This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Logan • Utah State coach Matt Wells kidded linebacker Zach Vigil about taking so long to reach the end zone during his 35-yard interception return Saturday night.
When his turn came during the postgame news conference, Vigil didn't contest his coach's description.
"I was happy I caught it, for one," Vigil said. But then, "I thought I was going to get caught. I'm not too quick."
Maybe so, but he managed to score the Aggies' first touchdown in a 36-24 defeat of Wake Forest. That pulled USU into a 7-7 tie, after the Demon Deacons had returned an interception of USU quarterback Chuckie Keeton for a score.
That kind of play "get everyone excited — gets the offense excited, gets the special teams excited, gets the fans excited," said USU defensive end B.J. Larsen, who recorded three sacks in the game.
Even better for USU, Zach was not the only Vigil brother who generated points in the first half. Nick Vigil forced a fumble by Wake Forest quarterback John Wolford, with Aggie safety Devin Centers recovering the ball and running 47 yards for a score to make it 19-7.
"That's cool," Zach Vigil said. "He's always got to one-up me."
The brothers' plays — the first pair of defensive touchdowns in USU history — certainly made for good conversation in their family's postgame celebration in the parking lot.
The impact plays headlined a remarkable USU defensive effort in the first half, as Wake Forest was held to 55 total yards. The Demon Deacons converted a turnover into a quick touchdown to begin the second half and also put together two long drives in the third quarter that produced another touchdown and a field goal, but that was all.
After halftime, "We came out a little sluggish," Zach Vigil said.
Even so, Wake Forest finished with minus-25 rushing yards and 232 total yards, as USU registered six sacks and 14 tackles for loss.
Twitter: @tribkurt —
A closer look
Wake Forest's three third-quarter possessions produced two touchdowns and a field goal. Here's how the Demon Deacons' production on those drives compared to the rest of the game:
Third quarter
Plays Yards Result
3 5 TD
7 83 TD
12 66 FG
Rest of the game
Plays Yards
52 78