Utah State football aims to take its winning formula on the road to San Diego State
Nov 9, 2026, 5:42 PM
Utah State's Bronco Mendenhall, Brevin Hamblin, and McCae Hillstead look ahead to San Diego State. (Photo courtesy Utah State Athletics)
(Photo courtesy Utah State Athletics)
LOGAN — Utah State football is finding a formula that works: Play disciplined defense, protect the football, and keep the offense moving.
USU used that approach to beat Fresno State 17-10 on Saturday, earning their third victory in four games. Now they face another challenge — making that formula work on the road.
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The Aggies and Aztecs meet in a matchup between teams with identical 4-5 records and 3-2 marks in Pac-12 play. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. MST on USA Network.
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Defense taking ownership
Utah State’s defensive improvement was on full display against Fresno State.
The Aggies held the Bulldogs to 16 rushing yards and recorded 10 tackles for loss. Fresno State did not reach the end zone until the final 90 seconds.
Head coach Bronco Mendenhall credits preparation and growing confidence. But he also sees players taking greater responsibility for their performance.
“We’re realizing what it takes to win. I feel like we have so much more to play for for the rest of this year.”
Utah State has won three of its last four games and will look to carry that momentum into next week’s matchup against San Diego State 💪 https://t.co/GoKGcyZO9h
— USA Sports (@usasports) November 8, 2026
“I think ownership is also at the center of it all, where our players are kind of crafting what they want to see statistically,” Mendenhall said Monday. “And each week, they’re kind of claiming goals that they want to accomplish rather than those being imposed or suggested by the staff.”
Safety Brevin Hamblin said the defensive captains meet Tuesdays to set goals for the upcoming game, including targets for rushing and passing yards allowed.
That preparation is helping Utah State pressure quarterbacks without giving them easy escape routes.
“We’re really doing a nice job of not only pressuring but keeping the quarterback in the pocket,” Mendenhall said. “And so I’m impressed with the physicality, with the execution, with the discipline and the production of our front.”
A stop that summed up the win
For Hamblin, one play captured the defense’s performance against Fresno State: Asher Cunningham’s fourth-down stop in the red zone.
RAN INTO A BRICK WALL 🧱
Utah State DENIES the Bulldogs on 4th down 😳
FRES 3 | 14 USU https://t.co/K8wThxfjrR
— USA Sports (@usasports) November 8, 2026
“I felt like that was just another huge spark into the game, getting the fourth-down stop right when they were driving into the red zone,” Hamblin said. “But I just felt like after that, we all felt pretty confident that it was official that this game was over.”
The play reinforced the confidence of a unit that is learning to deliver in critical moments.
It also showed how the defense can protect a lead while the offense works to control the game.
Efficiency over fireworks
Utah State’s offense is finding its role, too.
Mendenhall is not measuring its progress solely by points scored. He wants an approach that gives this team its best chance to win.
“While it might not be 40 points a game and setting fireworks off, it’s doing enough to manage the game, to move the ball, to score enough points to help our team win, which is the ultimate goal,” he said.
Nothing like a home dub! 🎥 https://t.co/IRlr0NP26n
— USU Football (@USUFootball) November 9, 2026
Against Fresno State, quarterback McCae Hillstead completed 9 of 14 passes without an interception and rushed for 56 yards and a touchdown. Sesi Vailahi also scored on the ground as Utah State built a 14-0 first-quarter lead.
Hillstead credited the offensive line, running backs and receivers for helping the offense become more efficient.
“I think we have a good bit of momentum,” Hillstead said. “Obviously our defense has been playing well and I think we’re starting to play more efficiently on offense.”
Protecting the ball — and the defense
For Hillstead, better offensive decisions include knowing when not to force a throw.
The defense is doing its part. The offense does not want to erase that work by giving an opponent a short field.
“Obviously when you have a super good defense, you know they’re going to handle business,” Hillstead said. “Don’t want to give the opposing team short fields and obviously turnovers can contribute to that.”
2️⃣ in for 6️⃣
Aggies go up 14-0!
@mccaehillstead | @usasports https://t.co/xybytqrB4D
— USU Football (@USUFootball) November 8, 2026
Sustaining possessions also gives the defense time off the field. Hamblin said that balance is helping the two units work together.
“Our offense has been great at keeping the ball in our hands and kind of just playing efficient football,” he said. “And then obviously we’re trying to get off the field on defense in three plays and get the ball back to our offense.”
San Diego State presents the next test
The Aztecs’ running game will challenge Utah State’s defensive front.
Mendenhall said San Diego State has become more certain of its offensive identity as the season has progressed, emphasizing what fits its personnel.
“San Diego State’s physical and they’re capable and they run the ball well,” he said.
The Aggies also must account for San Diego State’s special teams, which Mendenhall identified as a consistent strength.
“The Texas State game alone, wow,” he said. “That was a strong display of special teams. But it’s been consistent throughout the year for them.”
For Hamblin, Saturday is an opportunity to turn Utah State’s recent improvement into something it has yet to accomplish this season: a road win.
“It’s a must-win game for us,” Hamblin said. “We need to win this, get our first win on the road. Yeah. It’s a big game.”
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The Aggies travel to Snapdragon Stadium to face the San Diego State Aztecs on Saturday, November 14. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. MT.
Find Utah State football’s entire 2026 schedule here.
Find the entire 2026 Pac-12 schedule here.
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in the NFL, Locals in MLB, and the Utah State Aggies. Follow Brian’s coverage here. Find Brian on X, Instagram, and BlueSky at @bpreece24.
Parts of this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team.
