Photo by Lorene Hale LOGAN – Utah State defied convention multiple times in its win over New Mexico, running not one, but two fake kick plays. Both worked and aided the Aggies in defeating the Lobos in a crucial win for USU’s bowl game hopes. Aggie fans are already quite used to head coach Blake Anderson’s aggressiveness on fourth downs and it’s helped the team more than it has hurt. Even fake kicks have cropped up in the past. Anderson opted for a fake punts against Boise State and New Mexico last year, and also ran a fake punt against UNLV this year . But surely no one expected Anderson to run another fake punt AND a fake field goal inside the same game. Given the circumstances of the game, with unhelpful weather and the offense playing as poorly as it was, Anderson said he “felt like (the fakes) were necessary.” He also saw opportunity in each of those plays and careful study were behind each. There’s still some luck involved, though, and as Anderson noted of these fake kicks, if “you call them and they work you’re a hero. You call them and they don’t everybody’s going to think

Connor Coles prepares to kick a field goal for Utah State football in their game against UNLV on Sept. 24, 2022. Photo by Clint Allen LOGAN, Utah – Utah State inside linebacker Max Alford and placekicker Connor Coles have both been honored by the Mountain West following their respective performances against New Mexico last Saturday. Alford was named the MW Freshman of the Week, while Coles was named the league’s Special Teams Player of the Week. This is the first weekly honor from the MW for Alford and the third for Coles. In the Aggies’ 27-10 come-from-behind win over the Lobos on Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium, Coles scored the go-ahead touchdown on a fake field goal. New Mexico (2-7, 0-5 Mountain West) was leading Utah State (4-5, 3-2 MW) 10-7 with 10:51 remaining in the third quarter when Coles lined up for a 23-yard field goal attempt. Once junior punter/holder Stephen Kotsanlee fielded the ball from sophomore long snapper Jacob Garcia, he wasted little time flipping the ball to Coles, who ran untouched into the end zone from six yards out, putting the Aggies on top 14-10. Not only did the native of Bozeman, Montana, score his first-career touchdown on the cold