Utah State (0-1, 0-0 Pac-12) vs. No. 19 Washington (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
- Kickoff: Saturday, 1:30 p.m. MDT
- Venue: Husky Stadium
- TV: Big Ten Network
- Radio: Aggie Sports Network (KZNS 1280 The Zone)
- Series: Utah State has played Washington only three times, with the Huskies winning all three. The schools first played in 1904 and didn’t play again until 1998. The Aggies and Huskies last met in 2015, when Washington won 31-17.
The trends
For Utah State: Week 1 couldn’t have been much more of a disaster for the Aggies. Quarterback McCae Hillstead threw three interceptions in a 29-17 loss to FCS opponent Idaho State. In total, the Aggies turned it over four times.
The run game struggled in the first half against Idaho State but improved as the game progressed. Javen Jacobs ran for 80 yards, but took 20 carries to get there. The offense totaled 407 yards, but it wasn’t enough to offset the four turnovers.
Like last season, the offensive line struggled with both protection and procedural penalties. Utah State missed offensive lineman George Maile last week due to injury, and he remains out this week.
“The biggest inconsistency came with our offensive front,” Utah State coach Bronco Mendenhall said. “And again, we have some injury issues there, and we’ve had to mix and match a bit. But I still see the potential, especially with (offensive coordinator) coach Anae’s design and history of him being able to put the right pieces in the right spot for us to be effective.”
Despite struggling with a hand injury, Hillstead will stay as the starter for Week 2. Hillstead looked good in the opening few drives for Utah State, but regressed as the game went on.
Week 1 was undoubtedly a disaster, and Utah State will have to show how it handles heavy adversity.
For Washington: Washington played a close game with the Pac-12’s Washington State in Week 1. The Cougars were held scoreless until the fourth quarter, when they cut the deficit to 10-7. However, the Huskies pulled away for a 24-10 victory.
Generally, Washington’s defense looked great while its offense didn’t. The Huskies converted on just 4 of 12 third downs and were 0 for 2 on fourth downs. The Huskies’ only first-half touchdown came after Jeron Jones had an interception and returned it to the WSU 21-yard line.
The Huskies scored two touchdowns in the fourth, but they struggled to move the chains.
Washington will be without starting running backs Quaid Carr and Jaydin Lamar. Both sustained injuries in Saturday’s game with Washington State. The two combined for 75 of Washington’s 134 rushing yards.
Dual-threat quarterback Demond Williams Jr. is in his third season with Washington and threw for 268 yards on a 68.6% completion rate. He also rushed for 61 yards on seven carries.
What to watch for
Is injury to blame for turnovers? One of the biggest issues that doomed Utah State in Week 1 was its four interceptions, three of which Hillstead threw.
Hillstead had strong early drives and moved the ball downfield quickly, but started shaking his hand and looked like he was dealing with some pain. In Saturday’s postgame media presser, Mendenhall said Hillstead was dealing with a “forearm gripping issue.”
Mendenhall clarified how significant it was in Monday’s media availability.
“It was bothering him increasingly as the game went,” Mendenhall said. “Yes, it was affecting his throws, and he’s just tough. I think he was hesitant to tell us to the magnitude of which it was kind of hurting him, but it did have an effect.”
Can the Aggies withstand a Power Four defensive line? While Utah State’s offensive line struggled against Idaho State with an injury and rotating through its depth, Washington’s defensive line pretty easily handled Washington State.
The Huskies’ defense held the Cougars to 100 rushing yards, with an average gain of 3.2 yards per carry. They also tallied three sacks and eight TFLs. Despite some foolish penalties, the front looked strong.
Any chance at a surprising upset for the Aggies hinges on whether the offensive line can contend with Washington’s defensive front.
However, Mendenhall said he’s still in the process of finding the best five-man combination, especially while Maile remains out.
“There’s options that are becoming more clear,” Mendenhall said. “I think this week will be even more clear than what we were. So it’s a work in progress, bits and pieces. At times, I liked what I saw, but we can be better.”
Don’t let Demond Williams Jr. loose: Washington is thin at running back due to some key injuries, and its offensive line played less than desired in Week 1. So, Williams may face more pressure to run the ball. Which begs the question: Can the Aggies contain the dual-threat quarterback?
If the defensive line buckles and allows Washington to open lanes, then it won’t matter who is running the ball. But if Utah State can handle the run, all of a sudden Washington’s offense becomes more one-dimensional.
“We’re not like some of these other teams that are having 22- and 23- and 24-year-olds on their roster,” said Washington coach Jedd Fisch. “We’re going to live with mistakes that some of these other teams might not have to live with. I think we’re going to live with some penalties that other teams might not have to live with. We’re going to live with an edginess because that’s, you know, that’s what happens when you’re 17, 18, 19, and you’re being thrown into the war zone.”
Quotable
“Our team was connected. I thought they tried hard. They were united on the sideline. I think they believed they could win all the way to the end and clearly were disappointed and expected the entire game to win. So, I think we have a capable football team, but we do need to work. We need consistency. We need precision. We need execution. After saying all that, ball security matters, and four turnovers, and then when you add in not converting 4th downs, that’s a lot to overcome.” — Utah State coach Bronco Mendenhall
“As we watched the film, we felt we had a lot of opportunities that we missed. We felt like we had a lot of opportunities which we gave them... So our team will certainly learn from them, but it’s nice to learn with a win, and it’s nice to learn with the Apple Cup.
“Sometimes you have to work into these games in front of half a crowd. We worked into ours in front of a sold-out one. So there is some anxiety out there when you’re starting two freshmen in those scenarios. But we’ll take the win. We’re 1-0, and it is time to get ready for Utah State.” — Washington coach Jedd Fisch
Next up
- Utah State: at Utah, Saturday, Sept. 19, at 1:30 p.m.
- Washington: vs. Eastern Washington, Saturday, Sept. 19, at 5:15 p.m.
Utah State schedule/results
- Sept. 5 — Idaho State 29, Utah State 17
- Sept. 12 — at Washington
- Sept. 19 — at Utah
- Sept. 26 — vs. Troy
- Oct. 3 — at Boise State
- Oct. 9 — vs. Washington State
- Oct. 24 — at Texas State
- Oct. 31 — vs. Colorado State
- Nov. 7 — vs. Fresno State
- Nov. 14 — at San Diego State
- Nov. 21 — at Oregon State
- Nov. 28 — Pac-12 flex game (projected to be at home against Boise State)