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Game Day Guide: No. 10 Boise State looks to win consecutive Mountain West conference championships in rematch against No. 19 UNLV

No. 10 Boise State aims to secure a playoff berth in a rematch and conference championship game against No. 19 UNLV on Friday.

Carsen Cloud

Steve Conner & David Becker/Associated Press

Published: 6:00 PM MST December 3, 2024
Updated: 6:00 PM MST December 3, 2024

No. 10 Boise State is hosting the Old Trapper Mountain West Conference Championship game at Albertsons Stadium and is poised to face the No. 19 UNLV Rebels. The Broncos are 7-0 in conference play, and the Rebels are 6-1, with their only loss coming to the Broncos earlier this season.

Boise State is currently ranked No. 10 in the AP Top 25 Poll, the highest the Broncos have been ranked since the Chris Petersen era. The Broncos are also on a 10-win streak, with their only loss of the season coming to the No. 1 Oregon Ducks.

The Rebels are coming off a historic season of their own. With Barry Odom as their head coach, the Rebels are on their first 10-win season since 1984.  Odom has also turned the Rebels around, delivering them their first winning and bowl-eligible season in 2023 since 2013. The Rebels are checking in at No. 19 in the AP, the highest they have been ranked in conference history.

This meeting marks the second match against UNLV in the 2024 season after the Broncos' 29-24 victory in October. Ashton Jeanty put up 128 hard-fought yards on 33 carries in Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Head Coach Spencer Danielson said the Broncos leaned on Jeanty in this first match-up. 

This matchup is also a rematch of last year's conference championship game when the Broncos and the Rebels met at Allegiant Stadium, where the Broncos took home the trophy, beating the Rebels 44-20. Last year's matchup looked a little different for both teams, with the Broncos being led by quarterback Taylen Green and the Rebels by quarterback Jayden Maiava. But our returning Bronco, Ashton Jeanty, still had a great game, rushing for 153 yards against the Rebels on 21 carries.

Boise State is looking to win consecutive Mountain West championships for the first time since joining the conference. In program history, Boise State has won 5 Mountain West championships but has not been able to win them consecutively. Boise State won WAC titles consecutively from 2002-2006 under Dan Hawkins.

"It will be huge to see the Bronco Nation selling out. They have done it all year; it has been huge for us all year, on defense and offense, just to look out in the stands and be like, 'Wow, man, this is really the best atmosphere that I can ever be at,'" said senior defensive end Ahmed Hassanein. "I'm really grateful."

"You talk about one of the best home-field advantages in the country. It may not seat 100,000 people, but it sounds like 100,000 people," said quarterback Maddux Madsen. "Bronco Nation does a great job of showing up every week. The fact that the student section was full on Thanksgiving break shows the support we are getting and receiving."

Credit: John Kelly/Boise State Athletics

Due to Boise State and UNLV both being the highest-ranked Group of Five teams, this conference championship game is essentially a play-in game to the College Football Playoff.

Boise State is the favorite to win the championship by four points. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. MT Friday, Dec. 6, on FOX. This article includes information on how to watch the conference contest.

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 shows and post-game coverage and more.

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