PULLMAN, Wash. — Logan Bonner threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Deven Thompkins with 11 seconds left to lift Utah State to a 26-23 victory over Washington State on Saturday night.
Utah State (1-0) got the ball back on its own 22 with 3:02 left and Bonner drove them to the winning score in Blake Anderson’s first game as the Aggies’ coach. Bonner completed a pass to Derek Wright for a two-point conversion and the final score.
Max Borghi ran for 86 yards and a touchdown for Washington State (0-1) of the Pac-12, which finished 1-3 last year.
Utah State quarterback Andrew Peasley connected with Thompkins on a 45-yard pass to the WSU 1 in the first quarter. But the drive was stalled by three false start penalties and the Aggies had to settle for a 23-yard field goal by Connor Coles and a 3-0 lead.
Dean Janikowski’s 35-yard field goal for Washington State tied the game early in the second quarter.
Patrick Joyner sacked WSU quarterback Jarrett Guarantano in the end zone for a safety and a 5-3 lead.
Janikowski’s 31-yard field goal attempt bounced off the left upright for WSU late in the second quarter.
Derrick Langford picked off a Bonner pass late in the first half and returned it 36 yards to the Utah State 28. But three straight passes by Jayden de Laura were incomplete from the Utah State 9 and the Cougars had to settle for Janikowski’s 26-yard field goal and a 6-5 lead at halftime.
Coles kicked a 39-yard field goal on the opening drive of the second half to give Utah State an 8-6 lead.
Borghi scored the first touchdown of the game on a 64-yard run down the left sideline with 10:47 left in the third, giving the Cougars a 13-8 lead.
Coles replied with a 28-yard field goal for Utah State.
Donovan Ollie caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Jayden de Laura with 4:01 left in the third for a 20-11 Washington State lead. Janikowski added a 27-yard field goal early in the fourth for the Cougars.
Calvin Tyler Jr. plowed over from the 2-yard line for Utah State’s first touchdown with 5:16 left in the game, cutting Washington State’s lead to 23-18. That set up Utah State’s winning touchdown drive.
Both teams came in unsettled at the quarterback position, and each rotated two quarterbacks during the game.
Tennessee graduate transfer Jarrett Guarantano rotated with last year’s starter Jayden de Laura for WSU.
Anderson also had a quarterback battle and rotated Bonner, who followed the coach from Arkansas State, and Peasley.
The last time Utah State defeated a Pac-12 team was in 2012 at home against Utah. Utah State’s last road win over a power conference team was against Kansas State in 1971.
THE TAKEAWAY
Utah State finished strong, scoring 15 points in the fourth quarter to beat a Pac-12 team on the road. Washington State sputtered on offense and couldn’t stop the Aggies with the game on the line. Both teams need to settle on a starting quarterback.
UP NEXT
Utah State hosts North Dakota next Saturday
Washington State hosts Portland State next Saturday.
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