SAN DIEGO — Utah State will be looking to break its third-long losing streak in a row when it faces San Diego State this weekend. The Aggies hadn't won in Fresno since 1980 and hadn't beaten Boise State since 1997.

The Aggies are fresh off dismantling Boise State and primed for a letdown in this trap game against West Division leader San Diego. Here are three keys to changing the Aggies' fortune in San Diego and keep the hope, however slim, of a New Year's Day Bowl bid alive.

1. Stop Donnel Pumphrey

The Aggies have not faced a running back as good as San Diego State's Donnel Pumphrey since week two when they took on Hiesman contender Devontae Booker and Utah. Head coach Matt Wells is very aware of Pumphrey's skill and the depth of the Aztecs back field.

"Probably not arguably; I don't know how many people will argue with that. He is really good," Wells said. "We have not played San Diego State yet (since joining the MW), but we have seen them on cross tape quite a bit in the last couple of years. With the other two running backs, this may be the best running backs group in the Mountain West. I know a lot about (Rashaad) Penny since we tried to recruit him. He's a great kickoff returner and has a great skill set. He catches the ball out of the backfield. On paper, he's the third running back, but they're using him quite a bit. That's a really deep group."

Pumphrey is not only the Aztecs workhorse in the back field. He is also the team's leading receiver. Pumphrey accounts for nearly 140 yards a game, which is over 40 percent of all offense for San Diego State. Utah State will need to come up big and contain Pumphrey in both aspects to cripple the Aztec offense and keep them off the scoreboard.

2. Control the line of scrimmage on offense

It will be critical for the offensive line to control the line early. I will help establish a rush game against a stout defense and allow Kent Myers and the rest of the skill positions to get into an early rhythm. The Aztecs are only giving up an average of 94 yards on the ground and only 293 total yards each week. Wells spoke to the challenge that the Aztecs defense presents.

"They're two similar defenses in terms of tough guys, in terms of stopping the run first, getting a lot of hats to the box and trying to outnumber offenses in the run game," he said. "They're trying to stop the run just like we are and I think we're both very similar in that. We're both very aggressive and very multiple on defense, going from even front to odd front, going from man pressure to zone pressure. There are a lot of similarities between both defenses."

3. Create energy

Wells spoke after the Fresno State game about how important it is to create your own energy when playing on the road.

"One of the things we talked about was playing physical and starting fast right out of the game, and I thought we did that," he said. "When you go on the road, you have to create your own energy and your own juice, and that was a big point for us during the day before and the day of, to talk about that."

Facing a tough road test Friday night, the Aggies can't afford to come out flat against a very good San Diego State squad. Finding an offensive rhythm and making big plays on defense will help get the Aggies rolling and make it tough for the Aztecs to stop them.

Utah State kicks off its second of three straight Friday night games on Oct. 23 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, at 8:30 p.m. MT. It will be televised on ESPN2.

Parker Robertson is a graduate of Utah State University, a freelance contributor and an avid fan of sports. Follow me on Twitter @ParkerRob78 Email: ParkerRobertson18@gmail.com

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