Provo • The Old Wagon Wheel is staying in Provo.
And who knows for how long.
A century after BYU and Utah State first squared off on the football field, the Cougars and Aggies met for the final time for at least the foreseeable future — a 38-26 victory for No. 19 BYU Thursday night at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
BYU quarterback Jaren Hall threw for 273 yards and three touchdowns. Wide receiver Kody Epps had five catches for 86 yards and a touchdown. Running back Christopher Brooks rushed for 90 yards and a score.
The Aggies started quarterback Cooper Legas in place of an injured Logan Bonner — and the former Orem High star made things interesting for a while. Legas threw for 188 yards and two touchdowns, rushed for another score, and helped Utah State stay level, 17-17, in the first half.
But the second half belonged to the Cougars.
Epps caught passes of 27, 26 and 8 yards — the last one for a touchdown — to make it 31-20 midway through the third.
Aggie running back Calvin Tyler Jr. rushed for 104 yards on the night. The Cougar defense gave up 150 rushing yards in the first half, but clamped down in the second.
Brooks sealed the deal with an 18-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
BYU now leads the all-time series 51-37-3. The two schools have no plans to play in the foreseeable future after BYU pulled out of the in-state rivalry as it prepares to move into the Big 12 Conference.
BYU improved to 4-1 on the year with big games on the horizon against Notre Dame next weekend in Las Vegas and No. 20 Arkansas on Oct. 15 in Provo.
The Aggies will host Air Force next Saturday.
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