Good morning Coug fans and only to Coug fans. Our 4-0 Washington State Cougars are in the Treasure Valley for a 7 p.m. PT kickoff against future members of the Pac-12, the Boise State Broncos.
Some say this should be WSU’s new rivalry game, seeing as the teams will play each other each season moving forward. I’ve seen “The Snake River Rivalry” floated around the internet as a name for the game. But rivalries can’t be manufactured—they have to grow organically, in my humble opinion.
But that’s a discussion for another day. Today, it’s all about the game.
Some thought WSU should have been ranked in the Top 25 after starting 4-0. And while several AP voters did have the Cougs in the Top 25 (including three writer who had them at no. 20), WSU sits two votes shy of being ranked and sit at no. 26.
Those two votes mean WSU sites right behind—you guessed it—Boise State. The Broncos are 2-1 with wins over Georgia Southern and a depleted Portland State. Boise State’s loss came to Oregon, and by just three points.
The Broncos were among the preseason favorites to nab the G5 spot in the College Football Playoff. The Cougs have a chance to mess that all up, but they’ll have their hands full.
The Broncos put 56 on the board in their two wins and are seventh in the nation in points per game. It’s a small sample size against limited competition, but it’s still worth noting. They do it on the ground, too, with 311 yards rushing per game thus far. Boises State running back Ashton Jeanty is the one to keep an eye on. Jeanty averages a first down per rush. Yikes.
This is the second year in a row WSU has started 4-0 with some darling wins that caught the eye of the national media. Let’s hope the rest of the games go better this time around!
Talk about it here, and Go Cougs.
When
7 p.m. PT. It’s going to be another late night. Pace yourselves.
Where
The Smurf Turf in Boise, Idaho. Officially it’s called Albertsons Stadium, home of the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
How to Watch
FS1 with Dan Hellie and Petros Papadakis on the call. Count me as a Petros fan.
Update: Hellie and Papadakis will call the game remotely.
The Line
Boise State, -6.5. The O/U is 65.5
Great Moments in WSU vs. Boise State History
I am 2-0 when attending WSU vs. Boise State games. The first was the 58-0 shellacking in 1997. The next was this memorable game: