We have a Friday night showdown in the Mountain West Conference to look forward to this evening as the Fresno State Bulldogs hit the road to Maverik Stadium in Logan to meet the Utah State Aggies. The game will kick off at 8 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
Fresno State (5-1, 1-1 MWC) suffered its first setback of the season last Saturday, falling in a 24-19 road loss at Wyoming. The Bulldogs fell into a 24-7 hole in the first half with the Cowboys eating up a huge chunk of clock. The offense was able to pull back to within a score in the fourth quarter, but that came after starting quarterback Mikey Keene was knocked out of the game with an ankle injury. Backup Logan Fife was able to get Fresno to midfield in the final minute before being picked off to squash their comeback attempt.
Utah State (3-3, 1-1 MWC) got its first victory last Saturday in a 44-24 home victory over Colorado State. Tied 17-17 at halftime, the Aggies hit the gas with two touchdowns right out the gate in the third quarter and never looked back. Quarterback Cooper Legas went 19-29 for 387 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions in the victory. Interestingly enough, the only receivers who caught passes were Terrell Vaughn, Jalen Royals, and Micah Davis, each of whom had over 100 receiving yards and at least one touchdown.
SP+ Rankings
Fresno State: 42 overall, 61 offense, 36 defense
Utah State: 85 overall, 69 offense, 101 defense
Injury update
Fresno State
QB Mikey Keene – Doubtful (Ankle)
WR Emoryie Edwards – Out indefinitely (Undisclosed)
RB Damien Moore – Out indefinitely (Undisclosed)
TE Tyler Carr – Out indefinitely (Lower Body)
Utah State
TE Josh Sterzer – Out (Undisclosed)
QB McCae Hillstead – Questionable (Concussion)
ATS/Total
Against The Spread in 2023
Fresno State: 3-3 ATS
Utah State: 3-3 ATS
Total in 2023
Fresno State: Over 4-2
Utah State: Over 5-1
Team Pace
Fresno State: 2.23 plays per minute of offense
Utah State: 2.63 plays per minute of offense
Odds at DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: Fresno State -4
Total: 57
Moneyline: Fresno State -192, Utah State +160
Opening line: Fresno State -5.5
Opening total: 55.5
Weather
42 degrees, partly cloudy, 6 MPH winds ESE
Our Best Bet for Fresno State vs. Utah State
Fresno State ML
This is a tricky matchup to predict considering that Fresno will most likely be deploying a backup quarterback on the road. Fife was fine filling in for Keene at the end of last week’s loss and it remains to be seen if he can take advantage of a vulnerable Utah State defense. The Bulldogs will most likely have to really on its stout defense to set the tone and with how fast the Aggie offense likes to play, there’s a chance they could get off the field quickly and get the ball back into the hands of their offense. As I’m writing this out, I’ve talked myself into the Fresno State moneyline and that’s where I’ll lean.