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LOGAN — Utah State enters college football’s week eight hoping to rebound from a 16-13 loss at Colorado State that also cost them the (at least temporary) use of quarterback Darell Garretson.
Once-third-string quarterback Craig Harrison will lead the Aggies (4-3, 1-1 MWC) in a 2 p.m. MDT kickoff Saturday against UNLV (2-5, 1-2) on ESPNews. Harrison, who played in nine games last year and started one, entered 2014 behind starter Chuckie Keeton and Garretson, and former redshirt candidate Kent Myers will be his backup.
The Rebels have struggled through this season, with only one FBS win a year after playing in the Heart of Dallas Bowl in what was UNLV’s first bowl game since 2000. But UNLV is coming off a 30-27 overtime win over defending Mountain West champion Fresno State, and confidence is high with the team from Las Vegas.
Here are a few things Utah State can do to return to winning ways Saturday.
Harrison has his flaws; no quarterback is perfect, and fans tend to pick at backups incessantly. But the senior Snow College transfer has only one interception in his Utah State career, and he’ll have an offensive line that has had plenty of time to jell and band together through seven games. Harrison doesn’t have to come out and be the next dark-horse Heisman candidate — but Utah State will need him to guard against turnovers and get the ball to the Aggies’ playmakers.
Utah State’s defense, meanwhile, will hope to come up with a few takeaways on UNLV quarterback Blake Decker. The former BYU walk-on earned the starting job from incumbent Nick Sherry and became the first junior college-transfer to start his opening game at UNLV since 1999. Decker was a standout with Scottsdale Community College, but his UNLV career has been spotty. He has thrown 10 interceptions and six touchdowns, and he’ll be facing an Aggie defense that averages 2.1 turnovers per game.
Decker ranks among the top 50 nationally with 233.1 passing yards per game, and he owns three 300-yard passing games in 2014 — tied for the most in the Mountain West. Decker could be handicapped, though, with the loss of senior wide receiver Devante Davis to injury. Davis likely won’t be back until the Rebels’ Nov. 1 game against New Mexico.
Utah State will need a good performance on special teams to keep UNLV from scoring and gaining momentum in a unique way. The focus won’t be on kicker Nick Diaz or punter Jaron Bentrude, or even punt returner JoJo Natson. Rebels kick returner Marcus Sullivan is second in the Mountain West and 37th nationally with 26.4 yards per kickoff return, and he’s on track to graduate as UNLV’s career kick return leader with 2,293 yards on 87 returns.
If UNLV wants to stay in the game, flustering Utah State’s third-string quarterback will be a must. That will take lots of pressure from the Rebel front seven, even if it doesn’t always lead to sacks and tackles for a loss. Harrison entered last week’s game and struggled to get the offense going, completing on 5-of-12 passes for 28 yards, and the Aggies lacked offensive efficiency with only 260 total yards and 13 points. Utah State’s run game of Joe Hill, Nick Vigil and others could help relieve some pressure off Harrison and let the Aggie offense roll.
