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From the time Utah State offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven saw Hunter Sharp haul down a 37-yard touchdown catch at Tennessee, he thought he knew he had a special player in the junior college transfer.
The way the season has played out, Sharp has proven his coach was right.
Sharp, who leads the Aggies with 49 receptions for 791 yards and seven touchdowns, is also tops in the country with four touchdown receptions of 70-plus yards.
The only other player to accomplish that feat in the last five years was USC's Marqise Lee in 2012.
Sharp had an 81-yard touchdown catch against Arkansas State, a 72-yarder against BYU, a 75-yarder against Air Force and a 70-yarder against Hawaii.
At 6 feet, 190 pounds, Sharp makes for a good target, but it is his willingness to go up and get passes that make him a big threat, McGiven said.
"I am pleasantly surprised, but not shocked, by what he has done," he said.
The Aggies need to continue to utilize him more, McGiven said, so defenses must respect the deep threat.
Doing so opens up a lot of other options, he said.
"We've done some different things with him to try to gain some leverage advantage when the corners aren't playing exactly the way we want them to play, whether it's with motions or whatever it may be," he said. "We're going to do that and try to utilize his skill set."
Hard work
Much has been made of all the injuries at quarterback the Aggies have overcome this season, but USU defensive coordinator Todd Orlando has had his share of challenges too at the linebacker spot.
First, Tavaris McMillian's career was cut short with continued shoulder injuries, then Alex Huerta (shoulder) and Kyler Fackrell (knee) were also lost for the year.
The most recent injury has been to Nick Vigil, who missed the Hawaii game with a hamstring injury.
LT Filiaga started against Hawaii, and junior Anthony Williams received more playing time, finishing with a career high three tackles.
Orlando said he has been happy with how all the linebackers have played.
"It's just like everybody else," he said. "Wyoming will say the same thing. Everybody's thin at this point with injuries, so we're just trying to take what we have, our best players, and make sure, schematically, we put them on the field."
Winter drill
Early forecasts predict a high of 51 degrees in Laramie with a low of 27 and just a 20-percent chance of rain.
However, Wells knows enough about notorious Wyoming weather to not be fooled by such a balmy — by Laramie standards — forecast.
He likened the game to an NFC playoff game between the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears.
"It's going to be tough guys, cold weather, running the football, being efficient and flipping the field in the kicking game," Wells said. "It could snow, it could sleet, rain, who knows? I've been in Laramie in a a lightning storm when I was with New Mexico. They have weather."
Of note
Vigil, who missed the Hawaii game with an injured hamstring, remains listed as day-to-day. … USU's school record for offensive yards per play is 10.7, set against Wyoming in 1948. The Aggies finished with 471 yards on 44 plays in a 45-34 win. … Passing game coordinator Jovon Bouknight graduated from Wyoming in 2006 and was a receiver for the Cowboys from 2002-05, finishing with 250 receptions for 3,626 yards.
Twitter: @lyawodraska —
Utah State at Wyoming
O Friday, 6 p.m.
TV • ESPN2