LOGAN, Utah (AP) — Back-up quarterback Bryson Barnes passed for two touchdowns and ran for another Saturday night, Kyrese White caught three balls for 131 yards, including touchdowns of 57 and 53 yards, and Utah State beat Robert Morris 36-14 in the season opener for both teams.
Nate Dreiling, who was named Utah State’s interim coach after the firing of Blake Anderson in July, got his first win as a head coach at any level. The 33-year-old, who was elevated from defensive coordinator, is the youngest head coach in the FBS.
Barnes replaced Spencer Petras — who left the game after an apparent injury and never returned — midway through the second quarter. The Aggies went three-and-out on his first possession at the helm and then Barnes threw an interception to end the second as Robert Morris took a 14-10 lead into halftime.
Utah State forced the Colonials to go three-and-out on the first possession of the third quarter before White caught a swing pass and raced 53 yards for a touchdown with 10:33 left to give Utah State the lead for good at 17-14. Elliott Nimord kicked a 50-yard field goal about 8 minutes later to make it 20-14 going into the fourth quarter and Barnes scrambled for a 63-yard TD run to make it a two-possession game with 13 minutes to play.
Robert Morris again went three-and-out and, after Robert Briggs Jr. ripped off a 55-yard run, Jalen Royals caught a 21-yard scoring pass from Barnes to cap a two-play, 76-yard drive that made it 33-10.
Nimrod added a 42-yard field goal with less than 2 minutes to play.
Anthony Chiccitt faked a handoff and then hit tight end Cole Mitchell down the sideline for a 40-yard touchdown early in the second quarter and Delvecchio Powell II added a 31-yard TD run to give Robert Morris a 14-10 lead at halftime. Powell took the handoff on a draw play, ran through a would-be tackle and spun out of another near the line of scrimmage before he bulldozed his way through another defender for the final 5 yards on his way into the end zone with 41 seconds left in the second quarter.
