Weber State University Athletics
Weber State University
Utah State
Game 2: Wildcats head to Utah State Saturday
9/6/2022 12:33:00 PM | Football
Wildcats and Aggies will meet for the first time in six years Saturday night in Logan.
• After a season-opening win, Weber State football hits the road this week for an in-state battle with Utah State Saturday night. The Wildcats and Aggies will kickoff at 5 p.m. Saturday at Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium in Logan.
Media coverage
Saturday's game will be streamed on the Mountain West Network with Scott Garrard and Kevin White calling the action. The Weber State radio coverage will be on KLO 103.1 FM "The Wave" with Steve Klauke and former Wildcat head coach and athletic director Jerry Graybeal on the call.
Live stats available at WeberStateSports.com and the Weber State Wildcats app.
Wildcats open season with 41-5 win over Western Oregon
Weber State opened the 2022 season last Thursday night with a 41-5 home win over Western Oregon. The 'Cats fell down 2-0 after giving up a safety early in the game but dominated the game after that. Weber State totaled 343 yards of offense, compared to 95 for the Wolves. The Wildcats also held Western Oregon to -34 rushing yards the fewest rushing yards allowed in Weber State history. WSU also forced three interceptions.
Two interceptions for Maxwell Anderson
Weber State junior Maxwell Anderson had two interceptions in the season opening win. He picked off a Western Oregon pass early in the game and returned it eight yards, which then led to a Wildcat touchdown. He had his second interception in the third quarter. Anderson is one of nine players in FCS football with two interceptions in the season opener. The Hayward, California native, has played in 29 career games at Weber State and ranks sixth in career pass breakups with 18.
Second-highest punt return yards for Haze Hadley
Weber State junior kick return and wide receiver Haze Hadley had a big day in the season opening win. Hadley had six punt returns for 131 yards, an average of 21.8 yards per return. The 131 return yards is the second-most punt return yards in a game in Weber State history. It was the most punt return yards by any player in all of Division I football in Week 1. Hadley also had two receptions for 33 yards.
The Taylor, Utah native has 393 career punt return yards, which is now 10th in Weber State history.
Weber State moves up in FCS national polls
After Thursday's win, Weber State moved up four spots and is now ranked 16th in the nation in the Stats Perform FCS poll. The 'Cats are also 17th in the AFCA Coaches poll. Weber State began the season ranked 20th in the nation in both preseason polls. WSU is one of six Big Sky teams in the national rankings.
Wildcats fourth in Big Sky preseason polls
The Wildcats were also ranked fourth in the Big Sky preseason media and coaches polls. Montana was picked first in both polls with Sacramento State and Montan State third in the coaches poll and MSU second and Sacramento State third in the media poll. Weber State has the top six other teams in the polls on this year's schedule.
A look back at 2021
After winning four straight Big Sky titles from 2017-20, Weber State is coming off a 6-5 record in 2021 and the Wildcats were tied for fifth in the Big Sky at 5-3. It was the first time the Wildcats missed the FCS Playoffs since 2015.
Weber State had 11 players that earned All-Big Sky honors last season and eight of those players are no longer in the program, including All-American Rashid Shaheed.
Five All-Big Sky performers returning
Weber State has five players returning that earned All-Big Sky honors, including two on the first team. Junior offensive lineman Noah Atagi and junior cornerback Eddie Heckard both earned first-team honors last season and both have been named to multiple preseason All-America teams. Also returning is third-team All-Big Sky tight end Hayden Meacham and senior cornerback Marque Collins and junior defensive tackle Doug Schiess who both earned honorable mention All-Big Sky honors last season.
Jay Hill back for ninth season at Weber State
Jay Hill is in his ninth season as head coach of the Wildcats. Hill is WSU's all-time leader in coaching wins with 58. He enters the 2022 season with a career 59-36 record. He is also 44-17 in Big Sky Conference games. Hill has led the Wildcats to four Big Sky titles and five appearances in the FCS Playoffs. He has been named the Big Sky Coach of the Year and the AFCA Region Coach of the Year during his career at Weber State. Later this season he will coach his 100th career game at Weber State.
New to coaching staff
New to the Wildcat staff this season is a offensive coordinator Mickey Mental. Mental came to Weber State in February 2022 after 13 seasons at Division II Notre Dame College in Ohio, including the last two seasons as head coach. He was 16-2 in his two seasons as head coach and also spent five seasons as the offensive coordinator. Mental also coaches the Wildcat quarterbacks.
Also new to the Wildcat staff is David Fiefia who coaches the WSU tight ends. Fiefia came to Weber State in March after spending the last seven seasons as an assistant coach at Idaho State. He was a four-year running back at Utah State from 2000-03. James Cowser was promoted to a full-time assistant coach and coaches the defensive ends.
Team captains
As selected by their teammates, Weber State has five captains for the 2022 season. This year's captains are junior offensive lineman Noah Atagi, junior cornerback Eddie Heckard, senior wide receiver Ty MacPherson, junior linebacker Winston Reid and senior safety Desmond Williams. MacPherson also served as a team captain during the spring 2021 and the 2021 seasons.
About Utah State
Utah State has already played two games this season. The Aggies opened the season with a 31-20 home win over UConn on Aug. 27. Then suffered a 55-0 loss at No. 1 Alabama last Saturday. Through two games, Logan Bonner has thrown for 320 yards and three touchdowns and Calvin Tyler Jr. has 174 rushing yards.
The Aggies finished 11-3 last season and won the Mountain West Championship. USU was picked to finish third in the Mountain division of the conference in the preseason polls.
Utah State is coached by Blake Anderson who is in his second season in Logan. He was named the AFCA Region 5 Coach of the Year last season.
WSU-USU connections
The two in-state teams have several connections. Wildcat junior tight end Hayden Meacham is the brother to Utah State offensive lineman Wade Meacham. New Wildcat assistant coach David Fiefia was a four-year standout at Utah State from 2000-03 and spent three seasons (2012-14) as an offensive graduate assistant coach. Matty Ah You was a defensive graduate assistant at Utah State in 2016.
Series history
This will be the 16th all-time meeting between the two instate schools with Utah State holding a 14-1 all-time series lead and the Aggies have won the last eight games. Weber State's only win in the series came in 1978 in Logan.
The two teams last played in the season opener in 2016, a 45-6 USU win in Logan. They also met in 2011 and 2013.
Quick hits
Weber State has 52 players on this year's roster from the state of Utah...The 'Cats are 47-7 under Jay Hill when leading the opponent in rushing and 23-2 when rushing for at least 200 yards in a game...Weber State hasn't beaten an FBS opponent since winning at Nevada in 1993.
Up next
The Wildcats will be back home for another instate battle next week as Weber State hosts Utah Tech on September 17 at Stewart Stadium. The Big Sky season will begin on September 24 at UC Davis.
