BYU is coming off a very tough loss against in-state rival Utah. The Cougars will have to bounce back quickly, because they are heading for Boise and the blue turf to take on the Boise State Broncos. <\/p>\n
BYU Cougars vs. Boise State Broncos <\/strong> Matchup<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Preview<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Boise State may not be the same dominant team they were the past few years, but they are still a very tough team to beat, especially in Boise. This will be the Thursday night showcase game on ESPN this week.<\/p>\n BYU<\/strong><\/p>\n If any of you stayed up to watch the conclusion of the BYU vs. Utah \u201cHoly War\u201d game last Saturday night, you saw one of the craziest finishes you will ever seen in college football. BYU made a late comeback and got multiple chances to tie the game at the end of regulation after some crazy penalties, but the Cougars ended up falling three points short. BYU is clearly a team that has made a lot of progress from a year ago to now, but they still have plenty of room for improvement.<\/p>\n The strength of this team is their defense. Even though the Cougars lost last weekend, Utah only had 245 total yards of offense. Utah scored one touchdown on a fumble recovery. BYU held Utah to just 49 yards on the ground. Riley Nelson is the main man at quarterback for BYU. Nelson is a dual-threat quarterback, but he is at his best when he is throwing the football. BYU needs to get a little bit better production from their tailbacks moving forward. [soliloquy id=”82219″]<\/p>\n Boise State<\/strong><\/p>\n Boise State lost their season opener 17-13 to Michigan State, but the game really wasn\u2019t that close. The Broncos were outgained by 255 yards, and their only touchdown came on an interception return. Last week Boise State struggled against Miami (Ohio) in the first half, before kicking it into gear in the second half and winning 39-12. D.J. Harper ran for 162 yards and three touchdowns on just 16 carries in that contest. Harper is the biggest star this team has now, and I fully expect him to get the ball more often in big games. Joe Southwick has the tough task of following in the footsteps of Kellen Moore at quarterback.<\/p>\n Boise State\u2019s defense struggled against Michigan State\u2019s power running game, but they were very good against Miami\u2019s passing attack. Boise State\u2019s defense returns only a couple familiar faces from last year, so this season will be a real test of the depth of the Broncos program. Has the recruiting here been good enough to keep this defense at an elite level this year?<\/p>\n Boise State is still a good team, but they are certainly several notches below where they were a year ago. BYU should have the defense to stay close in this one. Expect a low scoring game that stays close all the way.<\/p>\n
\nBronco Stadium, Boise Idaho<\/strong>
\nThursday September 20, 9:00 PM EST on ESPN<\/strong>
\nCollege Football Betting Odds\u00a0<\/strong>from\u00a0GTBets.eu<\/a><\/strong>
\nMoneyline: Off<\/strong>
\nCollege Football Spread: Boise St -8 (-110) vs. BYU +8 (-110)<\/strong>
\nOver\/Under: Off<\/strong><\/p>\n