Utah State football coach Bronco Mendenhall knows games take on added meaning in November. Even though his debut season in Logan, Utah, hasn’t been perfect, he also knows his team isn’t out of the Mountain West title race.
“A chance for every game to be meaningful in November is something the team has fought hard for and they’ve qualified for,” Mendenhall said during his weekly press conference on Monday. “There are huge opportunities ahead.”
The Aggies (4-4, 2-2 MWC) host Nevada Saturday at Maverik Stadium where they are a perfect 4-0 this season. But Utah State is 0-4 on the road, though to be fair, two of those losses were against No. 3 Texas A&M and No. 15 Vanderbilt.
“When we look at how we’ve played on the road, (there’s) not quite as much energy, not as much enthusiasm, not as much presence,” Mendenhall said. “(We’re) a little more flat.”
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Mendenhall hopes to see better energy in front of a home crowd on Saturday when the Aggies host Nevada with a spot in the Mountain West title race very much on the line. Utah State is one of six teams with two conference losses. It needs a win to stay within striking range of San Diego State (7-1, 4-0) and Boise State (6-3, 4-1).
Quarterback Bryson Barnes has been one of the most consistent quarterbacks in the conference. He has thrown for 1,808 yards, 14 touchdowns, and just three interceptions, and he leads the Aggies with seven rushing touchdowns. His favorite target, wide receiver Braden Pegan, ranks No. 2 in the Mountain West with 654 receiving yards and leads the team with 39 catches and five touchdowns.
Nevada (1-7, 0-4) has lost six straight games. The Wolf Pack’s only win this season was against FCS Sacramento State, and they had to score in the final two minutes to win it.
The Wolf Pack made a change at quarterback following a 20-17 loss to Fresno State on Oct. 4. They replaced former quarterback Chubba Purdy with true freshman Carter Jones, who has thrown for 662 yards, three touchdowns, and six interceptions. Nevada’s defense is led by EDGE Dylan LaBarbera, who leads the Mountain West with 6.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss.
Nevada vs. Utah State Betting Odds
Utah State is a 9.5-point college football betting odds favorite on BetMGM as of this writing, and the Over/Under is 52.5 points. The moneyline is at -350 for Utah State and +270 for Nevada.
Nevada leads the all-time series 19-8, but Utah State won their most recent meeting 41-24 in 2023.
Utah State is 18-2 overall and 15-5 against the spread in its past 20 regular season games as the favorite at home. Nevada is 2-18 overall and 12-8 ATS in its past 20 regular season games as an underdog on the road.
Nevada vs. Utah State On TV
The Mountain West game featuring Utah State and Nevada at Maverik Stadium in Logan, Utah, will be televised on CBSSN.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Nevada vs. Utah State Prediction
I predict Utah State wins 35-20 and the game goes Over 52.5 points.
Neither team has been all that consistent this season. Utah State is giving up 185.7 rushing yards a game. Only UNLV is worse against the run in the Mountain West. Nevada is scoring 14 points a game, which is last in the conference, and it’s 10th in the 12-team league with 137.2 rushing yards a game.
I think the Wolf Pack’s biggest issue has been turnovers. They’re last in the conference with a minus-13 turnover margin. They’ve thrown 15 interceptions and lost six fumbles, and the defense has forced just five interceptions and recovered three fumbles.
