Sept. 3, 2017 LOGAN, Utah -
Weekly Aggie Update
WEEKLY AGGIE UPDATE - SEPTEMBER 4, 2017
FOOTBALL
Contact: Doug Hoffman - (435) 797-3714
This Week
Thur., Sept. 7 --- IDAHO STATE, 6 p.m. (Facebook by Stadium)
- Utah State's football team (0-1) continues its 2017 season this week as it hosts Idaho State (1-0) in its home opener on Thursday, Sept. 7, at 6 p.m. in a game that will be aired exclusively on Facebook. USU is 15-2 all-time against the Bengals, including a 12-1 home record.
Last Week
L, 10-59 --- at #9 Wisconsin
- Utah State scored the first 10 points against Wisconsin, but the ninth-ranked Badgers overcame the early deficit and beat the Aggies 59-10 in the season opener for both teams on Friday, Sept. 1, in Madison, Wis. Senior RB LaJuan Hunt rushed for 27 yards on seven carries and scored on a 12-yard touchdown run with 3:47 remaining in the first quarter to give Utah State its 10-0 lead. Hunt's touchdown came after a fumble by Wisconsin QB Alex Hornibrook as USU junior LB Suli Tamaivena recovered it and returned it 13 yards down to the Badgers' 16-yard line. Two plays later, Hunt was in the end zone. Utah State finished with 304 yards of total offense. Senior QB Kent Myers was 25-of-41 for 219 yards, to go along with three interceptions. Hunt led the Aggies with four receptions for 14 yards, while redshirt freshman WR Jordan Nathan and sophomore WR Gerold Bright each had three catches for 23 yards apiece. Senior RB Tonny Lindsey Jr. led USU with 119 all-purpose yards as he rushed for 28 yards on six carries, had two receptions for 16 yards and four kickoff returns for 75 yards. Overall, 12 different Aggies caught at least one pass in the game. Defensively, Tamaivena and senior BS Dallin Leavitt led the Aggies as both tallied seven tackles. Leavitt also added two pass breakups to go along with 0.5 tackles for loss. Senior CB Jalen Davis, junior LB Louy Compton and freshman LB Maika Magalei each notched a sack as part of Utah State's five tackles for loss. Compton also had a fumble recovery that was forced by sophomore NG Mohelika Uasike. Sophomore LB Mason Tobeck and junior BS Gaje Ferguson both added six stops in the game, as Tobeck also had a tackle for loss. Redshirt freshman LB David Woodward recorded the other tackle for loss for the Aggies.
SOCCER
Contact: Megan McCuistion - (435) 797-5547
This Week
Fri., Sept. 8 --- at Minnesota, 6 p.m. (MT)
- Utah State's soccer team (3-1-1) continues its 2017 season this week with a road match at Minnesota (2-1-2) on Friday, Sept. 8, at 6 p.m. (MT). This will be the first-ever meeting between the two teams.
Last Week
W, 2-0 --- at Idaho State
- Utah State posted a 2-0 road win at Idaho State last week in its only match. Freshman midfielder Ashley Cardozo put the Aggies on the board in the 25th minute, capitalizing on a free kick just outside the goal box. In the final 30 seconds of the match, sophomore forward Alecia Robinson added a goal with a double assist from Cardozo and senior forward Wesley Hamblin. Senior Sara Cobb played the full match in the net, tallying two saves and helping the Aggies to their third shutout of the season. On the day, Utah State held the slight shot advantage on Idaho State, 15-13, but the Aggies recorded a season-high nine shots on goal, while the Bengals had two.
VOLLEYBALL
Contact: Kyle Cottam - (435) 797-2066
This Week
Tue., Sept. 5 --- UTAH VALLEY, 7 p.m.
at Northern Arizona Tournament
Fri., Sept. 8 --- at Northern Arizona, 1 p.m.
Fri., Sept. 8 --- vs. CSU Bakersfield, 5 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 9 --- vs. Arizona State, 11 a.m.
- Utah State's volleyball team (4-2) continues its 2017 season this week, hosting Utah Valley (3-4) on Tuesday, Sept. 5, at 7 p.m., before traveling to Flagstaff, Ariz., for the Northern Arizona-hosted Lumberjack Classic. USU will open the tournament against Northern Arizona (3-3) on Friday, Sept. 8, at 1 p.m., before playing CSU Bakersfield (4-2) for the second time this season at 5 p.m. The Aggies will wrap up the tournament against Arizona State (4-2) on Saturday, Sept. 9, at 11 a.m. USU is 11-2 all-time against NAU, 1-0 all-time against the Roadrunners and 5-5 all-time against the Sun Devils.
Last Week
UTAH STATE INVITATIONAL
W, 3-2 --- PACIFIC
L, 1-3 --- MONTANA STATE
W, 3-0 --- UC SANTA BARBARA
- Utah State posted a 2-1 record last weekend at its own Utah State Invitational, picking up wins against Pacific (3-2) and UC Santa Barbara (3-0), while losing to Montana State, 3-1. Against the Tigers, senior outside Lauren Anderson recorded her second 20-plus kill performance of the season, leading the Aggies with 22 kills and adding 11 digs for her second double-double of the year. Redshirt freshman setter Jaysa Funk made her first career start and also recorded a double-double with 46 assists and 15 digs as the Aggies hit .225 (53-17-160) to the Tigers' .137 (65-40-183). In the loss to MSU, Anderson recorded her second straight double-double with 18 kills and 15 digs, but the Aggies hit just .076 (44-33-145) to the Bobcats' .132 (47-29-136). Against the Gauchos, USU hit a tournament-best .276 (36-7-105) and Anderson recorded her third straight match with double-digit kills, tallying 12 and hitting .400 (12-2-25), while UCSB hit .085 (36-25-129). Senior middle Carly Lenzen and junior middle Lauren O'Brien were both named to the all-tournament team. Lenzen finished the weekend with 20 kills, hitting .306 (20-5-49), and totaled 12 blocks, six digs and two service aces. O'Brien led the USU block with 15 and hit .308 with 17 kills on 39 attempts with only five errors.
CROSS COUNTRY
Contact: Sean O'Sullivan - (435) 797-8584
Next Week
Sat., Sept. 16 --- at BYU Classic, 9 a.m.
- Utah State's men's and women's cross country teams continue their 2017 season on Saturday, Sept. 16, at the BYU Classic at 9 a.m.
Last Week
M: 1/2; W: 1/3 --- USU SAGEBRUSH INVITE
- Utah State cross country kicked off the 2017 season by sweeping the USU-hosted Sagebrush Invitational as the men placed first with 22 points, finishing ahead of Weber State's 37, while the Aggie women took first with 15 points, defeating Weber State (56) and Utah (79). On the men's side, senior Dillon Maggard captured first with a time of 21:12.62, edging teammate James Withers, a sophomore, who finished in 21:18.42. For the third-consecutive year, a newcomer on the women's team captured the event title, as junior transfer Alyssa Snyder claimed the top spot with a time of 17:39.35. Snyder joins Bailee Parker (2016) and Kashley Carter (2015) as newcomers to win their first race in the last three seasons. Other top-10 finishers on the men's side included sophomore Luke Beattie, who came in fifth with a time of 21:21.47, while sophomore J.D. Thorne posted a time of 21:27.53 to place sixth. Senior Spencer Fehlberg (21:38.97), redshirt freshman Brody Smith (21:41.86) and freshman Haydon Cooper (21:42.79) rounded out the top-10 by placing eighth, ninth and 10th, respectively. In the women's race, junior Tavia Dutson claimed second with a time of 17:59.30, while juniors Cierra Simmons (18.07.36) and Presli Hutchison (18:07.46) took fourth and fifth. Senior Tori Parkinson ran an 18:07.65 to take sixth, as fellow senior Kelsey Yamauchi-Richins ran an 18:12.90 to place seventh. Rounding out the Aggies in the top-10, freshman Katie Struthers ran a 19:25.44 to take 10th.
MEN'S GOLF
Contact: Doug Hoffman - (435) 797-3714
This Week
Fri.-Sun., Sept. 8-10 --- at Air Force Invitational, All Day
- Utah State's golf team will begin its fall schedule this weekend at the 49th annual Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational hosted by the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. The 54-hole tournament, which will be played on the Blue Course at the Eisenhower Golf Club, gets underway Friday, Sept. 8, at 8:15 a.m. The tournament consists of one round on Friday, Saturday and a final round Sunday that starts at 7:30 a.m.
Preseason Notes
- Utah State returns three letterwinners from last season in senior Braxton Miller, along with freshmen Hayden Eckert and Chase Lansford. Miller finished the 2016-17 season with a stroke average of 73.07 over 28 rounds, while Eckert had a stroke average of 73.72 over 25 rounds, and Lansford had a stroke average of 74.07 over 28 rounds. Three other players return from last season in junior Braydon Swapp, and redshirt freshmen Andy Hess and Brock Stanger. Swapp played in five rounds last season and had a stroke average of 76.40, while Hess and Stanger both redshirted.