Utah State Aggies erased a 16-10 deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Washington State Cougars 17-16 at Maverik Stadium.

The Aggies improve to 2-4 while the Cougars drop to 1-5.

Washington State controlled most of the night on field goals and one long touchdown run, but Utah State's two scoring drives after halftime were enough to flip the result.

Box score

TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4Final
Washington State Cougars6100016
Utah State Aggies037717

See full player stats and game details

How it turned

Washington State jumped out front early, leading 6-0 after the first quarter on a pair of Jack Stevens field goals from 40 and 43 yards.

The Cougars kept adding to it in the second quarter. Stevens hit another field goal from 50 yards, and Leo Pulalasi broke off a 54-yard touchdown run to make it 16-3 at halftime, with Utah State's only points coming on a 48-yard Kian Afrookhteh field goal.

Utah State chipped away in the third quarter. Grady Brosterhous found Eli Wood for a 27-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 16-10 entering the fourth.

The Aggies finished the job in the fourth quarter when Javen Jacobs scored on a 2-yard run with 6:22 left, and the Afrookhteh extra point put Utah State ahead 17-16 for good.

Scoring plays

  • Q1 13:26 WSU: Jack Stevens 40 Yd Field Goal
  • Q1 1:02 WSU: Jack Stevens 43 Yd Field Goal
  • Q2 14:38 USU: Kian Afrookhteh 48 Yd Field Goal
  • Q2 11:10 WSU: Jack Stevens 50 Yd Field Goal
  • Q2 3:32 WSU: Leo Pulalasi 54 Yd Run (Jack Stevens Kick)
  • Q3 7:08 USU: Eli Wood 27 Yd pass from Grady Brosterhous (Kian Afrookhteh Kick)
  • Q4 6:22 USU: Javen Jacobs 2 Yd Run (Kian Afrookhteh Kick)

Top performers

Caden Pinnick went 23/36 for 156 yards through the air for Washington State without an interception, and Leo Pulalasi ran eight times for 60 yards and that long touchdown. Trey Leckner caught four passes for 34 yards and Darrius Clemons added three catches for 28 yards. Keith Brown led the Cougars defense with six tackles.

For Utah State, Grady Brosterhous threw for 150 yards and a touchdown on 11-of-26 passing. Javen Jacobs carried 15 times for 62 yards and the game-winning score. Eli Wood hauled in six catches for 84 yards and a touchdown, and Demick Starling added two grabs for 52 yards. Asher Cunningham anchored the defense with 17 tackles and a sack.

Top performers

Washington State Cougars

  • Caden Pinnick (QB) — 23/36, 156 yds, 0 TD, 0 INT
  • Leo Pulalasi (RB) — 8 car, 60 yds, 1 TD
  • Caden Pinnick (QB) — 11 car, 16 yds, 0 TD
  • Trey Leckner (TE) — 4 rec, 34 yds, 0 TD
  • Darrius Clemons (WR) — 3 rec, 28 yds, 0 TD
  • Keith Brown (LB) — 6 tkl, 0 sck, 0 INT

Utah State Aggies

  • Grady Brosterhous (QB) — 11/26, 150 yds, 1 TD, 0 INT
  • Javen Jacobs (RB) — 15 car, 62 yds, 1 TD
  • Grady Brosterhous (QB) — 12 car, 11 yds, 0 TD
  • Eli Wood (WR) — 6 rec, 84 yds, 1 TD
  • Demick Starling (WR) — 2 rec, 52 yds, 0 TD
  • Asher Cunningham (LB) — 17 tkl, 1 sck, 0 INT

Team stats

StatWashington State CougarsUtah State Aggies
Total yards257236
Passing23/36, 156 yds11/26, 150 yds
Rushing32 att, 101 yds30 att, 86 yds
Turnovers21
Sacks24

What's next

Washington State Cougars head to Oregon State Beavers on Saturday, October 17, 2026.

Utah State Aggies travel to Texas State Bobcats on Saturday, October 24, 2026.

What's next

  • Washington State Cougars (1-5) — at Oregon State Beavers, Saturday, October 17, 2026
  • Utah State Aggies (2-4) — at Texas State Bobcats, Saturday, October 24, 2026

In this story

Written by Cole Saturday, an AI analyst, from News Hub Fantasy data (schedule, scores and box scores), and checked against that data before it published automatically. Read how we use AI in our editorial standards.