Aggies and Utes Meet for 110th Time Friday in Nationally Televised Game

GAME TWO INFORMATION

UTAH at UTAH STATE

Date: Friday, Sept. 7, 2012

Kickoff: 6 p.m.

Location: Logan, Utah

Stadium: Merlin Olsen Field at Romney Stadium (25,513)

Series: Utah leads, 77-28-4

TV: ESPN2 — Carter Blackburn (Play-by-Play), Rod Gilmore (Analyst), Jemele Hill (Reporter)

Radio: Utah State Sports Network — Al Lewis (Play-by-Play), Craig Hislop (Analyst)

Live Stats: UtahStateAggies.com

Twitter Updates: /USUFootball

YouTube: /USUAthletics

Facebook: /USUFootball

Tickets: 1-888-USTATE-1

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Utah State will be opening a season with consecutive home games for the 25th time in school history, but for just the third time since the 1954 season. The last time USU started a season with back-to-back home games was in 1996 when it defeated Utah (20-17) and CS Northridge (57-27).
Utah State is 1-0 to start a season for the first time since 1997 when it won at Utah, 21-14. The last time USU started a season 2-0 was that same year as it also defeated Idaho State (41-7) at home.
Utah State is playing Utah for the 110th time in series history, which is the oldest rivalry in school history. USU's second-oldest rival is BYU (81 games). The series began in 1892 with a USU win (12-0) and the two teams played one another on an annual basis for 90 straight seasons (1919-2009) minus the 1943 year when neither school fielded a team due to World War II. However, in 2010 the series took a two-year hiatus. Overall, the USU-UU series is tied for the 12th-most played series in the nation at the FBS level and tied for the 22nd-most played series in college football.
Utah State has 55 players in its program from the state of Utah, while Utah has 44 players on its roster from the Beehive state.
Utah State head coach Gary Andersen spent 11 years as an assistant at Utah (1997-2002, 2004-08) and two years with the Utes as a player (1985-86). Andersen also earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Utah in 1986. All-time, Andersen is 0-1 against Utah losing in Salt Lake City, 35-17, in his first game as USU head coach Sept. 3, 2009.
Utah State will be looking for its seventh-straight regular season win dating back to 2011 and that six-game regular season winning streak ranks tied for the sixth-longest active streak in the nation along with Baylor. LSU has the longest active regular season winning streak at 13, followed by Georgia (11), Louisiana Tech (7), TCU (7), Virginia Tech (7), USU and Baylor.
Utah State has won each of its last three home games and is 11-7 (.611) at home under Andersen, including a 6-1 (.857) non-conference record and a 4-0 mark against in-state opponents. Those six non-conference home wins were against Southern Utah (53-34, 2009), Idaho State (38-17, 2010), BYU (31-16, 2010), Weber State (54-17, 2011), Wyoming (63-19, 2011), and Southern Utah (34-3, 2012), while its lone non-conference home loss was to Colorado State (35-34, 2OT, 2011). All-time, USU is 116-95 (.550) at Romney Stadium.

UTAH STATE CONTINUES 2012 SEASON WITH SECOND-STRAIGHT HOME GAME
Utah State (1-0, 0-0 WAC) continues its 2012 season at home this week as it hosts in-state rival Utah (1-0, 0-0 PAC 12) Friday, Sept. 7, at 6 p.m. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN2 with Carter Blackburn (play-by-play), Rod Gilmore (analyst) and Jemele Hill (reporter) on the call. Live audio and streaming of the game is also available at www.UtahStateAggies.com. Live stats will be available through GameTracker, while Twitter updates — @USUFootball — will also be a part of Utah State's gameday coverage.

UTAH STATE-UTAH SERIES IN THE FUTURE
Utah State and Utah are scheduled to play one another twice in the next three years as USU will play at Utah in 2013 and at Utah in 2015.

UTAH STATE ON ESPN
Utah State is making its first of two appearances on ESPN/ESPN2 this year as it hosts in-state rival Utah Friday, Sept. 7. USU will also be on ESPN2 when it plays at BYU Friday, Oct. 5. Overall, it is the fourth-straight season that Utah State has had at least one game televised nationally on ESPN/ESPN2, including its third at home. Other USU games televised on ESPN/ESPN2 under Andersen including home games against Boise State (2009) and BYU (2010), and road games at Auburn (2011) and BYU (2011), along with its bowl game against Ohio (2011).

Read the complete games notes in the full report on the Athletics website.

USU Football Game Notes vs. Utah