PREMIUM
Rogers' 10* Thursday Night ESPN SHOWCASE (BYU/Boise)
(NCAAF) BYU vs. Boise State,
Point Spread: 7.00 | -109.00 BYU (Away)
Result: Win
Point Spread: 7.00 | -109.00 BYU (Away)
Result: Win
The set-up: Boise St. has seemed more ‘mortal' in recent years, going 8-5 in 2013 and then 9-4 last season. After all, the Broncos have gone to 14 consecutive bowls from 2002 through 2015, winning 11 or more games in 10 of those 14 seasons (finished in the final AP 15 in seven of those years). This year's team is off to a 6-0 start and comes in ranked 14th in the latest AP poll. BYU opened the 2016 season having been to 11 consecutive bowls (starting in 2005) but after a season-opening two-point win over Arizona, the Cougars lost to Utah (by one point), to UCLA (by three points) and to West Va. (by three points). In danger of falling to 1-4, BYU beat Toledo 55-53, kicking a game-winning FG on that game's final play. A 31-14 upset at Michigan St. and a 28-21 (2 OT) win at home over Miss. St has followed, meaning BYU enters this game at 4-3.
BYU: Senior RB Jamaal Williams became the school's all-time leading rusher during Friday's 28-21 double-overtime victory over Mississippi State. He has 3,468 yards, surpassing Harvey Unga (3,455 from 2006-09) and has rushed for 942 yards (2nd-most nationally) on 5.7 YPC with 10 TDs this season. He complements senior QB Taysom Hill who has passed for 1,420 yards, while adding 324 yards and four TDs on the ground. However, Hill has just a 9-8 TD-to-INT ratio. BYU's defense is no better than average, allowing 25.1 PPG (52nd) on 401.9 YPG (67th).
Boise State: The Broncos own quite a QB/RB combo in Brett Rypien and Jeremy McNichols. Rypien threw for 3,353 yards with 20 TDs and 8 INTs last season but already has 1,622 passing yards in six games this season, along with 12 TDs and just 3 INTs.
McNichols, a junior RB, had a career-best 217 yards in Saturday's 28-23 win over Colorado St. (his second 200-yard outing of the season) and has run for 775 yards (5.2 YPC) with 11 TDs on the season. He also has 20 receptions and has added 3 TD catches. Boise State's offense is averaging 35.3 PPG (36th) and its defense has allowed a modest 19.3 PPG (23rd). That's a pretty sweet ‘daily double!'
The pick: Boise State has won four of the previous six meetings but won't forget last year's game, a 35-24 BYU win in Provo in Boise State's second game of the season (before Rypien took over at QB). The Broncos were one play from a victory last season when Cougars QB Tanner Mangum threw a 35-yard, fourth-down 'Hail Mary' pass to Mitchell Juergens to give BYU a four-point lead with 45 seconds left.Then BYU added a 50-yard interception return to punctuate the unlikely 35-24 win. Boise State will surely not forget but revenge will not come easily for the Broncos Thursday night, even on their famous blue turf. SIX of BYU's seven games this season have been nail-biters. Five games in which BYU has gone 2-3 have been decided by a combined total of just 10 points and last Saturday's 28-21 win was of the double-OT variety. Take the points and make BYU a 10* play.
BYU: Senior RB Jamaal Williams became the school's all-time leading rusher during Friday's 28-21 double-overtime victory over Mississippi State. He has 3,468 yards, surpassing Harvey Unga (3,455 from 2006-09) and has rushed for 942 yards (2nd-most nationally) on 5.7 YPC with 10 TDs this season. He complements senior QB Taysom Hill who has passed for 1,420 yards, while adding 324 yards and four TDs on the ground. However, Hill has just a 9-8 TD-to-INT ratio. BYU's defense is no better than average, allowing 25.1 PPG (52nd) on 401.9 YPG (67th).
Boise State: The Broncos own quite a QB/RB combo in Brett Rypien and Jeremy McNichols. Rypien threw for 3,353 yards with 20 TDs and 8 INTs last season but already has 1,622 passing yards in six games this season, along with 12 TDs and just 3 INTs.
McNichols, a junior RB, had a career-best 217 yards in Saturday's 28-23 win over Colorado St. (his second 200-yard outing of the season) and has run for 775 yards (5.2 YPC) with 11 TDs on the season. He also has 20 receptions and has added 3 TD catches. Boise State's offense is averaging 35.3 PPG (36th) and its defense has allowed a modest 19.3 PPG (23rd). That's a pretty sweet ‘daily double!'
The pick: Boise State has won four of the previous six meetings but won't forget last year's game, a 35-24 BYU win in Provo in Boise State's second game of the season (before Rypien took over at QB). The Broncos were one play from a victory last season when Cougars QB Tanner Mangum threw a 35-yard, fourth-down 'Hail Mary' pass to Mitchell Juergens to give BYU a four-point lead with 45 seconds left.Then BYU added a 50-yard interception return to punctuate the unlikely 35-24 win. Boise State will surely not forget but revenge will not come easily for the Broncos Thursday night, even on their famous blue turf. SIX of BYU's seven games this season have been nail-biters. Five games in which BYU has gone 2-3 have been decided by a combined total of just 10 points and last Saturday's 28-21 win was of the double-OT variety. Take the points and make BYU a 10* play.
