Boise State Football: Game-by-game predictions for the 2018 season
By Zach Bigalke
These two teams only started playing one another back in 2011, when the Broncos first joined the Mountain West as a stand-in for Pac-12 bound Utah and independence-minded BYU. Boise State made that transition right before the WAC completely collapsed.
The further expansion of the Mountain West facilitated the alignment of the larger conference in a way that put the Rams and Broncos in the same division. Last year was the closest that Colorado State has ever come to defeating Boise State. And, given the state of Mike Bobo’s squad this season, it might be a while before the Rams get that close again.
Thirteen of the starting 22 from last year’s offense and defense are no longer in Fort Collins. That includes quarterback Nick Stevens, running back Dalyn Dawkins, and receiver Michael Gallup on offense. Olasibi Johnson is back to catch passes, and graduate transfer K.J. Carta-Samuels is ready to get a chance to start after leaving Washington.
But a defense that lost seven starters is going to find it hard to improve on last year’s mediocre numbers. The Rams gave up an average of four touchdowns and more than 430 yards per game to their opponents last year, positioning them in the bottom third of the country.
This game is not going to get anywhere near overtime this season. Boise State is going to have a field day this year against a less experienced Rams team, extending their winning streak to eight straight.