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Logan • For Utah State, life without senior running back Devante Mays has been a struggle.
The Aggies are 1-2 in their last three games. They held on for a 34-20 victory over winless Arkansas State before losing back-to-back Mountain West Conference games against Air Force (27-20) and Boise State (21-10).
Mays played one total snap in those games — an early two-yard gain against Air Force — before re-injuring his right knee.
It's not known when, or if, he will return this season.
Losing Mays, who rushed for 208 yards and three touchdowns in a 45-6 season-opening win over Weber State, has impacted Utah State's entire offense. The Aggies, who visit Colorado State on Saturday, have been unable to effectively run the ball without him.
Against Air Force, Utah State rushed for 42 yards.
Against Boise State, it rushed for 71.
Mays' primary replacement, junior Tonny Lindsey Jr., carried 34 times for 33 yards in the two defeats.
The Aggies' straight-ahead running game has been non-existent, partly because Mays weighs 230 pounds and Lindsey weighs 195.
Against Boise State, coach Matt Wells said, "We didn't block for the run very well. There were a few times where we were ID'd wrong. But we didn't play very good technique at times and we didn't run through any arm tackles. The whole run game, in general, wasn't very good."
Unable to move on the ground, Utah State has been forced to the air.
The Aggies threw 79 passes in their first three games of the season. In the past two, junior quarterback Kent Myers has thrown 97, including a career-high 50 against Boise State.
The significance?
Under Wells, Utah State is 13-1 when a player rushes for at least 100 yards. The Aggies are 3-3 when a quarterback throws for 300.
There's more.
When Myers has started a game and thrown more than 25 passes, the Aggies are 0-5.
Wells "didn't anticipate" throwing 50 passes against the Broncos. He said it's critical the Aggies "get the run game going" against Colorado State and beyond.
For his part, Myers has played reasonably well.
He completed 60 percent of those 97 passes against Air Force and Boise. He threw only one interception.
Myers, who is 12-7 as Utah State's starter, remains confident he can be effective, even if the Aggies have to keep throwing.
"In high school, we were always an air-raid offense — always throwing the ball," Myers said. "So if the opportunity comes and I'm given the time to throw 50 passes, I will."
Still, Mays' return — or developing a consistent running game without him — would benefit Utah State's offense.
"Recently we've been one-dimensional," Myers said. "That's why we haven't really won as many games as we want to right now. When we're a good offense, we're able to run the ball and pass the ball. … That's what we have to fix."
In last year's 33-18 win over Colorado State, Myers ran wild. He rushed for a career-high 191 yards and one touchdown on only 16 carries.
This season, Myers' designed runs — non-sacks — have been limited to 35 in five games. Perhaps that's because Utah State's list of injured quarterbacks over the last four seasons is longer than the trip from Logan to Fort Collins.
It's also something that could change against CSU, considering the Rams were unable to stop him last season.
"If [the coaches] want to do something else, then we're going to change it up and do something else," Myers said. "We'll do whatever makes us win the game."
Twitter: @sluhm —
USU storylines
• Utah State tries to snap a two-game losing streak Saturday night at Hughes Stadium against Colorado State.
• The Aggies struggle to run the ball since Devante Mays was sidelined with a knee injury.
• To compensate, Utah State quarterback Kent Myers threw 97 passes in its last two games.