Staff Picks: Utah State at Boise State
Jaden Johnson – jadenjohnson00
I’ve gone back and forth on this at least a thousand times this week. That might not be an exaggeration. On one hand, I feel like peak Utah State would beat peak Boise State this year, but both teams have had a few off performances. On a neutral field, I think I would pick Utah State 7-out-of-10 times, but the Broncos simply don’t lose much on that horrible, horrible blue turf. They have a record of 115-7 at home dating back to 1999, though they did lose a game there earlier this season to a San Diego State team which is certainly not as good as Utah State. Utah State’s secondary woes continue to worry me, with now three of the starters in the defensive backfield done for the season. If USU wins this game, I think it’s in shootout fashion, and Jordan Love will need to be dominant. It’s gonna be close.
Utah State 41 – Boise State 40
Daniel Hansen – @thegranddanny
This game will be won by the team who puts the most pressure on the opposing quarterback. Both Boise State and Utah State rank in the top 50 in the country in sacks per game, with the Broncos and the Aggies averaging 3.27 and 2.45 sacks per game, respectively. USU, however, is much more adept at slowing the pass rush down. Utah State ranks fourth in the nation, allowing only 0.73 sacks per game compared to Boise State’s 2.45 sacks allowed per game. Both BSU’s Brett Rypien and USU’s Jordan Love can take over a game if given enough time in the pocket, and whichever team can prevent the QB from gaining a rhythm will gain a major advantage. If the Aggies are to claim their first division title since 2014, Tipa Galeai and the Aggies’ front seven will have to play a critical role. Maybe I’m picking more according to what my heart wants in this game, but I think Utah State can pull this off.
Utah State 37, Boise State 33
Dalton Renshaw – @dren_sports
Utah State had a bit of a slip-up last weekend in Fort Collins, but came out with a win and heads to Boise for the right to play in the Mountain West championship game. I expect the Aggies to be ready and to come out fast on offense. Boise has some incredible pass rushers so Jordan Love and the offensive line will have to be sharp today if they want to come away with a win. Boise State has the 15th ranked passing attack in the nation led by senior quarterback Brett Rypien. They also feature a thousand yard rusher in Alexander Mattison who also has gotten into the endzone 13 times on the season. This is a matchup of two great offenses and I expect the score to reflect that. You know, if this was in Logan I’d have no reservations picking the Aggies. But, they have struggled some on the road this season, especially on offense. That being said, this is the best Utah State team possibly in program history. They’re going to come prepared to steal a victory away from the Broncos on the blue turf.
Utah State 38 Boise State 35
Jason Walker – @thejwalk67
Utah State’s secondary was already underwhelming before it got hit with the injury bug. Ultimately I think this will be the Aggies’ undoing. This is the most complete team USU has faced since Week One and my gut tells me this will also be the first loss since Week One. I can easily see this going the other way if Utah State pressures Brett Rypien enough to make up for lackluster coverage, and if the offense plays like it has for most of the season.