Utah State Rallies to Beat Pacific on Scoring Pass in Final Minutes, 14-10

STOCKTON — Sophomore Kendal Smith caught an eight-yard touchdown pass from Tom Ponich with 2:50 left Saturday to lead Utah State to a 14-10 victory over Pacific in a Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. game.

The winning score capped a 97-yard, six-play drive and came two plays after Ponich hit Smith with a 54-yard bomb. Smith finished with 4 catches for 94 yards, more than half of Ponich’s 162 yards passing.

Pacific (4-5 overall, 2-3 in the PCAA) opened the scoring in the first quarter on a 33-yard field goal by Ken Norgaard.

The Aggies (3-6, 3-3) went ahead, 7-3, in the second period on a 10-yard run by Sutton Hanzalik.

Pacific regained the lead with 42 seconds left in the third quarter on a 5-yard pass from Hue Jackson to tight end Dan Waters, climaxing a 61-yard drive.

Herick Mandel played a key role for the Aggies, averaging 48.8 yards on 6 punts, including a school-record 77-yarder. The Utah State defense harassed Jackson into a 6-for-21 passing performance.