Boise State Football: Game-by-game predictions for the 2018 season
By Zach Bigalke
San Diego State fell off its perch at the top of the Mountain West last year, despite enjoying the record-breaking services of Rashaad Penny. Now Penny is off in the NFL plying his trade with the Seattle Seahawks after earning a first-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft. The Aztecs have survived the loss of major running backs before, though, as Penny stepped in to take over for the NCAA’s all-time leading rusher Donnel Pumphrey.
That said, striking gold on a third straight attempt is statistically improbable for San Diego State. But it is possible, with Juwan Washington averaging 6.6 yards per carry as a redshirt freshman and sophomore. In his 182 career carries, he has racked up 1,200 yards and 13 touchdowns. If he gets anywhere near the 289 carries Penny earned last year, Washington is likely to challenge for a third consecutive 2,000-yard season by an Aztec back and could rack up 20 or more touchdowns.
San Diego State’s defense was a top-40 unit last year, but losing five of the 2017 group of starters will hurt their chances of producing similar results. With several key defensive linemen gone, Alexander Mattison could have a field day. The secondary is still probably going to be a tough position group to crack, as Brett Rypien learned last year in an 11-of-19, 72-yard performance.
Rypien will probably do better this year, but the Broncos will still lean heavily on Mattison in this contest. He will make the difference in a low-scoring affair to help Boise State stay undefeated to begin the month of October.