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Last week, Utah State held Air Force to a season-low of 326 yards of total offense and out gained Air Force by nearly 100 yards, but they turned the ball over two times, proving to be too much to overcome. After losing to Air Force by a touchdown for the second year in a row Utah State is undoubtedly going into this game against Boise State with their heads down.
Boise State is the heavy 20-point favorite coming into this game, and after getting crushed by Utah State last year, I expect the Broncos to come out with a vengeance. This is going to be one of the hardest games Utah State plays all year, here are some of the things they need to do to win.
Run the Ball Better
Last week Utah State only had 42 rushing yards. That’s absolutely unacceptable, and Kent Myers cannot single-handedly beat Boise State’s defense, so Utah State needs a better game plan.
Get Turnovers/Don’t Turn the Ball Over
Boise State has turned the ball over 5 times in the past 2 weeks, and working with a short field would really help Utah State’s wounded offense get some points on the board. Getting turnovers and capitalizing on them is vital to Utah State’s success.
The Aggies also need to make sure they don’t turn the ball over themselves. We saw a perfect example of just how much turning the ball over can hurt a team last week when Utah State played Air Force. Utah State can’t repeat the same mistakes.
Stay Within Striking Distance
It’s no secret that Boise State hasn’t held on to leads to well this season. The Broncos almost let Washington State come back from a 31-14 hole, and have been outscored 45-31 in the second half this season. If Utah State can stay within two scores until half time, their odds of winning go up exponentially.
Overall, I think Utah State just has too many obstacles to overcome to win this game. Boise State has a great team this season, and without Devante Mays, it will be hard to get the Utah State offense going. I predict a 35-24 Boise State victory. You can watch the game on ESPN 2 at 10:15.