Boise State at Utah State

#20 Boise State University (-8.5) at Utah State University

Date: Saturday, November 23rd, 2019 

Time: 8:30MT 

Stadium: Merlin Olsen Field At Maverik Stadium (25,513)

TV: CBS Sports Network

Know Thy Enemy

The Hurd will be in full throat when they belt out ‘The Scotsman’ on Saturday night as Big Blue and the Utah State Aggies play host to the Broncos of Boise State. The Aggies roll into Saturday's matchup at 6-4 overall, with a solid 5-1 in conference play, and are currently on a two-game win streak. Utah State is currently tied for second with Air Force in the Mountain Division, both teams just one game behind the Broncos. 

After finishing last season 11-2 and second in Mountain Division, there was cause for optimism coming into the 2019 season. However, the Aggies have had somewhat of a Jekyll and Hyde season with their home/road splits. Utah State is 2-3 on the road and 4-1 at home, with their only home loss coming at the hands of BYU. This week it’s good news for the Aggies, but bad news for Broncos that this one is in Logan. 

The Aggies are rebuilding on offense as they lost most of their offensive production from a year ago. However, they are loaded with talent that’s ready to prove themselves. Leading the attack is NFL prospect Jordan Love. Love has been leading the Aggie offense for the past three seasons, but left the game in the third quarter last week with an injury and his status for Saturday night is questionable. 

On Defense, the Aggies return seven starters from a team that forced a nation best 32 turnovers a year ago. This season, the Aggies have forced 19 turnovers, which is 19th in the country and 3rd in the Mountain West. Utah State is 9th in the conference in total defense, giving up an average of 431 yards per game. 

Utah State is led by Head Coach Gary Anderson. Anderson is in his second stint as the head coach of the Aggies. Prior to this season Anderson coached the Aggies from 2009-2012. 

There have been 22 football contests between the two schools since 1975. Boise State leads the all-time series at 18-5. The Aggies have beaten the Broncos once in the last decade, which was a 52-26 route back in 2015. 

What Happened Last Year

The 2018 matchup between the Aggies and the Broncos had plenty of hype. Both teams were in the top-25, both teams were in the midst of multiple game win streaks, and the winner of this game was in the driver's seat for the Mountain Division crown. 

 The Broncos built a 17-14 halftime lead behind a pair of touchdowns from Alexander Mattison. In the third quarter, both defenses buckled down as Boise State would score the only points of the quarter with a 27-yard field goal to extend their lead to 20-14. The Aggies would again pull within three points early in the fourth with a 45-yard field goal from kicker Dominik Eberle, but the Broncos would respond with a touchdown pass from Brett Rypien to Garrett Collingham with a little over seven minutes to play. 

Late in the fourth quarter, the Aggies would stay within striking distance on an 83 yard screen pass from Jordan Love to Gerold Bright, but the Broncos would take the ball with 3:12 to play and dash all Aggie hopes with a 6 play, 75 yard drive that lasted 3:08,  capped by a 1-yard TD run by Alexander Mattison. This would be his third score on the night, extending their lead to 33-24. Mattison would finish the game with 200-yards and three touchdowns. 

Players to Watch 

UTAH STATE 

GS., Siaosi Mariner, WR #80

Mariner, a graduate transfer from just down the road at Utah University, has been a welcomed addition to the Aggies and is having a great season. Mariner leads the Aggies in all receiving categories with 49 catches, 753 yards, and seven touchdowns. Mariner has had two consecutive games of over 100 receiving yards and could be a handful for the Broncos this week. 

SR., Dominik Eberle, K #62

It’s not often that a place kicker gets highlighted, but Eberle is different. The senior from Nuremberg, Germany has had a record breaking year. In Last week’s game against Wyoming, Eberle broke the Utah State and Mountain West record for field goals made in a year with 61. He was 4-for-5 last week, with the only miss being a 50-yard attempt. Eberle already holds the career points record at USU with 337 points so far this season. 

Rs.JR., Eric Munoz, LB #38 

Munoz had an emotional moment last week when addressing the media following the 26-21 win against Wyoming. Munoz was very appreciative of the opportunity that he has had at USU. Munoz led the team with 13 tackles and also provided two timely interceptions. Munoz was named Mountain West defensive player of the week for his performance. 

BOISE STATE 

Rs.FR., Demitri Washington, STUD #38

If Curtis Weaver is unable to play on Saturday, Demitri Washington is a name you need to know. Washington, a redshirt Freshman from Solana Beach, California, was a three star recruit coming out of high school. Washington has played sparingly this season, but last week in Weavers absence Washington had 4 total tackles, one tackle for loss and a sack. 

Rs.JR., Jordan Happle, S #32

Happle, a junior out of Portland, Oregon has had an injury plagued season, but now has been called upon to fill in for the injured DeAndre Pierce the last two games. Happle made his season debut against San Jose State and has started the last three games. Last week against New Mexico Happle made six tackles. This week his role as the last line of defense will be key against the Aggies potent passing attack. 

FR., Hank Bachmeier, QB #19 

During his weekly press conference, coach Harsin said there was no new injury update, but the  Quarterbacks were healthier than they have been. It sounds as though Bachmeier may be back to playing this week and if he does all eyes will again be on the freshman quarterback. Bachmeier has not played in the last two games so it will be interesting to see if he shows any signs of rust. 

Focus Position Group: Quarterback

Three different quarterbacks have started the last three games for the Broncos. It was the first time since 1993 that the Broncos have started three different quarterbacks.  It’s BSU policy that they do not comment on injury status unless that injury is season ending. This week Coach Harsin didn’t mention who would start, but did comment that they were healthier than they were last week. Last week’s starter Jaylon Henderson did more than enough with his three touchdown passes to help the Broncos win and was named the MWC Offensive Player of the week. The quarterback is what makes this Boise State offense go and whoever starts this week will need to be ready for the biggest game of the season. 

Rev's Route to a Bronco Win

1. Red Zone = Money Zone

Boise State has been unstoppable in the red zone the last three games. During that stretch, the Broncos are 14-for-14 with 11 touchdowns. Since week two of this season they have maintained a touchdown rate of 76.7% in the money end of the zone. The Aggies are giving up touchdowns a little over 70% of the time. It will be important that the Broncos capitalize on their red zone opportunities, especially in a hostile environment. 

2. Weather the Storm

    Utah State will be honoring their seniors on Saturday night, so you know they will be playing with some extra motivation. Since the last time the Broncos made the trip to Logan, the Aggies are 11-1 at home with their only loss coming against BYU two weeks ago. This season they are 4-1 at home, and in those four home wins they have trailed in three of them. If the Broncos do get out to a lead, then at some point they will need to be prepared for the comeback attempt by the Aggies. It will be important that the Broncos weather all the impending storms on Saturday night. 

   

3. Pressure the Quarterback 

The Boise State defense has started to get their groove back in the last couple of games. Against Wyoming and New Mexico, the Broncos sacked the quarterback a combined seven times. This week the Broncos aren’t quite sure who will be taking snaps for the Aggies as starter Jordan Love left last week’s game with an undisclosed injury. Whoever the Broncos face, look for the Boise State defense to hurry and harass the Aggie QB. 

   

Editorial Note: 

Its Championship week. Boise State could cement their spot in the Mountain West Championship game with a win on Saturday night. The West Division will also be decided on Saturday with the winner of the Hawaii vs San Diego State game. With a win Boise State not only will guarantee themselves a chance to play for a title, they also improve their shot at the NY6 Cotton Bowl birth. But before we can count those chickens we must beat the Aggies. This one was hard to decide. There are so many questions marks surrounding this game. Will Bachmeier play? Will Henderson Start (If Bachmeier can’t play, I hope Henderson starts instead of Chord)? Will Curtis Weaver be back? Who will start at quarterback for the Aggies?  All these questions and more will be answered at 8:30 on Saturday night. 

With everything that is on the line for the Broncos this week, I think they get it done on the road. However, I think they rely heavily on the run game both orthodox and unorthodox. Boise State wins in a close one. 

Broncos 35, Aggies 34