Boise State has a chance to make a statement on the national stage on Saturday night when it takes on Nevada on Fox, which selected the Broncos for the prime-time slot in the Eastern time zone.
No. 12 Boise State (7-1, 4-0 Mountain West) aimed to continue climbing the College Football Playoff rankings and Top 25 after another chaotic day of football nationwide, which saw losses for multiple ranked teams and playoff hopefuls, including Georgia, previously unbeaten Miami and Iowa State.
Meanwhile, Nevada (3-7, 0-4 Mountain West) was simply looking to get its first win in conference play this season.
The game will see the return of Nevada head coach Jeff Choate to The Blue. Choate coached at Boise State from 2006 to 2011, primarily as the special teams coach, but also had stints coaching running backs and linebackers.
Choate addressed the threat of Boise State junior running back Ashton Jeanty earlier this week, describing him as a “five-tool runner.”
“This guy can run for power, he’s got good speed, he can blow the top off, he can make you miss, he’s a good blocker, he’s a threat out of the backfield, this guy can do it all,” Choate said. “I think it’s rare that you see a guy with that combination of skill, and I think that’s what separates him and makes him such a special player.”
Jeanty leads the nation in rushing yards (1,525) and rushing touchdowns (20).
No new additions were added to Boise State’s injury report from last week’s 56-24 victory over San Diego State. The following players remained out: offensive tackle Roger Carreon, centers Mason Rudolph and Jason Steele, running back Sire Gaines and wide receiver Chris Marshall.