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Earlier this week, Utah State center Austin Stephens said the offensive line found some areas in which it can improve to help the run game against UNLV on Saturday.

And at once, Aggie fans everywhere feel some relief and hope.

The urgency to improve the run game is stronger than ever with senior Craig Harrison expected to start at quarterback Saturday against UNLV.

Utah State coach Matt Wells didn't hide the fact that the Aggies must run more in the future, noting that Harrison doesn't have the kind of experience most quarterbacks starting at the D-I level have, and needs time.

"It's hard to replicate that when you're sitting behind Chuckie Keeton and Darell Garretson," Wells said.

So the best the Aggies can do to help Harrison is make things simple and put the offensive production on the run game.

"It doesn't matter who's handing the ball off," Wells said. "We have to block better and run better to move the ball more efficiently. Some of that is on the running backs, some of it is on the O-line, and some of it is on the coaches."

When the season began, a game plan of relying on the run game didn't seem to be that much of a problem. The Aggies had a mobile quarterback in Chuckie Keeton, a returning experienced player in Joe Hill and several up-and-coming running backs who didn't have experience but showed off plenty of moves in camp.

Unfortunately, the running game hasn't been consistent in games and an inability to run up the middle prompted the Aggies to use linebacker Nick Vigil as a running back against BYU.

The experiment was a success, with Vigil rushing 16 times for 57 yards and a touchdown. Since then, he has been used more as a decoy, but he could be getting more snaps soon, Wells said.

"We were concerned with the reps he was getting overall," Wells said. "But if we need Nick to win a game, then we'll use him more."

But why are the Aggies needing to go to the other side of the ball for a running back in the first place? That is a question the Aggies are still investigating.

Hill has been hampered by injuries, while Rashad Hall hasn't been effective. Freshman LaJuan Hunt has played well and has earned more touches, Wells said, but the Aggies still need to get better as a unit.

"We're looking at everything, whether it's schematics or how we're practicing," Wells said. "I can promise you we're not sitting back and thinking it's perfect, because it's not. We're going to continue to try and make it better."

Stephens said the offensive line is still learning, but knows it has to deliver.

"We keep growing," he said. "Like I said, it's a week-by-week thing. We have to just keep growing. We take a lot of responsibility for that and we'll improve this week and we'll get our run game on track." —

Aggie rushing leaders

Player Att Net TD

Joe Hill 59 232 2

JoJo Natson 23 168 0

Rashad Hall 39 159 1

LaJuan Hunt 35 144 0

Chuckie Keeton 20 81 1 —

UNLV at Utah State

O Saturday, 2 p.m.

TV • ESPNews