Boise State at Fresno State Odds
The No. 4 rated team in the nation, the Boise State Broncos, are expected by many to product another big win this Friday when they meet the Fresno State Bulldogs. There is certainly enmity between these two contending teams due to the numerous times that the Broncos lambasted the Bulldogs. Looking at the college football odds for this game you’ll see Boise favored by 21-points over Fresno.
The Broncos have been unbeaten by the Bulldogs in their past five match ups with the five victories coming by 13 points or more. The Bulldogs have only won once in the last ten games in this series. The biggest humiliation happened last year when the game was played in Boise ended with a 51-0 score.
A Look at Boise State
With their impeccable start, the Broncos are proving that they have what it takes to contend for a BCS national title. Their first game against Georgia, who was then ranked 19th, was an explosive battle with a huge win for the Broncos 35-21. Boise then faced Toledo and bested the latter to a score of 40-15. With a record of 4-0, 0-0 MWC, the Boise State team was subsequently scheduled to face Tulsa. During the first half, they had a commanding lead of 27-0. They held on to their lead until the end with the score of 41-21. The same overpowering presence happened when the Broncos faced the Nevada team last Saturday. Before halftime, the Broncos had a 30 to nil lead. Nevada only scored a modest 10 point towards the close of the game.
Bronco’s quarterback and Heisman Trophy candidate, Kellen Moore, has delivered a fantastic start. He has completed 73.9% of his passes for a total of 1,137 yards. He has given the team 14 TD, but has uncharacteristically turned the ball over with his 4 interceptions. His teammate, Doug Martin, has contributed 4 touchdowns and rushed for a total of 328 yards. D.J. Harper has also made his presence known by tacking on 158 yards and a score. There’s one aspect though that Martin and Harper need to work on and that’s their average yards per carry which is at 3.9.
The team’s receivers are also phenomenal with Mike Burroughs, Matt Miller and Tyler Shoemaker. Burroughs has 21 receptions, 216 yards and one touchdown. Miller boasts 20 receptions, 206 yards and two touchdowns. Lastly, Shoemaker has received 13 passes for 202 yards and scored six times.
While the team houses a powerful line-up on offense, the team is widely-known for its exceptional defense. In total defense, they are ranked 18th (298.8 yards/game). In the scoring defense table, they are the 20th best with 16.8 points/game. Their offensive stats, though may not be extraordinary, are not bad either. Amongst other teams, they rank 31st in total offense (446.8 yards/game) and 28th in scoring offense (36.5 points/game).
A Look at Fresno State
The Bulldogs have played a tough schedule so far and Friday’s game won’t be any different. They were off to a rocky start with two consecutive losses when they were pitted against California and next to the then-10th ranked Nebraska. The team also looked debilitated when they faced North Dakota in their home stadium during Week 3. They won that match with 27-22 on the scoreboard but it wasn’t a stellar victory. Their only exceptional performance happened when they bested Idaho to a score of 48-24 during Week 4. Last week, many were optimistic about another Bulldogs win as they face Ole Miss but the game ended with another disappointing score of 28-38.
Fresno State, now at 2-3, 1-0 WAC record, also has some very talented players in their line-up. Their quarterback, Derek Carr, comes from a family of football players. NFL star, David Carr, is his brother. The Fresno State’s sophomore has some good stats to boast. 61.2 percent of his passes were completed. He has already thrown for 1,291 yards with 10 TDs and 4 interceptions. They also have Robbie Rouse who is considered to be one the leagues best running backs. He has already rushed 600 yards, achieved 4 touchdowns, but has been used heavily with 133 carries at an average of 26.6 yards/game. They also have four receivers with more than 13 catches. One of their best receivers is Rashad Evans. He holds the team’s record of 23 receptions over 193 yards and two scores. Jalen Saunders is another receiver who has converted his 17 grabs for 462 yards and achieving 4 TDs. That’s about 27.2 yards per reception.
The biggest unresolved issue of the team, however, is their defense which seems to just let anybody pass. Their defensive stats are so poor at 378.2 yards/game which put them at the 63rd slot. Their scoring defense is 97th amongst the country (32.4 points/game). They are especially weak against the run with 169.2 yards/game landing them down to the 81st spot. In total offense, they are ranked 67th (387.6 yards/game). They are a little better in scoring offense with their 30.6 points per game listing them as 51st team in that category.
