Aggies Conclude Non-Conference Play at BYU Friday Night

UTAH STATE (3-1, 1-0 MW) vs. BYU (3-2)
Friday, Oct. 5, 2018 • 7 p.m. (MT) • Provo, Utah • LaVell Edwards Stadium (63,470)
 
GAME 5 INFORMATION
TV: ESPN2
• Play-by-Play: Mark Neely
• Analyst: John Congemi
• Reporter: Quinet Kessenich
 
RADIO: AGGIE SPORTS NETWORK
• Play-by-Play: Scott Garrard
• Analyst: Kevin White
• Online: 1280thezone.com / Tunein.com
• National: Sirius 137 / XM 202 / Internet 962
 
SOCIAL MEDIA: #AGGIESALLTHEWAY
• Twitter/Instagram: @USUFootball
• Facebook: USUFootball
• YouTube: UtahStateFootball
• Live Stats: UtahState.Statbroadcast.com
 
AGGIE RADIO NETWORK
• Every Utah State football game can be heard live on the Aggie Radio Network. Scott Garrard serves as the play-by-play announcer, while former USU quarterback Kevin White (1988-89) will provide color analysis. Games can also be heard on the Internet (www.UtahStateAggies.com) by clicking on the 'Listen Live' link, as well as on the TuneIn App.
• Salt Lake City: KZNS (1280 AM/97.5 FM)
• Logan: KBLU-LP (92.3 FM)
• Cache Valley: KACH (1340 AM/105.5 FM)
• Montpelier, ID: KVSI (1450 AM/101.7 FM)
• Price: KRPX (95.3 FM)
• Green River: KRPX (102.7 FM)
• Moab: KRPX (100.3 FM)
• Orangeville: KRPX (95.9 FM)
 
KICKOFF COVERAGE
• Utah State (3-1, 1-0 MW) concludes non-conference play at BYU (3-2) on Friday, Oct. 5, at 7 p.m., in a nationally televised game on ESPN2. USU is 36-48-3 all-time against the Cougars, including a 17-28-1 road record.
 
• Utah State head coach Matt Wells is 2-3 all-time against BYU and is the first Aggie coach to have multiple wins against the Cougars since Bruce Snyder (1976-82) posted a 2-5 record against BYU with wins in 1978 and 1982.
 
• Utah State, which is 6-0 under Wells following a bye week, is looking to start a season 4-1 for the first time under Wells and for the first time since 2012.
 
• Utah State posted a 40-24 home win against BYU last season, highlighted by seven forced turnovers. Overall, USU has won two of the last four and three of the last eight games in the series. Prior to that, BYU won 10 straight and 20 of the previous 21 games played in the series.
 
• Utah State's last win at BYU (35-20) on Oct. 3, 2014, snapped a 17-game road losing streak to the Cougars that dated back to 1978. Overall, USU has played well in Provo in three of its last four games as it lost back-to-back outings by a field goal to BYU in 2012 (6-3) and 2011 (27-24).
 
• Utah State and BYU spent 37 years as conference foes as members of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference from 1922-37 and the Mountain States/Skyline Conference from 1938-61. As conference foes, USU was 21-13-3 (.608) against BYU.
 
• Utah State ranks among the top 40 teams in the nation in 20 different statistical categories, including ranking fourth in scoring offense (51.5 points per game), fifth in kickoff returns (34.29 yards per return), 10th in defensive touchdowns (2), 13th in turnovers forced (10) and 14th in tackles for loss (8.5 per game). USU also ranks second in the nation with nine scoring drives on the season of less than 60 seconds, but also has five scoring drives of 10-plus plays and 10 scoring drives that have covered at least 70 yards.
 
• Utah State has scored 30-plus points in each of its first four games for the first time in school history. USU has also scored 40-plus points in each of its last three games.
 
AGGIES CONCLUDE NON-CONFERENCE PLAY AT BYU FRIDAY NIGHT
• Utah State concludes non-conference play at BYU on Friday, Oct. 5, at 7 p.m., in a game that will be televised nationally on ESPN2 with Mark Neely (play-by-play), John Congemi (analyst) and Quint Kessenich (reporter) on the call. Live audio of the game is available on www.UtahStateAggies.com. USU is 543-541-31 (.501) in its previous 120 seasons.
 
• Utah State has won 18 of its last 42 (.429) road games and is 11-25 (.306) in road games under sixth-year head coach Matt Wells. USU has also won 13 of its last 24 games played during the month of October and is 3-5-1 all-time in games played on Oct. 5. USU is also 21-30-1 (.413) all-time in games played on Friday, including an 8-7 (.533) record under Wells.

SCOUTING BYU
• BYU is 3-2 on the season following its 35-7 loss at No. 11 Washington last weekend. The Cougars are led by senior QB Tanner Mangum, who is 85-of-137 passing for 772 yards (154.4 ypg) with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Senior RB Squally Canada leads the team in rushing with 335 yards on 68 carries (4.9 ypc/67.0 ypg) with five touchdowns, and junior WR Aleva Hifo has caught 15 passes for 151 yards (10.1 ypr/30.2 ypg). Defensively, senior LB Sione Takitaki has a team-best 31 tackles, which includes 3.0 tackles for loss, while fellow senior LB Zayne Anderson has 28 tackles, which includes 1.0 tackle for loss. As a team, BYU is averaging 21.4 points and 295.0 yards of total offense per game (163.0 passing, 132.0 rushing) and allowing 20.6 points and 360.2 yards of total offense (203.4 passing, 156.8 rushing). BYU returns 14 starters (O-7, D-7) and 58 lettermen (O-25, D-29, S-4) from last year's team that went 4-9. The Cougars are coached by Kalani Sitake, who is 16-15 in his third season as a collegiate head coach at BYU.
 
AGGIES AND COUGARS SERIES HISTORY
• Utah State trails in the all-time series against BYU, 36-48-3, which includes a 17-28-1 road record. The first game played in the series was on Oct. 7, 1922, in Provo with USU winning, 42-3. USU won last year's meeting in Logan, 40-24, and BYU won the last meeting in Provo, 28-10, in 2016. The last time USU defeated BYU on the road was in 2014 by a final score of 35-20.
 
MORE ON THE AGGIES AND COUGARS SERIES HISTORY
• Utah State's 36 wins against BYU are the second-most in school history behind USU's 38 wins against Wyoming. The USU-BYU series is the second-most played in school history as this weekend's 88th meeting trails only USU's 112 games played against Utah.
 
BATTLE FOR THE OLD WAGON WHEEL
• Utah State and BYU will be playing for possession of 'The Old Wagon Wheel,' the traveling trophy between the two schools, this weekend. The Old Wagon Wheel became part of the rivalry in 1948. Since its inception, BYU holds a 40-24 advantage in the series, but USU currently holds possession of the traveling trophy after its 40-24 home win last year.
 
UTAH STATE AND BYU SERIES MOVING FORWARD
• Future games currently scheduled between Utah State and BYU include meetings in Logan on Nov. 2, 2019, in Provo on Oct. 2, 2020, in Logan on Oct. 1, 2021, and in Provo on Sept. 30, 2022.

MATT WELLS VERSUS BYU
• Utah State head coach Matt Wells is 2-3 all-time against BYU as a head coach, and has faced the Cougars six times as an assistant, including twice while at Utah State, as well as three times as an assistant at New Mexico and once as an assistant at Tulsa.
 
UTAH STATE AND BYU CONNECTIONS
• Utah State senior OL Quin Ficklin spent three years at BYU, redshirting in 2012 and playing in 2015-16. Ficklin did not play as a redshirt freshman, but appeared in seven games at fullback for the Cougars in 2016. USU senior OL Roman Andrus spent two years at BYU, redshirting in 2012 and playing in one game on the defensive line in 2015. USU senior WR DJ Nelson and sophomore S Chase Nelson's older brother, Riley Nelson, played football at both Utah State and BYU. USU junior TE Dax Raymond's father, Ronn, was on BYU's track and field team. BYU freshman OL Harris LaChance originally signed with USU in 2015 before going on a two-year LDS Church Mission.
 
MORE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN UTAH STATE AND BYU
• Utah State outside linebackers coach Uani 'Unga graduated from BYU in 2015 and played linebacker for the Cougars (2012-13). USU Assistant AD for Football Operations Waqa Damuni is the brother of BYU Director of Player Personnel Jack Damuni. USU Director of Player Personnel Zach Nyborg graduated from BYU in 2011 and spent the 2014 season at BYU as the Assistant Athletic Director for Football Operations. USU special assistant to the head coach Dave Kragthorpe spent 10 years (1970-79) as the offensive line coach and offensive coordinator at BYU. BYU defensive coordinator and defensive line coach 'Ilaisa Tuiaki spent three seasons (2009-11) at Utah State as the running backs and special teams coach. BYU's stadium namesake, LaVell Edwards, is a 1952 Utah State alum, and was a three-year letterman for the Aggies from 1949-51, collecting unanimous all-Skyline Six Conference honors in 1950 at linebacker. Edwards was inducted into USU's Athletics' Hall of Fame in 2011.