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The BYU Cougars (4-5) will clash with the Boise State Broncos (6-2) on Saturday. The Cougars desperately need a win after dropping their fourth straight game against the East Carolina Pirates 27-24.
BYU went back and forth with a tough Pirates squad before ECU kicker Andrew Conrad drilled a 33-yard field goal as time expired. The Cougs were able to keep star QB Holton Ahlers in check, but Pirates RB Keaton Mitchell, who is tied for 16th in the country in rushing yards, tallied a robust 176 yards on 21 attempts.
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BYU's Jaren Hall completed 18-of-25 pass attempts for 144 yards and a pair of scores. Running back Lopini Katoa played admirably, stepping in for starter Christopher Brooks and rushing for 116 yards and a touchdown.
While the Cougars are going backwards, the Boise State Broncos are full steam ahead as they ride a four-game winning streak. They beat up on a lowly Colorado State team 49-10 in Week 9. Broncos QB Taylen Green tossed a career-high 305 yards in the blowout win.
Green's performance was somewhat overshadowed by fellow backfield mate George Holani rushing for three tuddies on 108 yards. Boise outgained CSU by nearly 350 yards while sacking opposing signal caller Clay Millen five times.
BYU Cougars vs. Boise State Broncos Betting Odds
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Tale of the Tape
The Boise State Broncos are in year two with Andy Avalos at the helm. Avalos is the Broncos' third head coach since the monumental Chris Patterson era ended in 2013. The Broncos' offense leans on a run game with roughly 40 rushing attempts per game.
Led by the duo of George Holani and Aston Jeanty, Boise State is third in the conference in rushing yards per game (179.6) and yards per attempt (4.6). Quarterback Taylen Green is also a major rushing threat, tallying 258 yards and five scores on 38 carries. As a passer, Green leaves a lot to be desired.
The redshirt freshman has thrown the same number of touchdowns as interceptions in seven games. In the end, Green didn't start the season as a starter. Hank Bachmeier, a senior who threw 20 touchdowns against eight interceptions in 2021, abruptly entered the transfer portal after playing four games for Boise.
Boise houses one of the best defenses in the country, albeit having one of the easiest schedules in all of football. The numbers are gross, allowing under 100 rushing yards per game and a 49.4% completion percentage to opposing quarterbacks. Their 232 yards allowed per game is the second-best mark in the country, trailing only Illinois.
I wrote about these BYU Cougars before their Week 9 matchup with ECU, and my perspective remains the same about this year's rendition of Kalani Sitake's squad. Quarterback Jaren Hall remains one of the most efficient signal callers in the game. After throwing 20 touchdowns against five interceptions in 2021, he's improved his TD: INT ratio to 7:1 in 2022. The run game remains impressive regardless of who gets most of the workload. The offense can play with anyone, but the defense is a whole different story.
The defense has had a rough go of things this season but showed a little life in their close loss to ECU. Still, the Cougars allow over 30 points per game while opposing passers have been able to pick them apart through the air. In Week 8, Arkansas QB KJ Jefferson threw for 367 yards and five scores on 29 completions.
BYU Cougars vs. Boise State Broncos Prediction
BYU burned me last week but showed some life on defense with a stout performance against ECU. More alarming than Boise State's strength of schedule is the departure of four-year starting QB Hank Bachmeier.
The reasoning remains unknown, but the internet suggests it had to do with the coaching staff. With Green at QB and the Broncos facing their first real test, I like the prospect of the Cougars with the points.
Prediction: BYU +8.5 (-110)
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