What’s at stake?
Boise State and UNLV aren’t only playing for the Mountain West championship but also for a spot in the newly expanded College Football Playoffs as the Group of Five representative. A victory for Boise State likely would result in a first-round bye as well since it would finish ranked higher than the Big 12’s champion, a conference with two finalists in No. 15 Arizona State and No. 16 Iowa State ranked behind the Broncos.
Key matchup
When the two teams met in late October, all eyes were on Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty, who was held to his lowest yards per carry average at 3.9 and his second-lowest yards in a game this season with 128. Look for UNLV to follow the same blueprint and force Boise State QB Maddux Madsen to beat the Rebels again.
Players to watch
Boise State: Jeanty, who leads the nation in rushing with 2,288 yards and trails FBS all-time single-season rushing record holder Barry Sanders by 340 yards, will have the national stage to himself among Heisman contenders. Madsen picked up the slack for the Broncos’ flagging offense against UNLV earlier this season and may have to do it again, leaning on WR Cameron Camper.
UNLV: Dual threat QB Hajj-Malik Williams, who didn’t start until three games into the season, is the key to UNLV’s potent rushing attack, which ranks fourth in the country at 254.1 yards per game. Williams rushed for 105 yards and a TD while throwing for 179 yards and two TDs against the Broncos in October. When Williams does throw the ball, he’ll be locked in on WR Ricky White III.
Facts & figures
Boise State will be aiming to do something the Broncos have surprisingly never done in school history — win back-to-back Mountain West championships. … Although this will be only the 14th meeting between the two programs, UNLV last beat Boise State in 1976 and has never won in Boise in five tries, the Rebels’ last attempt a 42-25 defeat in 2016. … Something will have to give in this game as Boise State is on a 10-game winning streak, while UNLV has won eight straight on the road dating back to last season. … With wins at Houston and Kansas, the Rebels became the first non-Big 12 team to notch multiple road victories against Big 12 opponents.
