What Washington State is up against in a suddenly crucial game at Utah State

The two lowest-scoring offenses in the Pac-12 will get together Friday night when Washington State University travels to Utah State.

And yet, each team sees its offense right now in a completely different light following conference-opening losses Saturday.

WSU is coming off its worst game - and one of its most listless showings in recent memory - in a 26-6 home loss to Fresno State. First-year coach Kirby Moore said the performance was clearly “not good enough", as home fans booed constantly in the second half.

Another loss would put the Cougars on the brink of no postseason bowl eligibility.

The Aggies lost to Boise State, 37-18, but coach Bronco Mendenhall said he was “encouraged” by what he saw from key playmakers as they racked up 345 yards of offense.

Bronco Mendenhall has been around the block

A Utah native, Bronco Mendenhall has been one of the steadiest winners in college football. His 147 wins rank him No. 4 among active FBS coaches.

A longtime defensive guru, Mendenhall took his first head-coaching position at BYU in 2005, remaining there for 11 years and leading the Cougars to a bowl game in each of those seasons.

Since then, he’s coached at Virginia (six seasons), New Mexico (one season) - and is in his second season of a six-year contract with the Aggies.

In 2025, he guided a program to a bowl game for a 17th time as Utah State lost to the Cougars in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, 34-21, to finish 6-7.

Utah State offensive players to know

QB Grady Brosterhous, 6-3, 210, sr.

C Jimmy Liston, 6-4, 300, sr.

RB Javen Jacobs, 5-10, 210, sr.

WR Eli Wood, 6-2, 210, sr.

Utah State defensive players to know

S Brevin Hamblin, 6-5, 205, sr.

DT Tyree Morris, 6-5, 305, sr.

LB Bronson Olevao Jr., 6-1, 225, sr.

DT Carson Tujague, 6-3, 280, soph.

Utah State is using two quarterbacks

After McCae Hillstead came back to the Aggies after two seasons at BYU, he earned the starting quarterback job coming out of the team‘s spring game.

But after suffering a forearm injury - and throwing three interceptions - in a season-opening 29-17 loss to FCS opponent Idaho State, Hillstead ceded the starting position to Grady Brosterhous, a graduate transfer from Virginia.

Brosterhous has passed for a team-leading 764 yards and six touchdowns, but has also thrown six interceptions (Hillstead has four picks as well). He has also rushed for 232 yards, which is second on the team.

After three consecutive starts as the full-time starter, Brosterhous did lose a series or two to Hillstead in the loss to Boise State. Mendanhall said he will continue to “reintroduce” the appointed preseason starter to the offensive lineup.

Bronson Olevao anchors the Utah State defense

Based on production and length of tenure, this is Bronson Olevao’s defense in Logan, Utah.

Olevao is in the middle of his fifth and final season with the Aggies, playing in 28 games, including 19 starts - but did not become a full-time starter until last season.

A year ago, he was third on the defense in tackles (90), earning all-Mountain West Conference honorable mention honors.

He recorded a sack against WSU during a 2024 game, and had seven tackles against the Cougars last season in the bowl game.

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