Logan • It didn’t take much time for Utah State coach Matt Wells to answer one question after the Aggies’ 51-13 victory over Idaho State last Thursday — if reserve running back Eltoro Allen would be getting more playing time.
“Yeah,” Wells said. “Right now, it’s kind of a three-headed deal with he and (Justen) Hervey and LaJuan (Hunt). Eltoro needs to learn to take care of the football, but you can see the talent and explosiveness when he gets into the second-level,” Wells added. “He’s got a different gear and those three guys are going to have to take us for awhile.”
Allen rushed for 110 yards on 19 carries against the Bengals. His playing time, along with Hervey’s, went up when Tony Lindsey Jr., last year’s leading rusher, was hurt late in the opener against Wisconsin.
Hunt, the team’s starting running back this season, had 51 yards on 10 attempts last week. Most of Allen’s carries came in the second half, when he broke loose for a 9-yard touchdown in the first quarter for Utah State’s first touchdown.
“He needs reps,” Wells said.
Utah State at Wake Forest<br>Saturday, 1 p.m. MDT<br>TV • ACC Network<br>Live Stream • ESPN3
Nearly perfect
Aggies’ senior quarterback Kent Myers almost had a flawless performance against Idaho State, as he completed 24 of 26 passes for 323 yards and two touchdowns.
Myers’ .923 completion percentage is second in program history to his own 14-for-15 day against Hawai’i as a freshman in 2014. In addition to his passing totals, Myers also gained 85 yards rushing on 8 carries.
“He was extremely efficient with the ball, made smart decisions and threw accurate balls,” Wells said. “We had two incompletions — one off of a tip and the other one was inches from another touchdown. It was a good day for Kent and I think it started with the O-linemen. They gave him great protection.”
Learning quickly
Like the offensive line, the senior starting members of the linebacking corps are all juniors.
Chase Christiansen led the team with eight tackles against the Bengals last week. The other juniors starting alongside him at linebacker are junior college transfers Louy Compton and Suli Tamaivena, who continue to make an early impact.
Compton blocked a third-quarter punt by Idaho State while Tamaivena had six tackles Thursday. Alex Huerta, a senior who started seven games in 2016, also made six tackles.
Going social
The game against Idaho State was broadcast through a live stream on Facebook. According to Utah State’s athletic department, there were more than 800,000 live views during the game. The Aggies game at Wake Forest on Saturday will be streamed on the ACC Network and ESPN3.