Coming off a tough two weeks in two relatively close games against Boise State and BYU, Utah State heads to Las Vegas to try to get their first win since the significant win over Air Force. Utah State is still a major player in conference play but will need a win against UNLV to remain relevant near the top of the conference.

Utah State at UNLV

Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

Line: Utah State (-7)

Date/Time: Saturday, October 16th; 4:00 PM EST

Television: CBS Sports Network

Head-to-Head: Utah State is 17-7 all time against UNLV. Utah State has won every game against UNLV as a conference member. Utah State won the most recent matchup in Logan 59-28 in 2018. In 2008 and 2007, Utah State lost back to back games against UNLV, 23-16 in 2007 and 27-17 in 2008.

Three Things to Watch Out For

1. Avoid turnovers

Utah State’s offense was able to move the ball for big yardage against Boise State but the Aggies had key turnovers and weren’t able to finish drives. The Aggies had a total of three turnovers against the Broncos, two interceptions and one fumble. That doesn’t help with an explosive offense in the opposite end of the field and not being able to turn drives into points. That same story was true for BYU as well, where Utah State had two interceptions in a close game to BYU that was ultimately decided in the 4th quarter. UNLV isn’t Boise State or BYU but the Aggies need to work on fine tuning their offense.

2. Make stops on defense

In the last game against BYU, the Aggies gave up 466 yards, 245 passing yards and 221 rushing yards. BYU only had 8 incompletions throughout the game and averaged 6.1 yards per carry. Utah State needs to communicate better on the defensive side of the ball and needs to make tackles in order to prevent the big plays in the passing and running game.

3. Find consistency at quarterback

Logan Bonner might be a veteran player but he hasn’t necessarily played consistently. Against Boise State, Bonner struggled in key moments in the game, throwing two interceptions and incompletions. Utah State was able to get to Boise State’s side of the field but was unable to convert those drives into points. The entire game Utah State scored just three points in a very disappointing loss. If the Aggies can find the consistency they need at quarterback, they will be able to turn the stalled drives into more points.

Analysis

That was a rough two weeks for Utah State however coming off a bye week, Utah State will probably want to come out firing on all cylinders. They have been surprisingly good this season and will be looking to continue their success.

UNLV may not be the hardest team on the schedule but it is an important game for Utah State because it is going to give them a chance to fine tune their skills as they go further into Mountain West play. Expect the Aggies to take full advantage of the opportunity and remain near the top of the conference.

Score Prediction: Utah State: 42 UNLV: 17