State 20
O In short • The Aggies scored two touchdowns and a field goal on drives that were set up by Utah State interceptions as USU turned a close game into a blowout.
Key stat • Chuckie Keeton (eight carries, 74 yards), Rashad Hall (11 carries, 69 yards), Joe Hill (15 carries, 69 yards) and Kennedy Williams (2 carries, 43 yards) helped the Aggies rush for 311 yards.
Key moment • JoJo Natson returned a punt 52 yards to put the Aggies up 20-6 with 1:24 remaining in the second quarter.