Utah State will go into Utah State Vs Texas State with Grady Brosterhous at quarterback after Bronco Mendenhall said Monday that Brosterhous has earned the start for this week. McCae Hillstead is not ruled out, but the job belongs to Brosterhous for now.
The timing matters because Utah State is coming off a bye after beating Washington State, and the Aggies are about to face one of the most efficient attacks in the country. Texas State leads the FBS with 562.2 yards per game, averages 303.5 rushing yards and scores 40 points a game, a pace that gives Utah State little margin for error.
That production is not coming from one lane. Texas State's 562.2 yards per game includes a rushing attack that averages 303.5 yards, which means the rest has to come through the air. By simple subtraction, that leaves 258.7 yards per game from passing, enough to keep defenses stretched from snap to snap.
The matchup is especially sharp because Texas State has already shown it can overwhelm opponents when the ground game is rolling. It rushed for 503 yards in a 66-27 win over Colorado State, then opened conference play by leading San Diego State 17-3 at halftime before losing the second half 28-12. Even with that offensive firepower, its defense has given back yardage and points, allowing 27 points to Colorado State and ranking 137th in FBS by allowing 297.3 passing yards per game.
For Utah State, that creates a different kind of pressure than the one it faced a week earlier. The Aggies' offense reached a season high of 21 points against Troy, and Mendenhall has already acknowledged the quarterback spot has been unsettled through the first six weeks. Brosterhous gets the first turn in front of a defense that has been better than Texas State's on paper, but the real question is whether Utah State's offense can look sharper after the bye and keep the game from turning into a track meet.
Brosterhous now has the chance to hold the job against the highest-volume offense Utah State has seen this season. If the Aggies cannot slow Texas State early, the quarterback decision may matter less than how long Utah State can stay within reach.
