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Provo • Quite a celebration is planned for Friday night at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

The BYU Cougars will retire the jersey of legendary quarterback Jim McMahon, bring back those royal blue uniforms from their glory days and revel in the 4-0 start that has brought them a No. 18 ranking and all kinds of national attention.

The Utah State Aggies, who haven't won in Provo since 1978 — a stretch of 17 consecutive failures — would love to crash the party.

Kickoff in the Battle for the Old Wagon Wheel, the 84th meeting between these instate foes, is at 8:15 p.m. The game will be televised by ESPN.

"I think we can win this game," said USU linebacker Zach Vigil.

Vigil's remarks came before the 2-2 Aggies announced Wednesday night that senior quarterback Chuckie Keeton won't play against the Cougars and might not play again this season after suffering another injury to his surgically repaired left knee. But they show the confidence that second-year coach Matt Wells has instilled in his program, and they also reflect what they learned in their last two trips to Provo, a 27-24 loss in 2011 and a 6-3 loss in 2012.

BYU is a team "that's undefeated and deservedly in the playoff talks," Wells said. "They're going to have to beat Utah State [to stay there]. Our kids are excited and I don't have any reason to doubt [BYU] will be. It will be a great atmosphere. LaVell Edwards Stadium will be loud with a national TV audience. it will be fun. It's a great opportunity for us."

Darell Garretson, who will get the start at quarterback in the place of Keeton, is no slouch, the Cougars said early in the week before Keeton's status was known. In fact, the sophomore from Chandler, Ariz., is arguably a better passer than Keeton, and went 6-1 as a starter last season after Keeton was injured in the 31-14 loss to BYU in Logan.

"Both their quarterbacks are great quarterbacks," BYU linebacker Alani Fua said.

Both teams are coming off byes last week, and BYU should be as healthy as it has been all season with the expected returns of linebacker Bronson Kaufusi, receiver Nick Kurtz, running back Algie Brown and offensive guard Ryker Mathews, among others.

A low-scoring, defensive struggle is expected, although not to the extreme of the 2012 game, when BYU quarterback Taysom Hill suffered a season-ending knee injury in the final minute on a needless running play.

The Aggies are fourth in the nation in rushing defense, giving up just 78.3 yards per game, and will be looking to bottle up a BYU rushing attack that averages 230 yards..

"They are good," said BYU's second-leading rusher, Jamaal Williams. "They like to blitz a lot. They don't really disguise it much. … They are going to give us all they got. They still have a little chip on their shoulder for us."

BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said he expects a "difficult" and "volatile" game.

"It will be a good test for us," Mendenhall said.

The Cougars seem sincere when they talk about this as their biggest rivalry game of season, now that Utah is off the schedule in 2014 and 2015.

"Utah State is a rival, and we are going to get their best, and heck, you gotta know one thing in rivalry games," said receivers coach Guy Holliday. "You gotta come out throwing haymakers, and you gotta land some. Because they are going to land some. And then in the end, the best team standing is going to win. It doesn't matter what the records are."

Holliday said the Aggies won't be intimidated.

"We are ranked," he said. "I can guarantee you, they are coming down here to win a football game, and we are going to have to defend our home turf. And it is going to be fun. I am looking forward to it. What more can you ask for? You are playing Utah State on national TV, your rival, and you are nationally ranked and they are coming down here to try to knock the blue off your shirt right now. It is going to be a great day."

One the Aggies believe they can spoil.

drew@sltrib.com

Twitter: @drewjay —

Utah State at No. 18 BYU

O At LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo

Kickoff • Friday, 8:15 p.m.

TV • ESPN

Radio • 1160 AM/102.7 FM and 610 AM/97.5 FM

Records • BYU 4-0, Utah State 2-2

Series History • BYU leads, 46-34-3

Last Meeting • BYU 31, USU 14 (Oct. 4, 2013)

About the Aggies • They have lost three straight games to BYU, and haven't won in Provo since 1978. … They are No. 4 in the country in rushing defense, allowing just 78.3 yards per game on the ground. … Sophomore Darell Garretson will start at quarterback after USU announced Wednesday night that senior Chuckie Keeton won't play on a surgically repaired knee for the foreseeable future.

About the Cougars • They have defeated Utah State 17 straight times in Provo. … They are No. 26 in the nation in rushing offense, averaging 230.3 yards per game on the ground. … They are No. 12 in rushing defense, giving up just 88.8 ypg. … They are 257-161-13 against teams currently in the Mountain West Conference. … They have scored on 18 of their 19 trips inside the red zone this season.