Which version of the Aggies will Utah get on Saturday?

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Through two games, Utah State has been “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.”

The Aggies opened the season with a head-scratching 29-17 home loss to Idaho State, which was Utah State’s first loss to an FCS school since falling to Weber State in 2022.

Quarterback McCae Hillstead, who played through a forearm injury in the Aggies’ loss to the Bengals, threw three interceptions and Grady Brosterhous threw a pick in the season-opening defeat. The Aggies scored a touchdown on their opening drive of the game, but they would find the end zone just one more time thanks to the deluge of turnovers.

The Aggies were flagged 11 times, their quarterbacks were sacked three times, and the offensive line couldn’t get consistent enough push to get the run game going with the passing game struggling. Utah State’s defense, put in a bad position by the offense, couldn’t come up with enough stops as the Bengals pulled off a shocking upset victory despite being outgained 407-241.

After its Week 1 performance, Utah State was a 28.5-point underdog in its trip to Seattle to face then-No. 19 Washington at Husky Stadium, which is always a tough place for opponents to visit. The Aggies looked like a completely different team and took the Huskies down to the wire in a 16-14 loss.

“I like their competitive spirit. I liked their execution. I liked their will. Obviously I felt we were a play short from having the outcome we wanted, but I saw significant improvement in my team and looking forward to just grinding through the process to continue to improve.”

USU coach Bronco Mendenhall on his team following loss to Washington

If not for three interceptions thrown by Brosterhous, who also threw for 196 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 81 yards in place of Hillstead, and another poor performance in the run game, the Aggies could have pulled off the upset.

Washington was without its top two running backs, but Utah State was stout against the run, holding Washington to only 107 rushing yards, 56 of which came from dual-threat quarterback Demond Williams Jr., who also added 249 yards through the air.

Utah State allowed only one touchdown by the Huskies in an impressive defensive performance.

“I like their competitive spirit. I liked their execution. I liked their will,” Aggie coach Bronco Mendenhall said. “Obviously I felt we were a play short from having the outcome we wanted, but I saw significant improvement in my team and looking forward to just grinding through the process to continue to improve.”

As Utah State travels south to Rice-Eccles Stadium for the 114th “Battle of the Brothers,” which version of the Aggies will show up? The one that lost to an FCS team in the opener, or the one that took a ranked Washington team down to the wire on the road?

“We know we’re going to get the Aggies’ best shot. You watch those guys play, they play hard. They’ve got two athletic quarterbacks, whoever starts … but very athletic. So another one of those games where you really got to be concerned about an extra guy in the box for the Q run game,” Utah coach Morgan Scalley said. “They’ve got speed on the edges. Defensively, very sound, very good tackling team and they hit. They run to the ball and they’re well coached.”

Mendenhall said at his weekly press conference that he doesn’t “really intend to share and be super transparent about” the status of Hillstead, so the Aggies’ starting quarterback will be a mystery ahead of Saturday’s kickoff.

Whether it’s Brosterhous or Hillstead, the starter will be facing a big challenge in Utah’s defense. The Utes have allowed just 12 points and 265 yards per game and have made life difficult for both quarterbacks they have faced in blowout wins over Idaho and Arkansas.

The Aggies’ offensive line has been well below standard through two games. Utah State has been dealing with injuries to key linemen like John Randle Jr. and Jimmy Liston, but even so, the Aggies’ front has been one of the worst units in the country.

Utah State rushed for 162 yards against Idaho, but just 75 against Washington. Brosterhous accounted for all of the Aggies’ rushing yards in Seattle, with running backs Javen Jacobs and Sesi Vailahi both accruing negative rushing totals. The poor run game has led to a reliance on the pass game, which has resulted in seven turnovers.

The competition doesn’t get easier for the Aggies’ front, which will have to face Lance Holtzclaw and Jireh Moe on Saturday. If Utah State can’t get the run game going, it could be a long, long day on offense.

Receivers Javon Robinson and Eli Wood are the names to know when the Aggies have the ball. Wood was Brosterhous’s favorite target last Saturday, hauling in six passes for 53 yards and a score, and Robinson had 100 yards and a 78-yard touchdown.

On defense, the Aggies are led by safety Brevin Hamblin, defensive tackle Carson Tujague, outside linebacker James Jennette and linebackers Asher Cunningham and Harrison Taggart. USU’s offense has not been doing the defense any favors, but under the circumstances, they’ve played well, especially against Washington.

Bronco Mendenhall and defensive coordinator Nick Howell know Kevin McGiven’s offense well from the coordinator’s time in Logan last year. Mendenhall also coached Ute quarterback Devon Dampier at New Mexico and receiver Braden Pegan at Utah State.

That gives the Aggies a leg up in preparation for the game, but with how the Utes’ offense has looked, will USU be able to slow down or stop Utah? That’s something the two teams that Utah has faced so far have been unable to do.

If USU’s offense is unable to be markedly better than previous games, the game will come down to the performance of the defense.

Dampier has been excellent to start the season with 437 yards and five touchdowns with one interception and 80 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. The Utes’ new-look offensive line has exceeded early expectations, especially in playing penalty free and protecting Dampier. If they continue their good start to the season against the Aggies, the expectations will keep rising in Salt Lake City.

The Utes will keep feeding running back Wayshawn Parker, who has taken the next step in his game. In the pass game, which receiver steps up in Week 3?

The interesting part of McGiven’s offense is that any player can be the lead receiver. In Week 1, it was Pegan, and in Week 2, it was tight end Noah Bennee. Who gets more involved in the passing game this week? Is it Ricky Johnson, Creed Whittemore, Larry Simmons or Hunter Andrews, or does Pegan come away with a great performance against his former team?

The Utes are 27.5-point favorites in Saturday’s game. Utah State will need a near-perfect performance to beat the Utes, and with what has been shown so far, it would be a shock if the Aggies muster up enough offensive production to keep pace with Dampier, Parker and the Utes.

Scalley, who still remembers the 2012 loss to the Aggies in Logan, will have the Utes ready.

“Anytime you get to play the in-state schools, there’s something on the line and you never take it for granted. I was in Logan when we lost to Chuckie Keeton and that crew. They want to win this thing. You got recruiting on the line, you got bragging rights in state,” Scalley said.

“So at the end of the day, it’s always going to be important when you’re playing those in-state schools. I love the rivalries, whether it’s BYU, Utah State, it’s just healthy in my opinion.”

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