This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Utah State plays Boise State Friday night in the 20th game of the all-time series between the two schools.

The Broncos have won 15 of the first 19 meetings, including a 50-19 blowout last season in Boise. According to defensive end Ricky Ali'ifua, a junior from San Leandro (Calif.) High School, Utah State won't be seeking revenge for the 31-point defeat.

"I don't know if revenge is the right word," he said. "For me personally, I've noticed how that can sometimes cloud your responsibilities — as far as what you're supposed to do — and override everything and sometimes drain you mentally because you want to do something so bad. I remember [the loss] very vividly. It's very fresh in my mind. But I don't think we're going in with the mindset of revenge because of what they did to us."

Ali'ifua knows the significance of the rematch. Boise State is 5-1 overall and 2-0 in the Mountain West Conference. Utah State is 3-2 overall but also unbeaten in league play after wins over Colorado State (33-18) and Fresno State (56-14).

"If we want to reach our goal of a Mountain West championship, we know the road goes through Boise," he said. "Every team in the nation knows Boise State is a good team."

— Steve Luhm

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