San Diego State Aztecs (6-1) at Utah State Aggies (3-4)

October 28, 2016 5:00 PM CBSS

Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium, Logan, Utah

The SDSU Aztecs head to Utah to take on their MWC foe, the Utah State Aggies.

If it wasn’t for the hiccup earlier this year against South Alabama, the Aztecs would be riding high. That loss knocked the team out of the top-20 polls in the nation and sidetracked the Aztecs season temporarily.

Utah State comes in off a victory against the Fresno State Bulldogs, 38-20.

The Aggies are led by Junior QB Kent Myers, who has thrown 1,485 yards this season. He has seven touchdowns and four picks on the year. He has also rushed for 272 yards on 73 carries for the season. He is capable of running the ball when pressured, so the Aztecs will have to maintain containment.

When things are going well for State, they are running the ball at will. They will look to continue this theme on Friday.

Let us now take a look at the Aztecs on both sides of the ball in an attempt to dissect what it will take for success.

Aztecs on Offense

The two-headed monster of D.J. Pumphrey and Rashard Penny will be too much for the Aggies to handle. State will be able to move the chains on the ground, that is a fact. Playing on the road might limit them slightly, but the crowd tonight should be small. If State gets out to an early lead then this will be a long night for the Aggies. They just do not have the talent to stop the Aztecs o-line. Expect a ton of hard-fought yardage on the ground and plenty of hitting. By hitting, I mean the Aztecs line opening up holes against the Utah d-line.

Aztecs on Defense

The Aggies have a group of running backs which they rely on to gain yardage. Tonny Lindsey leads the team with 442 yards on 99 carries. Devante Mays, Justen Hervey, and LaJuan Hunt also get carries for the team. They have 14 rushing TDs as a group, so at or near the goal, line their intentions are clear. They like to pound the ball with multiple ball carriers. The receiver group has four players with over 20 catches on the season. Rayshad Lewis leads the way with 28 catches for 370 yards. Ron’ Quavion Tarver (25-323), Wyatt Houston (23-205) and Andrew Rodriguez (20-200) are all also vital members of the passing game.

Players to Watch

D.J. Pumphrey is the man, and he is worth the price of admission by himself. He is skyrocketing up the nation’s all time rushing list. Enjoy watching him Aztecs fans, he is a unique talent and we likely will not see another runner like him for quite some time. Expect Pumphrey to eclipse 150 yards on the ground. If the Aztecs blow out the Aggies, he could be rested a bit, as two weeks ago Pumphrey put in overtime work. He is a lock for 100 yards though. That you can be sure of.

Prediction

The Aggies just cannot stop the Aztecs offense. SDSU will lead by 10 at the half, then pull away in the third quarter. Pumphrey will rush for nearly 200 yards and two touchdowns and the Aztecs win the game in convincing fashion, 37-13

James Clark

James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.