Last week didn’t go well at all for Utah State as the Aggies dropped a game to Alabama 55-0. The Aggies only managed to get seven first downs compared to Alabama’s 30 and also allowed the Crimson Tide to rush for 278 yards and pass for 281. Logan Bonner had three completions on nine attempts and Robert Briggs rushed for 28 yards on 10 carries. This week Weber State comes to Logan as the Aggies prepare for their Mountain West opener against UNLV after the bye week.

Utah State vs Weber State

Location: Logan, Utah

Line: Utah State (-8) (Provided by DraftKings Sportsbooks)

Date/Time: Saturday, September 10th at 4:00 PM PST

TV: Mountain West Network

History: Utah State and Weber State have met 15 times and the Aggies lead the overall series 14-1. The two teams have met four times since 2001 and the Aggies won in 2001 (56-43), 2011 (54-17), 2013 (70-6), and 2016 (45-6). The only win for Weber State came in 1978, a 44-25 win.

Three things to watch for:

1. Can Utah State stop the run?

Though Weber State did play Western Oregon, the Wildcats still rushed for 176 yards. Run defense is an area that Utah State needs to improve. Both opponents have rushed for over 200 yards on the Aggies and that is something that needs to change quickly.

2. Can Utah State improve on third down?

While Weber State is not Alabama, going 3-17 on third down (18%) did not look good at all. The Aggies didn’t do great on third down against UConn either so the Aggies need to focus on how to get to third down and short to better help the offense to move the ball consistently.

3. Can Calvin Tyler Jr. get something going?

Against UConn, Calvin Tyler Jr. rushed for 161 yards on 33 attempts but did not score any touchdowns. Against Alabama, the Tyler Jr. rushed for 13 yards on 12 attempts and rushed for a long of seven yards. Calvin Tyler Jr. needs to get back to stepping it up against Weber State and scoring a touchdown or two in addition to rushing over 100 yards would help.

Analysis

Utah State may only be a eight point favorite against Weber State, but the Aggies should be able to bounce back in this one. The offense took a while to get going against UConn but eventually found their path behind Calvin Tyler Jr. and Logan Bonner. Brian Cobbs has also been making plays for the Aggies at receiver to make up for lost production from last season. The defense sets in early and the offense, while slow to start, eventually finds their way.

Score predicton: Utah State: 38; Weber State: 10