This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Provo • BYU senior quarterback Taysom Hill played his final regular-season game against Utah State on Saturday night at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
Aggie coach Matt Wells knew controlling Hill was a key to his team's chance to win the 86th meeting between the two schools.
"Taysom is a tremendous competitor and I have a lot of respect for him and what he's gone through in his career — the ups and the downs, the struggles and the injuries," Wells said. "To see him and what he does is a testament for that young man's character, talent and ability."
Against Utah State, Hill started for the 33rd time in 37 games at BYU.
"It doesn't seem like he's taking as much of a beating this year," Wells said. "Their offensive line is protecting him pretty good and I see him being a little bit more fresh. They've gotten on a roll and he's played really well."
BYU and turnovers
Going into the BYU game, Wells believed turnovers would be a huge factor in the outcome.
In their first 11 games, the Cougars forced 27 turnovers, including 18 interceptions. They led the country in takeaways.
The Aggies? Different story.
Before facing BYU, Utah State had forced only 12 turnovers and was a minus-nine on the season.
Asked earlier this week why the Cougars were so good at forcing turnovers, Wells said, "They are aggressive, they play hard and they run to the ball. Their three linebackers are the best group we'll play all year. … I've seen enough to know how good they are on defense."
In this game, turnovers led to the first two touchdowns — one by each team.
BYU's Michael Shelton returned a fumble 52 yards for a score that made it 14-3 in the second quarter. Moments later, Utah States Jalen Davis set up the Aggies' only touchdown with an interception.
Briefly …
For senior offensive lineman Jake Simonich, the BYU game was No. 53 of his career at Utah State. He shares second on the school's all-time list with B.J. Larsen, one game behind Jordan Nielsen's total of 54. … BYU's Kalani Sitake and Wells are two of only 19 coaches in the Football Bowl Subdivision who currently work at their alma maters. Sitake attended BYU in 1994 and from 1997-2000. Wells attended Utah State from 1993-96. … Utah State quarterback Kent Myers ran and passed for 47 yards in the first quarter. He moved past Anthony Calvillo and into seventh place on the school's all-time list for total offense.
Twitter: @drewjay