Utah State vs Wyoming roundtable of predictions

Daniel Hansen, @thegranddanny: Wyoming QB Josh Allen is a possible first round pick in next year’s NFL Draft. Let me give you my hot take that he definitely shouldn’t be. Out of 117 qualified passers in the FBS, Allen ranks 82nd in pass yards per completion, and a paltry 104th in yards per attempt. Allen has arm talent, yes, but so did Brock Osweiler. Allen’s fairly INT-prone, throwing 15 last season, and his completion percentage is only 56 percent for his career. Expect the Aggie secondary to be a formidable foe for the NFL prospect. This game will be low-scoring, as USU’s offense will also struggle, but I see USU feasting off the home crowd energy for a massive MW victory. Oh, and give K Dominik Eberle that MW Special Teams Player of the Week.

Utah State 19, Wyoming 14

Logan Jones, @Logantj: If these guys play each other ten times, each team probably wins five. Cowboys QB Josh Allen has all the arm strength in the world and is definitely going to the NFL, but I don’t buy into any hype that claims Wyoming’s offense as a whole is anything special. What weapons does Allen have, exactly? Freaking Austin Conway? Conway’s a better returner than he’ll ever be a receiver, and Utah State’s special teams is top 5 in the nation at defending returns. It’s hard to picture the Cowboys putting up more points than CSU’s 27, which gives the Aggies a fighting chance at home. That said, Utah State is so deeply flawed offensively it might not matter. This one is a complete coin flip, so I’ll play the optimist this week and say Kent Myers gets his act together and keeps a handful of drives going with his legs, recording a rushing TD and a passing TD to Ron’quavion Tarver. A fourth quarter INT by Jalen Davis will seal it.

Utah State 24, Wyoming 20

Thomas Sorenson, @tomcat340: This is not the same Wyoming team that dominated the Aggies in Laramie last season. QB Josh Allen is the biggest name that will take the field Saturday afternoon, but his offense hasn’t been nearly as potent this year. Combine that with a lackluster defense and the Aggies have a strong opportunity to rebound after last week’s disappointment. Despite a scary first quarter against CSU, the Utah State defense has been great for three straight weeks and has all the tools to hold the Cowboys in check. If the USU running attack can find the holes that should be open—and Myers can avoid costly errors—the Aggies should win. I’m seeing at least two interceptions for the USU secondary and Myers is going to connect on at least one of his deep passes for a long score. Aggies blow it open late and pick up a big win.

Utah State 35, Wyoming 20

Jaden Johnson, @jadenjohns0n: Ignore everything Daniel said about Josh Allen, because he’s way off. Allen is a phenomenal talent and just about any pro scout and coach in the world would tell you that he’s absolutely worthy of a first round pick. He just has absolutely no help on this Wyoming offense. Watch any Wyoming game this season and you will see receivers who can’t get open, a line that can’t block, and a virtually non-existent running game. That said, they have a very solid defense, and so far this season the Utah State offense hasn’t shown any signs of life against a single halfway decent defense. Expect a low-scoring game determined by a weird play or a turnover.

Wyoming – 20 Utah State – 17