Boise State football: 3 bold predictions for the New Mexico game
By Zach Bigalke
3. Boise State defense will come up big against Lobos running game
Over the past several years, New Mexico has featured one of the best rushing attacks in the country. The Lobos finished first in the nation last year in rushing offense, as they averaged 350 yards per game on the ground. It was the third time in the past four seasons that Bob Davie’s team ranked in the top five in the FBS.
And the outlier season in 2015 still saw the Lobos finish ninth in the country. In short, New Mexico is really quite good at running the football. One might even say that they excel at the endeavor. But Boise State’s defense will make the Lobos look like lightweights in their ground game on Thursday night.
The Lobos have already shown signs of regression. Against FCS Abilene Christian, New Mexico finished with 259 rushing yards and three touchdowns as a team. But in the follow-up loss to rival New Mexico State, the Lobos offense managed just 176 rushing yards and one touchdown.
Last year, New Mexico put up 382 rushing yards and two scores against the Broncos. This season, Boise State will hold the Lobos to around half that mark. Look for New Mexico to finish with fewer than 200 rushing yards and only one score on the ground as a solid Broncos defense clamps down on the Smurf Turf in prime time on Thursday.