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Game Day Guide: Boise State battles rival Fresno State for Milk Can

Boise State looks to retain the Milk Can and avenge its loss in last year's Mountain West title game Saturday night. Here's everything Bronco Nation needs to know.

Zack Armstrong

(AP Photo/Gary Kazanjian)

Published: 4:35 PM MDT November 1, 2023
Updated: 8:10 PM MDT November 4, 2023

The stage is set for a massive Mountain West showdown Saturday night between two of the conference's top teams as Boise State visits Fresno State in a battle for the Milk Can at Valley Children's Stadium.

Boise State has held onto the rivalry trophy since 2018 and won 11 of the 13 meetings since the Milk Can made its debut in 2006. However, the trophy does not change hands based on matchups in the conference championship game, where the Bulldogs beat the Broncos both in 2018 and 2022.

"It's everything you want it to be. You sign to Boise State, you want to play in those big-time environments. This one is for real, for real," offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan said.

Hot on the heels of their most-complete performance of the season, the Broncos look to turn the corner at the right time and notch a winning record for the first time this fall. A win against the Bulldogs would also keep Boise State in the conversation for the championship game and move it one victory away from bowl eligibility. 

As Bronco Nation is well aware, facing Fresno State is never an easy task, and Saturday's matchup is no different. The Bulldogs average 297 passing yards per game, which ranks 14th among FBS teams and third in the Mountain West. 

Third-year sophomore quarterback and UCF transfer Mikey Keene has completed more than 68% of his 273 attempts, with nearly 2,000 yards and 19 touchdowns to just six interceptions. The Bulldogs also sit at No. 25 nationally in red zone offense efficiency. 

Boise State has been tasked with slowing down a handful of high-powered offenses this year, and it's been a bit of a challenge to say the least. However, the Broncos put together a dominant effort last week against Wyoming, giving up just 112 yards of total offense. 

Prior to facing the Cowboys, Boise State sat at 113th in total defense, allowing 428.3 yards per outing. It moved all the way up to No. 82 this week, with its average dropping below 390 yards allowed each week. 

The turnaround has been led by rising standouts such as Andrew Simpson, Ahmed Hassanein, Jayden Virgin and Ty Benefield, a true freshman who grabbed his first interception last week. Hassanein leads the team with six sacks, and Simpson has totaled 16 tackles, 5.5 tackles-for-loss, 2.5 sacks and an interception in the past three weeks alone. 

While an impressive offense is nothing new in Fresno, like the days of Jake Haener, the Bulldogs are also playing well on defense in 2023. Fresno State's unit is up there with the best in the Mountain West, ranking second in scoring defense, second in total defense, third in rushing and and fourth in passing. 

Not only is Boise State facing a team with talent on both sides of the ball, it also enters a tough stadium that will be fired up for a late-night showdown. Saturday's battle for the Milk Can is set for 8 p.m. MT on CBS Sports Network.

"It's a hostile environment. When you walk from the locker room down to the field, those fans are gonna make you feel like you don't belong there, and you wouldn't have it any other way," Boise State defensive coordinator Spencer Danielson said. "That's college football at its finest and that's the way it should be when you're going to an opponent's house. We know that's what it's gonna be and we're excited for the challenge."

Senior linebacker Levelle Bailey and fifth-year defensive back Dean Clark each have 50 total tackles this fall, and the defense as a whole has grabbed 12 interceptions, while generating 19 sacks and 46 tackles-for-loss. 

Fresno State opened the season with a 39-35 road victory against Purdue before beating Eastern Washington 34-31, followed by a 29-0 shutout win over Arizona State out of the Pac-12. The Bulldogs are riding back-to-back wins over conference foes Utah State and UNLV, but their lone loss came against Wyoming (24-19) a squad the Broncos just dominated. 

The 7-1 squad will be the latest to tangle with Boise State's two-quarterback system featuring starter Taylen Green and redshirt freshman Maddux Madsen. Earlier this week, Hamdan said Madsen only takes about 25% of the reps in practice, but applauded the backups ability to come in and execute through the air. 

The Broncos' playcaller said, "we go into the games saying, 'yeah, it could go either way.'" It has become more clear Boise State favors Madsen in basically all passing situations, although Green showcased his arm on a 49-yard touchdown to Eric McAlister to start the game against the Cowboys last week. 

"We're certainly competing every day at practice," Hamdan said. "You look at the things (Green) can do, we want to settle him in and get him playing as confident as he can be."

Green hasn't had a ton of opportunities to throw the ball lately, only attempting six passes on The Blue last Saturday. Last year's Mountain West Freshman of the Year continues to showcase his playmaking ability, running for 32 yards and a touchdown on four carries against Wyoming. 

Madsen on Monday earned Mountain West Freshman of the Week honors for the second time this fall after going 12-of-15 with 147 passing yards and a touchdown in the contest with the Cowboys. As Bronco Nation continues to weigh in on the quarterback situation, a system that has both struggled (Colorado State loss) and shined (San Jose State win), the stats are notable:

Credit: Boise State Athletics

With sophomore running back Ashton Jeanty having to leave the game last week, Boise State head coach Andy Avalos said George Holani got more work than anticipated in his first game back since the season opener at Washington. Holani ran the rock 20 times for 75 yards, averaging 3.8 yards per carry.

Avalos in his post-game press conference said the Broncos "don't believe it's anything that's going to keep (Jeanty) out too long," but his status is not known for Saturday's contest in California. In last year's regular season win over the Bulldogs, Holani ran for 157 yards and snagged a five-yard touchdown. In the 2021 matchup, he totaled 186 yards.

KTVB's Jay Tust and Brady Frederick will be live on the sidelines of Valley Children's Stadium during the second Bronco Roundup Game Day Show on Saturday at 7 p.m. MT with last-second injury updates and an exclusive look at Boise State players on the field ahead of kickoff. 

Scroll down or use the tabs across the top of this story for more information on Saturday's matchup, how to watch and listen to the game, predictions, series history, a stats comparison, players to watch, a breakdown of KTVB's coverage and more.

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