3 takeaways from USU's win against Hawai'i

Utah State got back to winning in about as dominant a fashion as it could Saturday in Logan.

The Aggies dominated the visiting Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors from opening kick to final whistle en route to a 55-10 victory.

It is USU’s third win on the season and has the Aggies 2-3 in Mountain West Conference play with two more games to go. Believe it or not a winning record in conference play is possible for Utah State.

There was no shortage of standouts or areas of excellence. Outside of two interceptions thrown by starting quarterback Spencer Petras, the Aggies were close to flawless in nearly every aspect.

Here are three takeaways from Utah State’s latest victory.

Rahsul Faison is the best Aggie running back since…

There have been some good running backs who have gone through the Utah State football program.

All-time definitely, but in recent history, too.

There was Darwin Thompson in 2018, who rushed for 1,044 yards (6.8 yards per carry) and 14 touchdowns and caught 23 passes for 351 yards (15.3 yards per reception) and two touchdowns in his lone season as an Aggie.

There was Gerold Bright, who in four years playing for the Aggies ran for over 2,000 yards (2,145) and 22 touchdowns.

There was Calvin Tyler Jr., who in two years with Utah State rushed for 2,006 yards on 449 carries. In his final season in Logan, Tyler Jr., rushed for 1,122 yards alone.

When all is said and done, Rahsul Faison may deserve to be considered better than all of them.

Back in action after being sidelined against Washington State with a knee injury, Faison was his usual electric self Saturday. He rushed for a career-high 191 yards and two touchdowns, averaging nearly 10 yards per touch.

With two games remaining this season, he is now nine yards away from the 1,000 yard mark on the year and has now rushed for 100 yards or more in five games this season now, seven in his USU career.

Faison has it all. Explosiveness and speed (both of his touchdowns against Hawai’i went for 30-plus yards). Power. Elusiveness. Vision. Patience.

You name it, and Faison has it as a running back.

Faison still has a chance to make program history, entering the top 10 in multiple rushing categories in only two season played at Utah State.

Will he go down as the best ever at USU?

No, but he is arguably the best Aggie running back in the last five years, if not more.

You get an interception, you get an interception, you get an interception

Entering the season, there was a lot of hope (maybe even hype) regarding Utah State’s secondary.

With Ike Larsen back at safety along with Avante Dickerson, JD Drew at cornerback/nickel back and the arrival of safety Jordan Vincent and cornerback DJ Graham, the Aggies’ secondary was expected to be the strength of the USU defense.

Strength has not been a good descriptor for Utah State’s defense this season, and while the secondary has had its moments, it has also struggled.

Entering the game against Hawaii, USU ranked eighth in the MW in passing defense and sixth in interceptions (with seven).

Against the Rainbow Warriors, the Aggie secondary finally showcased its real potential and then some as USU registered five interceptions. Vincent had two and Drew had another, as did nickel back Torren Union and cornerback Noah Flores.

Time and again, the Aggies’ defensive backs were in the right place at the right time, and more importantly they made the plays that have so often been lacking this year for Utah State.

In total, Utah State won the turnover battle 5-2, a plus-3 differential has been pretty rare for USU for a couple of seasons now.

The Aggies may or may not be able to replicate their performance against Hawai’i in upcoming games against San Diego State and Colorado State, but for a game the USU secondary showed its real potential all at once.

Hello, tight ends

If there has been one real criticism of the Aggies’ offense the last few seasons under Blake Anderson and now offensive coordinator Kyle Cefalo’s direction, it has been the absence of the tight ends.

Utah State has had solid tight ends on the roster, guys like Broc Lane, Josh Sterzer and Will Monney for multiple seasons, but they haven’t been a featured part of the Aggies’ passing game, or even really slight contributors.

Utah State has relied almost exclusively on its wideouts in the passing game, and slot receivers especially until the emergence of Jalen Royals on the outside.

Against Hawaii, though, USU utilized its tight ends, and to great effect.

Sterzer and Monney combined for 11 receptions (Sterzer had a team-high seven catches) for 117 yards and three touchdowns. Each player was nearly perfect, as Sterzer was targeted eight times and Monney targeted five times (he had four receptions).

Against Hawaii’s zone defense, both Sterzer and Monney proved the perfect safety valves for Petras, often in the middle of the field.

Neither player went down easy when hit, either. The pair combined for 55 yards after the catch. With the tight ends so effective, Petras had open receivers on the outside again and again (he hit some, missed others).

And when the Rainbow Warriors dropped linebackers more into coverage to handle the tight ends in the passing game, Faison and fellow running backs Herschel Turner, Derrick Jameson and Nick Floyd made Hawai’i pay on the ground (that quartet combined to rush for 299 yards in the game.

Will the Aggies’ tight ends be utilized as much going forward? Ever again? Who knows, but they showed their value in the passing game against Hawaii.