The Wyoming Cowboys will host the Utah State Aggies on Friday night, and the visitors are asked to cover a sizable spread here. Utah State has the better record at 6-3, but they've beaten up on some pretty poor teams with their last two wins coming against UNLV and Hawaii. The Cowboys have looked pretty good in recent weeks, and I like their chances at home in the role of an underdog.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Quarterbacks - Wyoming QB Colby Kirkegaard played well on the road last week in a win over Fresno State, throwing for 320 yards and a pair of TDs on 19-of-30 passing. He's thrown for 1,277 yards and eight TDs with just two picks in five games versus opponents from the Mountain West. The Aggies lost starter Chuckie Keeton and backup Darell Garretson to injuries, and have had to make due with third and fourth stringers.

2. Weather - The forecast is calling for rain and 47KM/hr winds, which doesn't bode well for a road team asked to win by more than a TD.

3. X-Factor - The Cowboys ran for 374 yards and four TDs in a win over the Bulldogs last week.

Selection: This is a play on the Wyoming Cowboys (4*)