Boise State Football

The Boise State Broncos have never lost at home on a Friday night, and that didn't change in a 55-30 drubbing of BYU that wasn't as close as the final score indicated.

Boise State dominated on both offense and defense en route to the victory, as you can tell in the below game grades for both teams.

Pass Offense: Boise State quarterback Grant Hedrick had a career-best day in many capacities, going 24-of-31 with 410 yards, one interception and five total touchdowns—four through the air. He threaded the needle with a couple of deep balls, but it was largely the speed and separation ability of his receivers that ran up those passing totals.

Run Offense: Boise State’s fanbase held its collective breath when Jay Ajayi looked injured after conceding a safety, but they exhaled after seeing him return to punishing defenders. He finished with 26 carries for 118 yards and two touchdowns, constantly blowing over BYU’s defense. The Cougars stacked the box early to frustrate Ajayi, and it didn’t work one bit.

Pass Defense: The holes are still there in Boise State’s secondary, but they’re a lot less glaring when the defensive line is generating pressure. The Broncos’ front was treacherous on Friday, chasing Christian Stewart around all game long. They slipped up once and it was a big one—an 81-yard touchdown—but it was an otherwise strong outing from the unit. 

Run Defense: BYU’s offensive success was few and far between, but Jamaal Williams’ rushing success was one bright spot. He had a number of punishing runs including a 17-yard touchdown, but Boise State held him in check other than that. After grabbing an early lead, BYU didn’t run the ball much, anyway.

Special Teams: Boise State punter Sean Wale wasn’t on the field very much early, and that’s a promising sign. The Broncos made the plays when opportunities came up, recovering a botched punt return in the first quarter. Kicker Dan Goodale was perfect on extra points and 2-of-2 in field goals.

Coaching: Like they're known to do, Boise State's coaches orchestrated the trickery with a first-quarter pitch-and-pass that went for a touchdown. They constantly drew up pressure to frustrate BYU's passing game, and kept Boise State's offense ahead of the chains.

Pass Offense: BYU quarterback Stewart was rarely protected in the pocket and when he was, he struggled to find the mark. He went 23-of-38 for 259 yards, overthrowing a couple of receivers and failing to make plays when the Cougars needed a spark. His 81-yard strike to Colby Pearson seemed to open things up early on, but Boise State’s defense tightened. 

Run Offense: Williams was a small glimmer of light in an otherwise paltry performance overall from BYU. He ran 16 times for 70 yards. If the Cougars weren’t down so much in the second half, Williams would have put up even bigger numbers. But it’s no secret that without Taysom Hill around, this rushing offense is a shell of what it used to be.

Pass Defense: BYU has hidden its speed deficiency in the secondary against many of its opponents, but not Friday night against the electric Boise State offense. The Cougars’ secondary was gashed for 410 yards through the air, giving up everything from deep balls down the field to screen passes for chunk yardage.

Run Defense: After Ajayi's first rush of the game went for 17 yards, his next five went for just seven yards combined. But instead of continuing to bottle up the talented rusher, Ajayi emerged with 26 carries for 118 yards and two touchdowns.

Special Teams: BYU's early botched punt return only cost them three points, but it set the tone for a poor special teams day. The Cougars' three punt returns went for just 13 total yards, and Scott Arellano punted eight times—never a good thing. 

Coaching: Head coach Bronco Mendenhall put his trust in his defense against the odds before the first half ended and it paid off with a safety. Other than that, though, BYU's coaching staff rarely put the offense in a position to succeed.

The Boise State Broncos hope to continue their success against the Fresno State Bulldogs when they meet Friday night in a Mountain West Conference matchup.

The Broncos are a remarkable 12-1 against the spread in the last 13 meetings with the Bulldogs despite going just 3-13 ATS in their past 16 home games against conference opponents.

Point Spread: The Broncos opened as 16-point favorites at Bronco Stadium.

Odds Shark Computer Pick: Broncos 42.4, Bulldogs 31.1

Why the Fresno State Bulldogs Can Cover the Spread

Fresno State is 6-2 ATS in its last eight road games against Mountain West foes, and one of the losses came at UNLV last Saturday. The Bulldogs lost to the Rebels 30-27 in overtime but nearly rallied back for a victory with a strong second half that saw them outscore the home team 27-10 after the intermission.

Fresno State quarterback Brian Burrell had one of his best games of the season in defeat, throwing for 310 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.

The Bulldogs had won their previous three games both SU and ATS after starting the season 0-3 straight up and ATS.

Why the Boise State Broncos Can Cover the Spread

Boise State has dominated Fresno State at home, but the team has had trouble covering the spread against other Mountain West teams. The Broncos have gone 3-1 ATS in their last four home games overall but have not played there since beating Louisiana-Lafayette 34-9 a month ago as 17.5-point favorites.

Three of their past four games have been on the road, including a 51-46 victory at Nevada last week as three-point favorites.

Boise State quarterback Grant Hedrick threw for 346 yards against the Wolf Pack with two touchdowns and one interception. Meanwhile, running back Jay Ajayi totaled 152 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

Smart Pick

With two high-scoring teams, bettors might assume the over is the play. However, the betting trends favor the under with what could be a big number on the total.

The under has cashed in the last three games for the Bulldogs, who have played better defense following a rough start to the season.

Fresno State had given up an average of more than 55 points during an early three-game losing streak but has allowed fewer than 21 per game over the past four. The under is 4-1 in the last five road games against Mountain West opponents for the Bulldogs and 8-3 in Boise State's last 11 home games vs. conference foes.

The Broncos have also seen the under cash in each of the last two home meetings.

Betting Trends

• Fresno State is 1-7 SU in its last eight games when playing Boise State.
• Boise State is 5-0 ATS in its last five games when playing at home against Fresno State.

All point spread and lines data courtesy of Odds Shark, all quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line movement updates and get the free odds tracker app.

The Colorado State Rams are one of the hottest teams in the country and will try to avoid cooling off against the Boise State Broncos in one of the nation’s toughest places to play.

The Rams are coming off a 31-17 victory against rival Colorado last week in their season opener to win their fifth in six games both straight-up and against the spread.

But Boise State has caused them problems recently in winning the last three meetings over the past three years.

Point spread: Broncos opened as eight-point favorites, which had been bet up to -10.5; the total was 57.5 at Bronco Stadium, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. (Line updates and matchup report)

Odds Shark computer prediction: 35.2-31.9 Rams

Why the Colorado State Rams can cover the spread

Despite losing three straight times to Boise, the Rams have at least narrowed the gap each of the last three years, falling by 50 points in 2011, 28 in 2012 and 12 last season. Two of those meetings came at home, but Colorado State has performed very well on the road, covering eight of their last nine in that situation.

The team’s most recent game away from home took place last week in Denver against the Buffaloes, and the Rams used a strong running game to prevail as senior Dee Hart and junior Treyous Jarrells combined for 260 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Another performance like that could keep Colorado State within single digits.

Why the Boise State Broncos can cover the spread

The “Smurf Turf” in Boise remains one of the top home-field advantages in the country, and you can bet the Broncos are excited to be back there playing in front of their fans after losing 35-13 to Ole Miss in Atlanta last week.

Boise did not even score a TD against the Rebels until there were less than five minutes remaining in the game, and the team should have a lot more confidence in a building where opponents have gone 4-21 straight-up in the last 25 games there.

Smart Pick

Did the mystique of Boise State leave with former head coach Chris Petersen, who is now in Washington? That question will continue to be answered throughout the season, and the Rams may very well be the next team to upset the Broncos there—or at least give them a scare.

Colorado State is 8-1 ATS in its last nine road games while Boise is just 1-4 versus the line in its past five at home. Keep in mind, the Rams just need to stay within a couple of scores to give their backers a chance to cash on them. And they have also won five of their last six on the road.

Trends:

• Colorado State is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games on the road
• Boise State is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games
• Colorado State is 8-1 ATS in its last nine road games

Note: All point spread and lines data courtesy of Odds Shark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury updates and line move updates and get the free odds tracker app.

Boise State will continue with its motto of playing “anybody, anytime, anywhere” when it opens this season against the Rebels of Ole Miss on Thursday night at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

The Broncos are coming off their worst season in recent memory, and they're no longer the betting darlings of college football, with three straight losing seasons against the spread. But they have been double-digit underdogs just once in 13 seasons, and they won that game (2008 at Oregon).

Point spread: Rebels opened as 9.5-point favorites; the total was 54 at Georgia Dome, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. (Line updates and matchup report)

Odds Shark computer prediction: 38.6-32.7 Broncos

Why the Boise State Broncos Can Cover the Spread

The Broncos are beginning the post-Coach Petersen era, but they are expected to continue on with their winning ways with new head coach and alumnus Bryan Harsin. Boise State returns 15 starters this season—six more than last year. Seven starters are back on offense, including senior QB Grant Hedrick, 1,400-yard rusher Jay Ajayi and last year's Top 2 receivers, Matt Miller and Shane Williams-Rhodes, while eight starters are back on defense, including the entire back seven.

Finally, over the last six seasons Boise State has been dogged by seven points or more four times (3-1 ATS, according to the college football database), so they clearly do not enjoy the underdog label.

Why the Mississippi Rebels Can Cover the Spread

The Rebs are heading into their third season under head coach Hugh Freeze, and college football programs often make great strides in the third seasons of coaching regimes. Ole Miss gets back 15 starters this year, including senior QB Bo Wallace, last year's two leading rushers and nine on defense, including last year's Top 5 tacklers.

The Rebels are 15-11 SU and 17-9 ATS under Freeze and 5-2 ATS when favored by seven points or more. If they can limit Boise State to 17-20 points, Ole Miss should begin this season with a win and a cover.

Smart Pick

The Broncos are trying to bounce back under a new head coach, while the Rebs are trying to take the next step under Coach Freeze. But Boise State will have few friends at the Georgia Dome, while Ole Miss should be backed by most of the crowd. The Broncos will also be dealing with the learning curve that comes with a new coach, at least for the early part of this season.

And one has to wonder if this Boise State program is on the same level as the one that rose to national prominence under Coach Petersen. So the pick for this season opener is to give the points with the Rebs. The computer, which admittedly isn’t always too super early in the season, is calling the outright upset.

Trends:

• Boise State 3-1 ATS past four games as dogs of 7+ points
• Mississippi trends UNDER in September games (seven of past nine)

Note: All point spread and lines data courtesy of Odds Shark, all quotes gathered first-hand unless otherwise noted—check out Twitter for injury updates and line move updates and get the free odds tracker app.

The Bryan Harsin era at Boise State might be getting off to a great start.

After being named the successor to Chris Petersen, who left for Washington in early December, Harsin now has a notable recruit at a crucial position. Brett Rypien, a 4-star quarterback according to 247Sports, has officially committed to join the Broncos.

Justin Hopkins of 247Sports announced the commitment on Twitter:

The report was confirmed by Rypien, who simply texted Hopkins, "Yes, I just did."

Scott Enyeart of Sports Radio KJR also provides a text conversation from Rypien:

The pro-style quarterback was also being courted by the likes of Washington State, Arizona State and Illinois, but shunned them all by giving a verbal commitment to Harsin.

Rypien's story is very similar to another former quarterback in Mark Rypien, who committed to Washington State despite other notable Pac-12 offers flying in, as Kyle McCall of Rivals.com notes:

Bringing in top talent is exactly what Harsin will need to do to continue the string of dominance that Petersen had at Boise State. With a great player under center, the Broncos now have a 6'2" quarterback to build around for the future.

While Rypien has verbally committed to the Broncos, Johnny Mallory of ESPN Boise brings up one of the most difficult parts of college recruiting:

If Rypien does keep his word on signing day, the Shadle Park quarterback brings with him a confidence behind center and the build to get the job done in Boise. In a traditional system with Harsin, this quarterback-coach partnership could mean great things for the future of the Boise State program.

Follow R. Cory Smith on Twitter.