2017
Utah State
College Football
Betting Preview
Schedule
Utah State has the unfortunate task of playing in the Mountain division, which saw the Aggies finish with a 1-7 record in MWC play last year. In the West, things may be different, but that’s not the case as they finished Four Games behind every team in their division last year. While Kent Myers returns at quarterback, that won’t be enough to help Utah State contend with the conference’s best.
Myers has tons of experience as a senior, but still only led this offense to 23.9 points per Game through his 10 passing touchdowns and 449 rushing yards. The Aggies brought in David Yost to coordinate the offense, who was Oregon’s QB coach and Washington State’s wide receivers coach. The group is expected to pick up the pace this year, but the effect remains to be seen. Tonny Lindsey (763 yards, 6 TDs), LAJuan Hunt and Justen Hervey return in the backfield, while top receivers Ron’Quavion Tarver (602 yards, 3 TDs) and Rayshad Lewis (476 yards) return at wide out, yet this offense still has plenty of questions. If the line drops off at all with only one full-time starter back, it could be another long season for Utah State.
The defense is solid, but not great, meaning it can’t win any Game by itself. The good news is that seven starters return, so some improvement can be expected for a group that head coach Matt Wells wants to be more aggressive. The secondary has the ability to be one of the best in the MWC with three starters back in corner Jalen Davis and safeties Dallin Leavitt and Jontrell Rocquemore. The issue will again be stopping the ground Game with Ian Togiai the only returnee on the line. Linebacker has experience, but Alex Huerta and Derek LArsen haven’t done many outstanding things through the years.
Having two trips out East in the first couple weeks of non-Conference play won’t result in good things, which is followed by a road Game at San Jose State. Yet again, nothing is guaranteed for the Aggies with most of their home Games coming against tough competition, from BYU to Colorado State, Wyoming and Boise in Conference play. They may have to rely on winning a road Game or two to surpass last year’s three wins with SJSU, UNLV and UNM being the best bets.
Utah State has a chance to improve last year’s win total, but that doesn’t mean a whole lot as that’s still only Four or five wins. To reach a bowl Game, the offense needs to take a major step, which would help them upset better opponents at home. Otherwise, this looks like another non-bowl season for Wells and the Aggies. USU has +3200 odds at 5Dimes Sportsbook to win the Conference and that places them at the bottom of the Mountain division again, but also above every team in the West division except San Diego State.
2017 Utah State Aggies Football Schedule
Sept. 1 at Wisconsin
Sept. 7 vs. Idaho State
Sept. 16 at Wake Forest
Sept. 23 at San Jose State
Sept. 29 vs. BYU
Oct. 7 vs. Colorado State
Oct. 14 vs. Wyoming
Oct. 21 at UNLV
Oct. 28 vs. Boise State
Nov. 4 at New Mexico
Nov. 18 vs. Hawaii
Nov. 25 at Air Force