TreShawn Shorty intercepted McCae Hillstead and returned the ball 42 yards to the Utah State 3. Idaho State scored three plays later, turning one bad throw into seven points on the way to a 29-17 Utah State loss in Logan.
Utah State moved the ball in Robert Anae’s offensive debut, finishing with 407 yards and 29 first downs, but four interceptions kept ending possessions or handing Idaho State short fields. The Bengals’ upset was their first win over an FBS opponent since 2017, so a game that was supposed to provide stability instead consumed much of the Aggies’ early margin for error.
Now Hillstead and the offense go directly at the kind of defense most capable of making those mistakes terminal.
Utah State at No. 19 Washington
Saturday, 1:30 p.m. MT · BTN
The model gives Utah State a 7% chance to win. That is the right scale for this trip. An upset would be enormous, but it should not be the minimum standard for calling the afternoon useful. The interactive Utah State guide shows the model’s alternative outcomes, and the methodology page explains the simulation behind them. Utah State’s chance to reach the Pac-12 title game is about 9% with a win and 7% with a loss. Seattle matters more for what the Aggies show than for that modest two-point swing.
Start with Hillstead. He completed 15 of 30 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns against Idaho State, but threw three interceptions, two after halftime. Grady Brosterhous replaced him after the third and went 5-for-13 for 67 yards with another interception; Bronco Mendenhall subsequently said he anticipated Hillstead remaining the starter at Washington.
Hillstead’s forearm problem worsened during the opener and affected his downfield velocity and accuracy, but Mendenhall said the switch was based on both health and performance. Brosterhous already has a planned package in every game, so Hillstead must stay composed when the first read disappears and finish possessions without giving his backup a larger opening.
Washington just held Washington State to 242 yards, denied all 11 third-down attempts and forced three takeaways in a 24-10 Apple Cup win. That makes ordinary competence meaningful for Utah State. A few sustained drives, manageable third downs and a clean turnover column would say more about Anae’s offense than another pile of yards accumulated around drive-killing errors.
The quarterback cannot absorb all the blame from Week 1. Mendenhall identified problems with the offensive front, direction, recognition, precision and execution, saying the intended offense appeared only in glimpses. Utah State also committed 11 penalties for 83 yards, allowed three sacks and failed on three fourth downs. In Seattle, improvement has to look collective. That means cleaner protection, fewer free yards surrendered and decisions that give drives a chance to survive.
The defense offered a more encouraging but incomplete first look. Nick Howell’s unit allowed only 241 yards and held Idaho State to a field goal after an interception gave the Bengals the ball at the Utah State 5, but another interception returned to the Utah State 3 led to a touchdown three plays later. It also produced no takeaways. Against a heavy favorite, the latter matters. Utah State probably needs the defense to steal a possession rather than merely keep the yardage respectable.
This is also the first of consecutive road games at Washington and Utah, followed by a home date with Troy and the Pac-12 opener at Boise State. The Idaho State loss does not settle a season in September, but it makes the route toward bowl contention less forgiving. Utah State needs to leave Seattle with evidence that the Hillstead-Anae transition can function under pressure, even if the scoreboard follows the model.