The Battle of the Brothers is back! In this game-preview episode of The Utah Checkdown, host Josh Furlong dives deep into Utah’s final nonconference tune-up as the Utes host Utah State at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

In this episode:

• The "friendly brotherhood" dynamic: Why the Utah-Utah State rivalry carries a completely different tone than the BYU rivalry, and how fans from both sides teamed up online this week.

• History of the series: Looking back at the series' wild moments, from the bug-infested press box night when Chuckie Keeton stunned Utah in 2012 to the 2024 battle in Logan.

• Utah State’s rocky start: Breaking down Bronco Mendenhall’s 0-2 Aggies after an FCS stumble against Idaho State and a missed fourth-quarter comeback bid in a 16-14 loss at Washington.

• The Aggies' QB dilemma: Will Utah State stick with McCae Hillstead or Grady Brosterhaus? Josh analyzes Brosterhaus' tough showing in Seattle, his 10% turnover-worthy play rate, and what Mendenhall revealed about the battle under center.

• Bronco Mendenhall on Utah’s offense: The Aggies' head coach praised Kevin McGiven’s "conflict play" designs, Devon Dampier’s playmaking engine, and why stopping Utah’s diverse backfield looks like defending option football.

Follow Josh Furlong on social media platform X @Josh_Furlong or on Instagram @jfurksl.