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Game Day Guide: No. 17 Boise State visits Hawaii for late-night showdown

No. 17 Boise State takes its three-game winning streak on the road for a showdown with Hawaii at 9 p.m. Saturday. The Broncos seek their first 5-1 start since 2020.

Zack Armstrong

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Published: 3:16 PM MDT October 10, 2024
Updated: 8:28 PM MDT October 12, 2024

No. 17 Boise State seeks a fourth straight win as it heads to the Aloha State for a late-night Mountain West showdown with Hawaii on Saturday. 

The Broncos are making their first trip since 2020 having beat the Rainbow Warriors nine straight times and in 15 of the last 16 contests. Saturday serves as the first meeting between head coaches Spencer Danielson and Timmy Chang. 

Talk of the College Football Playoff continues to surround the City of Trees as Boise State (4-1, 1-0 MW) ascends into its highest spot in the Associated Press Top 25 poll since October 2019. Danielson and Co. aim to avoid the noise and handle business at Hawaii (2-3, 0-1 MW).

"It is a hard place to play and win. I mean their record at home is really good for a reason," Danielson said. "Guys go there that are these high flying offenses or great defenses and they've struggled over there in the past. For me as coach, I am always very upfront and intentional about the challenge at hand. This is a huge challenge … We have to be ready for that."

Boise State junior running back Ashton Jeanty is taking aim at college football's most prestigious individual honor. Jeanty is currently the odds-on favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.

Jeanty is on track to threaten the all-time single season rushing mark, on pace for 2,681 yards – 53 more than Barry Sanders rushed for in 1988. He has not played in the second half in two games, making the accomplishments even more impressive. 

"He doesn't worry about it one bit. If it's in six overtimes we gotta find a way to win a game, Ashton Jeanty's ready. If we need him for the first half, he's ready," Danielson said. "It's a testament to our entire team being able to create some margins for us to be able to get him out sooner … I was talking to multiple scouts and people about him, if people were at practice to watch today, my man is dripping sweat and working his tail off to play really good on Saturday."

Boise State's high-flying offense against Hawaii's stout defense is a key component of Saturday's contest. The Broncos are 21-point favorites on the road. 

The Rainbow Warriors rank first in the Mountain West and in the top 35 in the FBS in scoring defense and total defense, allowing 19.0 points and 309.4 yards per game. Hawaii also ranks second in the conference in passing and rushing defense.

Credit: (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Hawaii defensive back Peter Manuma takes his stance during a game against San Diego State, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.

The Broncos lead the league and rank in the top three nationally with 50.6 points, 301.2 rushing yards and 537.6 total yards per game. Dirk Koetter's group posted 599 yards of total offense in last week's 62-30 win over Utah State. 

Boise State ranks 123rd in the country and last in the Mountain West in pass defense, allowing 278.8 yards per outing ahead of its matchup with quarterback Brayden Schager. The Hawaii senior has thrown for 1,328 yards through five games. 

"We're looking at from all phases – is it we're not getting the signals, is it the lack of techniques, and a lot of what shows up on film right now is we are not executing our technique," Danielson said. "These are day one techniques. When you come to play Boise State football, we teach you these techniques. There's been a drop off and that's on me as the head coach. It's on our defensive coaches to get it fixed. We have young men that want to improve."

Kickoff is scheduled for 9 p.m. MT Saturday, Oct. 12 on CBS Sports Network. Information on how to watch the Mountain West matchup is included in this article. 

Scroll down or use the tabs at the top of this article to find game predictions, stat comparisons, players to watch, streaming and radio information, details on KTVB's pre-game show and more.

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