Boise State football steals MWC Mountain title away from Utah State

In a winner-take-all showdown, Boise State football knocked off MWC Mountain leader Utah State. The Broncos will now host Fresno State for the crown.

Boise State dueled with Utah State in a game that determined which team would get to square off against MWC West champion Fresno State on December 1 for the Mountain West title. The two MWC Mountain rivals traded scores in a tense contest on the Saturday night after Thanksgiving. With the game going into halftime 17-14 in Boise State’s favor, the hosts managed to extend their lead for a 33-24 victory.

Brett Rypien showed his veteran leadership on the high-stakes stage, finishing 23-of-32 for 310 yards and a touchdown to help guide a balanced Boise State offense. Alexander Mattison chipped in a 200-yard day for the Broncos, as he plowed in three touchdown runs along the way. The Broncos finished the day with 509 total yards of offense.

The defense gave up 363 yards and three touchdowns through the air on 29-of-47 passing by Utah State quarterback Jordan Love. Boise State forced two turnovers, and they dominated at the line of scrimmage by holding the Aggies to only 62 net rushing yards on the day.

It was an all-around impressive performance by Boise State. The Broncos showed a weakness for stopping the pass, but they also turned Utah State into a one-dimensional outfit in the process. As they have so often in the past, Boise State pulled through in a high-stakes showdown at home.

With the win, Boise State earned the right to try to defend their Mountain West title in 2018. Their opponent, Fresno State, is an interdivisional rival that the Broncos have already taken down once in 2018. In eight meetings on the Smurf Turf, Fresno State has never managed to win as the hosts have traditionally run away with victory by an average 45-15 scoreline.

Fresno State has been a tougher test this season, however, as the two sides met earlier this season for their annual Battle for the Milk Can. Boise State prevailed on the day at home, but they managed only a 24-17 victory over the Bulldogs. And last year, when the Broncos met the Bulldogs for the Mountain West title, they pulled through in a low-scoring 17-14 defensive battle.

After the loss, Utah State is left to wonder what might have been. The Aggies entered the contest with a shot at a 12-1 title-winning regular season and a New Year’s Six opportunity. Now that they no longer have a shot to win the conference title, Matt Wells’ team is forced to wait and see where they might go bowling without any further control over their own fate.