Utah State Aggies:
Utah State was thrown into a bit of turmoil in the middle of the summer when head coach Blake Anderson was suddenly fired. Nate Dreiling – hired to be the defensive coordinator this season – will take over in the interim. The program did not suffer any high-profile transfers after Anderson’s firing, so the Aggies come into the season with a new staff, but a roster loaded with experience.
Offense
Anderson was the play-caller for Utah State in his time at the helm. Offensive coordinator Kyle Cefao remains, but it is unclear how the play-calling duties will be handled after new assistant Troy Morrell was added to the staff as associate head coach and senior offensive analyst.
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There will be a new starting quarterback this season, but they have a trio of high-profile transfers in Spencer Petras (Iowa), Bryson Barnes and CJ Tiller competing for the job. Petras was the leader coming out of spring, according to local media.
The skill positions are in good shape. Leading rusher from 2023, Davon Booth, departed, but the next rushers in Rahsul Faison and Robert Briggs are back. Jalen Royals (71 receptions and 1,080 yards) is back, as is Micah Davis (36 receptions and 628 yards). Six offensive linemen who started a game last season are also in the fold.
Defense
Utah State was statistically best against the pass last season. It ranked 37th in opponent EPA per dropback, and opposing quarterbacks completed just 58.6% of their passes. This could be a similar strength this season with Avante Dickerson and Ike Larsen – the team’s highest-graded defender by PFF last season – back with the program.
Where the Aggies will need to improve is against the run. Utah State allowed 5.1 yards per carry in 2023 and ranked 110th in opponent EPA per rush. Four starters return in this front seven, but there are plenty of transfers that could take playing time. Run defense could be an issue again, but the Aggies could improve under new leadership, with new faces making up some of the depth.
Outlook
It will be easy to dismiss Utah State after the firing of Anderson, as some will point to the dysfunction as a reason to disqualify this team from competing. However, it is hard to ignore the talent this team has, especially on offense. The Aggies will have to navigate a difficult schedule. USC and Utah are part of their non-conference schedule. Utah State also has to go to Boise State, Wyoming and Colorado State. UNLV also makes the trip to Logan. Still, there are plenty of opportunities for wins on this schedule, and the Aggies could surprise some of the lesser defenses it faces in conference play.
Pick: Over 5 Wins
