Two of the best defenses in the country will get together in this as the Boise State Broncos (5-1) take on the Utah State Aggies (3-2). The MWC’s third-leading receiver, Thomas Sperbeck (526 yards, 5 TDs), will be featured in this game. It starts at 9:00 p.m. ET on Friday, Oct 16 and will be available on CBSS.
In last week’s matchup, Utah State easily got past Fresno State 56-14. Devante Mays had a huge game running the ball in the victory, rushing nine times for 92 yards and three TDs. Devonte Robinson also had a great game with 80 receiving yards and a TD on four catches. Winning in similar fashion, Boise State won big over Colorado State 41-10. Thomas Sperbeck had a great game for the Broncos, grabbing five receptions for 178 yards and two TDs. Shane Williams-Rhodes put up 52 receiving yards on seven catches.
Boise State is an eight-point favorite in this game against the Aggies.
With a 3-2 record both Straight Up (SU) and Against The Spread (ATS), the Aggies will look to improve as they head into Week 7. There are very few in the country better at defending the run than the Aggies. Utah State only allows 3.1 yards per rush to its opponents.
In the other locker room, the Broncos head into Week 7 with records of 4-2 ATS and 5-1 SU. Chances are Boise State will continue to rely on its passing attack, where its 288.7 passing yards per game ranks 24th in the nation. Moving on to the Boise State defense, there are certain areas where it measures up well against the Aggies. The Broncos have the second-ranked run defense in the nation, giving up just 60.7 yards per game on the ground. If the Aggies don’t do a good job holding on to the ball, they’ll have a hard time against the Broncos defense, which ranks eighth in the country in turnovers with 2.7 per game. Teams need to stay focused in the first quarter against the fast-starting Broncos, who average 12.5 points in the first 15 minutes.
Predictions: SU Winner – Boise State, ATS Winner – Boise State
Notes
Utah State 17-7-1 SU in its last 25 games.
Utah State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Utah State is 1-12 ATS in its last 13 games when playing Boise State.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Utah State’s last 5 games when playing Boise State.
Utah State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boise State.
Utah State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Boise State.
Utah State is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Boise State.
Boise State is 5-1 SU when leading at the half this season. Utah State is 2-0 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
According to national passing ranks, Boise State has an advantage on both offense and defense. Its passing attack (ranked 24th in the country) will face the 63rd-ranked pass defense of Utah State, while its 45th-ranked pass defense will look to limit the 109th-ranked passing game of the Aggies.
