by Daniel Olsen | Utah State (1-3) scored 14 unanswered points in the second half to overcome a halftime deficit and defeat the Troy Trojans (2-2) 21-10 on Saturday night at Maverik Stadium. 

In a critical Homecoming game, over 22K fans showed up in hopes that their winless team would get in the win column. They were not disappointed. Harrison Taggart showed up to a standing ovation and the team played on a different level for him.

“We didn’t know he was coming,” Coach Mendenhall said. “He was coming out of the tunnel. To let you know how confident he is, he brought his swimming goggles and snorkel because after the game we traditionally always spray water and he showed up prepared. We put Believe on T-Shirts, but when you show up with a mask and a fricking snorkel, that’s a different level of belief. That’s something I’ll never forget in my coaching career.”

USU started with a 57-yard touchdown pass to Javon Robinson on their first offensive play which turned out to be the second longest touchdown play only to his touchdown at Washington. The offense stalled after that, but the defense kept USU within a field goal as they trailed 10-7 at halftime.

“Troy played MIssouri right to the wire and Missouri’s a great football team,” Coach Mendenhall said. “They want to be successful in the PAC-12. They really love each other and it’s fun to be around connected people. They stepped up over and over again with the interceptions, stops, and forced missed field goals.”

The offense came out and executed in key situations in the second half to take a 21-10 lead that they would not relinquish. 

“The more the pressure the stronger the execution has to be,” Coach Mendenhall said. “As a team we executed at a higher level than we had been. They are to be credited for that because it’s hard to win.”

The QB situation has been a struggle, but the third time was the charm for Grady Brosterhous to get his first win as a starting FBS quarterback. He threw for 242 yards with two touchdowns and one interception and was once again the leading rusher with 89 yards. Javen Jacobs, the starting USU running back, was not far behind with 84 on the ground and the first rushing touchdown of the season.

“I’m definitely already looking at what I can do to improve,” Brosterhaus said. “I know there’s a lot. I’m doing that during the game on the sideline. I will enjoy this one tonight. It’s been a long time coming.”

Eli Wood has become the top receiver for the Aggies as he led the team with 96 yards and one touchdown reception in this game. That is his highest game total on the season.

“As a team we executed at a higher level than we had been. They are to be credited for that because it’s hard to win.”

– Coach Bronco Mendenhall

The key plays that flipped the script in the game were the Eli Wood touchdown to reclaim the lead to start the second half and the rushing touchdown by Javen Jacobs later in the quarter to seal the game with the final score. The defense put the clamps down and even took the ball away a few times, but the offense peaked at over 20 points. That will need to improve against a Boise team averaging just over 33 points per game this season.

The defense remains the deepest and most talented part of this Aggie team. Nick Howell as the defensive coordinator held Troy to their lowest point total of any Aggie opponent this season. They did so with Harrison Taggart on the sideline and caused enough havoc to intercept three passes throughout the game. Brevin Hamblin, David Kabongo, and D’Angelo Mayes all recorded their first takeaways of the season in this game.

“We try to rotate guys in practice,” D’Angelo Mayes. “We play a lot of dudes that can play at every position. We just trust that the next guy up will make a play and do his job.”

Utah State will next face off on October 3rd, 2026 in Boise, Idaho where they will take on the #22 AP ranked team in the Boise State Broncos. The game will be broadcast at 5:30 PM Mountain Time on CBS Sports Network.

All images courtesy Joe Oliver