Cooper Legas Finds Terrell Vaughn, Utah State Leads Early
Nov 5, 2022, 1:46 PM
LOGAN, UT- OCTOBER 8: Cooper Legas #5 of the Utah State Aggies throws a pass against the Air Force Falcons during the first half of their game on October 8, 2022 at Maverik Stadium in Logan, Utah.
LOGAN, Utah – Cooper Legas didn’t take long to show he is fully recovered from a concussion, hitting Terrell Vaughn for a 38-yard scoring strike.
On the Aggies second play from scrimmage, Vaughn split to Lobo defensive backs, streaking untouched for the first touchdown of the afternoon.
Less than two minutes in, @USUFootball is already on the board with a TD 😤 pic.twitter.com/zbP58MuyBy
— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) November 5, 2022
It was Vaughn’s fourth touchdown catch of the season as he has continued to develop rapport with USU quarterbacks. For Legas, it was his sixth touchdown pass of the season, coming on his first pass since leaving the game against Colorado State three weeks ago.
With the Aggies leading 7-0, Utah State’s defense just forced the second New Mexico punt of the opening quarter.
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New Mexico Lobos (2-6, 0-4) vs. Utah State Aggies (3-5, 2-2)
This is the 29th matchup between New Mexico and Utah State, making it the 12th-most played series in USU program history. The Aggies hold a 15-13 all-time advantage in the series and are 8-4 against the Lobos in Logan.
Home Sweet Home‼️
🆚 New Mexico
⌚️ 1:30 PM
📺 @CBSSportsNet
📊 https://t.co/e1bOA1jQnl
🔊 https://t.co/vioCVQqUKYProgram ➡️ https://t.co/lwp91taIOp
Tickets ➡️ https://t.co/yZpZbU40ha#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/QN3bPzHX47— USU Football (@USUFootball) November 5, 2022
Utah State has won each of the last five gams in the series, including a 35-10 throttling in Albuquerque last season and a 41-27 Aggie win in 2020.
Utah State comes into this game off of a bye week, following a 28-14 loss to Wyoming. New Mexico, also coming off of a bye week, fell at home 41-9 to Fresno State in their last game action.
USU has dealt with injuries across the board this season, especially at the quarterback position. When Bishop Davenport came on against Colorado State, USU became the only FBS team to play four quarterbacks in 2022.
The bye week may have allowed the Aggies to get healthier.
“The open week came at a really good time for us,” Head coach Blake Anderson said in his weekly press conference. “I do think we’re gonna get some guys back to the field. It looks as if we’re trending in the right way. We will be healthier on Saturday against New Mexico.”
Utah State QB Cooper Legas is expected to start today vs. New Mexico after he, Levi Williams & Logan Bonner were out with injuries in the loss to Wyoming prior to the bye week.
True freshman Bishop Davenport got the start with the Aggies down their top 3 quarterbacks.
— CFB QB News (@GunslingerBuzz) November 5, 2022
Beyond health, it will be interesting to see how Utah State deals with off-field distractions after former Athletic Director John Hartwell stepped down to make sure ‘family comes first’.
Hartwell’s resignation came on the heels of a lawsuit filed by former Utah State football player Patrick Maddox, who left the team in February.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court, alleges retaliation after Maddox recorded Anderson making remarks about victims of sexual assault, according to Yahoo! Sports.
In the lawsuit, Maddox accuses the school and coach Anderson of blackmail and retaliation for trying to help his friend in a lawsuit against the school for mishandling a sexual assault allegation.
Game Nine Captain
As they have done for each game this season, Utah State announced five player-captains against New Mexico. Graduate-senior running back Calvin Tyler Jr.; RS-freshman wide receiver Otto Tia; graduate -senior defensive back Andre Grayson; graduate-senior safety Hunter Reynolds; and junior tight end Joshua Sterzer.
𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝟗 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 🏈
▫️Calvin Tyler Jr
▫️Joshua Sterzer
▫️Otto Tia
▫️Andre Grayson
▫️Hunter Reynolds#BeatNewMexico | #AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/0Mtn2rNN0S— USU Football (@USUFootball) November 5, 2022
Stay Awhile & Listen
Every Utah State football game can be heard on the KSL Sports Zone with Scott Garrard and former Aggie quarterback Kevin White on the call. Fans can watch the game on CBS Sports Network.
Coverage of Utah State University Athletics from KSL Sports can be found here.
