PULLMAN -- The winner of Washington State at Boise State will be one big step closer to theCollege Football Playoff, with the victor in prime position asthe top contender for the non-Power Four automatic berth. The loser will be left hanging on to their CFP hopes for dear life.
WSU is still alive with a loss, the 4-0 Cougars could still finish 11-1, which ESPN's CFP Predictor says still garners a 68 percent chance of making the CFP. But if WSU knocks off Boise State the Broncos will have two losses, almost certainly eliminating them from playoff contention. WSU still has seven games to play after Saturday, but one potential threat will have been neutralized.
It will be the first time the Cougars face one of their future new conference opponents. Boise State, along with Colorado State, Fresno State, and San Diego State, are joining the Pac-12 for the2026-27 season. And WSU-BSU figures to be a hot rivalry in future years.
BUT ON SATURDAY, you can point to one player most likely to decide if BSU wins or loses: running back Ashton Jeanty. Beating the Broncos almost certainly means at leastslowing him down.
ABOUT THE BRONCOS:Jeanty's start to the season "has put him on pace to challenge Barry Sanders' historic 1988 records," says ESPN. Jeanty (5-9, 215) is a Heisman hopeful who in three games has carried 56 times for 586 yards (10.5 ypc), and nine touchdowns. He needed only 11 carries to log 127 ground yards this past Saturday and did not play the second half in the 56-14 romp over Portland State. Heleads the country with 193.5 ypg and is tops among qualified RBs at 10.5 ypc.
Elsewhere, quarterback Maddux Madsen does his job effectively: field the snap and hand it to Jeanty. But he manages the game well. He's 52 of 89 (58.4 percent) for 616 yards with 5 TDs and 1 INT. His top target isCameron Camper, with 10 catches for 221 yards and three scores.
Defensively, Ahmad Hassanein is an accomplishedpass-rusher, Andrew Simpson is a versatile load at linebacker and A'Marion McCoy has emerged as a lockdown cornerback who will likely be drawing WSU wide receiverKyle Williams.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Jeanty. He has forced 26 missed tackles this season, potentiallytroublesome for a Cougar team that has not tackled well.Oregon couldn't slow him down as he rumbled for 192 yards and three touchdowns and if Jeanty runs wild Saturday, it is hard to see Wazzuwinning. Stopping him entirely is a lot to ask but if the Cougs can limit him to 100 yards or so and force Madsen and the passing game to beat them, they can pull it off.
WSU-BSU GAME DETAILS:
- WHERE:Albertson's Stadium in Boise
- KICKOFF:Saturday 7p.m.
- TV:FS1
- RADIO: Washington State IMG Radio Network
- WEATHER FORECAST:79 degrees at kickoff
- RECORDS:WSU is 4-0, Boise State is 2-1
- THE SERIES:WSU leads 5-1
- LAST TIME:WSU beat BSU 47-44 3OT in 2017, widely known as the Tyler Hilinski game
- ESPN matchup predictor:38.1 percent chance Cougs win
- RANKINGS:WSU receiving votes, No. 26 in both polls. Boise State is ranked No. 25 in AP and received votes in Coaches (No. 29)
- THE LINE: BSUby 7.5
- CF.C PREDICTION:BSU 38-28
Related:Washington State snubbed in AP and Coaches Top 25 polls
THE COACHES:In hisfourth full season at WSU plus an interim stint in 2021, Jake Dickertis 19-16 overall.Spencer Danielson is 5-2 in Boise, including an interim stint last season.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING: Through four games, WSU has yielded at least 450 total yards of offense to all three FBS opponents and 449 to Portland State (Big Sky). Boise State is sixth in the country, averaging 543 ypg. Wazzu will need its best defensive effort of the year to win. The bend-don't-break strategy yielded less than 20 points to both UW and Texas Tech, but it may not work against Jeanty and the Broncos.
FAMILIAR FACES ON THE BRONCOS: The BSU staff features two former Cougs. Running backs coach James Montgomery was a WSU tailback (2009-10), whomiraculously came back to play after one of the scariest leg injuries in history.Ron Collins (1984-86), the pride of Cashmere, a former WSU team captain at safety and the hero of crazy win at Stanford in 1985, is a senior defensive analyst for the Broncos. BSU's roster lists XX players from the state of Washington: Gabe Tahir (Kamiakin High, Kennewick); Bryce Cleave (Peninsula High, Gig Harbor); Boen Phelps (Freeman High, Rockford); Hall Schmidt (Peninsula High, Gig Harbor); Kyle Cox (Eatonville); and Austin Tumwater (Tumwater).Tevin Griffey is the son of Seattle Mariners and MLBlegend Ken Griffey Jr.
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