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Logan
Anyone would be tempted to label Utah State's performance against Boise State the biggest victory in Aggie history. Like seemingly everything that unfolded Friday night below the under-construction towers of Maverik Stadium, that statement is subject to further review.
As No. 21 Boise State's fumbles and interceptions kept coming and USU turned those takeaways into points, the officials repeatedly devoted extra study to the game-changing plays in the Aggies' 52-26 upset.
Could you blame them?
I mean, what just happened here? Explanations are lacking, especially considering the recent results of this series, but the conclusion is clear: Utah State suddenly looks like a New Year's 6 bowl candidate.
USU created eight takeaways in the game's first 31 minutes, contributing to a flurry of three touchdowns in the last 85 seconds of the first half that gave the Aggies a 45-10 lead. USU (4-2) destroyed the Mountain West's flagship program and this century's darling of non-Power 5 college football.
The Aggies' win has to be judged the most meaningful in coach Matt Wells' three seasons, even if BYU (No. 18) was ranked higher last October. That's because of Boise State's aura in the MW and beyond, the Broncos' recent domination of USU and the potential impact of this victory.
The Broncos were becoming a trendy pick for another Fiesta Bowl bid, awarded to the highest-ranked conference champion among Group of 5 schools. USU stole that distinction, among other takeaways. The Aggies now are in position to win the conference's Mountain Division, host the MW title game and think about a big-time January destination. Having lost only to Pac-12 opponents Utah and Washington on the road, USU will compete with the likes of Toledo and Houston for such an opportunity.
Maybe that's getting ahead of the story, but since history became absolutely meaningless Friday, what's wrong with discussing the future?
USU beat the Broncos for the first time since 1997, when the schools belonged to the Big West. The one-year turnaround itself is as stunning as all of those turnovers. Boise State ransacked the Aggies 50-19 in a 12th straight victory last November in Boise, recording 498 total yards.
Maybe we all should have listened to USU defensive lineman Ricky Ali'ifua, who said this week, "We're a much more mature defense, and we want to prove that."
Point proven.
And the Aggie offense gets credit converting turnovers into points - with some help from safety Marwin Evans, whose 90-yard interception return for a touchdown ended the first half with USU's seventh takeaway. "We know what last year's game was like, but this year, we're a new team," USU center Austin Stephens had said. "We have a new identity."
Who could argue? After all, the stadium public-address announcer kept calling USU's quarterback "Hunter Sharp." In reality, Kent Myers is now 8-1 as a starter, having avenged his only defeat. Myers threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score in the first half, as the Aggies kept capitalizing.
The crazy thing is Boise State was within 24-10 in the last two minutes of the half. The Broncos then went fumble, fumble, interception; USU went touchdown, touchdown, touchdown. Just like that, it was 45-10.
Boise State (5-2) previously lost only via BYU's miraculous finish, while its offense had gone wild ever since freshman quarterback Brett Rypien took the job after the starter's injury. Rypien threw three interceptions in the first half and lost fumbles when Ali'ifua and Nick Vigil stripped him on consecutive pass attempts.
With those sacks subtracted, the Broncos moved into positive yardage only at the 12-minute mark of the second quarter, and USU relentlessly kept taking away the football. The Aggies earned the opportunity to seize even more prizes.
Twitter: @tribkurt