Alfred Edwards Leads Nine Aggies Receiving All-Conference Honors
Dec 2, 2022, 4:01 PM
(Photo courtesy of Utah State Athletics)
(Photo courtesy of Utah State Athletics)
LOGAN, Utah –ย After an improbable 6-6 season, nine Utah State players earned All-Mountain West recognition for their 2022 regular season play.
The Aggies closed out their regular season with a 42-23 at Boise Stateย to finish the regular season at .500.
#๐๐๐๐ฝ ๐ผ๐๐-๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐-๐๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ pic.twitter.com/ggw2T4I4ga
— Mountain West (@MountainWest) November 29, 2022
USU is bowl-eligible for the second consecutive season and 10th time in the past 12 years. The Aggies played in five-straight bowls, winning three, from 2011-2015. After missing out on bowl season in 2016, the Aggies played in three straight bowls from 2017-2019. Utah State played in justย six bowl games in their first 119 years of play.
All-Mountain West First Team
Graduate senior left tackle Alfred Edwards was the only Aggie to receive first team recognition. Edwards is also the only Aggie to be receive all-conference recognition for a second time after he received honorable mention All-Mountain West recognition last season.
Congrats to @AEdwards723 on being named ๐ ๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ-๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ!
โก๏ธ https://t.co/oHiFPrxoTo#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/XRaFZueAG1
— USU Football (@USUFootball) November 29, 2022
Just the fourth USU offensive lineman to to earn Mountain West league honors since 2013, Edwards joins Tyler Larsen (2013), Kevin Whimpey (2014) and Quin Ficklin (2018).
Edwards started all 11 games he appeared in this season, playing 800 snaps, second most on the team. Overall, he had an 84 percent performance grade this season with a season high of 94 percent in a win over Air Force.
All-Mountain West Second Team
A pair of graduate seniors and a red-shirt freshman make up Utah State’s three Mountain West second team selections
Congrats to @cobbs_brian, @BlessedAthleteC, and @IkeLarsen19 on being named ๐๐๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ-๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ!
โก๏ธ https://t.co/oHiFPrxoTo#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/MubOmJIiRA
— USU Football (@USUFootball) November 29, 2022
Brian Cobbs
A transfer from the University of Maryland, Cobbs has been a revelation for the Aggies. Cobbs set career highs in catches (10) and yards (136) in one game. He led Utah State with 70 receptions for 844 yards. His four touchdowns are tied with Justin McGriff for second on the team, behind Terrell Vaughn’s five scores.
#๐๐๐๐ฝ ๐ผ๐๐-๐๐ ๐๐๐พ๐๐๐ฟ-๐๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ pic.twitter.com/NrzzgcS3ta
— Mountain West (@MountainWest) November 29, 2022
RELATED: 60 in 60: #48 Utah Stateโs Brian Cobbs (Wide Receiver)
Just the fourth USU wide receiver to earn first or second-team Mountain West recognition, Cobbs joins Deven Thompkins (2021), Hunter Sharp (2015) and Siaosi Mariner (2019).
Cobbs finished the regular season third in the Mountain West and 32nd in the country with 5.8 receptions per game.
Calvin Tyler Jr.
In his second year in Logan, Tyler Jr. led the Aggies with 1,043 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 237 carries, appearing to get stronger as the season rolled along.
He became just the 16th player to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season in program history. His six 100-yard rushing games are the most for an Aggie since 2013.
2๏ธโฃ0๏ธโฃ0๏ธโฃ0๏ธโฃ yard Career โ
Congrats to @BlessedAthleteC on this career rushing milestone! pic.twitter.com/jerLJzfY0Q
— USU Football (@USUFootball) November 28, 2022
RELATED: Offensive Trio Providing Stability For Bowl-Bound Utah State
Tyler Jr.’s 86.9 rush yards per game is fifth in the Mountain West and good for 36th in the country.
Ike Larsen
Appearing in 11 games and starting four, Larsen had a breakout season for the Aggies at the safety position.
His four interceptions and three blocked punts led the team in both categories. Larsen is also the only player in the country to have four picks, three blocked kicks and a defensive touchdown.
RELATED: Big Play Magnet, Ike Larsen Leads Utah State Secondary As Freshman
Larsen was named Mountain West Freshman of the Week twice during the 2022 season. The first came when he posted a career-high seven tackles while blocking a punt and intercepting a pass against then-No. 1 Alabama.
All-Mountain West Honorable Mention
Hunter Reynolds
One of just three Aggies to start all 12 games on defense, Reynolds had the unenviable task of keeping an Aggie defense that had been decimated by injury together.
Reynolds was also named as a PFF Honorable Mention All-American.
Congrats to @hunt_xxvii on being named @PFF Honorable Mention All-American!
โก๏ธ https://t.co/oIZ2oRC9Up#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/28J8Lce8Gd
— USU Football (@USUFootball) November 30, 2022
As a graduate-senior, Reynolds experience on the back end of the defense was invaluable. He joined Larsen as one of two Aggies to score a defensive touchdown this season.
RELATED: 60 in 60: #44 Utah Stateโs Hunter Reynolds (Safety)
Reynolds name is all over the stat sheet this season as he finished second on the team in tackles (88), interceptions (3), pass break-ups (7), and double-digit tackle games with three.
Daniel Grzesiak
A graduate-junior, Grzesiak joins Reynolds as one of three defensive players to start all 12 games for Utah State in 2022.
Congrats to @DG_RunItUp, @hunt_xxvii and @tfs1luv on being named ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ-๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง on defense!
โก๏ธ https://t.co/oHiFPrglRo#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/CN1udpbDxe
— USU Football (@USUFootball) November 29, 2022
His 6.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss lead Utah State. Grzesiak finished with 48 tackles and was second on the team with eight quarterback hurries. His three sacks and 3.5 TFL’s against Colorado State marked career highs.
MJ Tafisi
Tafisi, a junior inside linebacker, was a tackling machine for USU early this season. The Alta High School product started the first eight games of the season before an injury forced him to miss the last four games.
RELATED: Grzesiak, Davenport Special For Aggies In Injury Riddled Win Over Rams
Despite those missed games, Tafisi’s nine tackles for a loss was second on the team and his 69 total tackles was enough to finish as the third leading tackler.
Tafisi led USU with five double-digit tackle games.
Terrell Vaughn
Listed as a ‘slight’ 5-7, 170 pounds, Terrell Vaughn relies on his speed, quickness and shiftiness in space to be productive. Vaughn started nine of 12 games, finishing with seven total touchdowns and a team high five receiving scores.
UTAH STATE!! Cooper Legas โก๏ธ Terrell Vaughn for the 75 yard TD! pic.twitter.com/OW6Xd1KKKE
— ๐๐ข๐๐๐ข๐ช @๐๐ง๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ณ (@FTBeard7) November 25, 2022
After a slow start to the season in which Vaughn caught just two passes in his first two games, he has certainly appeared to find his role in the Aggie offense. Vaughn would go on to catch at least four balls in nine of the Aggies final ten games.
RELATED: Terrell Vaughn Makes House Call To Put Utah State In Front
In the final regular season game against Boise State, Vaughn exploded for a career-high 148 yards and eight catches.
Chandler Dolphin
Dolphin, along with Edwards, was a steadying force on the offensive line. Starting all 12 games at center, Dolphin played a team-high 904 snaps and did not allow a sack.
Congrats to @darealChowda and @Terrell_Vaughn6 on being named ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ-๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง on offense!
โก๏ธ https://t.co/oHiFPrglRo#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/EwuAPjF8wO
— USU Football (@USUFootball) November 29, 2022
Dolphin played a season-high 89 snaps in a loss against BYU and graded out at a season-high 98% in a win over New Mexico.
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