Lobos Pack: Boise State Game Preview and Prediction

What:

Boise State Broncos vs. New Mexico Lobos

Where:

University Stadium in Albuquerque, NM

When:

Friday September 9, 2022, at 7:00 p.m. Mountain Time

Coverage:

The game will be shown on CBS Sports Network, nationwide. On the radio waves it will be carried on the Lobo Sports Radio Network, 96.3 FM/770 AM in Albuquerque.

Series:

Boise State leads the series 11-1. Last season, the Broncos beat the Lobos 37-0 in Boise.

Breakdown:

The New Mexico Lobos will look to knock off the Boise State Broncos when the two tangle in Albuquerque on Friday night in front of a nationally televised audience.

New Mexico comes into the game with a 1-0 record, following a 41-0 victory over the Maine Black Bears last week in Albuquerque.

In that contest, the Lobos struggled in the first quarter, but turned it on for the final three. The UNM offense put up 437 yards, including 267 yards on the ground, while limiting Maine to 118 yards.

Boise State comes into Albuquerque with an 0-1 record, after losing to Oregon State last Saturday by a 34-17 final. In that contest, Broncos quarterback Hank Bachmeier was benched after turning the ball over three times in the first half.

The only time the Lobos have defeated the Broncos was in 2015, which was a 31-24 win in Boise.

Lobos:

Offense:

Running back Nathaniel Jones will make his 2022 debut this week. Jones rejoined the team after leaving last season. Jones sat out against Maine due to an internal matter between he and Coach Danny Gonzales. It will be interesting to see how much of a workload Jones receives, especially after 10 different players got carries last week.

Miles Kendrick had a solid night against Maine, going 14-for-17 for 170 yards and two touchdowns. He did throw two interceptions that were throws Kendrick definitely shouldn’t have made. However, Kendrick got better as the game went along.

The Lobos will need all their offensive weaponry in this contest it appears.

Defense

Last week I had said that the defense was the most improved unit on the team. And they did not disappoint. Holding Maine to just 118 yards, forcing two turnovers, and coming away with three sacks.

The unit will get a stiff test this week with a very talented Boise State team.

Expect the Lobos to still be aggressive with a lot of blitzing and mixed packages to confuse the Broncos offense.

What to expect from Boise State:

As of this writing, Boise State head coach Andy Avalos has yet to name either Bachmeier, or Taylen Green as the starting quarterback for this contest.

Green came on, after the Bachmeier benching, and led the Broncos to three scoring drives, including one that ended in a 74-yard touchdown run for Green.

Green is more versatile and will run if needed. Bachmeier is more of a passing quarterback, that will let his receivers do the work down field. Whomever starts, the Lobos will need to be on their A-game if they want to compete for a win.

On the defensive side, the Broncos’ secondary was torched against Oregon State, giving up 292 yards through the air. The Lobos may not pass as much as Oregon State, but with a vulnerability in coverage, the Lobos could exploit that on play action.

Final Thoughts and Prediction:

The Lobos did look really good against Maine. However, Maine is not Boise State. This Broncos team is out to get the nasty tastes out of their mouths following last week’s loss.

Right now, DraftKings Sportsbook have the Broncos as a 17-point favorite, but I think the Lobos cover. In fact, I think the Lobos will stun the nation and pull off the upset on Friday night. This Lobos team is hungry, and they’re gelling at the right time, and I’ll take them beating Boise State, 31-27.