Boise State is back at Albertsons Stadium on Saturday night, and the matchup brings an unbeaten South Dakota team into the Blue for what CBS Sports College Football Analyst and College Football Hall of Famer Randy Cross believes could be closer than the usual FBS-vs.-FCS setup suggests.
South Dakota enters at 3-0 with first-year head coach, and quarterback Austyn Modrzewski has been driving the offense. He’s already thrown for 727 yards and 11 touchdowns, and Cross said the Coyotes won’t shy away from attacking a Boise State defense that has been uneven through the early part of the season.
“On the face of it, it would appear - despite being FBS versus FCS - at least a bit of a fair fight. Watching South Dakota, their offense runs the ball really effectively.
They’re very, very balanced. They’ve got a pretty good defense that can get after the quarterback,” Cross said.
Boise State coach Spencer Danielson said the Broncos need to tighten up on defense, especially when it comes to giving up big plays.
“We can’t give up nine or 10 explosive plays. You’re not gonna be successful as a defense when you give up those kinds of yards.
Fixable things. We’ve got a plan to make sure they get fixed in practice,” Danielson said.
Cross will also be tracking Boise State running back Dylan Riley after his career-high 206-yard outing against Memphis. Riley’s style, Cross said, makes him dangerous the moment he finds a crease.
“They’ve got a back in Riley - he loves to hit the hole running. He can be twenty yards down the field before you blink,” Cross said.
This will be just the second meeting between Boise State and South Dakota. Their first came in 1973 and ended with a Boise State playoff win. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m., and the game will air nationally on CBS Sports Network, with Cross on the call from the booth.
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Boise States 38-20 home win over Memphis did more than give the Broncos a non-conference rsum boost, it helped frame the early picture of a new Pac-12 still trying to establish its footing. Among the leagues first few weeks of results, that was the biggest out-of-conference statement any of the rebuilt conference teams has made so far, and it arrived at a time when the league badly needed somebody to look the part.
The broader backdrop is still messy, with the Pac-12 sitting 0-7 against ranked opponents through two weeks and several teams sorting out what they are. Boise State, though, has at least flashed the kind of profile that can carry the league forward, even if there is one obvious concern hovering over the conversation. The next round of games should tell a little more about whether the Broncos are simply the early favorite in name or the team everyone else in the league has to chase. [Read more 🡒]
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Coach Spencer Danielson and defensive coordinator Erik Chinander have both pointed to execution and indecision in pass coverage, with the biggest concern centered on giving up explosive plays. The timing is less than ideal with South Dakota, an FCS team that brings a balanced offense, up next, giving Boise State another chance to clean up a problem that already feels like it could shape how this defense is judged moving forward. [Read more 🡒]