Utah State @ Boise State: Who Shall Claim the Mountain?

Location: Albertsons Stadium (Boise, ID)

Date/Time: Saturday, November 24^th at 8:15 p.m. (MDT)

Television: ESPN

Streaming: N/A

Radio: Aggie Sports Network (92.3 FM local)

Head-to-Head: Boise has a 17-5 record all-time against the Aggies. Boise has won eight straight home games against USU.

What to look for:

- How do the Aggies bounce back from an abysmal game vs CSU?

o It’s no secret that Utah State played pretty poorly, at least offensively, against Colorado State last Saturday. It was an ugly win capitulated by two pick-sixes and a miracle touchdown called back by penalty. There’s no way the Aggies even stand a fighter’s chance against the Broncos if the offense plays the way they did in that game.

o Previously, the Aggies had a poor performance against Wyoming (a 24-16 win) and the next week came back to life and steamrolled New Mexico (a 61-19 win). Can they revitalize themselves this week like they did in that instance?

- Can USU keep up with a team as talented as Boise?

o BSU is clearly the best team the Aggies will have played since Week 1, in which they lost a close one in East Lansing to Michigan State. It’s hard to decipher just how well the Aggies will do when they’ve been playing teams that just honestly aren’t up to snuff with Boise. The game against Sparty feels like an eternity ago.

- Can the defense contain Rypien and Mattison?

o Stopping Boise State’s offense is the key to victory for the Aggies on Saturday. QB Brett Rypien has thrown for 3270 yards, 28 TDs and only seven INTs. RB Alex Mattison has run for 1015 yards and 13 TDs. All of those stats are impressive, and the USU defense has to be ready to battle these talented players. Boise’s offense can certainly keep up with the Aggies’, but if the defensive unit can cause some mayhem then this game can easily go Utah State’s way.

PREDICTION:

- Hm. Both teams have talent, both teams have weaknesses. It all comes down to which Utah State offense shows up in Boise. Is it the high-flying offense we’ve seen most of the year? Or do we see a dud, similar to the Wyoming or CSU games? Don’t be surprised if there aren’t a ton of points in this one from both teams defenses coming in clutch.

FINAL SCORE: Utah State 27, Boise State 23

What’re your thoughts on the game? Let us know in the comments.

Follow Alex Eiden (UnderDogsAlways) on Twitter @alexyatta_ and follow the MountainWestConnection @MWCConnection