Bronco Mendenhall wants Aggies to ‘take over’ games in Year 2
Sep 1, 2026, 4:23 PM | Updated: 4:25 pm
Utah State football is primed to open the 2026 season against Idaho State on Saturday, September 5 on Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium. (Courtesy of USU football)
(Courtesy of USU football)
LOGAN – Utah State football scored a lot of points last season. Bronco Mendenhall knows that wasn’t enough.
The second-year head coach used Monday’s Week 1 press conference to draw a clear line between what his offense was in 2025 and what it needs to become in its first year in the Pac-12: a unit that can impose its will when it matters most.
“While we did score a lot of points last year and we were explosive, what we did struggle to do was kind of take over a game,” Mendenhall said. “Protect when needed to protect. And everyone knew run when we needed to run the ball, and everyone knew. And those are when our program takes another jump — when you can, even when the context kind of makes you predictable, you can still have success. And so that’s another step and something we’re striving for in year two of the program.”
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It’s an honest assessment and straight to the point.
The Aggies return three offensive line starters, including Outland Trophy watchlist selection Jimmy Liston at center, alongside George Maile and Tavo Motu’apuaka. Five transfers have been added up front to build the kind of depth Utah State lacked a year ago.
That continuity matters heading into a schedule that includes trips to Washington and Utah in Weeks 2 and 3. Scheme alone won’t be enough. Mendenhall wants a team that can line up and move people.
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McCae Hillstead sees freedom in Anae’s system
The man tasked with running the offense behind that retooled line is McCae Hillstead, who enters Saturday’s home opener against Idaho State as a Week 1 starter for the first time in his college career.
The former Skyridge standout — now in his second stint in Logan after spending two seasons as a backup at BYU — said the shift to offensive coordinator Robert Anae’s system has been the biggest difference-maker in his preparation.
“I really love playing in Coach Anae’s offense,” Hillstead said. “I’ve heard other quarterbacks that have been in his offense before mention just the amount of freedom that they feel within the system. I think that Coach Anae is very adaptable, and I think he looks to get our best players in the positions in which they’re going to do the things that they do best.”
“Obviously there’s a lot of structure, but he allows us players to kind of bounce off of that and then make plays, which I like a lot,” Hillstead continued.
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Hillstead described himself as a pass-first player with the athleticism to extend plays outside the pocket when needed. When asked what Aggie fans should expect from the offense in 2026, he pointed to progression.
“I think we’re very versatile and we’re going to be able to do a lot of things,” Hillstead said. “I think we’ve already developed significantly over the course of spring ball to fall camp. And yeah, I think just be on the lookout for a bunch of guys that know how to do their job and execute at an extremely high level.”
Carson Tujague names depth as the defensive difference
On the other side of the ball, sophomore captain Carson Tujague, one of six player-elected captains announced last week, said the defensive improvement entering the season is straightforward.
“Depth,” Tujague said. “I think as far as across the board on defense — from secondary to linebackers to D-line — we all have a lot more depth, which is going to help us a lot more as we get later into the season… Just being able to keep guys fresh is going to be huge for our defense this year.”
Tujague singled out transfer linebackers Asher Cunningham and Harrison Taggart as newcomers who will “play huge roles” on defense, along with defensive tackles Ronnie Mageo (Baylor) and Ta’avili Tuitama (New Mexico State) as rotation pieces who will keep the interior fresh.
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The coaching staff also addressed last year’s underwhelming sack production by adding edge rushers through the portal — a move Tujague credited directly.
“I think the coaching staff did a great job at recognizing that last season and bringing in a bunch of edge rushers,” Tujague said. “I think we’re going to be able to get after the passer a lot better this year. And then also my position coach, Coach Wilkins, has really helped develop us with our pass rush on the interior as well.”
Tujague also tipped his cap to Utah State’s revamped offense, calling Robert Anae’s scheme “a really unique offense that I’ve never really played before” in practice.
“They’re definitely going to challenge defenses, especially schematically,” Tujague said. “I’m excited to see what they do this year as well.”
Aggies healthy out of camp — but Bryson Taylor’s status remains uncertain
Mendenhall said the Aggies emerged from fall camp healthy, with no players expected to be held out for Saturday’s opener due to injury.
He praised the team’s competitive edge during camp, noting that its intensity level forced him to adjust on the fly.
“This team is willing, they’re certainly eager to practice,” Mendenhall said. “They have a strong competitive spirit. Many times I was adapting practice because of how willing they were to not only make contact, but to practice hard. And so we came out of camp very healthy, which is always a huge goal.”
First game of the year! 🔜
📅 Sept. 5 (Saturday)
⏰ 5:00 PM MT
📍 Logan, Utah
🎟️ https://t.co/AVUwMaXSrJ pic.twitter.com/dt81969Sg8— USU Football (@USUFootball) August 31, 2026
Mendenhall named second-year players Nehemiah Washington (running back), Nikko Boncore (receiver) and Charger Doty (safety) as young players who emerged during camp, crediting the “compounding effect” of time in the program.
The one notable exception to the health report: wide receiver Bryson Taylor, who is eligible to practice but not currently eligible to compete due to an ongoing court ruling affecting transfer eligibility. A tentative deadline in the case is set for Sept. 11 — one week after the opener.
“That doesn’t mean he’s ruled out for this week,” Mendenhall said. “But we know there’s a little bit more definitive guidelines and a framework for the 11th. And so we’re doing the best we can. It’s kind of day by day, to be honest.”
Mendenhall noted that a temporary restraining order or other legal developments could change Taylor’s status before Saturday. For now, Taylor remains with the team.
Mendenhall not overlooking Idaho State
The Bengals enter Saturday’s 5 p.m. kickoff having already played a game — a season-opening 38-10 romp over VMI that featured explosive plays from Idaho State’s pass-heavy attack.
Mendenhall praised the Bengals’ offensive system, which allowed just two sacks all last season, and made clear his team isn’t treating this like a typical FCS-FBS mismatch.
“Oh, I think it’ll be a really challenging game,” Mendenhall said. “You don’t really need to look farther from their opener against UNLV last year, and game 2 or 3 against New Mexico, where they were in the lead or toe to toe right to the very end with a great chance to win the game.”
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Mendenhall again declined to release a depth chart — the same approach he took last season — and acknowledged his reasoning for limiting outside access has only strengthened.
“As information travels, it just became more apparent to me that the more unknowns for any opponent we play early, the better,” Mendenhall said.
His message to fans eager to see a team they haven’t been able to scout either? Simple.
“Come to the games.”
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Kickoff between the Aggies and Bengals is set for 5 p.m. MT Saturday on Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium.
Find Utah State football’s entire 2026 schedule 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.
Parts of this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team.
