‘No real weakness’: Fresno State brings one of the nation’s best defenses to Boise
In his third season on the staff, Boise State offensive coordinator Zak Hill is hard-pressed to think of a tougher defense than the one he will see Friday.
“One of the best ones we’ve faced,” Hill said of Fresno State.
Truth is, the Bulldogs are as stout as any defense the Broncos have faced in their eight seasons in the Mountain West.
The numbers speak for themselves — Fresno State has allowed just 36 points in five conference games, and ranks No. 2 in the Football Bowl Subdivision in scoring defense (12.3 points per game), No. 2 in red zone defense (56.3 percent) and No. 2 in interceptions (15).
Fresno State’s run of 20 games without allowing more than 30 points is the longest active streak in the nation.
“They’re good. You watch the film and there’s no real weakness in their defense at all,” Boise State senior quarterback Brett Rypien said. “... They’re a physical group, they’re going to get up in your face, you’re going to have to make plays and they’re not going to make many mistakes.”
In two matchups against Fresno State last season, the Broncos scored 17 points in both games, winning the second in the Mountain West championship. The Broncos are plenty familiar with the personnel — Fresno State’s top seven tacklers from last season are listed as starters for Friday’s game — and even with a new defensive coordinator, Bert Watts, the 4-3 scheme is similar.
“Their players are really good across the board ... they’re all playing at a high level,” Boise State coach Bryan Harsin said. “They do a good job of eliminating what other teams do well.”
For Boise State, what it does well is throw the ball and keep drives going. The Broncos are No. 2 on third-down conversions (55.7 percent) and tied for 15th with 10 passes of 40 yards or more.
The Bulldogs are 10th nationally on third-down defense (29.9 percent) and have allowed only six passes of 30 yards or more. Three of those have gone for more than 50 yards, so hitting a long ball would be big, just as Rypien’s long toss to Cedrick Wilson in last December’s conference championship led to the winning score late in the fourth quarter.
“We can’t waste any opportunities that we get, and we have to take advantage and hit the big plays when we have (chances), for sure,” Rypien said.
Both teams’ offenses are prolific, with Fresno State averaging 40.4 ppg and Boise State 38.0, but there’s a reason Las Vegas has set the over/under at 54. Both can play some defense, and a physical, four-quarter battle seems far more likely than a shootout.
“It’ll be an awesome battle for us — fun,” Hill said.
No. 16 FRESNO STATE AT BOISE STATE
When: 8:15 p.m. Friday
Where: Albertsons Stadium (36,387; FieldTurf)
TV: ESPN2 (Mike Couzens, Kirk Morrison, Alyssa Lang)
Radio: KBOI 670 AM/KTIK 93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)
Records: BSU 7-2, 4-1 (won 21-16 vs. BYU on Saturday); Fresno State 8-1, 5-0 (won 48-3 at UNLV on Saturday)
Series: Boise State leads 14-6 (Broncos won 17-14 on Dec. 2, 2017, in Mountain West championship)
Vegas line: Fresno State by 3
Weather: High 30s, clear
Tickets: Office on the west side of Albertsons Stadium, visit BroncoSports.com/tickets or call 208-426-4737.
This story was originally published November 6, 2018 at 5:07 PM.