1997 Utah State Aggies football team

1997 Utah State Aggies football
Big West co-champion
Humanitarian Bowl, L 19–35 vs. Cincinnati
Conference	Big West Conference
Record	6–6 (4–1 Big West)
Head coach	John L. Smith (3rd season)
Offensive coordinator	Bobby Petrino (3rd season)
Defensive coordinator	Chris Smeland (3rd season)
Home stadium	Romney Stadium
Seasons ←  1996 1998  →

1997 Big West Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Utah State +		4	–	1					6	–	6
Nevada +		4	–	1					5	–	6
Boise State		3	–	2					5	–	6
Idaho		2	–	3					5	–	6
North Texas		2	–	3					4	–	7
New Mexico State		0	–	5					2	–	9
+ – Conference co-champions

The 1997 Utah State Aggies football team represented Utah State University in the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was led by third-year head coach John L. Smith and played their home games at Romney Stadium in Logan, Utah.

Utah State was co-champion of the Big West Conference, completed the regular season with a 6–5 record (4–1 in conference), and received an invitation to the inaugural Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, Idaho. The Aggies were defeated by Cincinnati, 35–19, ^[1] in their last bowl appearance until 2011. Smith left for Louisville after the season, and was succeeded by Dave Arslanian in 1998.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
August 30	at Utah *	Robert Rice Stadium Salt Lake City, UT (Battle of the Brothers, Beehive Boot)	W 21–14	33,804
September 6	Idaho State *	Romney Stadium Logan, UT	W 41–7	20,497	[2]
September 13	No. 25 Colorado State *	Romney Stadium Logan, UT	L 24–35	22,097
September 20	New Mexico *	Romney Stadium Logan, UT	L 22–25	15,112
October 3	at No. 24 BYU *	Cougar Stadium Provo, UT (rivalry, Beehive Boot)	L 35–42	65,754
October 11	Oregon State *	Parker Stadium Corvallis, OR	L 16–24	23,210
October 18	New Mexico State	Romney Stadium Logan, UT	W 38–7	17,251
October 25	at Idaho	Kibbie Dome Moscow, ID	W 63–17	11,163
November 1	Boise State	Romney Stadium Logan, UT	W 24–20	18,205
November 15	at Nevada	Mackay Stadium Reno, NV	W 38–19	22,780
November 22	at North Texas	Fouts Field Denton, TX	L 48–51	6,750
December 29	vs. Cincinnati *	Bronco Stadium Boise, ID (Humanitarian Bowl)	L 19–35	16,289
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

References

1. "1997 Utah State Aggies Schedule and Results" . Retrieved October 2, 2017.
2. "Aggies' backup running back gives true-blue performance". The Salt Lake Tribune. September 7, 1997. Retrieved July 18, 2025– via Newspapers.com.