Utah State at Pacific (+1) - 7:00pm Pacific

I definitely underestimated the Tigers when playing against them vs UC Irvine.  All this team does is win.  They have now won 7 straight games and 12 of their last 13.  Head coach Bob Thomason is in his 16th season at Pacific (longer than any current Big West coach) and does a fine job here.  He had to mold 3 good JC transfers in with a solid nucleus of returnees.  The team struggled a bit and started just 4-6 but since have only lost once at Utah State and they will have a chance to avenge that tonight.  The Tigers are 11-1 in Big West play, their best start in 37 years.  This is despite playing 7 of their first 11 conference games on the road.

 

The target on Utah State's back has been getting bigger and bigger throughout the season.  They come in with a perfect 12-0 conference record and are ranked #23 nationally, a rarity for a Big West school.  Head coach Stew Merrill says he has never received so many phone calls from national media than he did this week.  There is definitely pressure on this team and their bubble could be ready to burst.  Merrill himself says that 9 of the teams 19 wins could have been losses.  While Pacific played 7 of their first 11 conference games on the road, Utah State played 7 of 11 at home.  It could be argued that Pacific is in a better position right now to win the regular season conference title. 

 

Utah State has lost its last two games at the Spanos Center and I would argue they had stronger teams while Pacific had weaker teams the past two seasons.  Big West teams traditionally play Thursday & Saturday.  Playing at Pacific on Saturday has to be one of the toughest road trips in the Big West.  Pacific is 7-1 at home in this situation the past three seasons with wins over UC Irvine by 15 and UCSB by 20 this season.  In addition to the two teams being separated by a game in the conference standings and already having an intense rivalry, Utah State is hated even more than usual this season as it is their last season in the conference.  They will move to the WAC for both football & basketball starting next season.  No one in the Big West wants to see Utah State go undefeated in conference play and bolt.  Needless to say, the crowd will be in a frenzy.

 

Pacific  1 UNIT