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Logan • When Utah State visited San Diego State last October, it was targeting a Mountain West championship and a New Year's 6 bowl possibility.
The Aggies were humbled then, and their goals are more modest now. USU (3-4) needs three more victories for bowl eligibility in a quest that continues Friday night, with a major challenge posed by the Aztecs at Maverik Stadium.
SDSU has won 16 of its last 17 games, including a 48-14 demolition of the Aggies in San Diego. USU was coming off a stunning rout of Boise State and was positioned to do some big things, but the defeat sent the Aggies spiraling toward a 6-7 finish.
After that loss in San Diego, the conversation briefly turned to a potential meeting in the 2015 Mountain West championship game. Instead, the rematch comes 53 weeks later, and the Aztecs' strategy remains intact.
"They are going to come in here and try to impose their will on us, and I know that," said USU coach Matt Wells.
The Aztecs succeeded last October, when Donnel Pumphrey ran for 181 yards and two touchdowns and USU was overwhelmed offensively and defensively. That's a standard-issue performance for Pumphrey, who leads the nation in rushing with a 178-yard average.
"Watching him on film, he can make something out of nothing," said USU linebacker Derek Larsen.
Pumphrey is complemented by Rashaad Penny, a running back the Aggies recruited in a battle that "came down to the wire," Wells said.
Wells hopes a more healthy Aggie defense will stand up better against the Aztecs' running game than last year, when the absence of two linemen hurt USU.
The Aztecs have regrouped after their only defeat, a 42-24 loss at South Alabama that cost them the AP Top 25 ranking they enjoyed for two weeks. SDSU has responded by throttling three divisional opponents in the MW.
USU broke a three-game losing streak, the program's longest since 2010, with a 38-20 victory over Fresno State last Saturday. The Aggies hope running back Devante Mays returns from injury at some point, although Tonny Lindsay Jr. ran for 90 yards against the Bulldogs.
The Aztecs' secondary was affected by the suspensions of two cornerbacks, but San Jose State passed for only 142 yards in a 42-3 loss last Friday. SDSU coach Rocky Long has not said whether the players will return this week. "We started the season with a veteran secondary. We're not veteran anymore, so there's more chance of a blown coverage than there used to be," Long said.
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Utah St. vs. San Diego St.
P At Maverik Stadium, Logan
Kickoff • 6 p.m.
TV • CBSSN Radio • 610 AM, 102.1-FM
Records • Utah State 3-4, 1-3; San Diego State 6-1, 3-0
Series • San Diego State leads, 11-1
Last meeting • San Diego State, 48-14 (2015)
About the Aggies • Utah State has won 26 of its last 30 home games, dating to November 2011. … The Aggies' only win vs. SDSU came in 1967. … This is the Aggies' earliest kickoff in any game since Sept. 10, and coach Matt Wells said the more convenient starting time should boost the size and staying power of the home crowd.. … USU trailed 34-7 at halftime in San Diego last October. … After facing the nation's leading rusher in SDSU's Donnel Pumphrey, the Aggies take on Wyoming's Brian Hill, the Mountain West's No. 2 rusher, next week in Laramie.
About the Aztecs • San Diego State has a 14-game winning streak vs. Mountain West opponents, including the 2015 championship game. … The Aztecs are playing their third consecutive Friday game. … With veteran coach Rocky Long operating the defense, SDSU ranks fifth in the country in total defense, allowing 286.4 yards per game. … The Aztecs held their last three opponents — UNLV, Fresno State and San Jose State — to a total of 13 points. … This is SDSU's first visit to Logan since 1975.