Here is Jared Lloyd’s look at the BYU-Utah State matchups, including his prediction for the final score for Thursday’s game at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo:

BYU offense vs. USU defense

Jaren Hall has been impressive all year, throwing darts and making good decisions. The run game has been up and down, although Chris Brooks, Lopini Katoa and Miles Daves have all contributed. It’s tough to see the struggling Aggie defense finding answers to what the Cougars will bring to the table.

Edge: BYU

BYU defense vs. USU offense

After a slow start, the Cougar defense shut down the Wyoming offense consistently for much of the rest of the game. BYU hasn’t been able to force a lot of turnovers (just two interceptions), which is good news for the Aggies who have coughed the ball up 12 times in four games.

Edge: BYU

Coaching

BYU’s Kalani Sitake and his staff made good adjustments in Week 4 and continue to have the Cougars expecting to win every game. Blake Anderson had a great first year but is going through some sophomore blues as Utah State struggles to find consistency.

Edge: BYU

Intangibles

BYU will be at home with strong support, but there is a risk of getting over-confident. The Aggies have struggled through three straight double-digit losses but come in with nothing to lose. A close game always favors the underdog, so the Cougars need to have early success.

Edge: BYU

Key Matchup: The BYU offensive line vs. the Utah State defensive front

The Aggies may not be excelling in many areas in 2022 but one thing they have done well is force negative plays. Utah State has tallied 35 tackles for a loss this fall, while by comparison BYU has just 23 such plays. Don’t be surprised if the Aggies ramp up the aggressiveness and try to force the Cougars into mistakes and long-yardage situations, which means BYU’s offensive line has to be on top of its game to make the right blocks.

Edge: BYU

Prediction

Utah State will come out and play with reckless abandon, since a win over BYU would certainly be a rallying point for the rest of the season. But Cougar quarterback Jaren Hall doesn’t get rattled and he’ll have no problem making plays. BYU will jump out early with some nice drives, then cruise to victory and get contributions from a lot of players.

BYU 52, Utah State 10

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