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San Jose, Calif • Now comes the hard part for Utah State.

Fresh off a huge win over San Jose State, the Aggies have to fight complacency against a New Mexico State team that hasn't been good this season.

The Southern Aggies will roll into Logan on Saturday afternoon with a 1-5 record, losers of five consecutive games and with little hope for the future of this season. It could be very easy for USU to look past NMSU.

Staying focused will be a key theme to practice this upcoming week.

"We have to stay together, we have to go hard in workouts and we have to study hard on film," senior running back Kerwynn Williams said. "We can't ever look past an opponent. We may be tempted to look towards winning a championship, but we really have to take things one game at a time."

Utah State played its best game of the season in beating the Spartans on Saturday, rolling up its most impressive point total of the year and recording a school-record 13 quarterback sacks in the process. On paper, the Aggies' matchup against Louisiana Tech on Nov. 17 is shaping up to be the game of the year.

Both teams will probably be unbeaten in the Western Athletic Conference by that time.

With the WAC having just one bowl tie-in, the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, the winner would be guaranteed a postseason berth.

College football, however, is littered with teams that slip up at inopportune times against perceived inferior competition.

This past Saturday saw West Virginia get hammered at Texas Tech. UCLA went down to California two weeks ago and lost. And who can forget USC's march to the national championship halted at the hands of Stanford.

So the Aggies are on high alert this week. Every practice rep will mean a bit more than the last. Film sessions will demand complete attention.

"We have to look at film, and we have to get ready for them," Utah State coach Gary Andersen said. "They have a talented passing offense, so we have to prepare much the way we prepared for San Jose State." —

New Mexico State at Utah St.

P Saturday, 1 p.m.

TV • KMYU