Tooley Intercepts Legas For Second Pick-Six Of Season

PROVO, Utah – BYU linebacker Max Tooley picked off USU quarterback Cooper Legas and returned the ball for a touchdown and his second score of 2022.

The No. 19 Cougars hosted the Aggies at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Thursday, September 29.

With 8:35 left in the opening quarter, Legas had a passed tipped at the line of scrimmage and Tooley took advantage. The linebacker executed the tip drill to perfection and intercepted the pass before returning the ball 34 yards to the end zone.

PICK SIX pic.twitter.com/V06ti4UUeH

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) September 30, 2022

Tooley’s interception gave BYU a 14-7 lead.

After the touchdown, Tooley had three total tackles, two solo tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss, an interception, and a touchdown.

INT ➡️ SIX @maxtooley23 pic.twitter.com/hL4ogeWUPk

— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) September 30, 2022

Following his second interception of the season, Legas was 3/5 passing for 20 yards and an interception. He also had five carries for 18 yards and a touchdown.

The Utah State vs. BYU game is broadcast on ESPN, KSL Sports Zone, and KSL NewsRadio.

Utah State vs. No. 19 BYU

This is the last scheduled game between BYU and Utah State, as the Cougars make their transition to Power Five football in the Big 12 conference next year. It is also the 91st meeting all-time between the two programs. The pressure is on tonight as BYU looks to protect their home field and Utah State looks to knock off the Cougars one more time.

BYU (3-1) enters the game on the heels of a late Saturday night victory over Wyoming, 38-24. Quarterback Jaren Hall was electric in the game and with buzz building around his NFL potential, he’ll look to have another big night. Hall did not play in last year’s matchup in Logan.

Running back Miles Davis was the emerging star in Saturday’s win over the Cowboys. Davis rushed for 131 yards in the game, including coming up just short of the end zone on a 70-yard run. Head coach Kalani Sitake said after the game that the running back position would be played more by “committee” moving forward.

Utah State (1-3) has not had the start they wanted to their season. After winning the Mountain West conference in 2021, the Aggies have struggled losing their last three games. Quarterback Logan Bonner is reportedly unavailable to play tonight, according ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Cooper Legas, the hero of the LA Bowl, is expected to start for the Aggies. Utah State is averaging just 15.5 points per game from the offense, while allowing 36.0 points per game on defense.

Last year in Logan, BYU beat the Aggies 34-20 behind a stellar night from running back Tyler Allgeier. With Jaren Hall out, Baylor Romney got the start against Utah State. He was injured at the end of the first half, leading Jacob Conover to take his first snaps as a BYU quarterback in the win.

Could be the last matchup between the Cougars and the Aggies for a while 👀#USUvsBYU #BYUFootball #GoCougshttps://t.co/wYY6p02fMj

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) September 29, 2022

The Cougars will welcome back some key players tonight against the Aggies. Earlier in the week, head coach Kalani Sitake noted that wide receiver Gunner Romney  would be good to go for Thursday night. Romney has not seen any game action this year after suffering an injury during fall camp. Sitake did not have an update for wide receiver Puka Nacua, who played last week and suffered another injury in the win over Wyoming. FB/TE Masen Wake will not play tonight against the Aggies.

BYU also expects to get back a number of pieces on the offensive and defensive lines. Sitake noted that Kingsley Suamataia, Max Tooley, Earl Tuitoi-Mariner, and Gabe Summers would all be available against Utah State. Getting starters back into the lineup is huge this week. Not only is it a short week for the Cougars, but they also need to be preparing for their next opponent: the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

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