How to watch, listen or stream the game – Deseret News

Utah State (3-7, 2-3) vs. San Diego State (3-7, 2-3)

• To start up: Saturday, 1:30 p.m. MST
• Place: Maverik Stadium
• TV: CBS Sports Network
• Radio: KZNS 1280 The area
• Live broadcast: https://www.cbssports.com/watch/cbs-sports-network
• Series: Utah State and San Diego State have met 17 times over the years. USU has won three of the last four games against SDSU, including the last two. The Aztecs, however, have been the dominant team in the series and hold a 13-4 advantage against the Aggies.
• Weather report: Cloudy with temperatures in the mid 30s at kickoff.

Trends

For the State of Utah: The Aggies are 3-7 and 2-3 in MWC play. Utah State dominated Hawaii last time out in what was arguably the Aggies’ most complete performance in recent seasons.

For SDSU: The Aztecs have an identical record to USU, going 3-7 overall and 2-3 in conference play. SDSU was handled in its last outing, on the road at UNLV. The Aztecs have lost four straight games and haven’t won since beating Wyoming on the road in early October.

What to watch for

A lot of things went right for Utah State against Hawaii this past weekend. The Aggies fired on all cylinders, as the popular adage goes, and easily routed the Rainbow Warriors.

The offense was clicking – the running game in particular.

The special teams were there, in the kicking game and in the return match.

And defensively, well, the Aggies played like a completely different team than they had been all season long.

This was particularly visible on the ground.

USU held Hawaii to just 47 rushing yards in the game. The result was a one-dimensional Hawaii offense and Utah State took advantage with seven sacks and five interceptions.

It’s probably not realistic to expect the Aggies to play this level of defense against San Diego State, but another improved defensive performance will be key to a USU victory.

If Utah State can play average or better defense against SDSU, limiting an already limited Aztec rushing attack, it should leave Maverik Stadium with another victory.

If USU returns to the type of defense it played in losses to Boise State, UNLV, New Mexico, etc. – a defense that ranked among the worst in the entire country, let alone the Mountain West Conference – then it’s not. It’s unrealistic to think the Aggies can win a second straight game.

As good as Utah State’s offense has been this season — and it has been excellent statistically — it hasn’t always been good enough to make up for defensive failures. That’s how much USU struggled on the defensive side of the ball.

It seems simple, but the type of defensive performance USU is capable of putting on against San Diego State will determine the outcome of the game.

Key player

Cian Slone, Utah State defensive end: At this point in the season, Utah State is without many of its early-season starters on the defensive line.

Injuries have decimated the Aggies’ defensive front.

All of these injuries created opportunities for playing time for players who were lower on the depth chart, senior defenseman Cian Slone being one of them. A former JUCO star, Slone has been excellent for the Aggies this season since taking over one of the starting defensive spots.

He leads the team with seven sacks, twice as many as the next Utah State player (linebacker Bronson Olevao Jr.). Slone also has two rushing quarterbacks this year, among the best on the team.

San Diego State’s offense lives and dies by quarterback Danny O’Neil. When SDSU won games this season, O’Neil threw for over 200 yards and was sacked — at most — twice in a game.

However, in losses, O’Neil failed to break the 200 passing yard mark and was sacked as many as four times in a single game.

As O’Neil goes, so do the Aztecs.

Slone will have a say in how O’Neil plays against Utah State. While he can apply consistent pressure, O’Neil has been error-prone, throwing at least one interception in four of the last five games.

If O’Neil is comfortable, as Slone and the rest of the Aggies struggle to get to him, SDSU will have a good chance of winning the game.

Quotable

“They want to come in, run the ball and go fast. We know it will be a good match. — Utah State coach Nate Dreiling

“They did a great job competing, fighting and being opportunistic, generating (five) turnovers. Every time you score 55 points, you’re doing some things right. We’ve seen a ton of them throughout the season on crossover tapes. Their quarterback, Spencer Petras, has incredible arm talent and does a very good job of spreading the football. They have dynamic playmakers in all three phases. He’s a very, very dangerous opponent and a worthy competitor and we can’t wait to go out there and compete. — San Diego State coach Sean Lewis

Afterwards

• State of Utah: in the state of Colorado
• San Diego State: against the air force

Utah State Schedule

• Aug. 31: Utah State 36, Robert Morris 14
• September 7: USC 48, Utah State 0
• September 14: Utah 38, Utah State 21
• September 21: Temple 45, Utah State 29
• September 28: goodbye
• Oct. 5: Boise State 62, Utah State 30
• Oct. 11: UNLV 50, Utah State 34
• October 19: New Mexico 50, Utah State 45
• Oct. 26: Utah State 27, Wyoming 25
• November 2: Goodbye
• November 9: Washington State 50, Utah State 34
• November 16: Utah State 55, Hawaii 10
• Nov. 23: San Diego State (1:30 p.m. MST, CBS Sports Network)
• November 29: at Colorado State (1:30 p.m. MST)