The Fresno State Bulldogs will be significant underdogs to win a second consecutive Mountain West Conference championship game Saturday night, when they travel to Boise's Bronco Stadium to play the Mountain West Mountain Division champion No. 22 Boise State Broncos. Kickoff is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET, with television coverage on CBS.
Watch the Fresno State vs. Boise State MWC title: Game guide, TV/streaming, odds
The Broncos and Bulldogs face off for the Mountain West title, with a New Year’s bowl on the line for BSU. Here’s how to watch it.
After suffering an early loss to Air Force, Boise State has been the most dominant team in the Mountain West. The Broncos have won seven consecutive games by an average of 20 points per game. Facing a winner-take-all game for the Mountain Division title last week against Utah State, the Broncos jumped out to a 34-12 halftime lead and coasted to a comfortable 31-point victory. Running back Jay Ajayi has emerged as Boise State's top offensive weapon. The junior halfback has broken the 100-yard mark in the last seven games, including a 27-carry, 229-yard performance against Utah State.
Fresno State, on the other hand, struggled through a nonconference slate that included USC, Utah and Nebraska. Fresno State then dropped three straight Mountain West games in October and early November, including a 37-27 loss at Boise State. While the Bulldogs have the seventh-best overall record in the twelve-team MWC, their 5-3 finish in the West Division and tiebreaker victory over San Diego State put them in the championship. Junior quarterback Brian Burrell has been inconsistent, but has proven capable of throwing for 300+ yards when given an opportunity.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: 10 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Radio: Fresno State affiliates are available here; Boise State affiliates are available from the Bronco Radio Network.
Online streaming: CBS Sports Live
The numbers
Rankings and records: Boise State enters Saturday’s game ranked No. 22 in the latest College Football Playoff poll and 10-2 on the season. The Bulldogs finished the regular season 7-1 in the MWC. Fresno State is 6-6 overall, 5-3 in the Mountain West and unranked.
Vegas: Boise State is a 23-point favorite, with the over/under set at 69 points, per Odds Shark.
Weather forecast: Gametime temperatures are predicted to be in the high 30s, with a chance of rain.
Two things at stake
For one, there’s the matter of the Mountain West Championship. Fresno State is defending its 2013 conference title, and the Bulldogs also won a share of the title in 2012. Boise State also won a share of the 2012 conference title, but has not won the outright MWC championship since joining the conference in 2011.
Boise State is also the frontrunner for the Group of Five automatic New Years’ Day bowl bid, given to the team from a non-Power 5 conference ranked highest in the final College Football Playoff poll. The Broncos are safely ahead of Marshall for that spot, ranked 22nd while the Herd are not ranked.
One big matchup
Jay Ajayi vs. Fresno State’s run defense: The Bulldogs have not been particularly good against the run this year, allowing 209 yards per game on the ground. Ajayi has been held under 100 yards three times this year. Not coincidentally, the Broncos are 1-2 in those games (and 9-0 when he breaks 100 yards) Ajayi lit Fresno State up for 153 yards on 30 carries in their first meeting this season, and that 229-yard performance against Utah State’s far more stout run defense last week does not bode well for Fresno. If the Bulldogs have any chance, it has to start with stopping Ajayi.
Further reading
One Bronco Nation Under God covers Boise State, while Mountain West Connection reports on Fresno State and the rest of the Mountain West Conference.
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