Legas To Learn From Mistakes, Add Consistency To Aggie Offense

LOGAN, Utah – At 1-4 and staring a date with Air Force in the face, can Cooper Legas develop fast enough to help salvage Utah State’s season?

The Aggies officially turned the page on the Logan Bonner era following the announcement that Bonner will miss the remainder of the season with a broken foot. The success of USU’s offense now rests in the hands of Legas.

“I thought Coop did a good job. He can’t turn the ball over. There’s a couple plays he’d love to have back,” head coach Blake Anderson said following the 38-26 loss to BYU. “But he was poised. He gave us a chance to be competitive and control the offense most of the night.”

All Cooper Legas does is score tuddies 😎 pic.twitter.com/u2VbsMZPFr

— The Transfer Portal CFB (@TPortalCFB) September 30, 2022

Legas finished 19-0f-31 for 188 yards and a pair of touchdowns to wide receiver Brian Cobbs. But it was the ability of Legas to extend plays and pick up yardage on the ground when the pass wasn’t available that made the biggest difference in Utah State’s offense.

Following offseason knee surgery, whether it be physical or mental, Bonner wasn’t able to get the Aggies in a rhythm. Bonner’s 17 rushing yards in four games pales in comparison to the 61 yards and a score Legas picked up on the ground.

At the end of the day, USU finished with 204 rushing yards. Calvin Tyler Jr. benefited from additional open running lanes, adding his second 100-yard rushing day of the season, finishing with 104 yards on the ground.

.@cooperlegas ➡️ @cobbs_brian ➡️ @USUFootball lead‼️#AtThePEAK | #MWFB | #AggiesAllTheWaypic.twitter.com/4eHkWFbsKo

— Mountain West (@MountainWest) September 30, 2022

It wasn’t all sunshine and roses for the junior QB in his first career start. A pair of interceptions and a lost fumble are mistakes that Legas and Anderson know they cannot afford.

“Three turnovers on the night. Bad ball security can’t happen,” Anderson said. “He’s gonna get better. He just struggled to move through his progression at the pace he needed to in that environment. That’s something I think more reps are going to help. He’ll get better at it.”

Up Next

Utah State (1-4, 0-1) moves into a critical portion of their schedule with their remaining seven games coming against Mountain West competition. The Aggies return home to face the Air Force Falcons (4-1, 1-1). Kickoff for this game is scheduled for 5 p.m. (MST).

Homecoming | vs Air Force

🏟 Maverik Stadium
⌚️ Saturday | 5:00 PM MT
📺 @FS1

NOTES ➡️ https://t.co/AQW0UQWIWh
TICKETS ➡️ https://t.co/DXaYXKyucr#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/ttBuberizx

— USU Football (@USUFootball) October 3, 2022

Following this weekend’s date with Air Force, the Aggies head out on the road for games at Colorado State and Wyoming.

Every Utah State football game can be heard on the KSL Sports Zone with Scott Garrard and former Aggie quarterback Kevin White on the call.

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