Boise State hosts Utah State in Pac-12 opener. Are the incoming Aggies a threat?

BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — It’s a new dawn for Boise State football as the program competes in its first-ever Pac-12 conference game Saturday.

Yet while the conference logo on the field may look different, the team that’ll be visiting Albertsons Stadium this weekend is certainly no stranger. Longtime conference rival Utah State (1-3) will make the short journey up to the Treasure Valley this weekend to take on No. 22 Boise State (3-1) for a 5:30 p.m. kickoff at Albertsons Stadium.

The pair of teams are two of the five former Mountain West teams to make the jump to the Pac-12 this past offseason, meaning over half of the eight-team conference is already plenty familiar with one another. They’re joined by Pac-12 holdovers Oregon State and Washington State, and former Sun Belt program Texas State.

Boise State and Utah State have played every year since 2013 — the Broncos have won all but one of those games, a 52-26 beatdown by the Aggies in 2015. As a result, Broncos fans are pretty familiar with Utah State.

But with a new season and fresh conference slate ahead, here’s what to know about the Aggies heading into Saturday evening.

Is Utah State as bad as its record suggests?

Utah State has already suffered at the hands of a Gem State team this season, losing its season opener 29-17 to FCS program Idaho State. That loss was followed by a 16-14 loss at Washington, a 33-0 smackdown by Top 25-ranked Utah and a 21-10 win over Troy this past weekend.

The Aggies’ average of just 13 points per game ranks 136th out of 138 teams in the country. In tandem, their average of 319.8 yards of offense ranks 125th in the nation, while the defense’s 368 yards allowed per game ranks 88th.

In short, you can go down the list, and Utah State doesn’t have a major stat that stands out in a positive light. Of course, that isn’t stopping Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson from complimenting the Aggies.

“Utah State dang-near beat Washington in Washington. We played those guys. We know how good they are,” Danielson said Monday, referencing the Broncos’ 38-10 loss to Washington in last year’s LA Bowl.

A turnover-prone offense

One major reason for Utah State’s struggles is ball security. The Aggies are tied for the most turnovers in the country with 11: two fumbles and nine interceptions. Utah State has flip-flopped between two quarterbacks this season, and neither has enjoyed much success. Starting QB Grady Brosterhous has six interceptions to four touchdown passes, while backup McCae Hillstead has three INTs to two TDs.

That’ll be music to the ears of Boise State’s secondary, which has hauled in four interceptions this season. Three of those have come from junior defensive back Travis Anderson.

A burgeoning run defense

If there’s anything you can praise the Aggies on, it’s an apparent improvement in the run defense. Utah State’s front seven struggled against Idaho State’s physical run attack, allowing a 50.2% success rate to a Bengals offense that ran the ball 29 times. That facet of the defense seems to have improved somewhat; in last weekend’s win over Troy, the Aggies’ defense shut out the Trojans in the second half and allowed just 80 rushing yards in that span, forcing Troy into three ill-advised interceptions to help seal the game.

However, Boise State’s run game will pose more of an issue than Troy’s. The Broncos’ rushing offense ranks 17th in the country, averaging 237 yards per game, while junior running back Dylan Riley ranks third in the nation with 592 rushing yards through four games.

Boise State vs. Utah State

When: 5:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Albertsons Stadium (34,423, Turf)
TV: CBS Sports Network
Radio: KBOI 670 AM and KBOI 93.1 FM/Sirius XM Ch. 84 (Bob Behler, Michael Callahan)
Records: Boise State 3-1, 0-0 Pac-12; Utah State 1-3, 0-0 Series: Boise State leads the series 25-5
Vegas line: Boise State by 20.5 points
Weather: High of 79, low of 50, humidity 38%, sunny, 10% chance of rain