The only way to get back on track is to win this game. This is the biggest game of the year for us right now. – BYU linebacker Butch Pau'u

LOGAN — Over the past 15 years, several of BYU’s games against Utah State have impacted the course of the Cougars’ season.

And it appears Friday's showdown (6 p.m., MDT, CBSSN) between the two schools at Maverik Stadium will prove to be pivotal once again.

BYU (1-3), which has lost three consecutive contests, is desperate to win a game and avoid an abysmal 1-4 start.

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“It’s the most important game of the year. We come off a start of 1-3 and the hope is to get back on track,” said Cougar linebacker and team captain Butch Pau’u. “The only way to get back on track is to win this game. This is the biggest game of the year for us right now. From here, we’ll move forward, continue to play hard and win games.”

In recent history, BYU’s meetings with USU have had long-term ramifications.

• In 2002, BYU’s offense was sputtering and there were questions as to whether then-coach Gary Crowton should replace quarterback Bret Engemann by burning the redshirt of freshman Ben Olson, regarded as one of the nation’s top high school quarterbacks.

The Aggies built up a seemingly insurmountable 34-7 halftime lead in Logan and many believed the stage was set for Olson’s debut in the second half. Instead, Crowton stuck with Engemann, who engineered 28 unanswered points and a 35-34 victory. Olson did not play that season and never played a down for the Cougars. He ended up going on a mission and then transferring to UCLA.

After the victory in Logan, BYU lost its next three games and finished with its first losing season since 1973.

• In 2010, BYU dropped to 1-4 after a 31-16 setback in Logan — Utah State’s first win over the Cougars since 1993. The next day, then-coach Bronco Mendenhall fired defensive coordinator Jaime Hill.

That marked a major turning point as Mendenhall took over the defense the rest of the season and BYU went on to finish with a 7-6 record.

• In 2011, Cougar quarterback Jake Heaps struggled to get the offense going and BYU trailed by 11 points in the fourth quarter. USU transfer Riley Nelson came off the bench in place of Heaps and led an impressive comeback. Nelson directed a 96-yard drive that culminated with Marcus Mathews catching a 13-yard tipped pass in the end zone with 11 seconds remaining in a dramatic 27-24 BYU victory.

Nelson became the Cougars' starting quarterback and at the end of the season, Heaps transferred to Kansas.

• In 2012, in a 6-3 BYU victory, Cougar quarterback Taysom Hill suffered a season-ending knee injury with one minute remaining. Coaches tried to signal into the freshman to take a knee and run out the clock, but Hill missed the communication and ran a quarterback draw and was injured when he was tackled.

• In 2014, BYU was ranked No. 18 in the country and had won its first four games when Hill, a Heisman Trophy candidate, sustained a season-ending leg injury in the second quarter.

The Aggies won 35-20 — their first win in Provo since 1978. The Cougars’ undefeated season came to an ignominious end and they lost their next four games.

Now, BYU’s 2017 season hangs in the balance. The Cougars want to stop their losing streak and turn things around.

“Right now we’re playing for pride,” said punter Jonny Linehan. “We feel as a team we haven’t performed like we want to perform. We don’t like what we’ve put out on the field. We need to perform for ourselves. At the end of the day, we’re just chasin’ that win.”

BYU lost to Wisconsin 40-6 before taking a bye week. During that time off, the Cougars held a players-only meeting and they say they are ready to get back on the field.

“Coming off a bye week, everybody’s excited. I was ready to get back out there. I was in my house all weekend watching games,” said wide receiver Micah Simon. “I was restless. I wanted to get out there and play. I think everyone’s excited. We know it’s important to get this season the way we want it to go.”

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Cougars, Aggies on the air

BYU (1-3)

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at Utah State (2-2)

Friday, 6 p.m. MDT Maverik Stadium

TV: CBSSN

Radio: 1160 AM, 102.7 FM

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