Boise State survived a scare and still kept its grip on the top spot in the Week 4 Pac-12 football power rankings.
The Broncos needed a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to shake off South Dakota in a 38-24 home win on Saturday, Sept. 19, but they still head the list after another productive day on the ground. Boise State has now topped 300 rushing yards in back-to-back games, and Dylan Riley remains one of the country’s most dangerous runners. Riley has 62 carries for 454 yards and two touchdowns, which puts him third nationally in rushing.
Next up for Boise State is a Saturday trip to Western Michigan at 1:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
Oregon State stayed right behind the Broncos after a 52-17 home win over Montana on Saturday, Sept. 19.
The Beavers’ offense kept humming, with true freshman Jesse Legree continuing to torch defenses. Legree has 17 catches for 476 yards and four touchdowns, and no one in college football has more receiving yards.
Quarterback Braden Atkinson is also piling up numbers at a fast clip, sitting second in passing with 1,120 yards to go with 10 total touchdowns and one interception.
The Beavers travel to UTEP on Saturday for a 7 p.m. game on the Mountain West Network.
Fresno State earned its place near the top after a 26-10 road win at San Jose State on Saturday, Sept. 19.
The difference was defense, plain and simple. Fresno State intercepted four passes and took home the Valley Trophy.
Texas State followed with a 49-35 home win over North Texas on Saturday, Sept. 19, and the Bobcats’ offense delivered its best showing of the season. But the defense gave plenty back, allowing 492 passing yards to North Texas.
San Diego State dropped a 26-13 home game to James Madison on Saturday, Sept. 19, even though the Aztecs crossed the 400-yard mark in total offense for the first time in a regular-season game since last October. James Madison, though, moved the ball without much trouble at Snapdragon Stadium.
Colorado State fell 41-23 at home to No. 11 BYU on Saturday, Sept. 19, and the loss came with an injury note worth watching.
The Rams were down 38-7 after three quarters, and quarterback Hauss Hejny left with a hamstring injury. Hejny is questionable for this weekend.
Washington State put up a 48-7 home win over Duquesne on Saturday, Sept. 19, and while it wasn’t clean, the Cougars eventually wore down an overmatched opponent. Washington State finished with 316 rushing yards and pulled away after halftime.
At the bottom of the rankings, Utah State was shut out 33-0 on the road by No. 17 Utah on Saturday, Sept.
- The Aggies are now at minus-8 in turnover margin on the season, which ranks last in FBS.
All eight Pac-12 teams are back in non-conference action Saturday before league play begins next week. Utah State hosts Troy at 5:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.
In Other News...
Boise States NFL Standouts Are Giving Fans Plenty To Track
Week Three gave Boise State fans a familiar kind of Sunday sweat, with nine former Broncos and one ex-head coach spread across the NFL slate. The list touched games in every corner of the schedule, from quarterback work and backfield touches to defensive snaps and special teams duties, a reminder of how deep the programs reach still runs once the college season gives way to pro football.
For Boise State followers, the appeal is not just seeing names on box scores but tracking how those players are being used and whether they can carve out bigger roles as the season settles in. The matchups brought mixed team results and a wide range of individual lines, leaving plenty for Broncos fans to keep tabs on as the next NFL weekend approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Needs More From Jayden Virgin-Morgan For This Defense to Hold Up
Jayden Virgin-Morgan has long been one of the more important pieces of Boise States front seven, and as a fifth-year edge rusher and team captain, his value has never been measured only by sacks. Through three games of the 2024 season, though, his production has been quieter than the Broncos likely need from a player in his role. Coaches continue to point to the ways he affects the run game and disrupts opposing offenses, even when the box score stays modest.
Still, Boise States defense is looking for more pressure on quarterbacks, and that puts a spotlight on Virgin-Morgans next stretch of games. He has acknowledged the need to be more consistent, and the Broncos would benefit if his edge play starts showing up more often in the backfield. With the pass defense already under strain, getting more from one of its most experienced defenders feels less like a luxury and more like a requirement. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Has A Chance To Silence Doubts And Protect Its Edge
Boise States College Football Playoff path still looks sturdy on paper, even after a close call against South Dakota. DraftKings Sportsbook left the Broncos at +230 to make the field, unchanged from the previous week, a sign that the market is still treating them as the Group of Six team with the best shot to break through.
That edge, though, is going to get tested quickly. The Broncos head to Western Michigan this weekend with the betting race still very much in play, and every week like the one they just survived matters when other Group of Six hopefuls and even a few Pac-12 teams are lingering in the mix behind them. [Read more 🡒]