Opponent Q&A: Utah State Aggies
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This week, the 1-0 Huskies will take on the 0-1 Utah State Aggies, as they attempt to clean up their mistakes from Week 1 and right the ship, as it were. To get the lowdown on the Aggies, I reached out to Dan Allison of Mountain West Connection. Here is what he had to say about the boys from Logan!
Mark Schafer: Former BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall is now in year 2 with the Aggies. With the week one loss to Idaho State, how have the vibes shifted and do you have hope that they can get back on track?
Dan Allison: Mendenhall bought himself some good PR in season one with a bowl appearance, but as with everything in sports, it is more about what you have done lately. A home loss to an FCS foe in Week 1 makes 2025 feel like it was decades ago.
In the offseason, Mendenhall talked about taking “the leap” as a program and continuing to build a culture. No sense of culture showed up this past Saturday. 11 penalties, uninspired play calling and four turnovers leave the Aggie faithful asking where they stand, rather than where they are bound to “leap” to.
With a tough non-conference schedule ahead before PAC-12 play opens, Bronco and Co. will have to make sure that aforementioned leap is not actually a step back.
MS: Robert Anae coordinates the offense for the Aggies. Anae is well-traveled, coaching with Mendenhall at both BYU and UVA. What does the scheme look like and who are the weapons that McCae Hillstead has at his disposal?
DA: Anae takes over for Kevin McGiven, leaving for Utah, as Bronco reconnects with an old work partner. This system Anae brings in features a lot of motions and shifts to keep the defense on their toes, a change from McGiven, who was more about playing into the offensive personnel’s strengths rather than finding defensive weaknesses. But when trying to make the defense guess, the offense was left guessing themselves. McCae Hillstead had a tough outing in a three-interception, 15/30 day for the quarterback. QB2 Grady Brosterhous threw a pick as well after Hillstead was taken out. The (positive) takeaways? Running back Javen Jacobs looks to be the real deal, rushing for 80 yards and recording four catches on Saturday. In the receivers room, Eli Wood made six grabs for 90 yards and a touchdown. The weapons look to be there, but will the setup of this offense allow them to flourish? Especially against Big Ten talent, Utah State will need to find a way to get the ball in the hands of their playmakers, one way or another.
MS: Nick Howell coordinates the defense, again following Mendenhall. What is his schemelike and who are the game wreckers of this unit?
DA: Howell and Mendenhall bring a 3-3-5 scheme to the table once again, looking for better success after a 2025 defensive season to forget. USU was one of the worst defenses in the Mountain West last season, allowing the third-most rushing yards in the conference. In their defense, the 3-3-5 scheme usually gears towards speed and athleticism over big linemen and run stoppers, built for stopping the pass game. However, the Aggies’ numbers did not reflect this either, as they allowed the second-most passing yards in the conference as well. A year later, now with more experienced starters and a reloaded roster, the Utah State defense looked more fit for the design in Week 1. Idaho State quarterback Jordan Cooke was held to 152 passing yards, coming off a 3,000-yard passing season in 2025. For reference, Cooke threw for 380 yards against UNLV in last year’s season opener. USU’s scheme is headlined by defensive backs David Kabongo and Markie Grant, supplying that needed athleticism. If you want to beat the Aggies, it will likely not be through the air in 2026.
MS: With Utah State joining the reformed PAC-12, what do you suppose their prospects arefor the beginning of their conference tenure?
DA: If you asked this question in the preseason, the common answer may be about how Mendenhall got the growing pains out of the way in year one and can now hit the ground running for the team’s PAC-12 debut. After week one, that may not be the case. While USU stumbled, other PAC programs put on a show. Boise State brought #6 Oregon down to the wire, while Oregon State battled well with #22 Houston. Colorado State took down Wyoming in a PAC-Mountain West clash, and San Diego State flexed their guns against Portland State at home. If the conference is as strong as it seems, it may be a long year for the Aggies. But hey, Week 1 is all about overreactions.
MS: It’s time for a score prediction! What will the score be in this clash of Old PAC-12 vs New PAC 12?
DA: Washington 34, Utah State 6
The dual-threat presence of Demond Williams Jr. spells trouble for the Aggies, a defense that is not built for the run and will likely be kept guessing against the Huskies’ quarterback. For the USU offense, it remains to be seen if it can keep anyone guessing at all. Hillstead enters with an apparent forearm injury. Healthy or not, this Washington defense gave WSU quarterback Caden Pinnick fits in the Apple Cup. It will likely be the same fate for Hillstead.
Thank you Dan, and good luck to the Aggies the rest of the way! For more, check out Mountain West Connection!
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