Stingy defense lifts Utah State to first Pac-12 win
Oct 10, 2026, 10:59 AM
Utah State defenders Asher Cunningham and Carson Tujague celebrate during a 17-16 USU win over Washington State. (Photo courtesy Utah State football)
(Photo courtesy Utah State football)
LOGAN – The Utah State football team earned a much-needed Friday night win, beating Washington State 17-16 after erasing a 13-point halftime deficit.
USU trailed 16-3 at the break and had minimal offensive rhythm, but a second-half defensive surge flipped the game.
After halftime, the Aggies shut out the Cougars, forced key mistakes, and turned short-field chances into touchdowns to secure the program’s first Pac-12 win in front of a raucous home crowd.
𝙉𝙊𝙏. 𝙄𝙉. 𝙊𝙐𝙍. 𝙃𝙊𝙐𝙎𝙀.
#ShowMe | #Pac12AfterDark https://t.co/aisoRwuSGF
— USU Football (@USUFootball) October 10, 2026
“Our second-half performance was much cleaner and more precise, making critical plays at critical times, which is what you need to do to win football games,” coach Bronco Mendenhall said. “The team wanted to win, and they were motivated.”
Junior inside linebacker Asher Cunningham recorded a career-high 17 tackles as he continued his ascent into one of the team’s most impactful individual players. The Elon transfer added two tackles for loss and was credited with two forced fumbles, both leading directly to Aggie touchdowns in the second half.
Asher Cunningham all smiles after his career-high 17 tackle night 😁😤 https://t.co/PpMd3joLYh
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) October 10, 2026
Defensive tackle Tyree Morris controlled the middle, finishing with eight tackles and a sack. Outside linebacker Jordan Pendleton added 1.5 sacks as Utah State recorded three sacks. Safety David Kbongo added eight stops and two tackles for loss.
“Our defense, we just swarm to the ball. That’s what I like about our defense is how we swarm to the ball,” Cunningham said. “There’s nowhere to go, nowhere to sneak around. Just proud of my guys and how we attacked the ball and just played with that energy. We had a lot of energy the whole game, and I felt that carried over.”
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Offensive problems continue for Utah State
As much as the defense carried the night, Utah State’s offensive problems didn’t disappear.
Quarterback Grady Brosterhous started his fifth straight game and opened the first half with 4 of 15 passes before finishing stronger. He finished 11 of 26 for 150 yards and one touchdown — numbers that won’t keep opposing defensive coordinators up at night.
Brosterhous and running back Javen Jacobs combined for 96 rushing yards, with Jacobs crossing the goal line late in the fourth quarter for the game-winning touchdown. He has two rushing scores this season.
.@_JavenJacobs PUNCHES IT IN FOR THE LEAD!
#ShowMe | @TheCW_Sports https://t.co/DMgZfkT3JF
— USU Football (@USUFootball) October 10, 2026
Still, the Aggies found enough late.
“They fought from beginning to end. It wasn’t perfect, and it wasn’t flawless, but it was gritty and tough, and it was a victory,” Mendenhall said. “I love seeing my team and my coaches happy. Plenty to correct, but I’m not going to take anything away from how they came back and won the game. They did what they needed to do.”
Senior wide receiver Eli Wood continued his emergence as a game-changing playmaker, catching a game-high six passes for 84 yards and his fifth touchdown of the season.
That @gbrosterhous12 to @Eli_wood_14 connection is a work of art!
#ShowMe | @TheCW_Sports https://t.co/zi9lbgAa87
— USU Football (@USUFootball) October 10, 2026
Wood’s ability to adjust with the ball in the air gave Brosterhous a needed boost on a night when accuracy was inconsistent.
“That’s just your job as a receiver. Any time the quarterback throws you the ball is just a blessing. You only get so many opportunities as a receiver,” Wood said. “You run a lot of routes throughout the game but only get so many opportunities where you get thrown the ball. Capitalizing on those opportunities is important, and something I take a lot of pride in.”
Up next
Utah State now enters its only bye of the 2026 season with plenty to fix, but also with something tangible to build on.
The offense remains uneven, and the passing game still lacks consistency. But Friday night proved the Aggies’ defense can take over a game—and that a team that looked stuck at halftime can still find a way out.
The extended break ends when Utah State travels to San Marcos, Texas, to face Texas State on Saturday, Oct. 24.
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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.
