McCae Hillstead delivers the spark as Utah State keep bowl hopes alive
Oct 31, 2026, 5:01 PM
The Utah State Aggies took down the Colorado State Rams 31-14 at Maverik Stadium on Saturday, October 31, 2026. (Photo courtesy Brian Preece)
(Photo courtesy Brian Preece)
LOGAN – McCae Hillstead gave Utah State’s offense the spark it had been missing, helping the Aggies keep their bowl hopes alive with a 31-14 home win over Colorado State.
Making his first start after Grady Brosterhous opened the previous six games at quarterback, Hillstead helped Utah State build a 24-0 lead before the Aggies turned back a second-half push by the Rams. The win moved USU to 3-5 overall and 2-2 in Pac-12 play, keeping a bowl berth within reach after an uneven start to the season.
𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐀𝐌𝐒
#ShowMe | #AggiesAllTheWay https://t.co/71AlxNNr7F
— USU Football (@USUFootball) October 31, 2026
Hillstead completed 17 of 22 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown, adding 79 yards and another score on the ground. Wide receiver Anthony Garcia finished with a career-high 11 catches and matched his career best with 121 receiving yards.
The Aggies rushed for 247 yards, while their defense recovered two second-half fumbles to help protect the lead. Colorado State fell to 3-5 overall and 1-3 in conference play.
Aggies take control early
After Colorado State won the toss and deferred, Hillstead wasted little time getting Utah State’s offense moving.
The former Skyridge quarterback scrambled for 19 yards on the opening possession. Five plays later, redshirt freshman Nehemiah Washington took a handoff, found a crease and saw nothing but green on his way to a 31-yard touchdown.
31 yards UNTOUCHED for @NehemiahWa!
#ShowMe | @usasports https://t.co/hJJInCeJHr
— USU Football (@USUFootball) October 31, 2026
It was Washington’s third carry of the season and capped a six-play, 75-yard drive.
Utah State’s defense forced a punt on Colorado State’s first possession, and Hillstead went back to work.
A 27-yard completion to Garcia helped set up a 25-yard field goal that pushed the lead to 10-0.
TRICK-Or-Treat
@AnthonygarciaQB ✈️ @mccaehillstead
#ShowMe | @usasports https://t.co/vgSYsttyH1
— USU Football (@USUFootball) October 31, 2026
The Aggies added some trickery on their next scoring drive. Garcia took the ball and threw back to Hillstead, who raced 44 yards.
Two plays later, Hillstead ran for an 18-yard touchdown and a 17-0 lead.
.@mccaehillstead got that DAWG in him!
#ShowMe | @usasports https://t.co/WCFf2b3Ifk
— USU Football (@USUFootball) October 31, 2026
Colorado State struggled to find an answer.
Utah State forced another punt and drove into Rams territory, but a 41-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right with 2:09 remaining in the first half.
Neither team scored before the break.
The Aggies outgained Colorado State 291-67 in the opening half, holding the Rams to minus-5 rushing yards and one conversion in five third-down attempts. Hillstead completed 9 of 13 passes for 104 yards and rushed for 59 yards and a touchdown. Garcia had six catches for 66 yards.
Takeaways help Utah State finish
Colorado State opened the second half with a 46-yard kickoff return that put the Rams in Aggies territory. Utah State’s defense quickly erased the threat.
As the Rams approached the red zone, cornerback David Kabongo came off the edge, sacked quarterback Hauss Hejny and knocked the ball loose. Defensive end Carson Tujague recovered the fumble.
You can run but you can’t hide from @kabongo_dk!
#ShowMe | @usasports https://t.co/i5CUdOx0j6
— USU Football (@USUFootball) October 31, 2026
The Aggies turned the takeaway into points.
Hillstead connected with Garcia for 16 yards to move into Colorado State territory.
A holding penalty later wiped out an apparent Hillstead rushing touchdown, but USU didn’t blink. The Aggies picked up a first down on the next play, and Javen Jacobs finished the drive with a 12-yard touchdown run.
Jacobs’ third rushing touchdown of the season made it 24-0.
We simply LOVE @_JavenJacobs touchdowns!
#ShowMe | @usasports https://t.co/xKBipf6kkF
— USU Football (@USUFootball) October 31, 2026
Colorado State finally found some footing on its next possession.
A defensive pass interference penalty helped extend the drive, and the Rams overcame a sack by Bronson Olevao Jr. before Durell Robinson scored on a 6-yard run.
The two-point conversion failed, leaving Utah State ahead 24-6.
After an Aggies punt, Colorado State threatened again. A 28-yard run moved the Rams across midfield, and a fourth-down conversion kept the drive alive.
But a mishandled handoff gave Utah State the opening it needed. James Jennette recovered the loose ball for the Aggies’ second takeaway of the half, stopping the Rams before they could make it a two-score game.
Three plays later, Colorado State appeared to have an interception, but a defensive pass interference penalty instead gave Utah State a first down in Rams territory.
From there, the Aggies leaned on Jacobs and Hillstead to move into the red zone. Hillstead capped the drive with a touchdown pass to Kaina Watson on a slant route, stretching the lead to 31-6 late in the fourth quarter.
.@mccaehillstead ✈️ @4_kaina for another TD!
#ShowMe | @usasports https://t.co/xx2NRidqO2
— USU Football (@USUFootball) October 31, 2026
Colorado State answered with a 21-yard touchdown pass from Hejny to Cedric Ross. Hejny then found Tommy Maher for the two-point conversion, cutting the deficit to 31-14.
That was as close as the Rams got. Utah State secured the ensuing onside kick and ran out the clock.
The Aggies still have work to do to reach a bowl game, but Hillstead’s second start gave them something to build on: an offense that sustained drives, a running game that finished them and enough timely defensive plays to secure a needed win.
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in the NFL, Locals in MLB, and the Utah State Aggies. Follow Brian’s coverage here. Find Brian on X, Instagram, and BlueSky at @bpreece24.
Parts of this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team.
