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Provo • Junior receiver McKay Jacobson missed four of BYU's games last year with a hamstring injury, but still managed to catch 23 passes for 556 yards in nine games. His average of 24.2 yards per catch led the team in that category by nearly 10 yards.

Through four games this season, Jacobson has just eight receptions for 83 yards — but only after catching four passes for 44 yards in last week's 27-13 loss to Nevada.

What happened to BYU's big-play receiver?

"It is definitely frustrating," Jacobson said after practice Tuesday as the Cougars continued preparations for Friday's 6 p.m. game at Utah State. "If we knew [all the answers], we wouldn't be in this situation. Everybody has to take it personally upon themselves, and be thinking, 'what can I do to help the team win?,' then go out and do it."Jacobson hopes last week's four catches is a sign the offense is finding its rhythm with one quarterback, Jake Heaps, getting all the reps in practices now.

"So collectively, as a team, we got to work hard and control what we can control. A lot of times receivers — although we can't throw the ball to ourselves — have to do their jobs, linemen have to do their jobs, quarterbacks have to do their jobs.

"Definitely, one side playing well helps the other. That's why football is the greatest team sport there is," he said.

Finishing drives and better execution in the red zone has been emphasized in practice this week among the receivers. Only one receiver, Cody Hoffman, has caught a TD pass this season. Running backs J.J. DiLuigi and Josh Quezada have the other two TD receptions.

Coach Bronco Mendenhall said it is "hard to say" whether the unsettled quarterback situation in the early going caused the receivers to struggle more than usual.

"I did see improvement in our last game. I think we threw the ball to more targets, and we threw it and caught it more effectively than maybe we have all year, to this point," he said. "How much of [the struggles] was tied to the quarterback, I am not certain. I think we will gauge that three or four weeks from now as we kind of use the Nevada game as kind of a starting point, and say, 'OK, where has it gone from there?'"

Hailing Heaps

Utah State defensive coordinator Bill Busch has faced BYU five or six times before, having held a similar position at Utah earlier this decade. He said the Cougars' offense hasn't changed much, and likes what he sees from Heaps.

"I have never seen a panic on him," Busch said. "I have watched every snap of his this year, and he doesn't panic, he stays very calm. He is very mature, he commands the huddle and he commands the team. For a true freshman, he is very impressive."

Briefly

Former receiver O'Neill Chambers will serve the second game of a two-game suspension Friday, after having been moved to tight end for the Florida State game. Mendenhall declined to name a starting TE for Friday's game, saying the depth chart literally changes every day at the position currently being manned by Mike Muelhmann, Devin Mahina, Richard Wilson, Marcus Mathews and Austin Holt. … The Cougars committed just one penalty last week against Nevada, their first one-penalty game since 2003.

drew@sltrib.com Twitter: @sltribbyu, @drewjay —

BYU (1-3) at Utah State (1-3)

P Friday, 6 p.m.

TV • ESPN