Utah State faced off against the UTEP Miners on Saturday night in Logan and came out with a 28-16 victory. The difference maker in this game for the Aggies was their ability to make big plays. Running back Miles Davis had a 58-yard touchdown run at the end of the first quarter, and nearing the end of the second quarter, Bryson Barnes threw a 52-yard touchdown pass to Broc Lane. Utah State scored its final touchdown of the night when Bryson Barnes ran for a 12-yard touchdown with 8 minutes and 35 seconds remaining in the second quarter. As far as kicking went, Tanner Rinker hit field goals of 49 yards and 28 yards.
Bryson Barnes led Utah State in passing yards with 233, completing 19 of his 28 passes and throwing for one touchdown. Miles Davis had 12 carries for 88 yards and had one touchdown. Davis also led the Aggies in receiving, catching six passes for 61 yards. Defensively, John Miller led the Aggies with one sack, and cornerback Noah Avinger led the team with tackles with 11 tackles. The Aggies held Malachi Nelson to 22 completions on 34 pass attempts and 178 passing yards to go with a touchdown and an interception.
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Statistics Comparison
1st Downs: UTEP: 19; USU: 18
3rd Downs: UTEP: 4-15 (26.6%); USU: 2-12 (16.6%)
Total Yards: USU: 360 yards; UTEP: 284 total yards
Passing Yards: USU: 233 yards; UTEP: 181 yards
Rushing Yards: USU: 127 yards; UTEP: 103 yards
Penalties: UTEP: 7-63; USU: 11-73
Turnovers: USU: 0 turnovers; UTEP: 1 turnover
Time of Possession: USU: 30:37; UTEP: 29:23
The Good Key Points:
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Utah State had 360 total yards of offense, including 233 passing yards and 127 rushing yards.
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Utah State led the time of possession with just over 30 minutes and did not turn the ball over.
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Utah State was able to get chunk plays that changed the flow of the game.
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Utah State was able to settle into the game defensively after the first quarter and held the Miners to nine points after the first quarter
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Utah State held UTEP to 181 passing yards and also held the Miners to 4-15 on 3rd Downs.
The Bad Key Points:
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Utah State converted just 2 of their 3rd Down attempts and gave up six sacks and 12 tackles for loss.
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Utah State had several penalties throughout the game.
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Braden Pegan was one of Utah State’s most productive receivers, catching five passes for 38 yards, but none of the other receivers truly stood out in this game.
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Should Miles Davis not be able to play for the Aggies at any point, the rushing game could be in trouble. Javen Jacobs had four carries for 12 yards, and Davis had 12 for 88 yards. Bryson Barnes was the second leading rusher for the Aggies with 15 carries for 29 yards, but Utah State needs to be careful in keeping its starting quarterback healthy.
Overall Thoughts
The offensive line for Utah State needs some work. The Aggies had a lot of negative yardage plays, and in order to fix this issue, the offensive line needs to build continuity and communication. The special teams unit for the Aggies looked good with two made field goals and a strong night of punting, with Landon Rehkow averaging 47.4 yards over seven punts. Utah State did a very good job of getting to the player with the football, often times having multiple guys on the tackle. The defensive line and linebackers groups consistently made plays throughout the night, and both looked like strong points of this Aggies team. Two things to take notice of, however, that remain from the previous era of coaching are problems with low 3rd Down conversions and penalties. which can truly go hand-in-hand. Utah State looked a lot better than they have looked in the past couple of seasons, even if they were playing UTEP, who struggled mightily with offensive consistency. The last time Utah State won a season opener against an FBS opponent was in 2022, when the Aggies were able to beat UConn at home. Utah State faces Texas A&M next week on the road before returning home to face Air Force.
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It is very difficult to tell how this season is going to go for the Aggies based on one game. A good indication though will come on September 13th when Utah State takes on Air Force. If the Aggies can take down the Falcons, they should be 3-1 going into their game against Vanderbilt. 3-1 would be the best start for Utah State since the 2021 season.
So, overall, good start for the Aggies as they look to improve on the last few seasons.
