Highlights From Utah State’s Top Trio In New Mexico Win
Oct 29, 2018, 10:58 PM | Updated: Jun 8, 2020, 12:19 pm
LOGAN, Utah – Off to their best start in 53 years, the Utah State University was rewarded with their first Top 25 ranking since 2012. KSL looks back at three outstanding performances against New Mexico Saturday that helped the Aggies amass their seventh victory of the season.
Jordan Love
Sophomore Quarterback from Bakersfield, California
In one half of football, Jordan Love amassed 448 yards passing, 15 yards rushing, and 5 total touchdowns (4 passing; 1 rushing).
Love on the keeper and that’s a 49-3 lead. #AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/NDLDH3Xv8i
— USU Football (@USUFootball) October 27, 2018
“We were real hungry,” Love said after the game. “It was real frustrating last week, offensively, so we came out ready to work.”
Love led the offense on six consecutive drives that ended in a touchdown in the Aggies’ 61-19 convincing win over the Lobos.
“There’s times I’m surprised we score as quick as we do,” head coach Matt Wells said.
Love’s 448 yards through the air were the fourth most in Aggies history for a single game and the most in a game since 1993.
Utah State’s 704 yards of total offense is a school record and the ninth most in the nation this season at the FBS level.
Darwin Thompson
Junior Running Back from Tulsa, Oklahoma
Running back Darwin Thompson had 97 total yards, to go along with his rushing touchdown. He also had key third down catches on consecutive drives in the 2nd quarter that led to Aggie touchdowns.
What really stood out watching Thompson was how consistently hard he is for defenders to bring down.
He carried the Lobos down the field on multiple occasions, and hardly ever went down on first contact.
Shaquez Bond
Sophmore Safety from Decatur, Illinois
On the defensive side, safety Shaquez Bond had the most exciting play of the game, a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown.
SHAQ BOND 100 yards and GONE!#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/QnhEDdanzW
— USU Football (@USUFootball) October 27, 2018
“You could see the momentum just change from there,” senior linebacker Suli Tamaivena said after the game. “He made a big play and the whole defense picked it up.”
Along with Bond’s phenomenal pick, the defense had five takeaways and held the Lobos to 174 first half yards and only 3 offensive points. Overall they held the Lobos, a team averaging 181 rushing yards per game, to 71.
Of Historic Significance
- 448 passing yards were the 4th most ever in Utah State history.
- 709 total yards sets new Aggie record; ninth most in the NCAA this season.
- In a 20-minute span between the first and second quarters, USU scored 49 consecutive points.
- 100-yard pick-6 by Shaq Bond was the second-longest in school history. It was his first career interception. Bond became only the 5th player in Mountain West history with an endzone-to-endzone interception returned for a touchdown.
