How Cooper Legas responded to losing the Utah State starting QB job to McCae Hillstead
From the moment he stepped on the field Saturday afternoon against the UConn Huskies, it was obvious. Cooper Legas had stayed ready to play quarterback for the Utah State Aggies, patiently awaiting his opportunity even after being benched.
Legas had been USU’s starting quarterback to begin the season, but was replaced early in the Aggies’ loss to Air Force on Sept. 15 by true freshman McCae Hillstead.
Utah State head coach Blake Anderson said at the time that Legas lost the QB job, in part because, “I felt like Coop was indecisive and fidgety in the pocket. He was late getting the ball out on the fumble — the ball should have been out much earlier. That ball that was floated down the middle was not a confident throw, it should have been picked off. We’re lucky it hit the turf. The interception was not very confident, a poor decision based off a look he’s seen a million times.”
“For whatever reason, he’s not comfortable in the pocket right now,” Anderson said.
A senior with only one more year of eligibility remaining after this season, Legas would have been forgiven had he lost focus or heart after heading to the bench, especially after Hillstead went on to break some notable Aggie records for freshmen QBs the following week against James Madison.
The odds that Legas could win the starting job back from Hillstead looked slim. Anderson made that clear.
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“McCae is our starter. He is our starter,” Anderson said following the JMU game.
The moment Legas entered the game against the Huskies, replacing a concussed Hillstead, he showed that he had stayed dialed in, though.
Legas led the Aggies to a comeback victory over UConn — the team’s first win over an FBS opponent this season — throwing for over 200 yards and three touchdown passes, completing all but two of his pass attempts.
Legas was decisive, in and out of the pocket, bold and opportunistic in his return to action, and the Aggies’ offense didn’t miss a beat with him under center, compared to when Hillstead was in the game.
“Super proud of Cooper Legas being able to come in the way that he did,” Anderson said following the win. “We talked about this a couple of weeks ago, that at some point this season we were going to need him to come off the bench and be ready and he was. He did a great job of being calm and collected and ready to do the things that you need to to win.”
🏈 Highlights from @USUFootball 34-33 Win over UCONN 😏#AtThePeak | #MWFB | #AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/Lx5l6KHyCx
— Mountain West (@MountainWest) September 30, 2023
According to Anderson, Legas’ performance against UConn can be traced directly to his attitude after being benched.
Per the Aggies’ head coach, the former Orem High standout did everything right after losing the starting job to Hillstead, including mentoring his replacement.
“I think more than the performance, just his preparation from the second that we moved McCae in (to the starting spot), he (Legas) has done a phenomenal job,” Anderson said. “Great in the meeting room with McCae, answering questions and helping him take notes and prepare. Bouncing ideas off each other.”
More than just helping Hillstead understand the demands of being QB1 on a college football team, Legas was also open to coaching and correction, which Anderson noted goes back to his attitude and character.
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“You have to give him a tremendous amount of credit just for how he’s prepared,” Anderson said. “And obviously to go out there and go 11 for 13 and throw three touchdowns, that is not something everybody is capable of doing. To me, it goes back to how you prepare, just (Legas’) attitude and what kind of kid he is.
“I didn’t want to replace him in the first place, just felt like it was needed. And he took the coaching and correction to heart and has worked his tail off ever since. And I think that is why he was able to go out and be successful today and help us get a win.”
With Hillstead out an undisclosed amount of time, Legas would appear to be QB1 for the Aggies in the immediate future (Levi Williams is QB3, but has been playing on special teams in order to get on the field).
Based off his performance against the Huskies, Utah State should be just fine with Legas back under center, for as long as is needed.
