LOGAN — It used to be a dream get started for one Mountain West soccer crew Saturday night time on Merlin Olsen Box and a nightmare for the opposite.
Utah State went off for a season-high 24 issues within the first quarter, took a commanding 41-0 cushion into halftime and rolled to a 51-14 drubbing of Nevada in entrance of an introduced crowd of nineteen,418 at Maverik Stadium. The Aggies progressed to 5-0 at house this season, within the procedure, and are just one win clear of being bowl eligible.
“I have coached at numerous puts and for slightly some time,” head trainer Bronco Mendenhall mentioned. “There is something about this stadium, our lovers, the HURD, the relationship. Our gamers really feel it, I believe it. It is only a gorgeous position to play. I would like to precise gratitude to our lovers, our alumni and our scholars.
“They are making Maverik Stadium a truly cool position to play and a real house box merit, and being dominant at house issues when you are looking to transfer a program ahead. I shared that with my crew in fall camp. That is one of the crucial first issues that has to occur.”
USU’s dominance began from the get-go because it wanted lower than two mins to dent the scoreboard. Aggie extensive receiver Brady Boyd put a transfer on a UNR defensive again, who fell at the play and used to be extensive open for a 53-yard landing go from Bryson Barnes with 13:19 ultimate within the quarter. Boyd set the tone with a truly great contested third-and-long catch the play earlier than his TD.
“Trainer (DeNarius) McGee mentioned the largest knock on me has been my contested-catch skill,” Boyd mentioned. “He is been running with me additional those previous couple of weeks, particularly over the bye weeks. Having him prep me and roughly pull it out of me so to make the ones performs, I owe it to him so to do this.”
It used to be a harbinger of items to come back for Boyd and Barnes, who finished 19 of 26 passes for 267 yards within the opening 1/2. The Aggies (5-4, 3-2 MW) scored on six in their seven opening-half possessions and racked up 335 yards of general offense.
USU used to be simply as dominant at the different facet of the ball because it restricted Nevada (1-8, 0-5) to 46 general yards and one measly first down right through the primary two quarters of motion. The Wolf Pack finished extra passes to the Aggies (two) than they did to their very own talent place gamers, and that one finishing touch went for minus-1 backyard.
“Our highest week of observe used to be this previous week,” Mendenhall mentioned. “I did not see that rating coming. Nevada’s been truly just right on protection, they have got performed one-score video games irrespective of who they have got performed throughout the year. Our offensive plan, defensive plan, however truly how our crew ready used to be outstanding. They had been bodily, they had been attached, attempting onerous and having a laugh. The power across the construction used to be other. I am truly happy that they might see a tangible outcome and a win that used to be almost certainly abnormal.”
Aggie tailback Miles Davis rushed for first-half TDs of three and 1 yards, with the second one being on a fourth-and-goal plunge with seven seconds ultimate in the second one quarter. USU’s different offensive landing used to be a 15-yard dot from Barnes to Anthony Garcia within the nook of the tip zone halfway thru the second one quarter.
Utah State’s protection additionally put issues at the board as protection Brevin Hamblin showcased his jumping skill on a first-quarter interception on the line of scrimmage and returned it 38 yards to the home. It used to be the Aggies’ first pick-six of the 2025 marketing campaign.
“I have for my part by no means observed it, but it surely came about to land proper in my palms when I tipped it,” Hamblin spoke back when requested if he is ever observed an INT like that. “It used to be a laugh to make a play.”
Moreover, the hosts were given a second-quarter INT from linebacker Mataria Brown, which they transformed into Garcia’s aforementioned scoring catch.
USU’s particular groups gadgets additionally factored into the opening-half scoring onslaught as standout kicker Tanner Rinker booted box targets of 32 and 44 yards. Rinker has been a success on all 10 of his box target makes an attempt this season.
Even Aggie punter Landon Rehkow helped made a distinction as his lone punt of the 1/2 used to be a booming career-long 63-yarder that used to be downed on the Nevada 1-yard line. The Wolf Pack then proceeded to move 3 and out, punted from the again of the tip zone and gave the Aggies a brief box, which they was Davis’ TD within the waning seconds of the 1/2.
There used to be no reprieve for the Wolf Pack in the beginning of the second one 1/2 as they needed to punt on their first ownership, and the Aggies promptly marched 76 yards in seven performs to paydirt for a 48-0 lead. Barnes discovered Boyd all on my own behind the tip zone from 21 yards out and he used to be ready to deftly drag his proper foot in. The Texas Tech switch completed with a career-high 117 yards on 5 receptions.
The Key Takeaways for this newsletter had been generated with the help of massive language fashions and reviewed through our editorial crew. The object, itself, is simply human-written.
