Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
LOGAN — The Wagon Wheel has not resided in Cache Valley since 2019.
It will stay out of town for much longer if the Utah State football team can't pull off the upset against BYU on Thursday night. The next four games of the BYU, Utah State series have been canceled — chalk it up as collateral damage of the Cougars joining the Big 12.
Will the series return? Who's to say.
For the next three days, though, all that matters for Utah State is its final opportunity against its brothers to the south to steal the Wagon Wheel back and pick up a signature victory.
"Maybe the last time we get a chance to play them ever," Aggies coach Blake Anderson said during Monday's press conference. "Which is a lot considering it has been played 91-92 times. So no better time than now to play our best and eliminate mistakes and go get a win.
"I think we all saw this potentially coming with their move to the Big 12. Rivalry football is what college football is all about, in my opinion. I absolutely love it. I have not always been able to be a part of that, but some of my most enjoyable experiences or these types of games."
Unfortunately, any hype surrounding the final game prior to the hiatus may be overshadowed by current season results. The Aggies come into Provo with a 1-3 record hanging over its head, a struggling offense, and a team that looked out of sorts last week against UNLV despite coming off a bye week.
BYU, on the other hand, is 3-1, with a win over No. 16 Baylor and will reportedly return receiver Gunner Romney to the fold this week.
The sportsbooks in Las Vegas reflect the disparity: No. 19 BYU is a 24-point favorite in the standalone college football game Thursday night.
Can reading tea leaves boost Aggie fans' morale?
Recent history suggests the Aggies don't need to be having a stellar season to pick up a win in the rivalry. In 2010, Utah State entered the BYU game 1-3 and won 31-16; in 2014, Utah State entered Provo 2-2 and beat BYU 35-20; the 2017 Aggies were 2-2 and won the matchup 40-24.
History won't provide context for how Utah State will size up against a nationally ranked BYU team three weeks after losing to an FCS school, though.
What can the Aggies do to better its chances?
One idea is to avoid committing 11 penalties for 93 yards, give up six turnovers and turn the ball over on downs three times — all in one game.
"We've got to stay composed, play on the edge of out of control without crossing that line," Anderson said. "We have struggled to find that line so far. We have crossed it two weeks in a row. We cannot continue to do that. If we do we will — guys, we won't be very successful."
Minimizing mistakes isn't just a suggestion, it's the bare minimum required to hang in the game.
Utah State is an astounding +12 in the turnover margin in the last three games it has won against the Cougars; BYU is +6 in the turnover margin in the last four games it has won. Do not expect BYU to slip this year, though, as Jaren Hall and the Cougars have committed just one turnover through four games.
One thing the Aggies can build off of last week is its rush defense. A week after UNLV carved up North Texas for 365 rushing yards, Utah State held the Rebels to 103 yards on 42 carries. It was an unlikely result, especially with the defensive tackle depth.
Utah State lost backup defensive tackle Seni Tuiaki, who likely has a season-ending ankle injury, in the second quarter on Saturday; defensive tackle Phil Paea was already out for the season with a torn ACL; and starters Hale Motu'apuaka and Poukesi Vakauta, who played Saturday, have missed games due to injury.
BYU gashed the Aggies on the ground last year for 221 rushing yards. Perhaps last week's success, along with Tyler Allgeier's absence, will help Utah State limit the attack this go around.
"They have a big offensive line, they're physical, they're going to try and run the ball down our throats," senior safety Hunter Reynolds said. "So, you know, we're amped up, we're extremely excited just to go out there, keep improving from last week."
On the flip side, Utah State's offense ran for just 31 yards against the Cougars last year. With quarterback Logan Bonner struggling and the Aggies not boasting its same arsenal of receivers as a year ago, a respectable performance from rushers Calvin Tyler Jr. or Robert Briggs and the offensive front is necessary.
"We're playing with good technique, playing with controlled aggression and getting to the guys that we need to get to," senior offensive lineman Chandler Dolphin said. "(We need to) just stay within the bounds of the game, playing with proper technique. And at the end of the day, just come in and play with a nasty attitude — try to set the tone with the run game this week."
Winning the game will be a tall task for the Aggies; on paper, it does not seem plausible.
That doesn't mean Utah State wants it any less. With no follow-up game in sight, Utah State will have all the motivation in the world to bid the Cougars farewell by stealing the Wagon Wheel. But motivation needs to translate into performing better in the trenches than last year and playing clean football.
"Last year, they came into our house and beat us," Reynolds said. "This year, despite everything that's happened so far, our mentality is move on to the next game and we can learn from the previous ones. So, you know, we feel like, at our best, we can hang with anybody left on our schedule. So we're going into this with the mentality of it's gonna be a dogfight."
"(A win) will be huge for us," Anderson said. "And it would obviously give us a tremendous amount of momentum moving forward, but everybody will remember the last one. And that's our guy's motivation — to play their very best."
