BOISE STATE’S RUN GAMEVS. BYU’S RUN DEFENSE

Boise State’s offensive system thrives on balance — that much is clear after two games. The Broncos could not run the ball against Michigan State, which led to an inconsistent night in the pass game. They ran it consistently well against Miami — and the pass game clicked, with quarterback Joe Southwick completing 16 of his final 17 throws.

“Being able to run the ball really opened up the playbook for us,” sophomore wide receiver Matt Miller said.

Said senior right guard Michael Ames: “We had something to prove. We wanted to run the ball and make sure that D.J. got the yards that he needed. I think we did a fairly good job this past game and it’s something we want to carry into the BYU game.”

The Broncos will face one of the toughest tests of the season on the ground. The Cougars rank sixth in the nation against the run (53 yards per game). They limited Utah to 49 yards on 35 carries last week — numbers that sound a lot like Boise State’s production against Michigan State (37 yards on 24 carries).