Hidden well from view of anyone watching there was, perhaps, a collective sigh of relief coming from the Utah State football team.

No, the Aggies weren't happy with their 35-17 loss to BYU at LaVell Edwards Stadium Friday night. They certainly weren't thrilled with the 1-3 record following the game.

Instead, Utah State might be glad to see the likes of Utah, BYU and Texas A&M in the rear-view mirror.

"We told the guys in the locker room that the first part of the season is over," Utah State coach Gary Andersen said. "Our number one goal is to be competitive in the WAC and that's what we've been working for."

Andersen said he and the team were disappointed finish the non-conference portion of the season with only a win over Southern Utah. But with USU's non-conference foes combining for a 12-6 record — three of those losses belonging to SUU — the 1-3 record isn't surprising.

Andersen, however, said he is unwilling to use the strength of schedule as an excuse for not winning.

"We've gotten better every week. Our biggest issue is that good football team make plays to win games and we haven't been doing that," Andersen said. "Some people would say it's not a level playing field with the teams we've been playing besides Southern Utah. But I disagree."

That said, Utah State gets to look forward to games against fellow WAC schools. First up, a struggling New Mexico State team which just dropped a 34-17 decision to San Diego State.

"We need to tighten some screws on offense and defense," USU linebacker Bobby Wagner said, "or we won't make any noise in the WAC."

Utah State's offense entered the BYU game as the No. 9 squad in the country. But after mustering just 109 yards on the ground and only 322 overall, the Aggies have slipped to No. 17.

The loss also further exposed a weak link in the Aggie offense -- the pitch play.

Andersen said Utah State will continue to run the option. But after a pair of pitches from quarterback Diondre Borel to running back Robert Turbin were off target and ended up on the divot-marked LaVell Edwards Stadium turf, USU had to adjust its offensive scheme and chose more secure ball exchanges. This allowed BYU's defense more freedom in attacking the ball knowing the pitch was less likely to be coming.

Still, with three losses to teams with a combined 10-3 record, the Aggies are excited for Saturday's trip to Las Cruces to face the 2-3 NMSU Aggies.

Aggies on the air

Utah State (1-3, 0-0) at New Mexico St. (2-3, 0-1)

Saturday, 6 p.m.

TV: none

Radio: 610 AM, 1230 AM, 95.9 FM

e-mail: jeborn@desnews.com