LOGAN, Utah - Utah State begins its 128th season of football as it hosts UTEP on Saturday, Aug. 30, at 5:30 p.m. The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network (Xfinity Ch. 269/HD 753, DISH Ch. 158, DirecTV Ch. 221) with Fran Charles (play-by-play), Taylor McHargue (analyst) and Hailey Sutton (reporter) on the call.
GAME 1 INFORMATION
TV: CBS Sports Network
• Play-by-Play: Fran Charles
• Analyst: Taylor McHargue
• Reporter: Hailey Sutton
• Xfinity (Utah): Ch. 269 / HD 753
• DISH / DirecTV: Ch. 158 / Ch. 221
RADIO: Aggie Sports Network
• Play-by-Play: Scott Garrard
• Analyst: Kevin White
• Online: kslsports.com/kslsportszone
• National: Sirius XM Ch. 382
SOCIAL MEDIA: #AGGIESALLTHEWAY
• X/Instagram: @USUFootball
• Facebook: USUFootball
• YouTube: UtahStateAthletics
• Live Stats: stats.statbroadcast.com
KICKOFF COVERAGE
• Utah State is 3-0 all-time against UTEP, which includes a 1-0 home record. The last meeting between the two teams was in the 2014 New Mexico Bowl with USU posting a 21-6 win.
• Utah State head coach Bronco Mendenhall owns a 140-88 (.614) career record and has led 16 of his 18 teams to bowl eligibility, which ranks third among active FBS coaches. His 140 career wins rank as the sixth-most.
• Utah State is playing a home game to start its season for the second straight year and for the 17th time since the 1959 season as USU is 11-5 (.688) in those games. Overall, USU has won each of its last five season openers at home with a 36-14 win against Robert Morris in 2024, a 31-20 win against UConn in 2022, a 45-6 win against Weber State in 2016, a 12-9 win against Southern Utah in 2015 and a 34-3 win against Southern Utah in 2012.
• Utah State is 15-1 in its last 16 home openers, which includes a current 15-game winning streak against non-conference opponents. USU is 6-7 in its last 13 season openers overall with six of those seven losses coming on the road to Autonomous Four opponents.
• Utah State has won 11 of its last 16 non-conference home games and is 23-8 (.742) in its last 31 non-conference home games at Maverik Stadium. Overall, USU is 53-25 (.679) in its last 78 home games and 165-121 (.577) all-time inside Maverik Stadium.
• Utah State returns four starters (O-1, D-3) and 18 letterwinners (O-10, D-8) from last year's team to go along with seven returning redshirts (O-4, D-3) and 14 more players (O-8, D-6) that were members of the program in 2024. USU's four returning starters are tied with Oklahoma State for the fewest in the nation, while its 39 total players returning are the second-fewest in the nation behind New Mexico (35).
• Utah State welcomes 69 newcomers (O-26, D-36, S-7) to the program, which includes 29 four-year transfers (O-11, D-14, S-4), 13 junior college transfers (O-2, D-9, S-2) and 27 high school players (O-13, D-13, S-1). Collectively, the 29 four-year transfers have combined for 416 games played and 115 starts during their careers. Those 69 newcomers are the second-most in the nation behind New Mexico (74).
SERIES vs. UTEP
• Utah State is 3-0 all-time against UTEP, including a 21-6 win in the 2014 New Mexico Bowl, which was the last meeting between the two programs. USU posted a 20-7 road win against UTEP in 1960 and a 21-6 home win in 1961.
