Preview: Utah State at Boise State
It seems as if every time these two teams get together there is something on the line. Although this isn’t a traditional rivalry, players and fans alike will tell you a win in this game means a lot. Utah State is 1-4 against Boise State since joining the conference in 2013, their lone win coming in 2015 in Logan when the Aggies shocked the Broncos with a 52-26 thumping. This dropped then 20th ranked Boise from the rankings and threw a wrench in the Broncos’ season. They will look to accomplish a similar feat this Saturday, while also securing a spot in their second Mountain West conference title game appearance.
In Monday’s press conference, senior linebacker Chase Christiansen spoke about just that.
“When you come here, in all reality, this is what you’re here for: to play for a chance to go to the Mountain West Championship game.”
On top of all of that, this might be the most prolific matchup of the two teams in years as no matchup has featured both teams ranked in the top 25. Although it took a miraculous effort and a little bit of luck to earn a win last Saturday, Utah State comes into the game riding a ten-game win streak that started after their first game of the season that saw them almost upset then 14th ranked Michigan State. Utah State features one of the most potent offenses in the nation scoring 46.9 points per game, good enough for third in the country. In just his second season, offensive coordinator David Yost has this scoring machine humming.
Utah State has been dominant on this side of the ball all season and incredibly balanced at that. The Aggies currently rank 11th in the nation putting up 488.0 yards per game while averaging top 30 numbers in both passing and rushing. This thanks to some solid offensive line play led by senior center Quin Ficklin in combination with incredible efforts from the skill positions. Tailbacks Darwin Thompson and Gerold Bright have both been terrific, each of whom have eclipsed 750 yards and eight touchdowns on the season. Jordan Love has led this offense and passing attack tremendously in his sophomore season and has gotten contributions from a variety of guys in the receiving corps. The Aggies have eight players with at least two touchdown receptions and six guys with 20 receptions or more.
Don’t sleep on the Broncos though, they also sport a powerful offense, of a different kind. Their offense relies heavily on their passing attack led by all-conference quarterback Brett Rypien. Speaking about Rypien, Utah State head coach Matt Wells had some kind words to say about him leading into Saturday’s game.
“He’s a tough dude. He’s their guy and is their leader. He’s one of the best to ever play in this league.” Wells went on to pay more respects to the Broncos saying, “Brett Rypien is one of the best quarterbacks to ever play in this conference and what a compliment. They have wideouts that can hurt you.
Not only are their wideouts deadly, but running back Alexander Mattison is more than capable of carrying the load for the Broncos. Having rushed for 1015 yards and 13 touchdowns on 225 carries this season. Coach Wells said of Mattison, “Starting with game one all the way to now, he’s the best one we’ve seen all year.” High praise from coach, and the balance they share between their run game and passing attack is what makes them so hard to stop. For years Boise State has been a run it down your throat and throw it over the top type of offense. But, under offensive coordinator Zak Hill, they’ve opened up the offense and now rank 14th in the country in passing yards per game. Helping lead Boise State to the 9-2 record they come into Saturday with.
After the miracle weekend the Aggies just had in Fort Collins, they will come into the weekend with yet another challenge. But, according to Wells, it’s something the team is well prepared for.
“There will be a time or two where you go on the road in this league, not playing your best, not having your best ‘A’ game, but you still have to find a way to come out of it with a win,” Wells said.
Having to shift their focus towards such an important game on the road, Wells feels they will be prepared for the job.
“The goal for us is still out there, which is to win the Mountain West,” Wells said. “This weekend is round eight to see who can win. Basically, you’re in the Mountain Division and whoever wins gets to host. Our guys know that.”
That’s what this all comes down to in the end: who’s going to take the Mountain Division from the other? A win and the chance to host a conference championship game in Logan would be a huge accomplishment for the program. Heights, I would dare to say, this program hasn’t reached in the past. This is partially made evident by their first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoff top 25. The Aggies come into the game in the top 25 for the second straight week sitting at number 21, two spots ahead of Boise State.
As good as both these offenses are, the defenses are going to have to step up big and make plays in order to keep them in the game. Coming off of a stellar 20 tackle performance in Fort Collins, the efforts of sophomore linebacker David Woodward to continue his great play will be vital if the Aggies look to mitigate Boise State’s offense. Along with veterans like Christiansen, Gaje Ferguson, Jontrell Rocquemore, Aaron Wade, Suli Tamaivena, and Tipa Galeai all playing important roles in a banged up Utah State defensive unit. Having already lost cornerback Shaq Bond earlier in the season, losing corner Deante Fortenberry for the rest of the season last week in Fort Collins was another big blow to the depleted Utah State secondary. Especially going against a quarterback like Brett Rypien who is so good at picking apart a defense.
Speaking on how they plan to limit the Broncos’ offense, senior linebacker Chase Christiansen had this to say.
“As always, you have to stop the run. That’s where we always start. I don’t think we did a good enough job last week, so we definitely have a lot to improve on.”
Christiansen went on to say, “They’ve got good players, so we have to bring our A game. We know that. We are excited for the challenge.”
Saturday is a special game, there’s no way around it. This will be the biggest game on either team’s schedule for the regular season. But, if you ask Wells, he’ll probably just tell you what his grandpa used to tell him.
“Matthew, there is a box on this golf scorecard. You put the number in the box. There’s not enough room for a paragraph.’ You don’t write a paragraph, you don’t analyze it and you don’t write all the good or all the bad. You just put the score down and you move on.”
Speaking about his team, Wells relayed the message saying, “You know what? We won, let’s move on and that’s it. That’s what I told our captains and I said that’s as good of an analogy as I can give you. It doesn’t matter. Put the par down and move on. We won round seven and now we’re onto round eight. We have a chance to compete for a division championship, which is exactly where we want to be.”