Utah State Football In Good Hands If Forced To Start Jacob Conover
Oct 1, 2025, 11:02 AM | Updated: 11:49 am
Utah State QB Jacob Conover talks with teammates between snaps while facing No. 18 Vanderbilt on Saturday, September 27, 2025. (Courtesy Utah State football)
(Courtesy Utah State football)
LOGAN, Utah – When Utah State quarterback Bryson Barnes went down with an injury against Vanderbilt, backup Jacob Conover took the reins and performed admirably in a 55-35 loss.
When a player can’t take the field for whatever reason, next man up is the mantra in sports. Regardless of the sport or position, coaches expect the next person in line to perform.
It’s not different at Utah State, where, if Barnes is forced to miss any time, the Aggies are likely to elevate Conover into the QB1 spot.
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.@JacobConover17 to @bradyboyd_!#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/mV1kDvvgFJ
— USU Football (@USUFootball) September 27, 2025
The graduate senior took over in the fourth quarter after Barnes was injured on the first play of the period, and Utah State was trailing 48-21.
He completed his first two passes and looked comfortable in a hostile environment.
Conover’s second drive took two plays for the Aggies to reach the end zone. Javen Jacobs broke free for 58 yards on the first play, getting dragged down at the 14-yard line.
RELATED: Takeaways From Utah State Football’s Loss At Vanderbilt
On the next play, Conover hit Brady Boyd for the first passing touchdown of his career.
He finished the day spearheading a 12-play, 75-yard drive that ended when Conover connected with Jacobs for a six-yard TD.
About Jacob Conover
Listed at 6’1 and 205 pounds, the Chandler, Arizona, product threw for 3,306 yards and 38 touchdowns as a senior while leading Chandler High School to a 65-28 rout in the 2018 6A state championship game.
He was a three-time state champion at Chandler, throwing for over 10,000 yards and 102 touchdowns.
After serving a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Asuncion, Paraguay, Conover joined BYU as a four-star recruit in 2020. He redshirted as a true freshman.
Conover went on to play five games for the Cougars over the next two years, completing five of eleven passes for 45 yards. He made his collegiate debut against Utah State in 2021.
Conover and Jacobs team up for 6️⃣! pic.twitter.com/Xov26WGcO1
— USU Football (@USUFootball) September 27, 2025
Conover transferred to Arizona State in 2023. He completed 11-of-38 passes for 130 yards and three interceptions in three appearances.
He graduated from Arizona State with a degree in social science.
The 2024 Mountain West Scholar-Athlete joined USU last season and appeared in two games. He completed two passes for 22 yards after making his Aggie debut against the Utah Utes early in the year.
Following Utah State football with KSL Sports Zone
Following a bye, USU travels to the Hawaiian Islands for a battle with the Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors on Saturday, October 11. Kickoff is at 10 p.m. MT.
Listen to USU football games on KSL Sports Zone with Scott Garrard and former Aggie QB Kevin White on the call.
Find KSL Sports coverage of Utah State University Athletics 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.
