This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
With the strength of the BYU team, the home field advantage and the loss of Chuckie Keeton, things don't look very good for the Utah State Aggies as they head into tonight's game at BYU. But then, things didn't look good for Arizona going into Thursday's game against Oregon either, now did they? We still aren't going to pick Utah State to snag the upset, but we aren't going to say it's impossible. What will the Aggies have to do to pull it off? Here are a few things that could help.1. The Aggies have to get to BYU quarterback Taysom Hill and contain the run game. USU's defense has set the tone for the team all season and it needs to do it again tonight.2. Get turnovers then do something with them. The Aggies are doing a horrible job of turning turnovers into points, which led to the overtime loss at Arkansas State. They can't afford to not convert those opportunities tonight.3. Find a run game. Whether it's Joe Hill, JoJo Natson, Rashad Hall or any of the other backs, the Aggies have to get a run game going. Doing so will be tough against a defense that is giving up just 88.8 yards a game, but Utah State must find a way to make the run game effective, particularly in short yardage situations. They were inconsistent in that department against Arkansas State and paid the price.The last thing the Aggies want to do is put the game on the shoulders of Darell Garretson. Sure he has experience, but asking him to beat the Cougars without a run game to balance the passing attack is asking too much.4. Get better up front. Garretson says he has worked on his footwork, but he still isn't as mobile as Keeton was. Utah State's offensive line has to give him some time to throw. That means focusing on BYU's Alani Fua and Zac Stout, who have four sacks apiece this season.5. Play better on special teams. We don't need to revisit how horrible specials teams was for the Aggies against Arkansas State. As USU coach Matt Wells said, he is sticking with his kickers because, well, he doesn't have anyone else. That isn't exactly a ringing endorsement. Time for them to earn their keep. The Aggies might be successful in all those areas and still not get a win because the Cougars are a very good team. But then again, if they do, things just might go their way. If Arizona did it, why can't they?!