Continuation of Nation’s Longest Streak, MW Championship Implications At Stake Friday - Boise State University Athletics (2024)

BOISE, Idaho – Boise State looks to continue a national-leading streak and keep its conference championship hopes alive Friday as the Broncos host Air Force in the final home game of the regular season. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Albertsons Stadium.

A win for the Broncos would secure the 26^th consecutive year that Boise State has posted a winning record, the longest active streak in the country. A win would also keep the Broncos hopes of reaching the MW Championship game alive. The winner of Friday's game will either play at UNLV or enter into a three-way tie with UNLV and San Jose State with computer rankings determining the two teams advancing to the conference championship game.

Friday's game on The Blue will be televised nationally on FS1 with Dan Hellie (play-by-play) and Petros Papadakis (analyst) on air while Bob Behler (play-by-play) and Pete Cavender (analyst) will call the action on the Bronco Radio Network with a simulcast airing on SiriusXM Ch. 386 and on the app.

Opening Kickoff

1. What's your favorite number? Ours is SEVEN! Boise State enters this game with a rushing offense ranked seventh in the nation, averaging 210.1 yards per game. That marks the strongest rushing offense a stable of Broncos have put together since at least the 2012 season, which is as far back as NCAA stats indicate. Of course, when you have a pair of thoroughbreds like Ashton Jeanty and George Holani, that's not surprising.
2. Boise State enters this week's action with an offensive line ranked 11th in the nation in sacks allowed, yielding only 1.09 sacks per game so far this year. That number is the third-best of a Boise State squad since 2012 (when the Broncos ranked sixth) and is just behind the 2022 mark when BSU allowed just 1.00 sacks per game to rank 10th in the nation.
3. Did you know that Boise State has the second-longest active bowl eligibility streak in the nation? The Broncos have been bowl eligible for 26 consecutive years, just one year behind Georgia's streak of 27 straight years (both streaks this season have already been extended).
4. What would a win mean for the Broncos? More than just keeping Boise State's MW Championship aspirations alive, it would mark the third straight win for the Broncos. That would make the 25th consecutive season the Broncos have won at least three straight games in a year, trailing only Georgia's streak of 26 consecutive years.
5. Should Boise State claim a win Friday on The Blue, it would not only mark the 91st win for the Broncos all-time on a Friday but it would set up the Orange and Blue for a potential Mountain West Championship appearance. Only Southern Cal in 2015 has made a mid-season coaching change and still gone on to their league's championship game. Most notably, it would be Boise State's MW-leading seventh title game appearance yet it likely would be the first time Boise State would compete in a true road game.

What You Need to Know

• No Spares, Only Strikes
  With Boise State's dominating 45-10 win at Utah State on Nov. 18, the Broncos reached six wins and became bowl eligible for the 26th consecutive season. That marks the second-longest active streak in the country, just one season behind Georgia.

• Escape Our Pressure? Nine!
  Utah State found out what nearly every other team has realized the hard way this season - that Boise State's defensive line is impossible to escape. On Nov. 18 in Logan, the Broncos tied the program's FBS-era (1996-present) record for total sacks in a game with nine sacks on the Aggies as part of a dominating 45-10 win. That matches the nine total sacks Boise State's defense racked up against Portland State on Sept. 7, 1996, the first year the Broncos competed at the I-A/FBS level.
• I'll Believe It When Pigs Fly
  Don't think Pigs Broncos can fly? Let us prove you wrong. Boise State ranks 27th in the nation among the most improved passing offenses in the nation. The Broncos' pass attack, coordinated by alumnus Bush Hamdan, has improved from averaging 190.6 yards per game a year ago to 229.7 yards per game this season, an increase of 20.5%.
• Boise State Makes Overall Gains
  It's not just a passing game that has improved. The Broncos overall have made tremendous strides under the direction of offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan with the nation's 22nd most improved offense. That's because the Orange and Blue have jumped nearly 100 spots, from a total offense ranked 102nd nationally last season by averaging 386.9 yards per game to a total offense ranked No. 26 in the country by averaging 439.8 yards per game this season.
• All-22
  No longer just a name for a wide-angle camera view, All-22 can now also describe the impactful 1-2 punch of Ahmed Hassanein and Andrew Simpson. Since Sept. 30, that Bronco defensive duo has combined for 22 tackles for a loss over a seven-game span. Hassanein leads the way, and is tied for the conference lead in that window, with 11.5 TFLs while Simpson has registered 10.5 TFLs in the same time period. No other Mountain West team is even close to that combo.
• Baba Noel Came Early
  While not dressed in a red suit and sporting a beard that isn't white, Ahmed Hassanein is trying to play the role of Santa Claus that has arrived way too early. Since Sept. 30, Hassanein has tallied a Mountain West-leading 9.5 sacks, two more than the next best tally in the league. Hassanein, the first college football player to come from Egypt, is averaging 1.36 sacks per game over that span while Colorado State's Mohamed Kamara has only averaged 0.94 sacks per game with a total of 7.5 sacks to his credit.
• 30 Rock
  The Broncos have scored 30 or more points in eight consecutive games, averaging 34.6 points per game during that span. This is the second-longest active streak in the nation, trailing No. 6 Oregon. The Ducks have scored 30 or more points in all 10 games this season. This ties Boise State's longest 30-point streak since 2014, when the team averaged over 50 points per game during the seven-game stretch. The 2011 squad scored 30-plus in all 13 games, averaging 44.2 points per game that season.
• Sealed With a Kiss
  Did you know that Boise State is 14-0 when George Holani surpasses the century mark on the ground?
• Surprisingly, He Wouldn't Be the First
  If the right sequence of events takes place this weekend, Boise State interim head coach Spencer Danielson would achieve a feat only done once before. Boise State and Danielson would become just the second team all-time to have an interim head coach lead his team to its conference championship game. The only other time that has happened was back in 2015 when Southern Cal, led by interim head coach Clay Helton, reached the Pac-12 Championship Game. The Broncos will hope for better fortunes, however, as the Trojans fell in their title game, 41-22, to Stanford.
• Say It Lauter for the People in the Back
  Matt Lauter traveled to Logan, Utah on Nov. 18 with zero touchdown catches to his credit. He left two more than he had before. Lauter, originally Boise State's back-up tight end, caught two passes for scores in a 45-10 rout of the Aggies and became the first Boise State tight end to record two receiving touchdowns in a single game since Jake Roh did so at Colorado State on Nov. 11, 2017.
• Jeanty Moves to Four Digits
  As part of an 85-yard performance on Nov. 18 at Utah State, Ashton Jeanty passed an impressive threshold during his sophom*ore season as he ran past the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the year. This marks the 19th time a Bronco has ran for 1,000-plus yards in a season. It is also one of six 1,000-yard rushing performances by a Boise State underclassman with five of those being recorded by sophom*ores. The lone exception? Georgia Holani churned out 1,014 yards in 2019, his freshman campaign.
• Old & Busted: CCCP; New Hotness: CCCL
  The CCCP (Soviet Union) has long since dissolved (despite what certain Russian autocrats may want to believe) but the new trend is CCCL. Those four letters, which signify "350" in Roman numerals, was a highlight of Boise State's win at Utah State on Nov. 18 as the Broncos ran for 352 yards against the Aggies. That marked the first time since 2018 that Boise State churned out that many rushing yards, when 400 rushing yards were recorded against UConn on Sept. 8, 2018.
• Closed Captioning (CC) Where Available
  As part of the season-high 352 rushing yards recorded at Utah State on Nov. 18, the Broncos erupted for 207 rushing yards in the second quarter alone against the Aggies. That number, which would stand alone as the sixth-highest rushing yardage total in a game this season for the Broncos, marked the most rushing yards in a single quarter for Boise State since the Orange and Blue ran for 244 yards in the third quarter against Hawai'i on Oct. 29, 2004.
• B is for Boise
  Score an 80% on an exam in college and you are likely to receive a "B" grade but in college football, 80% is much better than just a "B". Boise State has successfully converted 80% of its 4th Down Conversions this year, the third-best rate in the country. That also marks the highest conversion rate the Broncos have recorded since at least 2012, the year when national statistics for 4th Down Conversions began to be available. The next highest mark for the Broncos came in 2015 when 63% of the 4th Downs were converted, ranking Boise State 22nd nationally. The same success rate for the Broncos takes place on the other side of the ball. Boise State's defense is allowing opponents to just a 33% success rate on 4th Down Conversions, ranking the Broncos 10th in the nation. That is the highest ranking for Boise State nationally since 2019 when BSU ranked 14th nationally, allowing 37.9% of 4th Downs to be converted.
• This is the Greatest Show
  At least in the Treasure Valley. Boise State enters this week ranked 38th nationally in attendance (by a percentage of capacity), making the Broncos just one of three Group of 5 programs (along with App State and James Madison) to rank in the top 40. BSU not only is in the top 40 but also leads the Mountain West. Fresno State, the next-best MW team, ranks 41st. Not just up there nationally, Boise State's attendance ranking places the Broncos fifth among Western teams behind only Colorado (106%), Oregon State (104%), Oregon (102%) and Utah (102%).
• Why You Bringing Up Old Sh--?
  Sorry, Smokey, but we need to because the Broncos have a long-standing tradition of playing on a non-traditional day, particularly on Friday. All-time, Boise State has a record of 90-27-3 (.761), showing the day of the week is not a determined factor in Boise State's success. In the modern history of the Broncos (since 1996), BSU has compiled a record of 42-14 (.745). Meanwhile, this week's game is not the first time Boise State and San Diego State will meet on a Friday. The Broncos and Aztecs will meet on a Friday for the third time with each team having prior won a contest.
• Highway 20 Ride
  Punter James Ferguson-Reynolds may come from the Land Down Under but his time in America has the native Aussie humming a tune sung by a group from down in the Deep South. Boise State's punter enters this week's action in the top 25 nationally - and leading the Group of 5 - in several other punting categories. On Nov. 10, he was named one of 10 semifinalists for the Ray Guy Award. He is the first Boise State player to be named a semifinalist for the award, which is given annually to the top punter in the nation. The sophom*ore is one of three semifinalists that play in the Group of 5.
• Has He Reached The Peak?
  James Ferguson-Reynolds is on a roll now but it's anyone's guess as to how much better he can be. But when we say he's one of the best the Mountain West has ever seen, we're not just full of hot air. Entering this week's game, Ferguson-Reynolds' career punting average is the third-best mark in conference history.
• Dalmas Certainly Has
  Boise State senior Jonah Dalmas connected twice in the Broncos' 42-14 win over New Mexico on Nov. 11 to push his career total to 71 made field goals. Not only does that expand his recently acquired school record but it also ranks second in Mountain West history. Dalmas currently is the league's career leader with an 87.8% career field goal percentage.
• Exodus Light, Enter Night
  With Maddux Madsen out for the foreseeable future, the two-quarterback system has likely reached its conclusion but that doesn't mean Bush Hamdan's offense won't be ablaze. Entering this week's action, the Broncos are averaging 439.8 yards of offense per game, ranking 26th nationally and second in the Mountain West. That is the highest offensive output a Boise State team has registered since the 2018 Broncos averaged 459.5 yards per game, ranking 21st nationally and second in the MW that season. That marks the first time there has been a fired up Bush that hasn't been consumed by flames since a trip to Mount Horeb.
• No Soup for You
  Boise State's defense showed its prowess again on Nov. 18 when the Broncos traveled south to face Utah State and its 20th-ranked scoring offense, averaging 35.5 points per game, and the 22nd-ranked total offense, averaging 448.3 yards per game. Despite the Aggies taking a 10-0 lead, once the rain began falling in the second quarter the field was dampened, along with Utah State's offensive hopes. Boise State held USU to a season-low 10 points and only 373 yards of offense, far below Utah State's season averages.
• Success in the Mountain West
  Now in its 13th season in the Mountain West, Boise State has lost just 17 games in conference play, and only five of those losses have come by more than seven points.

Scouting Air Force

• Air Force enters this week's contest with an 8-3 record (5-2 MW), hoping to upend Boise State's championship hopes while winning for the third time in four tries on The Blue.
• Troy Calhoun is in his 17th season leading the Falcons, compiling a record of 129-81 as a head coach. Despite that longevity, his title remains as Head Coach and not Master Sergeant.
• With a winning percentage of .617, Troy Calhoun is the most successful coach in Air Force History. The least successful coach in USAFA history put up a .273 mark (3-8) over the 1978 season. After he was honorably discharged, Bill Parcells went on to find success elsewhere in the game of football.
• The Air Force Academy is known for educating cadets for service in the United States Air Force. So obviously, Air Force's football team throws its entire focus on its running game and rarely looks to the air to advance the football.
• Everyone understands that Air Force likes to stay on the ground and run the ball (irony, we hardly knew ye) but don't overlook the Falcons defense. AF leads the nation in passing yards per completion (21.11) and ranks 11th nationally in pass defense (176.7). So kudos to the Air Force on making sure the Pariot (Missile) System works.
• However, despite the stingy Air Force defense, the Falcons aren't perfect. Air Force ranks 94th nationally and 10th in the country in interceptions this season with only seven picks. So in that regard, the pass defense is as successful as certain NMD systems.
• Ranking sixth in the nation, Air Force is allowing only 88.5 rushing yards per game this season. That effort is led by Bo Richter, who ranks 15th in the country and second in the MW by averaging 1.4 tackles for a loss per game.
• Richter also ranks 17th nationally with two fumbles recovered this season. Finally, an Air Force cadet that doesn't need someone from the Army or Navy branches to locate things.
• The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) was established in 1954, despite calls for creating a separate air force academy ringing out as early as 1918. Originally known as the Army Airborne division, the Air Force cadets came out of West Point until its founding. Now that the U.S. Space Force has been created, we cannot wait to see the U.S. Space Force Academy founded with an athletic program. But first, they might have to purchase the copyrights to the term "Space Balls" from Mel Brooks.
• Troy Calhoun has led Air Force to 12 bowl games during his tenure as head coach, beginning with the Armed Forces Bowl in 2007 and most recently the Armed Forces Bowl in 2022. Air Force also accepted a bid to the Idaho Potato Bowl in 2014, where the Falcons defeated Western Michigan on The Blue, 38-24.
• The Air Force has a group of aircraft known under the moniker of "MAC" which either makes us think the Falcons are in the wrong conference or they are trying to redefine "MACtion."
• Air Force has had a very successful season to date and it appears the fan base is quite pleased. But remember, just because there are no complaints doesn't mean all parachutes are perfect.
• Pro-tip: If you want to get an Air Force cadet to stand up and shout "BINGO!", just start listing off the type of aircraft he could fly. A-10-... B-52... F-16...

A Win Would...

• Move Boise State to 8-4 all-time against the Falcons.
• Keep the Broncos alive in the chase for the Mountain West Championship.
• Mark the 26th consecutive winning season for the Broncos, the longest active streak in the nation.
• Give Spencer Danielson a 2-0 record all-time as an interim head coach.
• Mark the 25th consecutive season Boise State has won three consecutive games in a season.
• Be better than a loss.

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-BroncoSports.com-