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LOGAN â For the first time in 50 days, the Utah State football team will play a game outside the state of Utah.
On the line is the program's best start since the 1974 season, a five-game winning streak and an opportunity to move one step closer to winning the Mountain Division of the Mountain West Conference.
Standing in the way of the Aggies improving to 6-1, 3-0, as well as becoming bowl eligible for the seventh time in eight years is the Wyoming Cowboys. Utah State travels to Laramie, where the Aggies haven't won since a 20-3 win in 2014.
Utah State is coming off a 59-28 homecoming win over UNLV in which sophomore quarterback Jordan Love had another stellar game. Love was 17-of-23 passing for 322 yards and five touchdowns despite not playing the entire fourth quarter against the Rebels. Love also ran for 39 yards on four carries.
Over his last three games, Love has thrown 11 touchdown passes, ran for another and has not thrown an interception while completing 68 percent of his passes (61-of-89).
"He's (Love) been really, really accurate with his throws," Utah State offensive coordinator David Yost said. "He's making great decisions. Very few balls, if any, are in harm's way when you come away and say, 'Well, that should've been intercepted or that was a bad one.'
"He's playing at a high level and everything, but he's got guys around him making plays, which makes life a lot easier."
In the current five-game winning streak, Utah State is averaging 55.8 points per game. This comes despite the first team offense not playing the fourth quarter in three of the last five games.
Not only are the Aggies scoring a lot of points, they are doing it at a rapid pace. Utah State ranks 124th out of 129 teams in time of possession. Yet, the Aggies are second in the nation in scoring offense.
And despite falling behind 7-0 late in the first quarter against UNLV, the Aggie defense picked things up: forcing an interception, a three-and-out series, a blocked punt that led to a touchdown, and then another three-and-out series that led to another Aggie touchdown.
"The first 18 plays or so, we were a little bit lethargic," Utah State defensive coordinator Keith Patterson said. "It's human nature when you have a big rivalry win. We were still living in the past a little bit. But once we got out of that and they scored that touchdown, we started playing with a sense of urgency and had a turnover, some three-and-outs, had a four-and-out. And before you blink an eye, it's 42-7."
Wyoming has struggled in 2018 as the Cowboys are just 2-5 overall and 0-3 in Mountain West Conference play. The Cowboys are coming off a 27-3 loss at Fresno State and playing their first home game in three weeks.
"They have tremendous support there," Wells said. "Those fans show up and it doesn't matter what the weather is or what their record is. They're very faithful, loyal and loud ... that program is completely different than four or five years ago ... they have a very tough-minded mentality."
Kickoff is slated for 12:30 p.m. MT and can be seen on AT&T SportsNet or heard on the Aggie Sports Network 1280 AM. Kyle McDonald is sports fan who loves the Chicago Cubs. Follow him on Twitter at @kylesportsbias
