Boise State fans guide: How to watch, what to watch for against San Diego State
The Boise State football team has won 35 conference championships in program history, including four in the Mountain West.
But the Broncos haven’t hoisted the league’s top hardware since 2019. They’re hoping to change that in 2023.
The quest for a Mountain West championship begins this week when the Broncos open league play at 8:30 p.m. Mountain time Friday against San Diego State at Snapdragon Stadium. The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
“It’s a big deal to us going into conference play,” Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty said. “The mentality is a little bit different because you can’t lose any games — and we don’t want to lose any games anyways — but one loss and you may not be able to play in the final championship game.”
San Diego State is the only current Mountain West program against which the Broncos do not have a winning record. The series is tied at four wins apiece.
Boise State defeated San Diego State 35-13 last season at Albertsons Stadium in quarterback Taylen Green’s starting debut, a win that turned the season around. The Broncos racked up 316 rushing yards in the game, including 105 from Green.
“The goal has remained the same for a long time. ... so the sense of urgency is always high, the standard’s high,” Boise State tight ends coach Nate Potter said. “We know it starts this week with our first conference game. So the sense of urgency is always there.”
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Can the Broncos’ offense come up with big plays, big drives?
San Diego State made a name for itself in the Mountain West with defense. When the Aztecs finished fourth in team D last year, it was the first time in a decade being outside the top three in the league.
This season, SDSU is off to an even worse start, ranking ninth — one spot behind Boise State. But it all requires perspective. While the Broncos struggled against strong offensive teams Washington and UCF, the Aztecs have lost to a pair of Pac-12 schools, UCLA and Oregon State, by a combined 42 points, and the Bruins exploited them for 550 yards of offense.
But San Diego State and its patented 3-3-5 defense also gave up 28 points and 322 passing yards to Idaho State, and the D is yielding nearly 300 yards per game passing.
Considering that Boise State offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan has been quite happy having Green throw the ball a lot, and that Green connected with Eric McAlister on several big pass plays last week, that could bode well for the Broncos. But it’s vital to take care of the ball — Green has four interceptions and the team is minus-2 in the turnover department — and not forget about the run.
Boise State has just six drives of 10 plays or more this season, three of which came last week against North Dakota. Three or four more this week that result in points would go a long way toward fueling a victory.
How healthy can Boise State get?
Running back George Holani has not played since Week 1, linebacker DJ Schramm and starting left guard Ben Dooley missed last week’s game, and edge Cortez Hogans hasn’t suited up all season.
Optimistic fans could hope that all of those Broncos will be on the field Friday night, and that holding them out against FCS North Dakota was a solid plan by coach Andy Avalos to let them heal even more so they’d be ready for conference play.
Jeanty has been really good even with Holani out, the offensive line has done well and Marco Notarainni has been a menace in Schramm’s place. But having everyone at your disposal would be a luxury for Avalos and the coaches. Holani and Jeanty could spell each other, and be in the game at the same time for special plays. Defensive alignments could be concocted to get Schramm and Notarainni both in there, and Hogans’ presence could help the front become more disruptive.
Football depth is a wonderful thing. Having everyone healthy and performing well — to the degree that no matter who you put on the field, they are fresh and excelling — is even more wonderful, and the proverbial “great problem to have.”
BOISE STATE AT SAN DIEGO STATE
When: 8:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Snapdragon Stadium (35,000, grass), San Diego
TV: CBS Sports Network (Rich Waltz, Aaron Taylor, Justin Walters)
Radio: KBOI 670 AM/93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)
Records: Boise State 1-2; San Diego State 2-2
Series: The series is tied 4-4. Boise State won last year’s meeting 35-13 in Boise.
Vegas line: Boise State by 6
Weather: High of 74 degrees, 6% chance of rain, 10 mph wind
THIS WEEK’S COVERAGE
‘Not afraid’ to try new things, Boise State has OC call plays from sideline for a half
Kickoff time, TV announced for Boise State’s football game at unbeaten Memphis Sept. 30
As Boise State’s offense evolves, will quarterback Taylen Green’s legs get more use?
Boise State, Mountain West standard-bearer, starts league play with fresh ‘mentality’
This story was originally published September 20, 2023 at 4:00 AM.
