Quarterback 
Utah: Despite taking the reins on offense for the final seven games of 2012, Travis Wilson had to earn the starting role in 2013. He has grown both mentally and physically heading into this season, gaining much-needed weight on his 6’6” frame and becoming a more confident passer in the pocket. At the conclusion of fall camp, Wilson had claimed the top spot on the depth chart as well as the respect of his teammates as a leader. Wilson was named one of the Utes’ four captains, but he still has a lot to prove in his sophomore campaign.
Utah State: The Aggies have an all-out beast taking the snaps again in 2013. Chuckie Keeton is the centerpiece of the Utah State offense and presents a dual threat when the ball is in his hands. He can burn defenses with his speed as a ball carrier as well as with his strong and accurate arm that has only gotten better in the offseason. Keeton ended 2012 with school records in touchdown passes, passing yards, completion percentage and completions.
Edge: Utah State
 
Running Back
Utah: Heading into 2013, the Utes have some legendary shoes to fill in the rushing attack. They had the unfortunate task of finding a replacement for the school’s all-time leading rusher, John White. The solution: a battalion of four backs led by Kelvin York. York will certainly bear most of the weight, but Utah has several weapons in the backfield that coaches are confident they can rely on. James Poole will be the No. 2 with Karl Williams and Lucky Radley slated to see plenty of action as well.
Utah State: USU was in a similar situation at the conclusion of 2012. The Aggies lost a reliable back in First Team All-WAC running back Kerwynn Williams to graduation. Utah State looks to replace Williams with junior Joe Hill, who has amassed just 293 yards in 19 games throughout his career.
Edge: Utah
 
Receivers
Utah: Dres Anderson returns for Utah after a disappointing 2012. Anderson will be aided by better consistency at the quarterback position as well as a new offensive scheme. He’ll have an impressive tight end tandem creating space for him downfield in Jake Murphy and Westlee Tonga. New co-offensive coordinator Dennis Erickson has said this tight end duo is one of the best he’s seen in his 30-plus years of coaching.
Utah State: Utah State also shows strength at tight end with the return of senior D.J. Tialavea. Despite his lack of offensive production on the stat sheet, he presents a threat as a big body blocking for the potent ground threat of Keeton. A lot of question marks still loom large in the Aggies’ receiving corps, as they are overcoming the departure of seniors Matt Austin, Chuck Jacobs and Cameron Webb. 2013 seniors Travis Reynolds and Travis Van Leeuwen will step into starting roles with limited experience and less than 1,000 yards of receiving combined between them. They do, however, have a pretty solid guy tossing them the ball.
Edge: Utah
 
O-Line
Utah: After some offseason shuffles on the offensive line, Utah is confident in the group it has assembled in front of Wilson. Most notably, sophomore Jeremiah Poutasi will hold it down on the left side with 345 pounds of power in a 6-foot-5 frame. Upperclassmen will clog up the center of the line with a total 950 pounds of mass and game-time experience in senior Jeremiah Tofaeono, senior Vyncent Jones and a junior named Junior Salt. Sophomore Siaosi Aiono will hold down the right side at 305 pounds. The coaching staff is excited about this group coming out of fall camp, but the line is another piece of the offensive puzzle that has yet to be seen in game action.
Utah State: The Aggies’ biggest strength on offense, aside from the stellar athlete under center, is the offensive line. Utah State will bring its entire starting line from 2012 into Rice-Eccles Stadium for the start of 2013. This group has the combined experience of 110 career starts, 161 games and a long-standing relationship with its star quarterback.
Edge: Utah
 
Linebacker 
Utah: Senior stud linebacker Trevor Reilly will be a leader for this group, but he’ll also be spending some time on the defensive line. The other stud linebacker, Brian Blechen, will likely miss the season opener with a nagging knee injury. Jacoby Hale emerged out of camp as a suitable replacement, but the group remains depleted.
Utah State: The Aggies are solid at linebacker, their most athletically talented group on defense. Three backers who earned All-WAC honors in 2012, Jake Doughty, Zach Vigil and Kyler Fackrell, combine to impose an experienced threat of tackles for loss.
Edge: Utah State
 
Secondary 
Utah: This is the biggest concern for Utah heading in to 2013. Eric Rowe will return to action at safety, but all of his cohorts in pass coverage are new faces. After lots of trial and error during camp, Michael Walker has claimed the other safety position and Keith McGill and Justin Thomas will take on the cornerback roles. The Ute coaching staff is pleased with these players’ athletic ability, but the group as a whole is unproven.
Utah State: The Aggies return two talented defensive players in the secondary for 2013. Nevin Lawson will play at cornerback and Brian Suite will be back at safety. USU did lose two key players from the secondary with the graduations of free safety McKade Brady and cornerback Will Davis. So the Aggies have holes to fill in the defensive backfield as well.
Edge: Push
 
D-Line
Utah: Despite the departures of Star Lotuleilei and Joe Kruger to the NFL, Utah’s defensive line will remain a force to be reckoned with. Tenny Palepoi, Nate Orchard and Trevor Reilly will anchor the D-line under a coaching staff that cranks out NFL caliber trenches year in and year out.
Utah State: Utah State returns over half of a defensive line that wrecked offenses in 2012 and led a defensive unit that ranked in the top 15 nationwide in sacks, scoring defense, rushing defense and total defense. Senior defensive end Connor Williams and sophomore defensive end Jordan Nielsen are the biggest contributors for this group from a year ago. Williams earned All-WAC honorable mention after starting in every game in 2012 and Nielsen was a second-team All-WAC player who led the D-line in tackles.
Edge: Utah State
 
Special Teams 
Utah: Andy Phillips will be the kicker after truly impressing head coach Kyle Whittingham through camp despite his lack of football experience. Thursday’s matchup against Utah State will be his first time playing in a competitive football game.
Utah State: Utah State returns Nick Diaz after a season in which he went 10-for-13 in field goals and never missed an extra point. He was named WAC’s Special Teams Player of the Week in his sophomore season after making a career-long 53 yarder against New Mexico State.
Edge: Utah State
 
Overall Edge: Utah State