Boise State Football: Game-by-game predictions for the 2018 season
By Zach Bigalke
Nevada and Boise State have been longtime conference rivals. The Wolf Pack made the transition to the I-A level four years before Boise State, but once the Broncos took the leap in 1996 they have been in the same conference in 21 of the past 22 years. First in the Big West, the two played some of their most legendary duels in the WAC before that conference’s dissolution.
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The biggest of the bunch came in 2010, when Colin Kaepernick’s Wolf Pack knocked off Kellen Moore’s then-perfect Boise State squad in overtime. It was a legendary moment in college football history, as Nevada went on to finish 13-1 all while preventing the Broncos from completing another BCS Buster run.
That, however, was the only time Nevada has taken down Boise State in the 21st century. More frequently, the Broncos have prevailed by double digits. Last year’s game between these two teams finished in a 41-14 Broncos victory. We are likely going to see more of the same this time around.
An experienced Nevada offense returns nine starters, including starting quarterback Ty Gangi. They should manage to put up a few more scoring drives on Boise State this time around. But the defense lost four starters and doesn’t have the personnel to significantly improve their chances of an upset. Brett Rypien and the passing attack is going to make the difference as the Broncos pull away from a Wolf Pack team that gave up more than 260 yards per game through the air last year.