‘Mystique’ week is here, but has Boise State-San Diego State rivalry cooled a bit?
Only on X-Men message boards will the word “Mystique” be thrown around as much this week as in the discussion around Saturday’s football game between Boise State and San Diego State.
Few fans who were around four years ago, or even the coaches, will forget what San Diego State coach Rocky Long said.
For those in need of a refresher, Long said leading up to the Nov. 15, 2014, game of Boise State’s home turf advantage, “it’s not that way anymore.” He doubled down after the Broncos won 38-29, saying: “I’m really sorry we’re not going to play them for the next couple of years. Because I love playing them. They supposedly have this mystique. They don’t have a mystique.”
That chatter clearly bothered Boise State coach Bryan Harsin, then in his first season. He put “Believe In Your Brand” on the locker room TVs before that game.
“There wasn’t a whole lot of motivating I had to do this week. ... We don’t like to be talked about that way,” he said, even taking a jab a few months later at the fact the Aztecs shared a dated stadium with the NFL’s Chargers.
But time has passed, three years went on between meetings, and even after the Broncos won 31-14 in San Diego last year, perhaps the animosity has died down, at least a little.
“(There’s) a little more maturity from four years ago,” Harsin said Monday when reminded of his comments. “What I’ve learned is everybody’s fighting for their team.”
Long wasn’t necessarily off base with his comments, as the Aztecs had won in Boise on their last visit in 2012, and the Broncos went on to lose twice at home in 2015. But he also had said wearing blue uniforms on the turf was unfair — and the Broncos won in 2014 wearing black.
He said this summer he has received emails from passionate Boise State fans throughout the years and that he didn’t intend for his words to be a criticism of the program, just that the turf itself was seen as a mystical object.
Saturday will be the Aztecs’ first time back on the Blue since that heated game, ironically played in bone-chilling, single-digit weather. Both teams have won exactly 37 games since, and motivation will come from all angles.
“It’s going to be a huge game. It’s one that’s always on our minds, especially with what happened last year,” quarterback Christian Chapman said in July at the Mountain West Football Media Summit. “They came into our place and totally manhandled us. ... It really humbled us.”
With an all-time series that Boise State leads 3-2, two consistently good teams that often recruit the same athletes, and even a bit of trash talking, an annual matchup would certainly be fun. But playing in opposite Mountain West divisions makes these meetings a little more special.
“Boise State-San Diego State, I know it’s every couple years ... but it’s a great opportunity,” Harsin said.
QUICK HITS
San Diego State is coming off a bye — Boise State is 31-3 against teams off a scheduled bye since joining the FBS in 1996. ... The Aztecs have won 24 straight games when winning the turnover battle, No. 1 in the nation. Boise State has won 17 straight such games, which is No. 3. ... Redshirt freshman linebacker Zeke Noa made his Boise State debut at Wyoming and is on the depth chart as a backup at weakside. Defensive coordinator Andy Avalos has spoken highly of him and said “he’s in the mix” this week. ... Boise State is one of five teams with three receivers (Sean Modster, A.J. Richardson, John Hightower) in the top 100 nationally in yards per game.
Women’s soccer: Sherle honored again
Boise State junior forward Raimee Sherle, a Rocky Mountain High graduate, was named the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week for the second week in a row and the fifth time in her career Monday.
Sherle totaled four goals in wins against Colorado State and Wyoming, bringing her season total to 16 and career total to 41.
Her 16 goals is tops in the nation, five goals ahead of a group of six players tied with 11 goals apiece. Sherle’s 41 career goals also tied the Mountain West Conference record set by Utah’s Amy Kofoed from 1999 to 2001.
Sherle is only the third offensive player in conference history to win the weekly award five times, joining TCU’s Lizzy Karoly (2006-09) and Jordan Calhoun (2008-11).
SAN DIEGO STATE AT BOISE STATE
When: 1:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Albertsons Stadium (36,387, FieldTurf)
TV: ESPNU (Mike Couzens, Kirk Morrison); CableOne ch. 136/1136, DirecTV ch. 208, Dish Network ch. 141
Radio: KBOI 670 AM/KTIK 93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)
Records: BSU 3-1, 1-0 (beat Wyoming 34-14 on Saturday); San Diego State 3-1, 0-0 (beat Eastern Michigan 23-20 in OT on Sept. 22)
Series: Boise State leads 3-2 (won 31-17 at SDSU on Oct. 14, 2017)
Vegas line: Boise State by 14 1/2
Weather: Mid-50s, chance of rain
Tickets: $54 to $89; stop by the ticket office on the west side of Albertsons Stadium, visit BroncoSports.com/tickets or call 208-426-4737.
This story was originally published October 1, 2018 at 5:03 PM.