UTEP (0-0, 0-0 Conference USA) at Utah State (0-0, 0-0 Mountain West)
- Kickoff: Saturday, 5:30 p.m. MDT
- Venue: Maverik Stadium (Capacity: 25,513)
- TV: CBS Sports Network
- Livestream: CBSSports.com
- Radio: Aggie Sports Network (KZNS 1280 The Zone)/Sirius XM Ch. 382.
- Series: Utah State leads, 1-0
The trends
For Utah State: A new season brings with it a new era of Aggie football. Bronco Mendenhall is now at the helm of the USU program and expectations — in the long term — have never been higher.
In the short term, the Aggies are almost a complete unknown entering the 2025 season, with around 70 new players on the roster. Offense, defense, special teams — there are newcomers everywhere, many of whom are unproven at the FBS level.
Expectations for USU are a little all over the place as a result, with the Aggies picked to finish ninth in the Mountain West Conference preseason poll. ESPN’s FPI, meanwhile, slots Utah State in as a midlevel MWC team, just below the presumed title contenders (Boise State, UNLV, Colorado State, Fresno State and San José State).
A year ago, Utah State went 4-8 overall, while Mendenhall — in his lone season in Albuquerque — led New Mexico to a 5-7 record with a win over the Aggies in Logan.
For UTEP: The Miners went 3-9 overall in 2024 in their first year under head coach Scotty Walden. It was more of the same for UTEP, which also went 3-9 in 2023. Expectations are that the team will be better in 2025, though. How much better?
Unofficial conference USA preseason polls — the conference didn’t release a poll this year — are mixed. USA Today writers believe the Miners will be close to the middle tier of Conference USA. ESPN, meanwhile, believes the Miners will be improved, UTEP is projected to win between four or five games, but still in the bottom third of the CUSA.
The Miners bring back a good amount from last year’s team, 52% of last year’s production and 109 starts, but also added plenty of transfers, including former USC and Boise State quarterback Malachi Nelson, who are expected to play big roles going forward.
What to watch for
Everything, really.
That may seem a little over the top and not specific at all, but neither Utah State or UTEP is a proven commodity entering the season. Far from it, in fact.
Neither team released a depth chart this week ahead of the game and both teams have new coordinators (UTEP on defense, USU on both sides of the ball), as well as new players who are expected to shoulder significant responsibility at important positions.
Nelson might be the biggest name — at one time, he was a top-five QB prospect nationally and was described as “very likely one of the nation’s top quarterbacks — and overall prospects regardless of position — in the 2023 class. Projects as an impact starter at the high-major level with long-term early-round NFL Draft potential," by 247 Sports’ Greg Biggins. But UTEP also has transfers from Indiana, Michigan State and West Virginia who are expected to be a big part of the Miners’ team this year. And that is before you get to returners like Kam Thomas and Kenny Odom.
USU, meanwhile, has newcomers everywhere. The wide receiver corps is almost completely remade, as is the running back room. The secondary was almost completely turned over, and there are new projected starters along the offensive and defensive lines as well. Only at tight end, linebacker and quarterback will USU look at all familiar, with players like Broc Lane, John Miller and Bryson Barnes back.
Mendenhall’s overall track record suggests the Aggies will lean on their defense and run game, except last year at UNM the Lobos relied heavily on a dynamic offense spearheaded by then-QB Devon Dampier. Defense was far from a strong suit for the Lobos.
Walden’s team, meanwhile, ranked No. 122 in total offense last year and relied a lot on its defense (the Miners ranked No. 99 in total defense, which is why they won only three games). Will that be the same this year, or will things shift the other way with Nelson on board, accompanied by a new and improved receiving corps?
All of which is to say, nearly everything will be in question when the Aggies and Miners meet.
Key player
Enoka Migao, senior, defensive end, Utah State:
This is both a long-term and short-term choice.
Against UTEP, Migao and his ability to put consistent pressure on Nelson will go a long way to helping the Aggies’ cause.
Utah State has struggled mightily on defense for years now, and the little success the Aggies have had has come from edge rushers getting pressure on opposing QBs. Cian Slone, Blaine Spires and others from last year are gone, though, with Migao, Will Holmes and CJ Nesmith standing as the best pass rushing options the Aggies have.
A senior, Migao hasn’t made the greatest impact during his time at USU, with a single sack and three tackles for loss to his name in 22 games played. He is expected to lead the way for USU’s edge rushers, though, and a good showing against UTEP would help prove the Aggies will be alright going forward.
Speaking of going forward, USU won’t win at the level Mendenhall wants unless the defense is better. Much of that improvement needs to come up front at defensive tackle, but an elite defensive end, if that is what Migao turns out to be, would go a long way to making everyone else’s job on the defense easier.
Quotable
“I think that the UTEP is really well coached, not only offensively, but the defensive coordinator they added, I’ve watched him for a long time in studying last year as we played Montana State. Just that (coaching) tree and that trajectory of players in that style, they do a really nice job.” — Utah State coach Bronco Mendenhall
“You’ve got to remember that his (Mendenhall’s) team, as a reminder for fans, a reminder for everybody, this is a team that is going to the Pac-12 next year. This is a Power Four football team. I’m sure their budgets are in alignment with that and their NIL is in alignment with that. So we are going to have our hands full on Saturday.” — UTEP coach Scotty Walden
Next up
- Utah State: at Texas A&M, Saturday, Sept. 6, at 10:45 a.m.
- UTEP: vs. UT Martin, Saturday, Sept. 6, at 7 p.m.
Utah State schedule
- Aug. 30 — UTEP
- Sept. 6 — Texas A&M
- Sept. 13 — Air Force
- Sept. 20 — McNeese State
- Sept. 27 — at Vanderbilt
- Oct. 11 — at Hawaiʻi
- Oct. 17 — San José State
- Oct. 25 — at New Mexico
- Nov. 8 — Nevada
- Nov. 15 — at UNLV
- Nov. 22 — at Fresno State
- Nov. 29 — Boise State