Utah State quarterback Cooper Legas (5) carries the ball for a 32-yard landing as Air Pressure linebacker Johnathan Youngblood, proper, defends, throughout the second half of an NCAA school soccer sport Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022, in Logan, Utah. Eli Lucero, The Herald Journal through AP
For one sport not less than, Utah State soccer seemed nothing prefer it had early this season.
Within the win over Air Pressure Saturday night time, the Aggies have been efficient in all three phases, however notably on offense.
Utah State totaled 414 yard of offense — 215 passing yards and 199 speeding yards.
The Aggies transformed 5 of 12 third down tries, have been an ideal 2 of two on fourth down and a pair of of two on crimson zone scoring possibilities.
Particular person Aggies shined, together with broad receivers Brian Cobbs and Terrell Vaughn, in addition to working again Calvin Tyler Jr.
It was an offensive efficiency not like something Utah State had had this season, outdoors of the primary half in opposition to BYU.
There's a commonality between these performances, a motive for the resurgence of USU’s offense, which was among the best in all of faculty soccer final season — quarterback Cooper Legas.
Since taking up because the beginning quarterback, Legas has fully modified the outlook of Utah State’s assault and it's his legs which have made all of the distinction.
Sure, Legas accomplished 18 of 23 passes for 215 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in opposition to the Falcons, however his working potential — he has rushed for a mixed 128 yards and two touchdowns over the past two weeks — has made the Aggies way more troublesome to defend.
“It (Legas’ mobility) opens issues up,” Utah State head coach Blake Anderson mentioned. “It positively does. While you assume again to final 12 months, in a few of the massive wins that we had, Logan (Bonner) was ready to try this a couple of occasions. He doesn’t appear to be (Legas) working, however he was capable of prolong performs and transfer the chains.
“We simply didn’t have the flexibility to try this with (Bonner) being just a little bit restricted on his mobility (this 12 months).”
Legas is a extra succesful runner than Bonner ever was — extra bodily and extra athletic — and designed quarterback runs and the RPO have opened issues up for Tyler Jr. to have his finest performances of the season — defenses can now not key in on the Aggies’ working backs — which in flip has let Utah State make the most of the play-action move to larger impact, unleashing Cobbs and Vaughn.
Legas’ presence on the sector has fairly merely benefitted everybody.
“We're balanced. We're utilizing all people,” Anderson mentioned. “(Legas) likes to run and he's very snug in that setting. He's going to proceed to get higher. It does open up the sector for us in a approach that we simply didn’t have.
“I've to assume as a defensive coordinator he (Legas) makes you consider what coverages you need to play and the place you need to add the additional physique. Hopefully that will likely be an issue for folks shifting ahead.”