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Logan • The college football gods, apparently, do not want Kent Myers to redshirt.

Myers, Utah State's sophomore quarterback, was supposed to sit out each of the past two seasons. By doing so, he would save one year of eligibility for a time when established star Chuckie Keeton wasn't around.

Fate did not allow it.

Last year, Myers was doing what most new, raw, undersized quarterbacks do upon arrival at college — working on the practice field and in the weight room, waiting for the day when his opportunity would come.

When injuries sidelined those ahead of him, however, Utah Sate coach Matt Wells had no choice. Myers' redshirt was stripped away and he stepped in for injured quarterbacks Keeton, Craig Harrison and Darell Garretson, leading Utah State to five wins in six games, including a 21-6 victory over UTEP in the New Mexico Bowl, where he was named MVP.

"I felt like I just had a small role, just time management and doing what I could do, because nobody really knew what I was capable of doing," he says now.

Despite the success, Myers was ticketed to redshirt this year. Keeton returned and Oregon transfer Damion Hobbs was eligible, so Wells hoped to save him.

Keeton suffered a sprained knee in a 31-17 loss at Washington, however, and Myers' track record as a starter made him the logical replacement last week against Colorado State.

Bingo.

Myers rushed for 191 yards and one touchdown in a 33-18 win over the Rams. Saturday night, he will again lead Utah State's offense at Fresno State.

"We played very well, for it being my first start for the season." he said. "There are some mental things we have to work. … But, other than that, the offense got used to me fast and we scored a lot of points. I'm excited to see what we can do next."

Asked if he was surprised by how quickly Myers re-established himself, Wells smiled and shook his head.

"… We're seeing him every day in the offseason, in spring ball, in the summer and in training camp," he said. "You could see Kent naturally progress, naturally get bigger and naturally get stronger."

"He's continued to mature in this offense. There are ways for him to improve fundamentally each and every week. That's no different than anybody else in the program. But Kent played well."

Myers is from Rowlett, Texas. Besides Utah State, he visited New Mexico and Air Force while being recruited. At one point, Lobo coach Bob Davie has said he thought Myers would end up in Albuquerque.

"I really liked New Mexico and I really liked him," Myers said. "But I always new Utah State was the place. … I always knew my heart was at Utah State."

Despite the glut of quarterbacks ahead of him last year and Keeton's continued presence this season, Myers never considered transferring, as Garretson did after last season.

"My parents always told me, 'Stay patient, control what you can control and your time will come,'" he said. "[Besides], I had a lot of things to work on. High school is a lot different than college, I just felt, with me coming in as a freshman, I had to fix a lot of little things."

In a role as mentor, Keeton has helped.

"He's doing everything for me," Myers said. "We're going through film and looking at everything. When he's on the sideline or at practice behind me, he's always coaching me up. … He texted me after the [CSU] game and said he's hard on me just because he wants me to be great. So that made me happy — that somebody is there for me."

Just as Myers has been there for Utah State.

Email: luhm@sltrib.com

Twitter:@sluhm Kent Myers File

Hometown • Rowlett, Texas

Position • Quarterback Class • Sophomore

Height • 6-0 Weight • 190

Career highlights • District MVP as a senior at Sachse High School after running and passing for 52 touchdowns. … Started six games as a true freshman at Utah State. … Completed 14 of 15 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns in his first college start at Hawaii. … Finished 5-1 as the starter. … Named MVP of Utah State's 21-6 win over UTEP in the New Mexico Bowl. … Broke the school record for rushing yards by a quarterback (191) in Saturday's 33-18 win over Colorado State. —

Kent Myers by the numbers

Passing

Season G Att. Comp. Int. Pct. Yds. TDs

2014 7 119 79 3 .664 866 5

2015 1 21 12 0 .571 137 1

Rushing

Season G Att. Yds. Avg. TDs

2014 7 56 310 5.5 5

2015 1 16 191 11.9 1 —

Utah State at Fresno State

Saturday, 8:30 p.m.

TV • CBS Sports Network