Boise State football: Preview, live stream, prediction vs. Fresno State

Boise State football and Fresno State meet on Friday in a rematch of last year’s Mountain West title game. Who will win the Battle for the Milk Can?

Last year, Boise State and Fresno State met two straight weekends. The Bulldogs won the Battle for the Milk Can at home, taking a 28-17 victory to set up a rematch the following weekend in the Mountain West championship game. With Boise State hosting the title game, the Broncos won on the Smurf Turf in a close 17-14 win for the league crown.

This year, Boise State needs help just to earn a chance to defend their MWC title. Led by veteran quarterback Brett Rypien, the Broncos feature one of the nation’s top dozen passing offenses. Boise State throws for an average of 318 yards per game, and as a result they rank in the top 25 in the FBS in scoring. Where they have struggled is in running the ball. Despite getting back veteran back Alexander Mattison, the Broncos manage fewer than 150 yards per game on the ground.

Fresno State, similarly, has featured a solid passing attack this year. With Marcus McMaryion in his second season piloting the Bulldogs offense, they rate among the 25 best passing offenses in the country. Meanwhile, only Michigan’s secondary can boast a better pass efficiency defense than Fresno State. The Bulldogs are also tied with Temple for the most defensive touchdowns in the country, with five to date.

How will things play out when the two sides meet on Friday night? Here’s how you can watch the Friday night game between No. 23 Fresno State and Boise State:

Date: Friday, Nov. 9
Time: 10:15 p.m. ET
Location: Boise, Idaho
Venue: Albertsons Stadium
TV: ESPN2
Live Stream: WatchESPN | FuboTV

Keys to Victory

Fresno State needs to find a way to put pressure on Brett Rypien. The Bulldogs, so good in so many facets of the game, have struggled to get their defensive front into opposing backfields. Ranked 88th in sacks and 109th in total tackles for loss, Fresno State needs to reverse their fortunes at the line of scrimmage to prevent the Broncos from dominating them through the air.

Boise State, meanwhile, needs to play as well against the pass as they have passing the football on offense. The Broncos rank 99th in the country in opponent passing efficiency, and Marcus McMaryion could have his best game of the season and lead Fresno to victory if the Andy Avalos-coordinated defense is unable to improve on its standard level of performance against the pass.

Betting Odds

Odds courtesy of oddsshark.com

Point Spread: Fresno State -2.5
Over/Under: 53.5

Prediction

Fresno State, it deserves to be said, are just a better team this year than Boise State. While the Broncos are at home, the visitors are still favored by just under a field goal. Jeff Tedford’s crew is going to obliterate that spread, as they stay undefeated in conference play and get revenge for losing last year’s title game to the Broncos.

Boise State will fall completely out of the New Year’s Six picture as Fresno State consolidates position in the College Football Playoff committee’s Top 25.

Final Score: Fresno State 38, Boise State 24