by Rod Pearson
Monday, Oct 09, 2023
Game Time: 8:00 pm ET, Friday, October 13, 2023
Venue: Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium, Logan, UT
Where to Watch: CBS Sports
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Fresno -6, USU +6; Over/Under: 60.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Fresno -6, USU +6; Over/Under: 60.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Fresno -6, USU +6; Over/Under: 60.5 points
Season Record
Fresno State Bulldogs: 5-1 (1-1) (5th place, MWC)
Utah State Aggies: 3-3 (1-1) (6th place, MWC)
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Fresno State Bulldogs: lost their last game on the road against the Wyoming Cowboys 24-19.
Utah State Aggies: won their last game at home against the Colorado State Rams 44-24.
Fresno State Bulldogs vs Utah State Aggies Preview and Analysis
Fresno State is entering this game with a 5-1 record overall and they have a 1-1 record in their conference games too. They are 3-0 in their home games, 2-1 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They lost their last game against Wyoming 24-19. Mikey Keene was the starting QB and he completed 23/35 passes for 218 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 0 interceptions before leaving injured and getting replaced by Logan Fife who completed 7/11 passes for 68 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT. Malik Sherrod led the team in rushing yards with 48. Jalen Moss led the receivers with 115 receiving yards on 9 receptions and 1 TD. Dean Clark led the defense in that game with 6 solo tackles and 2 assisted tackles while Devonta Bridges led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that game.
Utah State is entering this game with a 3-3 record overall and they have a 1-1 record in their conference games too. They are 2-1 in their home games, 1-2 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They won their last game against Colorado State 44-24. Cooper Legas was the starting QB and he completed 19/29 passes for 387 passing yards, 4 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Davon Booth led the team in rushing yards with 141 and 2 TDs. Terrell Vaughn led the receivers with 143 receiving yards on 8 receptions and 1 TD. Ike Larsen led the defense in that game with 5 solo tackles and 2 assisted tackles while Paul Fitzgerald led the defense in sacks with 1. Ike Larsen came away with 2 interceptions for them while Simeon Harris also came away with 1 interception in that game.
Fresno State vs Utah State Prediction
The current betting odds have Utah State listed as a 6 point underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Utah State hasn't been great this season with their 3-3 record overall but they are only 1-1 in conference play and looked a lot better in their last game as they blew out Colorado State at home. Fresno State enters this game at 5-1 overall and they have one of the best teams in the conference with their talent level but they are also just 1-1 in conference games this year after losing to Wyoming last week. They lost to Wyoming in a close game at altitude and now they have to play back-to-back road games here as they are going to be on the road again at altitude in Logan, Utah. Fresno State has shown all season that they have a really good team but they also showed in their last game that they struggle in these road games at altitude and they are going to struggle again here being on the road for a 2nd time in a row and against a Utah State team that is starting to get hot now. The best way to place a bet here is on Utah State to cover the spread in this game.
Fresno State Utah State Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Friday, October 13, 2023 (8:00 pm ET start time) is USU 31 Fresno 28.
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NCAAF Betting Trends
Fresno State Bulldogs: 1-6 ATS after a game where they forced no turnovers. 5-9 ATS after gaining 40 or less rushing yards last game. 8-3 UNDER after gaining 40 or less rushing yards last game. 4-1 UNDER after 2 or more consecutive losses against the spread.
Utah State Aggies: 13-5 ATS after gaining 300 or more passing yards in 3 straight games. 20-13 ATS in a home game where the total is between 56.5 and 63. 45-25 UNDER when the total is between 56.5 and 63. 15-8 UNDER off an upset win as an underdog.
Key Injuries
Fresno State Bulldogs: M. Keene (QB) Ques Fri - Leg. E. Edwards (WR) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed. D. Moore (RB) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed. T. Carr (TE) Out indefinitely - Lower Body.
Utah State Aggies: M. Hillstead (QB) Ques Fri - Concussion. J. Sterzer (TE) Mid Oct - Undisclosed.
Notable Quotes
“There was a lot of effort in the second half, but we didn’t play our best. I take my hat off to Wyoming. They threw it and they ran it. They did a nice job. They had a big play there at the end.” - Jeff Tedford after his team’s loss against Wyoming in their last game.
“The guy just has a knack for finding the ball. People like him and (Anthony Switzer) and MJ (Tafisi), they’re just calm in the moment. Their body control at the point of attack is really really good. He (Larsen) is not afraid of the moment. Most people get there and honestly can’t make the play. They miss it. They close their eyes and their technique is bad. When the moment gets bigger (Ike) tends to get better. And that’s that’s a great trait.” - Blake Anderson on Ike Larsen after his team’s win against CSU in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Fresno State Bulldogs
WR Dalena, Mac
WR Gill, Jaelen
WR Brooks, Erik
TE Watson, Tre
QB Keene, Mikey
RB Sherrod, Malik
Utah State Aggies
WR Royals, Jalen
WR Tia, Otto
WR Vaughn, Terrell
TE Sterzer, Josh
QB Legas, Cooper
RB Briggs Jr., Robert
Statistical Leaders
Fresno State Bulldogs
Passing: M. Keene (1692)
Rushing: E. Gilliam (322)
Receiving: E. Brooks (494)
Touchdowns: E. Gilliam (5)
Utah State Aggies
Passing: C. Legas (975)
Rushing: D. Booth (395)
Receiving: J. Royals (522)
Touchdowns: T. Vaughn (7)
Coaches:
Fresno State Bulldogs: Jeff Tedford (5th season)
Utah State Aggies: Blake Anderson (3rd season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
