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Weber State Wildcats Dominate Utah State, Move Up in National Polls

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The Weber State football team has made a statement with their dominating 35-7 win over Utah State, marking their first victory over an FBS opponent since 1993. The Wildcats' impressive performance has earned them a spot in the national polls, with a 12th-place ranking in the Stats Perform poll and 13th in the AFCA coaches poll. This win has also made history, with Weber State becoming the first Big Sky team to win an FBS game by a margin of 28 points or more since 2015.

Key Takeaways:

  • Weber State's defense was dominant, holding Utah State to just 283 yards of total offense and forcing four interceptions.
  • The Wildcats' offense generated 401 yards, with senior Josh Davis rushing for 94 yards and a touchdown.
  • Weber State's safety Desmond Williams was named Big Sky Co-Defensive Player of the Week after picking off a Utah State pass and returning it 33 yards for a touchdown.
  • The Wildcats are now 2-0 to start the season for the first time since 2003 and have not started a full season 3-0 since 1998.
  • Weber State leads the country in three defensive statistical categories and ranks in the top five in five others, including first in interceptions, turnovers forced, and team pass efficiency defense.
  • Junior linebacker Winston Reid and senior safety Desmond Williams are leading the Wildcats on defense, with Reid tied for second in the country with three interceptions and Williams second on the team with 11 tackles.
  • Several Wildcats are moving up in the career records list, including senior Josh Davis, who moved into sixth in WSU career all-purpose yards with 4,226 yards.

Statistics:

  • Weber State's 35-7 win over Utah State marked the Wildcats' first victory over an FBS opponent since 1993.
  • The Wildcats generated 401 yards of offense, with 132 yards rushing and 269 yards passing.
  • Utah State was held to just 283 yards of total offense, with 126 yards rushing and 157 yards passing.
  • Weber State forced four interceptions, with Maxwell Anderson, Jalon Rock, Desmond Williams, and Eddie Heckard all picking off USU passes.
  • The Wildcats' defense led the country in four statistical categories and ranked in the top five in five others, including first in interceptions (7) and turnovers forced (7).

Sources:

  • Weber State Athletics department (weberstatesports.com)
  • Stats Perform (statsperform.com)
  • AFCA (americanfootballcoaches.org)
  • Big Sky Conference (bigskyconference.org)
  • ESPN (espn.com)

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