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LOGAN — After snapping a 12-game losing streak against Boise State last week, Utah State can end an eight-game slide versus the only other undefeated team in Mountain West Conference play.
The Aggies are 3-0 in MWC contests for the first time in their three seasons in the league, and they hope to stake their claim as the last of the conference's unbeaten Friday at San Diego State (4-3, 3-0).
Utah State's lone win over the Aztecs came in 1967, and San Diego State has won 10 of its 11 meetings, including a 41-7 blowout in the most-recent matchup in 2010.
Following their largest margin of victory against a ranked opponent, the Aggies took time to enjoy their 52-26 defeat of then-No. 21 Boise State before beginning preparation for the Aztecs.
"We celebrated Friday night and all day Saturday," coach Matt Wells said in a Monday press conference. "And I want the players and coaches to celebrate, we do this too hard and too long throughout the year for not very many opportunities and when you win a game like that, you need to celebrate.
"But on Sunday we watched the tape and put it to bed, and it's over. It's easy to do that, especially when you flip on the tape with San Diego State."
What Wells and his team watched of the Aztecs showed the 10th best rushing defense in the country — a unit tied for 13th in total defense allowing just 296 yards and less than 20 points per game.
"They are extremely physical," Wells said of San Diego State. "That's what they brand themselves to be and that's what they are. It's a staff that I have a tremendous amount of respect for. They will be ready to play, and there's no question about it."
On the other side of the ball, the Aztecs boast a top-50 rushing game. Donnel Pumphrey is likely the best overall running back in the conference, as Wells conceded Monday. The junior has racked up 773 yards on 159 attempts (4.6 yards per carry), while his teammate Chase Price has 426 yards on 80 rushes (5.3 ypc).
"This may be the best running backs group in the Mountain West," Wells said. "They're effective and talented."
In the previous matchup between the two, San Diego State put the game away in the first quarter. Eventual NFL players Ryan Lindley, Ronnie Hillman, Vincent Brown and Gavin Escobar all were featured as the Aztecs built a 21-0 lead in the opening frame. They added a touchdown in the next quarter to take a 28-0 advantage into halftime en route to the 34-point win.
Both teams have changed drastically since that blowout, and while San Diego State has one of the MWC's best ground games, Utah State relies on the nation's sixth-best run defense — a group that held Boise State to 34 net yards rushing.
"We go in there with confidence that we're going to stop the run and try to make teams one-dimensional, which makes the play calling and the game play a lot easier for us, especially on the back end so we know what's coming," safety Marwin Evans said Monday.
The game is scheduled to start at 8:30 p.m. MDT and can be seen on ESPN2.
Kyle Spencer is a freelance journalist residing in Orem. You can find him on Twitter @kyledspencer or reach him by email at kspence04@gmail.com.
