After that loss in San Diego, the conversation briefly turned to a potential meeting in the 2015 Mountain West championship game. Instead, the rematch comes 53 weeks later, and the Aztecs' strategy remains intact.
"They are going to come in here and try to impose their will on us, and I know that," said USU coach Matt Wells.
The Aztecs succeeded last October, when Donnel Pumphrey ran for 181 yards and two touchdowns and USU was overwhelmed offensively and defensively. That's a standard-issue performance for Pumphrey, who leads the nation in rushing with a 178-yard average.
"Watching him on film, he can make something out of nothing," said USU linebacker Derek Larsen.