No. 20 Washington State comes off its bye to face Utah State on Saturday

Nov 7, 2024, 06:11 pm

Utah State (2-6, 1/3 Mountain West) at No. 20 Washington State (7-1, 0-0 Pac-12, No. 21 CFP), 10:30 p.m. ET Saturday (The CW).

College Football Odds: Washington State by 20 1/2.

Series Record: Series tied 2-2.

WHAT'S AT STAKE

Both Washington State and Utah State are coming off bye weeks. The Cougars are 7-1 for the first time since 2018. The Cougars have reached bowl eligibility in eight of the last nine seasons. Washington State has won three straight overall and five straight at home. The Cougs are coming off a 29-26 come-from-behind win at San Diego State. The Aggies are playing under interim coach Nate Dreiling, who is also the defensive coordinator. Utah State's last game was a 27-25 victory over Wyoming, won on a last minute field goal. Utah State and Washington State will both be in the re-built Pac-12 starting in the 2026 season. The Aggies are one of five Mountain West teams that will join the conference.

KEY MATCHUP

The Aggies’ defense is a clear weakness against the Cougars. Utah State is allowing 42 points a game, second-to-last in the nation. Only Kent State (46.6) is allowing more. They're also giving up opponents 244 rushing yards a game, also second-to-last nationally, and 254 passing yards per game. Utah State has also lost six players from the defense to season-ending injuries this year.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Utah State: QB Spencer Petras, who spent the last five seasons at Iowa, ranks eighth nationally with an average of 304.2 passing yards a game. He's got a career-high 13 touchdown passes. He's 56 passing yards shy of his career high.

Washington State: QB John Mateer is averaging 341 yards in total offense per game, ranking him fourth in the country. He has thrown for 2,153 yards and 18 touchdowns. He's also Washington State's leading rusher with 575 yards and 10 scores.

FACTS & FIGURES

Washington State has the nation's 12th-ranked scoring offense with an average of 38.1 points per game. ... Utah State is 4-4 in its last eight road games. ... The Cougars' defense has 15 takeaways, good for 26th nationally. Cornerback Ethan O’Connor has three interceptions. ... Washington State has three fourth-quarter comebacks for wins this season. .... Utah State is 6-69 all-time against teams ranked in the AP Top 25. The Aggies have faced four ranked teams this season alone — USC, Utah and Boise State. It is just the third time in school history the team has faced that many ranked opponents in a single season.

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