For the Record: Pac-12 has a Rodeo Champion, orange 14-yard lines, and a $100-per-catch pledge

For the Record: Pac-12 has a Rodeo Champion, orange 14-yard lines, and a 0-per-catch pledge

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For the Record: Pac-12 has a Rodeo Champion, orange 14-yard lines, and a 0-per-catch pledge
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 25: Matt Wagner #88 of the Boise State Broncos signals for a first downin the fourth quarter of a game at Allegiant Stadium on October 25, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The new Pac-12 has eight football teams, and its game notes already have more range than a Saturday viewing schedule. This week’s reading takes us from a rodeo arena to a stadium tribute to a tight end whose catches carry a little extra weight.

Shout out to the SIDs and communications staffs whose tireless work makes this column possible. This one’s for you.

1. Oregon State is bringing a team roping champion to El Paso.

There is a ready-made football-in-Texas post here: Oregon State has a rodeo champion for its trip to El Paso.  Beavers visit UTEP with Cody Siegner, a two-time state champion in team roping, on their roster. He also earned first-team all-state basketball honors and helped Crane Union win three state basketball titles. The notes do not say he will be roping anything at the Sun Bowl, so let the coincidence do the work.

2. Colorado State painted the 14-yard-line marks orange for a remarkable No. 14.

The 14-yard-line marks at Canvas Stadium honor Lt. Col. John Mosley, whose number Colorado State retired across all sports in 2024. Mosley became the school’s first African American football letterwinner, earned all-conference honors as a wrestler and later trained at Tuskegee, becoming one of the first African American bomber pilots in U.S. history. He served in the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Colorado State plays at UTSA this week, so this is a story about the Rams’ home field, not something fans will see on Saturday’s broadcast. It deserves a wider audience all the same.

3. Every Matt Wagner catch has a dollar value beyond the box score.

Boise State tight end Matt Wagner has pledged $100 per reception and $500 per touchdown this season to the Ronald McDonald House, according to the Broncos’ notes. Lithia Ford of Boise will match each donation. That makes a catch worth $200 in combined giving and a touchdown worth another $1,000, assuming the stated match applies to both. Boise State heads to Western Michigan for a game between two sets of Broncos that each won a conference title last season.

4. San Diego State has made the kickoff return an art form.

The Aztecs’ notes count 15 kickoff return touchdowns since the start of 2015, the most in FBS over that span. For scale, the same notes say five teams with at least 100 games played in that period have zero. San Diego State plays at Toledo this week. If the Rockets kick deep, there is your reason to stay in front of the screen between possessions. The 15 is a program total across seasons, not a claim about this year’s return unit.

5. Utah State’s interception total has already passed last year’s.

The Aggies threw five interceptions in all of 2025. They have thrown eight in their first three games of 2026, according to their notes for Troy. That is a startling early-season reversal, and a clean graphic: “2025: 5 picks in 13 games. 2026: 8 picks in 3 games.” Utah State’s notes also say its defense has allowed 27 points after nine Aggie turnovers this season, a useful second layer if the conversation turns to how the team has survived those mistakes.

More from around the conference

  • A long snapper learned from YouTube. Utah State’s Hyrum Hatch had never long snapped before college. After a car accident and brain injury while on his mission, he switched from linebacker and taught himself to snap with YouTube videos in his parents’ garage. The Aggies’ notes also recount a heart surgery in high school and a separate chainsaw accident.
  • Broncos vs. Broncos, champions vs. champions. Boise State and Western Michigan have never played each other. Both won their respective conference championship games in 2025.
  • A new coach brought a crowd. Colorado State says 74 of its 112 players are new to the roster this season, including 17 who came with Jim Mora from UConn.
  • A five-year touchdown gap closed. Utah State receiver Demick Starling caught his first touchdown since 2021 in the opener. His previous one came at Virginia under his current head coach, Bronco Mendenhall.

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