GAME INFORMATION

Date: Friday, November 1

Location: Albertsons Stadium, Boise, Idaho

Kickoff: 5:00 PM PT

TV: Fox Sports One

Aztecs Radio Network: San Diego Sports 760

Head coach Sean Lewis and SDSU just lost a roller coaster of a game to Washington State. They surrendered 15 points in the final quarter after being ahead 26-14 with 13:39 left. 

Close contests are nothing new for the Red and Black this season. The Aztecs have played four straight decided by three or fewer points. That is the longest streak in Mountain West history and the most nationally since BYU competed in five straight in 2016.  

“Good to be back, flipping the page and with a great test ahead of us this week,” Lewis opened his press conference with prefacing. “A Friday night game against Boise who’s a really complete team that’s playing high-level ball, but really pleased with the effort of our club and our growth that we continue to show.”

The last time these two Mountain West rivals faced off, Boise State got the best of SDSU. Ashton Jeanty rushed 23 times for 205 yards and two touchdowns as BSU defeated the Aztecs 34-31 at Snapdragon Stadium last year.

The Broncos are 6-1 and 3-0 in the conference. Their only loss was to the top-ranked team in the country, Oregon. The Ducks kicked a field goal as time expired to escape with a 37-34 home victory. 

Boise State has a great offense led by talented running back Jeanty, who has already accumulated 1,376 rushing yards (first in the country) and eighteen touchdowns (second in the country). Quarterback Madsen Maddux does a good job commanding the offense and, when needed, is critical in the passing attack.

On defense, the Broncos apply pressure to the quarterback. On the season, they lead the nation with 35 sacks and are third with 62 tackles for loss. They are constantly in the opposing team’s backfield.

“Their team as a whole is exceptional,” Lewis said of Boise State. “Every single guy that’s up there embraces their role and playing their role, and they do a good job playing connected in all three phases, and when you look at the tape whether its individually or collectively, there are not many holes that you feel like you can exploit.”

Player to Watch: Ashton Jeanty

Both teams are undefeated in conference, and if the Aztecs are going to pull off the upset, they will need to stop the run. SDSU has struggled to do that this season, and the test this week couldn’t be any greater in Jeanty, a Heisman hopeful. 

“Exceptional talent,” Lewis stated. “An individual effort and talent that requires a tremendous group effort by everyone in the building this week. We have to do a great as best as we can to simulate the looks he will give us, which is really hard to do because he’s a complete back, he’s a physical runner with home run speed.” 

Jeanty has turned heads all season with his ability to make tacklers miss or run through them completely. Lewis mentioned that it’s not enough just to have one, two, or three defenders there to make the tackle but five or six to bring him down.

With Jeanty averaging 196.57 YPG and the Red and Black surrendering an average of 159.6, it will be of utmost importance to slow him down, or else it could be a long game for SDSU.

Another problem Jeanty poses is that of time management. SDSU has lost the time of possession battle in every game except last week against Washington State. If they find themselves behind, Jeanty becomes that much more dangerous, as Boise State would be able to control the ball and drain the clock. That combination with the fact that the Aztec Fast offense has been fast at getting off the field could tire the defense.

Every time Jeanty is on the field, no matter the down and distance or whether it’s backed up in their own territory or in the red zone, he can take it the distance. 

Key to the game: Protecting Danny O’Neil

The Aztecs have surrendered 28 sacks this season. That’s an average of four per game or one every quarter.

Boise State does an exceptional job of getting to the quarterback. They have 35 sacks so far. Jayden Morgan-Virgin (seven sacks) and Ahmed Hassanein (6.5) are the leaders on the defensive front. 

“They’re relentless,” Lewis used to describe the Broncos rushers. “The motors that their kids play with up front are really uncommon and it’s a testament to the culture that’s been built there over time and what they’ve been able to sustain and the way that they relentlessly pursue the quarterback is amazing.”

In a game where the offense will need to put up points and control the clock, protecting Danny O’Neil will be huge. If they allow the Broncos to disrupt the backfield and force quick three-and-outs, it will allow BSU to wear down SDSU’s defense. 

In addition to time of possession, protecting the QB will be important because of O’Neil’s injury history. Early in the year, he missed a game due to a knee injury. Last week against Washington State, he left the game for several drives due to what appeared to be a left arm injury.

The Aztecs’ offensive line was already thin at the start of the season, and with players transferring out and a slew of injuries, the position group is wearing even thinner. This week, they will have to work together to perform against possibly the best pass-rushing attack they will face all season.

“They have a really good front,” Brayden Byrant explained of what he sees for this week’s matchup and what the O-line needs to do. “Execute the game plan. The coaches are putting together a great plan and were excited to go out there and battle.”

FUN FACTS

• This game will be for first place in the Mountain West Conference. Both teams are undefeated in conference play, Boise State (3-0) and SDSU (2-0).
• Both teams will remain rivals as they join the PAC-12 in 2026.
• This game will be the tenth meeting between the two schools, and Boise State leads the series 5-4.
• Both teams’ lead backs are on their way to impressive career rushing yard stats. Marquez Cooper has 4,604 in five seasons, while Ashton Jeanty has 3,544 in three seasons.

Johnny Olivieri

Johnny is born and raised in San Diego and a diehard fan of all his hometown teams. He is an avid collector of sports memorabilia that help paint a picture of the history of sports in San Diego. He spends a lot of his time attending sports games across San Diego county and enjoys studying the history and spreading knowledge of San Diego’s diverse sports.