This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah State will open its 2016 Mountain West Conference football season against defending division champion Air Force on Sept. 24 at Maverik Stadium.
The conference announced its complete schedule Wednesday.
Air Force is one of nine bowl teams from last year which appears on the Aggies' schedule. Six of Utah State's 12 opponents won at least eight games. Only two finished with losing records.
"As is the case every year in the Mountain West, we have a very challenging task," said Aggie coach Matt Wells. "[But] once again, our fans will have the opportunity to see some high-caliber football in Maverik Stadium."
The conference opener will be critical for Utah State, which follows its encounter against Air Force with back-to-back road game at Boise State and Colorado State. The Aggies routed the Broncos (52-26) and the Rams (33-18) last season, so both teams will be seeking payback.
Following its only bye of the season on Oct. 15, Utah State plays consecutive home games against Fresno State and San Diego State.
After a 1-3 start, the Aztecs won the Mountain West Conference championship last season. They went 11-3 overall and 8-0 in league play. They defeated Air Force in the title game, 27-24, before rolling to a 42-7 victory over Cincinnati in the Hawaii Bowl.
All-time, Utah State is 1-11 against San Diego State. The Aggies haven't beaten the Aztecs since 1967.
Utah State finishes its Mountain West season at Wyoming on Nov. 5, against New Mexico at home on Nov. 12 and at Nevada on Nov. 19. The Aggies beat the Cowboys and Wolf Pack last season, but they lost to the Lobos at wind-blown University Stadium, 14-13, when they missed a field goal in the final minute.
Because of the Mountain West's unbalanced scheduled, Utah State will not play UNLV, San Jose State or Hawaii this season. The Rebels, Spartans and Rainbow Warriors went a combined 12-26 last season. None of them finished with a winning record.
As previously announced, the Aggies' non-conference schedule includes games against Weber State (Sept. 1), USC (Sept. 10), Arkansas State (Sept. 17) and BYU (Nov. 26). The season-opener against Weber will be the first in newly-renovated Maverik Stadium.
Last season, Utah State finished 6-7 overall and 5-3 in the Mountain West Conference. The Aggies made their fifth straight trip to the postseason, where they lost to Akron in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, 23-21. —
USU schedule
Utah State's 2016 football schedule (times TBD):
Sept. 1 vs. Weber State Logan
Sept. 10 at USC Los Angeles
Sept. 17 vs. Arkansas State Logan
Sept. 24 vs. Air Force Logan
Oct. 1 at Boise State Boise
Oct. 8 at Colorado State Fort Collins
Oct. 15 Bye
Oct. 22 vs. Fresno State Logan
Oct. 29 vs. San Diego State Logan
Nov. 5 at Wyoming Laramie
Nov. 12 vs. New Mexico Logan
Nov. 19 at Nevada Reno
Nov. 26 at BYU Provo
Dec. 3 Mountain West Conference championship game