Utah State joined the Sun Belt conference for the 2003 & 2004 season, where they went 5-8 in conference games. In 2005, they joined the WAC. Prior to Gary Anderson's arrival in 2010, they went 11-29 in WAC games. In Gary Anderson's first year, they went 2-6. After Anderson's first year, the WAC lost Boise State. By his third year, the WAC had also lost Nevada & Fresno State. It had become one of the worst conference in the country.
Matt Wells took over for Utah State's first season in the Mountain West, easily the toughest conference it had ever been in. Since that time, Utah State has gone 30-18 in MWC games, with only Boise winning more within the Mountain Division.
From 1979-2009, Utah State went 2-23 against BYU. Under Gary Anderson, they went 1-2. Under Wells, they went 3-3, including multiple wins in Provo which had not been done since 1978.
Utah State lost 32 regular season games under Wells.
- 10 of those losses were on the road to P5 teams (including one to BYU), where they averaged being +14 underdogs.
- 2 losses were at home to BYU.
- 4 losses were on the road @ Boise State or San Diego State. Utah State was, on average, more than a +7.5 underdogs in those games.
- 3 losses at home to Boise State or San Diego State. Utah State was, on average, more than a +7.5 underdogs in those games.
- Of the remaining 11 losses, 5 were road games that Utah State was an underdog in.
I only see three "bad" regular season losses, all of them one-possession games on the road:
o 2016 - L 38-37 as a 7-point favorite @Nevada
o 2016 – L 31-24 as a 6-point favorite @ Col. State.
o 2015 – L 14-13 as a 20-point favorite @ New Mexico State.
In sum, (1) Utah State was historically one of the worst D1 programs before 2011, (2) Utah State has played the toughest schedule in its history since Wells took over in 2013, (3) only Boise has been better within the division since Utah State joined, and (4) Wells' tenure has been the most successful Utah State's program has ever been, by any metric you could possibly think of.
Matt Wells took over for Utah State's first season in the Mountain West, easily the toughest conference it had ever been in. Since that time, Utah State has gone 30-18 in MWC games, with only Boise winning more within the Mountain Division.
From 1979-2009, Utah State went 2-23 against BYU. Under Gary Anderson, they went 1-2. Under Wells, they went 3-3, including multiple wins in Provo which had not been done since 1978.
Utah State lost 32 regular season games under Wells.
- 10 of those losses were on the road to P5 teams (including one to BYU), where they averaged being +14 underdogs.
- 2 losses were at home to BYU.
- 4 losses were on the road @ Boise State or San Diego State. Utah State was, on average, more than a +7.5 underdogs in those games.
- 3 losses at home to Boise State or San Diego State. Utah State was, on average, more than a +7.5 underdogs in those games.
- Of the remaining 11 losses, 5 were road games that Utah State was an underdog in.
I only see three "bad" regular season losses, all of them one-possession games on the road:
o 2016 - L 38-37 as a 7-point favorite @Nevada
o 2016 – L 31-24 as a 6-point favorite @ Col. State.
o 2015 – L 14-13 as a 20-point favorite @ New Mexico State.
In sum, (1) Utah State was historically one of the worst D1 programs before 2011, (2) Utah State has played the toughest schedule in its history since Wells took over in 2013, (3) only Boise has been better within the division since Utah State joined, and (4) Wells' tenure has been the most successful Utah State's program has ever been, by any metric you could possibly think of.
