Utah State wasn’t expected to have any answers for No. 1 Alabama last week.
The No. 16 team in the country wasn’t supposed to blow them out, too. But the Weber State Wildcats — ranked 16th in the Football Championship Subdivision — walked out of Maverik Stadium with a dominant 35-7 victory Saturday night.
It was the Wildcats’ first win over Utah State since 1978.
“They were tougher than nails tonight and they came with a purpose,” Weber head coach Jay Hill said.
Weber State running back Dontae McMillan (28) carries the ball as Utah State linebacker AJ Vongphachanh defends in the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, in Logan, Utah. (Eli Lucero/The Herald Journal via AP)
The Wildcats picked off the Aggies four times and outgained Utah State 402-278 on the night.
Weber quarterback Bronson Barron passed for 202 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Josh Davis finished with 94 yards and a score on the ground.
On the sidelines, Weber players made mention of their “Super Bowl” more than once.
“There was a comment made throughout the week that players got word of, so it was kind of our thing. If they were going to say it was our Super Bowl for Weber State, then we were going to make it a Super Bowl,” Hill said. “They prepared that way. They played that way. We’ve got tough suckers that can play this game.”
Utah State’s Logan Bonner went 12 for 31 in the air and was picked off three times.
USU fans cheered when backup QB Cooper Legas replaced Bonner in the fourth quarter — only to see Legas’ first pass of the night picked off, too.
Utah State’s only score of the night came on a 100-yard kickoff return by Terrell Vaughn, making it the second week in a row Blake Anderson’s offense failed to score.
“We got outcoached and outplayed. It’s that simple,” Anderson said. “They came with a great gameplan and executed it. They had us off-balance all night on both sides of the ball. We dropped balls. We had penalties. We made mistakes. We played right into their plan. They did a great job. They earned it. Every bit of it. They’re celebrating down stairs and they deserve to.
Utah State running back Calvin Tyler Jr. (4) carries the ball as Weber State safety LJ Anderson (32) defends in the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, in Logan, Utah. (Eli Lucero/The Herald Journal via AP) )
USU converted only two of its 15 third downs, with the first one coming with just 2:30 left in the game.
If the Aggies had a chance to shift momentum in the game, it came in the final seconds of the first half. With Weber leading 13-7, Bonner went looking for receiver Kyle Van Leeuwen but the pass was tipped and intercepted.
In the third quarter, the Wildcats put together an 18-play drive that 9:29 off the clock before Barron found to Ty MacPherson for a 9-yard touchdown.
Weber never relinquished control of the game.
“This is for sure one of the best,” Hill said when asked where the victory ranked for him.
Utah State will host UNLV on Sept. 24. Weber will next face Utah Tech.
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