Boise State Football: Game-by-game predictions for the 2018 season
By Zach Bigalke
Four years ago, when the two teams played one another in East Hartford on Boise State’s last run to a New Year’s Six game in 2014, the Broncos racked up a 38-21 victory. But it was an odd contest, as Jay Ajayi rushed for only 39 yards and Boise State barely outpaced UConn on offense. But the Broncos scored two defensive touchdowns as they ran away from a Huskies team that went 2-10 that year.
This year’s UConn squad probably isn’t going to be that much better in 2018. Last year’s team went 3-9. There is little to expect a ton of improvement this year. Eight starters return on offense, but UConn lost their starting quarterback Bryant Shirreffs. Given that this was an offense that leaned heavily on its passing game, it is tough to imagine UConn being better than last year’s squad that ranked 102nd nationally in scoring.
Thus Boise State’s home opener is going to be an opportunity to correct any lingering issues that might be discovered during the trip to Troy. Connecticut provides the perfect opportunity for that shakedown game, especially given that there was significant turnover on the Huskies defense. Six of last year’s starters are now gone from UConn, and the team ranks in the bottom 15 nationally in terms of returning production.
So the Huskies are probably going to provide the perfect foil for a rout on the Smurf Turf. Unlike 2014, this will be no close call, and the defense won’t have to bail out the Broncos.