BOISE, Idaho — It will be a family reunion of sorts when the Boise State and Washington football teams meet in the 2019 Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl on Saturday.
The game is set to kick off at 5:30 p.m. Mountain Time and will be televised nationally on ABC.
The No. 19 Broncos (12-1) and Huskies (7-5) will face off in what will be a rematch of the 2012 Las Vegas Bowl, a 28-26 Boise State victory. It will be the Broncos' fifth appearance in the bowl, where the team is a perfect 4-0.
The matchup is a somewhat controversial one for fans and coaches. Washington coach Chris Petersen, who coached the Broncos from 2006-2013, announced earlier this month that he was stepping down as head coach of the Huskies. Petersen said he would still coach in the bowl game, but when the matchup was announced, he was less than thrilled that his current team would be facing his old team.
During media availability in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Petersen said the game should be about the players, not the coaches.
"This game is not about me," he said. "It's about two good programs, it's about the kids playing. Our guys are excited to play Boise because they're really a good opponent, coming to Vegas in a great bowl game. That's what this thing's about."
Boise State coach Bryan Harsin also expressed concerns that the players could be overshadowed by all the "Coach Pete Bowl" talk.
“There’s an obvious storyline in this game," said Harsin, who served as Petersen's offensive coordinator from 2006 to 2010. "The most important thing we have to consider is not to overshadow the players that are going to play in the game."
Obvious storylines aside, the Boise State-Washington matchup looks to be a good one. Washington is favored by 3.5 points in what is expected to be a close game. One matchup to watch will be Washington's stout offensive line against AP All-American Curtis Weaver and the Boise State pass rush. Weaver is a junior, but is widely expected to declare for the 2020 NFL draft, so this will likely be fans' last chance to see him in a Broncos uniform.
The Huskies (7-5) are better than their record suggests, with four of the five losses by six points or fewer, including defeats at the hands of top-25 conference foes Oregon and Utah.
Meanwhile, the Broncos' only stumble of the season was a three-point loss at BYU. Had they won that game, they would likely be playing in the Cotton Bowl. As it stands, Boise State has seven wins over bowl-eligible teams this season, tied with Georgia for the fourth-most nationally.
GAME INFORMATION
2019 Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl
No. 19 Boise State (12-1) vs. Washington (7-5)
- Saturday, Dec. 21
- Kickoff: 5:30 p.m. MT
- Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, Nev.
- Weather: Mostly cloudy, 52 degrees at kickoff
ON TV
The game will be televised on ABC (Bob Wischusen, Kirk Herbstreit, Molly McGrath), which can be found on the following channels:
- Antenna: Digital Channel 6.1
- Sparklight (formerly Cable One): Channel 6 / 1006 (HD)
- DirecTV: Channel 6
- Dish Network: Channel 6
- Cox: Channel 8
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.
STREAMING
The bowl game will stream live on the WatchESPN app, available in Apple and Android app stores. The service is only available to subscribers of participating cable and satellite television providers (including Cable One, Dish Network, and DirecTV).
BRONCO ROUNDUP GAME DAY
KTVB's Bronco Roundup Game Day show will be live from Sam Boyd Stadium before the game from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on KTVB, KTVB.COM, and in the Bronco Roundup app.
Join Jay Tust and Will Hall for a live look at all of the major storylines surrounding this matchup.
FAN EVENTS IN VEGAS
While there is no shortage of fun things to do in Las Vegas, fans attending the bowl game will be treated to a pair of pre-game celebrations:
Fremont Street Experience Pep Rally
- Friday, 6-7 p.m.
- The annual tradition of the Fremont Street Experience Pep Rally is a great opportunity for fans of both teams to truly get excited about the Las Vegas Bowl. Featuring the bands, cheerleaders, mascots and more.
Pre-Game Fan Fest
- Saturday, prior to kickoff
- This tailgate party is the place to be for live music, food, games, and a battle of the bands from Boise State and Washington.
ALL-AMERICAN HONORS
Boise State's best player has been racking up post-season All-American accolades.
Junior STUD Curtis Weaver has been honored with three first team (Sporting News, Walter Camp, CBS Sports) and four second team (AP, ESPN, the Athletic, and USA Today) selections.
Heading into the bowl game, the 2019 Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year has a conference leading 13.5 sacks, ranking fifth nationally, as well as a career-high 50 tackles, including 18.5 tackles-for-loss, a figure which also paces the conference and ranks tied for ninth in the FBS.
Weaver also owns the Mountain West sack record. With 34 sacks over his three seasons, he ranks second in Boise State history, and is the FBS' active career leader.
The defensive star isn't the only Bronco to get the All-American tag this season. Running back George Holani was named on Monday to ESPN’s True Freshman All-America team.
Holani emerged as Boise State's top running back this season, leading all freshmen in the Mountain West with 979 rushing yards (just 21 shy of the 1,000-yard mark). He was voted the 2019 Mountain West Freshman of the Year, and landed on the conference's second team.
The true freshman also nabbed 23 passes for 179 yards and a pair of touchdowns to add to his seven rushing scores for a total of nine on the season.
BRONCOS VS. PAC-12
Saturday's game will mark Boise State's fifth appearance in the Las Vegas Bowl. The Broncos are a perfect 4-0 so far, with wins over Utah (2010), Arizona State (2011), Washington (2012) and Oregon (2017).
The Broncos are 4-1 all-time against the Pac-12 in bowl games, with the only loss a 38-23 defeat to Oregon State in the 2013 Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl.
Note: Utah was a member of the Mountain West when Boise State (then a member of the WAC) defeated the Utes, 26-3, in the 2010 Las Vegas Bowl.
The Broncos hold a 17-16 all-time record against teams from the Pac-12, and a 13-4 record against the conference since 2006.
Boise State and Washington are 2-2 in the all-time series, with the Broncos' only losses coming on the road in 2007 (24-10) and 2013 (38-6). The victories came in the 2012 Las Vegas Bowl (28-26), and at Albertsons Stadium in 2015 (16-13).
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