BOISE, Idaho — The Boise State football team travels to Logan, Utah for a critical Saturday night matchup against the Utah State Aggies.
The game at Maverik Stadium is scheduled to kick off at 8:30 p.m. MT and will be televised nationally on CBS Sports Network.
The stakes are high for both teams. If the Broncos win in Logan, they clinch the Mountain Division and would host the conference title game on December 7. Their opponent would be the winner of Saturday's West Division showdown between San Diego State and Hawai'i.
A loss to the Aggies could result in a possible three-way tie for the Mountain Division title, but the Broncos could still make the championship game by virtue of a head-to-head win against Air Force (8-2, 5-1 MWC).
As the No. 20 Broncos (9-1, 6-0) and Aggies (6-4, 5-1) prepare for Saturday's showdown in Logan, there are some big questions at key positions for both teams.
Last weekend against New Mexico, the Broncos started third-string quarterback Jaylon Henderson who quickly silenced any doubters. The redshirt senior completed 15 of 28 passes for 292 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in the 42-9 win. The effort earned him Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week honors.
Freshman Hank Bachmeier and Sophomore Chase Cord were suited up and on the sidelines during the game, but neither played. Both have suffered apparent shoulder injuries in recent weeks.
Coach Bryan Harsin declined to offer any hints as to who would start against the Aggies, but said he has complete confidence in all the quarterbacks, including Henderson.
"We have confidence in all those guys, because they've all played. We've seen those guys and what they can do," he said. "Our third stringer did a pretty good job, right? You gotta put them in an order - that pecking order - but all those guys are ready to play, and he showed that."
On the defensive side of the ball, the Broncos could be without Curtis Weaver, who left the New Mexico game with an injury. The junior STUD broke the conference career sack record this season and is a candidate for defensive player of the year, so his absence in a critical game would certainly be felt.
Utah State may be without star quarterback Jordan Love, who left last Saturday's game against Wyoming with an undisclosed injury. Love threw for 282 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions before a big hit ultimately knocked him out of the game in the third quarter. Backup Henry Colombi completed three of six passes for 35 yards in relief of Love.
Like Harsin, Aggies coach Gary Andersen declined to comment on the status of his star QB, but acknowledged that both teams are in the same boat when it comes to injuries. He also offered up praise for Henderson.
"[Henderson] absolutely had a special game [against New Mexico]," Andersen said. "It's another great story in college football. We'll have our hands full, regardless of who plays quarterback. Who knows who it's going to be? I guess that's the million-dollar question for both teams."
The Broncos have won 15 of the last 16 games against the Aggies. It's worth noting that Boise State's lone loss during that stretch - a 52-26 shellacking in 2015 - happened in Logan when the Broncos were ranked No. 21.
Harsin is well aware of the history between the programs and said his team will need to remain focused on the prize.
"These guys are good," he said of the Aggies. "Last week was championship week, this week is championship week, so the opportunities are there. We've just got to take advantage of what we do each day and stay focused on that.
"Really the focus too is being on the road in that environment," he added. "It's tough to win there."
GAME INFORMATION
Boise State at Utah State
- Saturday, Nov. 23
- Maverik Stadium, Logan, Utah
- Kickoff: 8:30 p.m. MT
- Weather: Partly cloudy, 33 degrees at kickoff
ON TV
The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network (Carter Blackburn, Aaron Taylor, AJ Ross), which can be found on the following channels:
- Sparklight (formerly Cable One): Channel 139 / 1139 (HD)
- DirecTV: Channel 221
- Dish Network: Channel 158
- Cox: Channel 234
ON THE RADIO
Fans can listen to the game on the Bronco Radio Network (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender), which can be found online or on the following stations in the Boise area:
- KBOI 670 AM in Boise
- KTIK 93.1 FM in Boise
- KDZY 98.3 FM in McCall
- KSNQ 98.3 FM in Twin Falls
Here is a list of Bronco Radio Network stations outside the Boise area.
BRONCO ROUNDUP GAME DAY
KTVB's Bronco Roundup Game Day show will be live from Maverik Stadium before the game from 7 to 8 p.m. on KTVB, KTVB.COM, and in the Bronco Roundup app.
Join Jay Tust and Will Hall for a look at all of the major storylines surrounding this matchup.
POLL POSITION
The Broncos moved up one spot to No. 20 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, released on Tuesday. They are still in the race for berth a New Year's Six bowl, which goes to the top-ranked Group of Five conference champion. However, the Broncos are sitting behind Memphis and Cincinnati at Nos. 18 and 19, respectively. The Tigers and Bearcats will face each other in the regular season finale, and there's a good chance they could also play each other in the conference championship game. The Broncos would likely need those teams to split the wins in order to jump both of them.
FAMILIAR FACE
Broncos fans may recognize a familiar face wearing Utah State colors on Saturday. Former Boise State quarterback and offensive coordinator Mike Sanford Jr. is now offensive coordinator for the Aggies.
KTVB sports analyst Tom Scott writes in his Scott Slant column about why this game is an important one for Sanford:
"When [coach Gary] Andersen landed back in Logan last winter, he summoned Mike Sanford Jr. as his offensive coordinator. Sanford had just been fired as head coach at Western Kentucky but professed to be energized by a return to the O.C. ranks. There’ll be some polite handshakes before and after the game, as Sanford was Bryan Harsin’s first O-coordinator at Boise State in 2014. Harsin was also tight ends coach on Dan Hawkins’ Broncos staff when Sanford was a backup quarterback. This is a pivotal game for Sanford, not only because it’s against his alma mater. He needs his offense to function at a high level. USU was second in the nation in scoring last year at 47.5 points per game—the Aggies are currently 70th at 28.0 points per."
BRONCOS-AGGIES SERIES
Boise State leads the all-time series 18-5 in a rivalry that stretches back more than 40 years. The Broncos and Aggies first played in 1975, a 42-19 Utah State win at Bronco Stadium. The teams played sporadically until the mid-90s, and now play annually as divisional foes in the Mountain West Conference.
The Broncos have dominated the series since both teams joined the conference, many of the wins coming as blowouts. The sole exception was a Boise State trip to Logan in 2015 - when the Aggies beat the Broncos 52-26. Last year's meeting between the teams decided the Mountain Division when No. 23 Boise State defeated No. 22 Utah State at Albertsons Stadium on Nov. 24.
The Broncos are 8-3 when playing in Logan, and won the last meeting at Maverik Stadium, 41-14, in 2017.
Boise State's all-time record against Utah State:
- Nov. 24, 2018 - W - 33-24 (Boise)
- Oct. 28, 2017 - W, 41-14 (Logan)
- Oct. 1, 2016 - W, 21-10 (Boise)
- Oct. 16, 2015 - L, 26-52 (Logan)
- Nov. 29, 2014 - W, 50-19 (Boise)
- Oct. 12, 2013 - W, 34-23 (Logan)
- Dec. 4, 2010 - W, 50-14 (Boise)
- Nov. 20, 2009 - W, 52-21 (Logan)
- Nov. 8, 2008 - W, 49-14 (Boise)
- Nov. 10, 2007 - W, 52-0 (Logan)
- Nov. 18, 2006 - W, 49-10 (Boise)
- Oct. 22, 2005 - W, 45-21 (Logan)
- Sept. 28, 2002 - W, 63-38 (Boise)
- Nov. 11, 2000 - W, 66-38 (Boise)
- Oct. 30, 1999 - W, 33-27 (Logan)
- Oct. 24, 1998 - W, 30-16 (Boise)
- Nov. 1, 1997 - L, 20-24 (Logan)
- Oct. 19, 1996 - L, 14-39 (Boise)
- Sept. 9, 1995 - W, 38-14 (Logan)
- Oct. 15, 1983 - L, 7-10 (Logan)
- Nov. 13, 1982 - W, 30-10 (Boise)
- Oct. 29, 1977 - W, 23-16 (Logan)
- Nov. 15, 1975 - L, 19-42 (Boise)
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