10 things to know about Utah vs. Utah State

SALT LAKE CITY — In just three more days, the Utes and the Aggies will kick off the 2013 season in Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Here are ten things you need to know to impress your friends in the tailgate lot as we count you down to kickoff:

• Utah (0-0, 0-0 Pac-12) hosts Utah State (0-0, 0-0 Mountain West) in the season opener for both teams on Thursday, Aug. 29 in Salt Lake City. Kickoff in Rice-Eccles Stadium is at 6 p.m. MDT and the game will be televised nationally on FOX Sports 1. To see if your provider carries FOX Sports 1, use this online channel finder here. Thursday's game is Utah's first ever Stripe the Stadium promotion. Fans are asked to wear red or white, depending on their section in the stands. Information on what color to wear can be found here.
• Utah State enters the 2013 season on a seven-game winning streak, which is tied with San Jose State and Vanderbilt for the fourth-longest active winning streak in the nation behind Ohio State (12), Arkansas State (8) and Stanford (8).

Utah (0-0) vs. Utah State (0-0)

• Utah (0-0, 0-0 Pac-12) vs. Utah State (0-0, 0-0 Mountain West)
• Date: Thursday, Aug. 29
• Time: 6:00 p.m. MDT
• Site: Rice-Eccles Stadium (45,017/FieldTurf)
• TV: FOX Sports 1
• Utah Radio: ESPN700/SIRIUS 128
• USU Radio: Utah State Sports Network
• Series Record: Utah leads 77-29-4
• Last Meeting: 2012 (USU 27-20/OT)
• Kickoff Weather: Partly cloudy, temps near 90

Series Snapshot
The oldest rivalry in Utah football history and the 12th-longest in NCAA FBS history, the Utes and Aggies will meet for the 111th time. Utah's first football game was against USU back in 1892. Utah leads the series 77-29-4 (52-17-4 in Salt Lake City) and has won 20 of the last 23 games. The Aggies snapped a 12-game Utah win streak last season in Logan, 27-20 in overtime.

1. Utah was just 2-17 on 3rd down conversions in last season's 27-20 overtime loss to the Aggies.
2. Utah State has 59 players in its program from the state of Utah, while Utah has 44 players on its roster from the Beehive state.
3. Utah is 88-29-1 all-time in home openers. The Utes are 5-2 against USU in home openers and 11-4 overall in season openers against the Aggies.
4. Utah State had a 254-60 scoring advantage in the first-half last season as it held 10 of its 13 opponents scoreless in the first quarter and three opponents scoreless in the first half. USU also led at the half in all but one game last year (trailed BYU, 6-3), and scored first in every game except at San Jose State (FG) and against Toledo (FG). USU also ended the season with an 11-1 record when leading at the half with its only loss coming at Wisconsin. Furthermore, in 13 games and 780 minutes of play last season, Utah State led or was tied for all but 65:39 (91.2 %).
5. Dennis Erickson, who compiled a 179-96-1 record in 23 seasons as a head college coach and won two national championships at Miami, is Utah's new co-offensive coordinator (with Brian Johnson) and running backs coach. Erickson previously coached at three Pac-12 schools—Washington State, Oregon State and Arizona State—winning conference Coach of the Year honors at all of them.
6. Utah State produced at least 500 yards of total offense seven times last year, including in five of its last six games.
7. Utah does not have a placekicker who has played in an NCAA game and starter Andy Phillips, a redshirt freshman, has never played in a football game, period. The 24-year-old Phillips, a former five-year member of the U.S. Ski Team (2007-11), walked on to the Utah football team last fall.
8. Utah State blocked six kicks during the 2012 season with two blocked punts, three blocked field goals and one blocked extra point. USU's first blocked kick of the season was by junior linebacker Zach Vigil who blocked a Utah punt that was recovered in the end zone by senior safety Clayton Christensen. Kyle Whittingham on Utah StateTrevor Reilly on Utah StateTenny Palepoi on Utah StateTravis Wilson on Utah State

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