Utah State’s secondary is getting a major upgrade, but quarterback Bryson Barnes’ health has been in question heading into a Mountain West matchup at Hawaii on Saturday.
Barnes left Utah State’s 55-35 loss to No. 20 Vanderbilt last weekend after he was tackled following a long scramble on the final play of the third quarter. He didn’t return and was replaced by graduate student Jacob Conover, who threw two late touchdown passes.
Utah State head coach Bronco Mendenhall was noncommittal on Monday but announced on Tuesday that Barnes will start Saturday at Hawaii. He’s probably not going to be 100%, though, and Mendenhall said if Barnes can’t go for any reason, Conover will replace him.
Barnes would have been a huge loss. He has been one of the most productive quarterbacks in the Mountain West this season. He leads the conference with 11 passing touchdowns and has thrown for 1,143 yards and just one interception. The sixth-year senior leads the Aggies (3-2, 1-0 Mountain West) with six rushing touchdowns and ranks No. 3 in the conference in total offense (227.6 yards a game).
Mendenhall said the hope is always to keep the scheme the same no matter who is at quarterback. He also acknowledged it would be tough to make up for the loss of Barnes’ ability to ad-lib with his legs.
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“We know Bryson moves the ball many times and corrects mistakes with his legs,” Mendenhall said. “So there’d be a little bit less of that, and we’d probably have to find other ways to manufacture that, but we have a lot of confidence in Jacob if Bryson isn’t able to go.”
Hawaii (4-2, 1-1) is coming off a 44-35 win over Air Force. Quarterback Micah Alejado completed 35 of 47 passes for 457 yards and three touchdowns. Stanford transfer Jackson Harris hauled in seven passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns, and Pofele Ashlock added four catches for 52 yards. Ashlock is No. 2 in the Mountain West with 38 catches and leads Hawaii with 355 receiving yards. Ashlock and Harris are tied with a team-high three touchdown receptions.
All-Mountain West Safety Returns To Lineup
Mendenhall confirmed Monday that safety Ike Larsen has been reinstated and has practiced with the team since last week. The two-time All-Mountain West pick was suspended in August after what the program called a violation of team rules and missed the first five games of the season.
“He has worked hard, and he worked through all the requirements that I thought were appropriate,” said Mendenhall, adding that he addressed the team about Larsen’s return last week. “The team has welcomed him, and it really has seemed like it has been business as usual since then.”
Larsen has played in 38 games and started 28 since 2021, racking up 216 tackles and nine interceptions. The senior has 17 career pass breakups and has blocked a program-record five kicks (four punts and one PAT). He was a first-team All-Mountain West pick in 2023 and earned second-team honors in 2022.
Mendenhall didn’t say Larsen would play this weekend, but one has to imagine a player with his resume will get on the field sooner rather than later. He’ll join a defense led by linebacker John Miller (48 tackles and five sacks), cornerback Noah Avinger (41 tackles and three interceptions), and safety Brevin Hamblin (33 tackles and three pass breakups).
Utah State Football vs. Hawaii Betting Line
Utah State is a 1.5-point college football betting odds favorite on BetMGM as of this writing, and the Over/Under is 57.5 points. The moneyline is at -120 for Utah State and +100 for Hawaii.
Utah State vs. Hawaii on TV
The Mountain West game featuring Utah State and Hawaii at the Clarence TC Ching Athletics Complex in Manoa, Hawaii, will be televised on the Mountain West App and Spectrum Sports.
Kickoff is scheduled for midnight ET.
Utah State vs. Hawaii Prediction
I predict Utah State wins 30-24.
I think Barnes playing changes everything. Without him, I expect Alejado and this Hawaii passing attack might overwhelm the Aggies. But Barnes taking the snaps changes the complexion of this game. He’s such an efficient passer and decision-maker, and he has the athleticism to burn defenses with his legs.
I anticipate he alone puts pressure on Hawaii to finish every drive with a touchdown, but I think Utah State’s defense is good enough to slow the Rainbow Warriors down enough to win a game that could turn into a shootout.
