For the second time this season, Utah State is taking a road trip to the south for a matchup with a ranked SEC team. The Aggies may be off to their best start since 2021, but Vanderbilt is a major roadblock to them pulling off their first 4-1 start since 2018. The last trip to SEC-land didn’t go rather well as USU’s game at Texas A&M resulted in the team’s lone loss on the year and by a three-touchdown margin.
Here’s all the information you’ll need, basic game info to player availability, quick stats and predictions from Cache Valley Media Group staff.
Game Info:
- Kickoff: 10:45 a.m. (Mountain Time)
- Location: First Bank Stadium (Nashville, TN)
- TV Broadcast/Stream: SEC Network
- Radio: KVNU (102.1 FM, 610 AM), kvnutalk.com, KVNU mobile app
KVNU Aggie Gameday pregame show with Stockton Jewkes and J.D. Walker: Begins 9 a.m. on 102.1 FM, 610 AM
KVNU Aggie Call Postgame: Starts immediately after Coach Bronco Mendenhall’s post-game comments.
- Text (435) 554-1175 or call (435) 753-5868 during the pregame or postgame show to give your thoughts and reactions for the game.
Availability Report
The following is derived from the official availability report released by Utah State prior to the Air Force game as required by the Mountain West Conference and the participation of USU players in last Saturday’s game. Utah State is not required to release an availability report prior to this game and has not done so.
Utah State Projected Availability Report vs Vanderbilt
| Player | Position | Status (Duration) |
|---|---|---|
| Alex Faiivae | TE | DNP last 2 games |
| Dylan Sprague | P | DNP last 2 games |
| Chase Tuatagaloa | TE | DNP last 2 games |
| Trey Andersen | OL | DNP last 2 games |
| Chika Ebunoha | S | DNP last 2 games |
| Camden Jury | OL | DNP last 2 games |
| Cole Keele | DT | DNP last 2 games |
| Tre Kofe | RB | DNP last 2 games |
| Ravian Larry | RB | DNP last 2 games |
| Breaker Mendenhall | S | DNP last 2 games |
| Enoka Migao | DE | DNP last 2 games |
| Jackson Olsen | WR | DNP last 2 games |
| Jared Pele | OL | DNP last 2 games |
| Jared Smith | OL | DNP last 2 games |
| Corey Thompson Jr. | WR | DNP last 2 games |
| Caysen Whittaker | OL | DNP last 2 games |
| Ike Larsen | S | OUT |
| Sampson Alofipo | LB | OUT (Season) |
| Jonathan Baird | LB | OUT (Season) |
| Blake Barnes | LB | OUT (Season) |
| Demick Starling | WR | OUT (Season) |
| Clyde Tualapapa | RB | OUT (Season) |
Offense and Defense Rankings
FEI Adjusted Offensive Efficiency
- Utah State: 62nd
- Vanderbilt: 13th
FEI Adjusted Defensive Efficiency
- Utah State: 119th
- Vanderbilt: 56th
Stat Leaders
Passing Leaders
- Utah State: Bryson Barnes — 70/107 (65.4%), 982 yards, 8 TD, 1 INT
- Vanderbilt: Diego Pavia — 68/92 (73.9%), 890 yards, 8 TD, 2 INT
Rushing Leaders
- Utah State: Miles Davis — 44 attempts, 310 yards (7.0 yds/att), 2 TD
- Vanderbilt: Diego Pavia — 39 attempts, 215 yards (5.5 yds/att), 1 TD
Receiving Leaders
- Utah State: Braden Pegan — 17 receptions, 303 yards (17.8 yds/rec), 3 TD
- Vanderbilt: Eli Stowers — 16 receptions, 233 yards (14.6 yds/rec), 1 TD
Defensive Leaders
- Utah State: John Miller — 36 tackles (11 solo), 5.0 TFL, 4.0 sacks
- Vanderbilt: CJ Heard — 21 tackles (17 solo), 1.0 TFL, 1.0 sacks, 1 interception
History of Utah State vs Vanderbilt
This is the first-ever meeting between Utah State and Vanderbilt
Quick Facts to Know
- Utah State is 3-1 to start the season for the first time since 2021.
- USU quarterback Bryson Barnes leads the Mountain West, and is 15th in the nation, in points responsible for at 19.3 per game. He is also first in the MW and 23rd in the nation in yards per completion (13.5).
- Utah State is 3-29 all-time against teams ranked inside the top 20 of the AP Poll
- Utah State is 0-7 since the start of the 2021 season against current Power Four opponents, with an average margin of defeat of roughly 24 points.
- Utah State’s most recent win against a current Power Four opponent was in 2018, a 45-20 win over BYU
- Bronco Mendenhall has a career coaching record of 48-69 against current Power Four teams and 8-29 when that opponent was ranked at the time of the game
- Vanderbilt blocked a PAT, field goal and a punt last week vs Georgia State, becoming the first FBS team to do all three in a single game since 2014.
- Vanderbilt has outscored opponents 96-15 in the second half of games this season. The 15 second-half points is tied for the 10th-fewest in the nation.
Game Prediction
Here are the score predictions from Cache Valley Media Group staff, including Eric Frandsen and Jason Walker of the Full Court Press (4-6 p.m. weekdays on 106.9 FM, 1390 AM The FAN), along with Craig Hislop of KVNU, and Stockton Jewkes and J.D. Walker of the KVNU Aggie Gameday pregame show. Included are the season record and prediction metric score for each individual. The prediction score is on a scale of 0-1.
Jason Walker (4-0, .595 prediction score) — Vanderbilt wins 42-20
Craig Hislop (4-0, .580 prediction score) — Vanderbilt wins 38-24
Eric Frandsen (4-0, .575 prediction score) — Vanderbilt wins 39-20
Stockton Jewkes (4-0, .460 prediction score) — Vanderbilt wins 41-27
J.D. Walker (3-1, .510 prediction score) — Vanderbilt wins 35-17
