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Logan • Utah State ranks ninth in the 12-team Mountain West Conference in rushing offense.
Help might be on the way, however.
At his weekly news conference, coach Matt Wells did not close the door on the possibility of senior Devante Mays returning from a leg injury for Saturday night's game against Fresno State.
One of the best running backs in the Mountain West Conference, Mays was injured early in the second half of USC's 45-7 win over the Aggies on Sept. 10. He returned two weeks later against Air Force but was injured again on his first carry.
Mays' absence has coincided with a three-game losing streak, during which the Aggies have struggled to run the ball, sustain drives and convert short-yardage situations.
The return of Mays, who weighs 230 pounds, might help alleviate some of those issues.
Utah State did not play last week, perhaps speeding his recovery.
"A bye week helps everybody," Wells said Monday. "I'm not a doctor, but everybody is more healthy … [and] the bye always helps that."
Asked specifically about Mays, Wells replied, "Obviously, he's one of our better players. He was certainly our best running back or he wouldn't have come out of spring ball and training camp as our starter. We'll see if we get him back this week."
In a season-opening 45-6 win over Weber State, Mays ran for 208 yards on 18 carries. He had touchdown runs of 18, 18 and 66 yards and became the first Aggie since Kerwynn Williams in the 2012 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl to rush for over 200 yards.
A former junior college transfer from Livingston, Texas, Mays ranks 21st on Utah State's all-time rushing list with 1,200 yards despite playing in just 14 full games.
"He's a good player," Wells said. "We just haven't had him since USC. So I'm not sure what 2016 is like with Devante Mays because we haven't had him. We've had him for one game, really."
If Mays does not play against Fresno State, Tonny Lindsey will once again be the Aggies' No. 1 option at running back.
Listed no better than fourth on the depth chart in the preseason, Lindsey has performed well in Mays' absence. The 195-pound junior averages 4.6 yards on 76 carries this season.
During a 31-24 loss at Colorado State two weeks ago, Lindsey rushed 17 times for a career-high 137 yards.
"TJ has done a really nice job," Wells said. "He has run better between the tackles than I think he gets credit for. He's played tough … [and] has done a nice job of running behind his pads. You think of him as more of a perimeter back, but he's done a nice job in-between the tackles."
The only blemish on Lindsey's outing against Colorado State was a third-quarter fumble, which stalled a potential scoring drive. But it came after an accidental-but-nasty helmet-to-helmet hit, and Lindsey responded.
"He was so upset," Wells said, "I thought he ran even harder when he got back in the game."
Twitter: @sluhm —
Fresno State at Utah State
P Saturday, 8:30 p.m.
TV • CBS Sports Network