Utah State head coach Blake Anderson visits with an official during a football game against Boise State in Logan on Nov. 18, 2023. Photo by Clint Allen. LOGAN — You thought clawing his way to a bowl game with this inexperienced, young, rapidly-rebuilt Utah State team was a test for head coach Blake Anderson? Sure, it was quite the test and one Anderson did well to pass. But the real fun for him is just beginning. The Aggies’ nail-biter win over New Mexico, which made USU Bowl eligible for the third straight year, will keep head coach Blake Anderson in the good graces of (most) Utah State fans through at least the next couple of months. But those next few months will determine whether or not Anderson has what it takes to ever coming close to what he pulled off in year one at USU. Being bowl eligible is a good bench mark for Anderson to keep reaching with this team, but fans are not going to be content with barely making bowl games for long. Fans expect to be contenders late in the season. There’s not the “championship-or-fire-the-coach” mentality Boise State has (heck, they fired the head coach when

FILE – Utah State quarterback Levi Williams (16) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt) LOGAN, Utah – Utah State graduate junior quarterback Levi Williams was named the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career it was announced by the league office on Monday. Williams, a 6-foot-5, 230-pounder from Canyon Lake, Texas (Smithson Valley HS/Wyoming) is the second Aggie to earn MW Player of the Week honors this season. Sophomore safety Ike Larsen was named the MW Defensive Player of the Week following USU’s 32-24 double-overtime win at San Diego State and Larsen was also named the MW Special Teams Player of the Week following USU’s 34-33 win at UConn. Williams, who was making his first start in his two-year Utah State career, led the Aggies to a 44-41 double-overtime win at New Mexico to become bowl eligible. Against the Lobos, Williams accounted for 351 yards of offense and five touchdowns, including both of USU’s scores in overtime. Williams posted his third-career 100-yard rushing game, including his first at Utah State, as he gained a season-high 153 yards on a career-high

The Utah State football team sprints onto the field before their game against Boise State on Nov. 18, 2023. Photo by Clint Allen. LOGAN – After defeating New Mexico 44-41 in double overtime on Friday, the Utah State Aggies finished their regular season with a 6-6 record, reaching bowl eligibility for the 11th time in the last 13 seasons (missing bowl opportunities only in 2016 and 2020). Since 2011, USU is 5-5 in bowl games and Blake Anderson’s 2023 team will have a chance to not only get a winning record on the year but also a winning record in bowl games during this 13 year period. Since conferences have championship games still to play next week, all available bowl spots will not be known definitively until Sunday, Dec. 3rd when the College Football Playoff Committee releases its final rankings. That leaves us to speculate where USU may be headed, and who they may be facing. The following are the projections for Utah State from various national media outlets (as of Nov. 26), including who the Aggies may face and what their records are (listed in order of when the bowl game will take place). USU vs Arkansas State in