Nevada (3-7, 0-4 Mountain West) at No. 12 Boise State (7-1, 4-0, No. 12 CFP ), Saturday, 8 p.m. EDT (FOX)
BetMGM College Football Odds: Boise State by 24 1/2.
Series record: Boise State leads 31-14.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Boise State’s hopes of earning an automatic berth into the newly-expanded College Football Playoffs as the Group of Five representative hinge on being the highest-ranked conference champion. The Broncos are led by Heisman Trophy hopeful Ashton Jeanty, who has run for 1,525 yards with 20 touchdowns this season. A loss would put a significant dent in the Broncos’ chances, while Nevada is seeking an upset over its long-time nemesis to keep alive its slim hopes of becoming bowl eligible.
KEY MATCHUP
Nevada defense against Jeanty. Without LB Tongiaki Mateialona to anchor the Nevada run game defense due to injury, the Wolfpack have a formidable task of stopping one of the nation’s best running backs. It will be interesting to see if Nevada follows San Diego State’s blueprint of crowding the box to limit Jeanty’s big-play opportunities and force Boise State to attack with its passing game.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Boise State: RB Jeanty makes the Broncos’ offense go with his bruising physical approach to running the ball accompanied by elite speed once he gets in the open field. While the Broncos aren’t in short supply of offensive playmakers, Jeanty is the unquestionable heart and soul of the offense.
Nevada: Dual threat QB Brendon Lewis will challenge Boise State’s defense both on the ground and through the air. While Lewis ranks only ninth in the Mountain West in passing yards with 1,542, his 660 yards rushing combined with his passing has him fourth in the Mountain West in overall offensive yards. He’s rushed for at least one touchdown in his last four games. LB Drue Watts will be key for Nevada if the Wolfpack hope to contain Jeanty.
FACTS & FIGURES
The 45 games with Nevada is the most-played series in Boise State program history, a series that first began in 1971. Nevada has only played more games with Fresno State. … Nevada has the nation’s 11th best red zone offense, scoring in 29 out of 32 trips. … Both offenses are very good when it comes to converting on third downs. Boise State is fifth in the nation with a 51.4 conversion percentage, while Nevada is ninth at 50.4 percent. … The Boise State-Nevada series has resulted in plenty of exciting games, mostly notably the matchup on Nov. 26, 2010, when the Broncos were ranked No. 3 and Nevada was No. 19. The game, which all but ended Boise State’s hopes of playing for a national title that season after Nevada prevailed 34-31 in overtime, showcased 27 future NFL players, most notably quarterbacks Kellen Moore (Boise State) and Colin Kaepernick (Nevada). Also involved in that game was Nevada first-year coach Jeff Choate, who was the special teams and nickelbacks coach at Boise State that season.
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