Takeaways from Utah State basketball’s win over Idaho State
Nov 2, 2026, 10:16 PM
Utah State redshirt freshman wing Kingston Tosi throws down a dunk in USU's home opener against the Idaho State Bengals on Monday, November 2. (Photo courtesy of Utah State basketball)
(Photo courtesy of Utah State basketball)
LOGAN – The Ben Jacobson era at Utah State is off to a dominant start, even if it took the Aggies a half to look the part.
Utah State muddled through the opening 20 minutes before turning up the pressure after halftime in a 94-58 win over Idaho State on Monday night at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
⬅️ 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐌 🤘
#ShowMe | #AggiesAllTheWay https://t.co/zhiT60VgEP
— USU Men’s Hoops (@USUBasketball) November 3, 2026
It was no perfect performance, but USU’s halftime adjustments and uptick in intensity let the Aggies pull away from the Bengals and gave Jacobson a comfortable win in his debut.
The Bengals went scoreless for more than four minutes in the middle portion of the second half as Utah State used an 8-0 run to stretch its lead to 58-39 with 11:55 remaining. Redshirt freshman Kingston Tosi was a major part of the surge, coming off the bench to score a pair of close-range buckets, including a fast-break slam that ignited the Spectrum crowd.
Later in the half, back-to-back 3-pointers from Soloman Callaghan and Dallin Hall pushed the advantage to 23 as Utah State’s size and speed took center stage.
2⃣4⃣ points for 2⃣4⃣ in the first game of his career! https://t.co/BtBtTpxM3S
— USU Men’s Hoops (@USUBasketball) November 3, 2026
Tosi was named player of the game after finishing with a game-high 26 points, five rebounds and an assist while shooting 11 of 16 from the field in 27 minutes.
One game into the 2026-27 season, Utah State has plenty to build on as Jacobson begins his push to lift the program to another level.
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Utah State’s new-look roster still needs time to gel
Anyone expecting Ben Jacobson’s first Utah State team to look like a finished product from the opening tip was bound to come away disappointed.
The Aggies jumped out to a 4-0 lead but could not maintain their early momentum as Idaho State settled in on both ends of the floor. The Bengals tied the game at 12 before the under-12 media timeout, taking advantage of a Utah State group still searching for rhythm.
Will Hornseth scored the Aggies’ first points of the 2026-27 season, but early offensive comfort was hard to come by.
The first points of the 2026-27 season belong to Will Hornseth! https://t.co/wR4ihZouNa
— USU Men’s Hoops (@USUBasketball) November 3, 2026
A starting five of Soloman Callaghan, Hornseth, Karson Templin, Dallin Hall and Mason Falslev looked disjointed at times offensively. Utah State leaned on its superior size and quickness to slow Idaho State’s attack while trying to find cohesion on the other end.
That should not come as a surprise.
Jacobson is installing an aggressive, fast-paced system with 11 new players on the roster. The early returns looked exactly like that kind of transition often does — flashes of promise mixed with loose possessions and missed opportunities.
Jacobson went nine players deep in the first ten minutes as the Aggies searched for combinations that could settle the offense. Utah State committed five turnovers in the opening stretch, giving Idaho State chances to stay close despite the Aggies’ physical advantages.
When Utah State did take care of the ball, it showed it could generate clean looks on the perimeter. The problem was finishing them. The Aggies went 1-for-9 from 3-point range in the first half, leaving points on the floor and allowing the Bengals to hang around.
Connor Turnbull in a walking boot
Utah State entered the 2026-27 season expecting to be much bigger across the roster, especially in the frontcourt. Transfers Hornseth, from Northern Iowa, and Sean Felts, from Snow College, both saw early playing time, but three other Aggie big men remained sidelined.
Collin Mulholland, a 6-foot-11 junior from Chattanooga, has missed much of the fall with various ailments. Bron Roberts, a 7-footer from Snow College, was in street clothes as expected.
The more notable absence was Connor Turnbull.
Turnbull, the 2024-25 Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year, was on crutches and wearing a walking boot on his right foot as his teammates warmed up. The 6-foot-11 transfer from Evansville was expected to be a major piece of Jacobson’s frontcourt rotation.
Any extended absence would be a significant setback for a Utah State team Jacobson wants to see “compete like crazy.”
Injuries are nothing new for Turnbull, who was limited to 10 games last season with the Aces.
Spectrum Magic survives seating changes
For decades, Utah State has enjoyed the kind of home-court advantage most programs can only dream of.
With a voracious fan base sitting on top of the action, The Hurd has developed a reputation as one of the best student sections in college basketball.
That atmosphere became a question mark in the offseason when Utah State administrators adjusted seating arrangements at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum to increase revenue. Season-ticket holders were moved into more central locations, forcing the relocation of some of the school’s most vocal supporters.
Tosi making things happen 𝑜𝓃 𝒷𝑜𝓉𝒽 𝑒𝓃𝒹𝓈 https://t.co/5BHe6Zm5IL
— USU Men’s Hoops (@USUBasketball) November 3, 2026
Large portions of The Hurd were moved, raising concerns that the changes could chip away at the Aggies’ carefully cultivated home-court edge.
In the first regular-season game under the new seating arrangement, many season-ticket locations remained unoccupied. But Aggie Nation could still breathe a sigh of relief.
The student section filled up several minutes before tipoff, and The Hurd was in full voice as Idaho State was introduced. Whatever concerns existed about the new layout, Utah State’s students made one thing clear: their voice has not been diminished.
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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.
Parts of this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team.
