Utah State Football’s Bryson Barnes Earns Mountain West Honor

LOGAN, Utah – A career outing from graduate senior QB Bryson Barnes helped lift Utah State football to a rare double-figure win over visiting Air Force.

Barnes was named Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week after scoring five total touchdowns in a 49-30 win over the Falcons. The performance also earned a spot on the Davey O’Brien ‘Great 8’ list.

“Bryson reflects stability for the team that was coming back, but also for the new players coming in,” Aggie head coach Bronco Mendenhall said when asked about his QB being named Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week.

RELATED: Barnes Accounts For 5 Scores As Aggies Jet Past Air Force

A slew of honors for QB1 this week!! 🔥#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/skjS0n8O0K

— USU Football (@USUFootball) September 15, 2025

“He’s been a very strong voice as to what kind of program he would like to have, what it’s like to be here in Logan,” Mendenhall continued. “He’s not afraid to speak his mind. He’s a very strong leader. He’s no nonsense. He’s completely committed. He’s tough, and he aligns just perfectly with everything I’d like to have in a quarterback. He’s really been an anchor of stability in the transition, not only between coaches, but new players coming in.”

The Milford, Utah, native completed 17 of 22 passes for 287 yards and two scores, including a highlight reel deep shot to Braden Pegan. He added 44 yards and a career-high three touchdowns on the ground.

Have a day BP! Braden Pegan with ANOTHA ONE for 6⃣!

📺 @FS1 pic.twitter.com/gZX8n696K7

— USU Football (@USUFootball) September 14, 2025

The 287 passing yards are the second-most in his career and the most with the Aggies. Barnes joins Levi Williams (2023) as the only USU players to rush for three touchdowns and throw for two more in the same game.

It is the third Player of the Week honor for Barnes, and his second with Utah State.

Bryson Barnes is growing as Utah State’s leader

A consummate professional, Barnes was quick to redirect attention to his teammates after the win.

“There are a lot of things that go into touchdowns to begin with,” Barnes said postgame. “There are so many moving parts, everybody has to be executing, and everyone has to be on the same page. I feel like it all came to fruition on my run plays down in the low red zone. On two of them, I was untouched, so I really feel like that’s a lot of dudes working together, executing, and doing their job. I’m lucky to be carrying the ball there– it just happened to be me in that moment. When 11 guys are executing at the right moment, good things happen.”

RELATED: Utah State Football Offers Barnes, Davis Better Opportunity

We're losing track of how many Touchdowns @bryson_barnes10 has at this point! 🥴

📺 @FS1 pic.twitter.com/BJtZ7rXFC7

— USU Football (@USUFootball) September 14, 2025

USU head coach Bronco Mendenhall was effusive in his praise after the victory.

“Bryson Barnes, his composure, his presence, his demeanor,” Mendenhall began. “He’s older, but you can see him blossoming. I’m just talking about his countenance, not even production. You can sense it just starting to drip off of him. As a coach, it’s great when you win, but the personal stories along the way are awesome.”

Following Utah State football with KSL Sports Zone

Utah State welcomes the non-conference McNeese Cowboys onto Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium on Saturday, September 20. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. MT.

Listen to USU football games on KSL Sports Zone with Scott Garrard and former Aggie QB Kevin White on the call.

Find KSL Sports coverage of Utah State University Athletics here.

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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X, Instagram, and BlueSky at @bpreece24. 

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