Utah State holds off Air Force for 42-32 win

Utah State holds off Air Force for 42-32 win

LOGAN, Utah (AP) — Jordan Love threw for a career-high 356 yards and two touchdowns to help Utah State rally for a 42-32 win over Air Force on Saturday night.

Ron’quavion Tarver had 128 yards on nine receptions for the Aggies. Gerold Bright added 101 yards rushing and two scores on 11 carries. Utah State (3-1) won its conference opener for the fifth time in six seasons since joining the Mountain West Conference.

Air Force tallied 323 yards and three touchdowns on the ground — led by Kadin Remsberg’s 94 yards and a TD on 17 carries. It wasn’t enough to lift the Falcons (1-2, 0-1) to a fourth straight win in their series with the Aggies.

Air Force shaved an 18-point deficit to three in the span of 13 seconds in the fourth quarter. After the Falcons scored on a 9-yard run from Remsburg, Savon Scarver fumbled the kickoff return. Christopher Musselman scooped up the ball and returned it 21 yards for a TD, trimming Utah State’s lead to 35-32 with 13 minutes left.

Bright raced untouched down the sideline 70 yards to give Utah State breathing room again, putting the Aggies up 42-32 with 6:52 remaining. The Falcons drove inside the red zone on their subsequent drive, but Isaiah Sanders was stopped for no gain on 4th-and-1 from the 16.

THE TAKEAWAY

Air Force: Preventing chunk plays proved to be a huge problem for the Falcons’ defense. Air Force allowed nine pass plays of 15 yards or longer and Bright’s 70 yard sprint for the clinching score. It led to 28 unanswered points for Utah State at one point and it could signal trouble against other pass-happy MWC teams down the road.

Utah State: As long as Jordan Love stays healthy, Utah State is going to have one of the most dangerous offenses in the Mountain West. Love kept the Aggies a step ahead throughout the game with his smart decision making and precise passing. He finished with 164.5 QB rating after completing 68 percent of his passes.

UP NEXT:

Air Force: The Falcons host Nevada on Saturday.

Utah State: The Aggies have a bye week before playing at BYU on October 5.