When UNLV and Boise State meet tomorrow night to kick off the college football championship weekend for the Mountain West, the two programs will be playing for national prominence. Kickoff might be 8:00 Eastern, but this game has national championship repercussions not only in the Mountain West, but also, for every other conference.
Why?
Simple: most fans of the more storied divisions – the Big 10 and the SEC, for starters, haven’t given these teams a moment’s thought, and that’s a shame. Boise State averages more total yards per game than the Georgia Bulldogs and has run – not passed – nearly 100 more times than UGA…and has racked up more total offense than UGA and Ohio State, too. So has UNLV.
Now, the naysayers will all fall back on the “supremacy” of the Big Ten or the SEC, but the truth is, these are successful programs that are competing on a big stage. So what should viewers expect to see?
The Mountain West Winner Is In The Playoffs
First, let’s talk about what happens to the winner – if it’s UNLV, they’ll secure the 12 seed, while Boise would win a bye in the first round. As of this writing, Vegas has Boise State winning by less than a touchdown (four points). It’s worth remembering, that the two teams met in Las Vegas, and Boise State won in what proved to be a very close match – 29-24. In that one, though, the Rebels had the home field. Tomorrow night’s game will be in the Bronco’s backyard, and traditionally, that’s going to push the odds further in Boise State’s favor.
The downside of basing anything on the two teams’ October shootout is Ashton Jeanty will be healthy, and the Bronco’s line will be fully staffed with starters. As stated earlier, Boise State’s ground game is hard to believe, given the passing attack so many teams now rely on.

Boise State WILL Move The Ball
Offensive numbers like what the Broncos have traditionally put up aren’t the result of a one-dimensional offense, so viewers can expect to see a balanced attack on the ground and in the air. QB Maddux Madsen likes to hand the ball to Ashton Jeanty, but he’s got a host of good receivers like Cameron Camper and Tight End Matt Lauter.
In short, Boise State has built a solid plan over a long time, and even though Broncos head coach Spencer Danielson knows how important this game is, he also knows his team has built a tradition over a long time.
“I told our team ‘Guys, this is why you come to Boise State. You came here because you want to earn the right to play in and win championship games … And it’s not because of what I have done. It’s because of the years and years of success that has built this place.”

The UNLV Rebels Are The Real Deal, Too
It might be easy to look past UNLV, QB Hajj-Malik Williams, and the rest of his teammates, but that’d be a mistake. It’d be hard to say he’s among the “elite” quarterbacks in the nation this year, and his performance against Boise State in October was poor, but he was playing without some key starters and lacked a solid O-line. The problem with Williams is, that he’s a great rusher (833 this year), and if Boise State flushes him from the pocket, he can quickly add a lot of yardage to the game stats.
The biggest challenge for the Rebels will be if WR Ricky White III cannot break out of the coverage, as he’s the most productive member of the receiving corps, outperforming all others and accounting for nearly half of UNLV’s reception yardage this year. Obviously, Boise State knows this, but the thing about elite receivers is this: they know how to do the job. Given the fact that Boise State’s Ty Benefield is their leading tackler, UNLV could rack up a lot of yardage by the time he makes a play.
No matter what, this is going to not only be a great game, but it is an opportunity for both programs to gain national exposure in non-traditional markets, no matter who wins.
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