Mountain West championship matchup is set. Boise State coach Avalos collects bonuses
The Boise State football team still has a regular season game to play this week, but it already knows it will play for a Mountain West championship for the sixth time in 10 years — and knows the opponent.
The Broncos clinched their first berth in the title game since 2020 and home-field advantage Saturday with a 20-17 win at Wyoming. It’s the first time they will host the game since 2019.
Boise State’s opponent is a familiar one. The Broncos will host Fresno State on Saturday, Dec. 3 (2 p.m., Fox).
The Broncos (8-3, 7-0 Mountain West) welcomed Fresno State (7-4, 6-1) to Albertsons Stadium on Oct. 8 and cruised to a 40-20 victory. It was their second straight win over the Bulldogs. Boise State traveled to Fresno, California, and won 40-14 last season.
This won’t be the first time the rivals have met twice in a season. In 2018, Boise State beat the Bulldogs 24-17 in the regular season, but Fresno State returned the favor with a 19-16 overtime win in the championship game on The Blue.
Fresno State wasn’t at full strength for this year’s first meeting. Star quarterback Jake Haener was sidelined with an ankle injury, and the Bulldogs were slumping — with the loss in Boise dropping them to 1-4 on the season.
Haener returned to the starting lineup on Oct. 29 and posted 394 passing yards and three touchdowns to lead his team to a 32-28 win over San Diego State. Fresno State has won six games in a row now, and wraps up the regular season Friday at home against Wyoming.
Boise State has a chance to finish the regular season undefeated in Mountain West play Friday against defending conference champion Utah State (10 a.m., CBS). The last time the Broncos went 8-0 in league play, they beat Hawaii 31-10 in the 2019 championship game. They also went 5-0 in 2020, when the entire season was just seven games because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Avalos enjoys a payday
Boise State coach Andy Avalos earned a nice chunk of bonus money after Saturday’s win at Wyoming, and he has a chance to collect more in the coming weeks.
Avalos collected $10,000 on Saturday for the Broncos’ seventh conference win and $25,000 for winning the Mountain Division, according to his contract. He’ll make $15,000 if the Broncos pick up their eighth conference win on Friday, and another $50,000 if they win the Mountain West championship.
Avalos will also collect $15,000 for leading Boise State to a bowl game and another $10,000 if they win that bowl game.
The former linebacker at Boise State signed a five-year contract with his alma mater in January 2021. His base salary is $1.475 million this year and will go up to $1.55 million next year.
Skinner, Green honored
Boise State collected two Mountain West Player of the Week awards after Saturday’s win at Wyoming.
Quarterback Taylen Green was named freshman of the week for the second time this season, and safety JL Skinner earned his first defensive player of the week honor.
Green, a redshirt freshman, completed 20-of-34 passes for 211 yards and a touchdown, and added 47 yards and another score on the ground. His 38-yard touchdown pass to Billy Bowens put the Broncos ahead for good with 7:20 left in regulation.
Skinner was the hero of the game. He ended two Wyoming drives with interceptions in a wild final 2 minutes, the second one coming with less than 45 seconds left in the end zone. It came one play after running back George Holani lost a fumble for just the second time this season and the Cowboys were in position to tie or win the game.
UTAH STATE AT BOISE STATE
When: 10 a.m., Friday
Where: Albertsons Stadium
TV: CBS (Rich Waltz, Aaron Taylor, Amanda Guerra)
Radio: KBOI 670 AM/93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)
Records: Boise State 8-3, 7-0 MW; Utah State 6-5, 5-2 MW
Series: Boise State is 25-1 all-time against Utah State, including six consecutive victories.
Vegas line: Boise State by 15.5
Weather: High of 44 degrees, 12% chance of rain, 6 mph wind
