Logan, 16 September (Patrika English News): On paper, Saturday night’s home matchup against McNeese State looks like an easy win for Utah State. The Aggies are heavy favorites, with ESPN’s matchup predictor giving them a 95% chance of victory. But with a ranked showdown against No. 20 Vanderbilt just a week away, the game has all the makings of a potential trap.
McNeese State at a Glance
The Cowboys (1-2) enter the contest on the heels of back-to-back losses to Louisiana (Sun Belt) and Weber State (Big Sky). They surrendered 44 points at home to Weber State last week and were picked to finish sixth out of 10 in the Southland Conference preseason poll. ESPN’s SP+ metric ranks McNeese No. 199 nationally, putting them squarely in the middle of the FCS pack.
Why It Could Be a Trap Game
The Aggies are coming off two strong weeks and will face Vanderbilt in Nashville next Saturday — a game that could be program-defining under new head coach Bronco Mendenhall. With the Commodores undefeated and rising in the AP Top 25, it would be easy for Utah State to look past McNeese.
Mendenhall Won’t Let It Happen
Mendenhall, however, dismissed any suggestion his team might overlook the Cowboys.
“It is not hard (to keep this team focused),” he said Monday. “We’re so early and so new, and really, all the players have to do is just turn on the film and it’s like, ‘Oh.’”
The coach also pointed to his past experience losing to FCS teams in the early stages of rebuilds — Virginia to Richmond in 2016 and New Mexico to Montana State last year.
“The perception of what maybe an FCS opponent is … there’s really good teams at that level. There’s good coaching,” he added.
Looking Ahead
Utah State sits at 2-1 and is eyeing its third win before heading into conference play. While the Aggies are heavily favored, Mendenhall insists the focus is internal.
“Our team will not have that issue,” he said. “We’re hungry. There’s so much to work on, and it’s so early in the process that the focus is completely on us, and it’s a quality opponent.”
Kickoff against McNeese State is scheduled for Saturday at Maverik Stadium.