McCae Hillstead In At Quarterback For Utah State In Second Quarter

Sep 15, 2023, 7:07 PM | Updated: Sep 16, 2023, 3:04 pm

Digital Sports Producer

LOGAN, Utah – After a 2-for-7 start with a pair of turnovers, Cooper Legas is out and freshman McCae Hillstead is in at quarterback for Utah State.

The Aggies are in Colorado Springs, CO to open Mountain West play against the Air Force Falcons on Friday, September 15.

Freshman QB McCae Hillstead in at quarterback for @USUFootball trailing 29-0 in the second quarter#AggiesAllTheWay

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) September 16, 2023

With USU trailing 29-0 early in the second quarter, Hillstead got the nod after the Aggie offense struggled to a single first down in four drives. Head coach Blake Anderson has consistently bemoaned turnovers and after a sideline report that Legas is healthy, that could be the reason for a quarterback change.

Utah State possessed the ball for just 3:44 seconds on drives led by Legas. Hillstead completed 2-of-4 passes for 29 yards on his first drive.

Aggie Depth Report

DT Hale Motu’apuaka and TE Broc Lane each returned against Idaho State
Both players were on limited snap counts. Anderson joked that they had to take both guys’ helmets and pads away to keep them off the field in the second half.
Anderson confirmed that sophomore linebacker Max Alford will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury suffered against Iowa
In the weekly press conference, Anderson said the kicker William Testa and running back Robert Briggs are a little sore. Their availability against Air Force will be determined later in the week.

Following The Aggies With KSL Sports Zone

Utah State opened its Mountain West schedule against the Air Force Falcons on Friday, September 15. USU defeated Air Force 34-27 last year at Maverik Stadium. The Falcons hold a 6-5 advantage in the all-time series.

Utah State football games are found on KSL Sports Zone with Scott Garrard and former Aggie quarterback Kevin White (1988-89) on the call.

KSL Sports coverage of Utah State University Athletics can be found here.

Take us with you, wherever you go.

Download the new & improved KSL Sports app from Utah’s sports leader. You can stream live radio, and video and stay up to date on all of your favorite teams.

Follow @bpreece24

Utah State Aggies

Brian Preece

Previewing Utah State football’s 2026 schedule: Utah Utes

Former USU OC Kevin McGiven and ex-Aggie WR Braden Pegan are now at Utah. Here's what Mendenhall's Aggies face Sept. 19 at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

3 days ago

Brian Preece

Previewing Utah State football’s 2026 schedule: Washington Huskies

Can Bronco Mendenhall's rebuilt Aggies compete at Husky Stadium? A full preview of Washington's offense and defense ahead of the Sept. 12 road opener.

5 days ago

Brian Preece

Previewing Utah State football’s 2026 schedule: Idaho State Bengals

Before beginning Pac-12 play in early October, the Utah State Aggies open the 2026 season by hosting the Idaho State Bengals.

7 days ago

BYU freshman Jane Hedengren finished third in the 10,000-meter final at the 2026 NCAA outdoor track...

Sean Walker

BYU adds another top-25 Directors’ Cup finish, tops among Big 12

The Cougars finished ranked No. 25 in the final Learfield Directors' Cup standings for Division I schools, the third top-25 finish in the past six seasons and the first time BYU has finished in the top 25 in back-to-back seasons since 2001 and 2002.

1 month ago