No. 20 Boise State spent three quarters looking ready to surrender its grip on the top spot in the Pac-12 power rankings. Then the Broncos flipped the switch in a hurry.
Down in Pullman on Saturday, Boise State erased Washington State with 21 straight points and rolled to a 31-10 road win. The Broncos improved to 6-1 overall and 3-0 in league play, while the Cougars fell to 1-7 and 0-4.
Boise State is now tied with Oregon State for first place in the Pac-12 standings. The Beavers are 5-2 and also 3-0 after a bye week, and the two teams are set to meet at Albertsons Stadium on Nov. 14.
The Broncos’ finish was the difference. They wore Washington State down by the fourth quarter and piled up 258 rushing yards on 37 carries. On the other side, Boise State’s defense turned in one of its strongest performances of the year against Cougars quarterback Owen Eshelman.
Oregon State’s idle week brought a different kind of momentum. Jesse Legree, the nation’s leading receiver, re-signed with the Beavers for next season, keeping one of the country’s top quarterback-receiver pairings intact. Legree and Braden Atkinson have been one of the best duos in the nation this season.
The rest of the league has plenty of questions, starting with Fresno State. The Bulldogs, once viewed as a preseason Pac-12 dark horse, have dropped two straight and now host Oregon State on Saturday at 9 p.m. on USA Network. The source material calls this the moment for Fresno State to prove it.
Texas State, meanwhile, keeps hanging around in the standings despite a messy offensive showing in a 20-17 win over Utah State. The Bobcats would be 3-0 in Pac-12 play without their collapse at San Diego State, and the next two weeks will be a major test with road trips to Boise and Corvallis.
Colorado State sits in a different kind of spot entirely. The Rams came out of a 56-49 win over San Diego State, and the offense is clearly dangerous, but the defense is still giving up big plays in bunches.
San Diego State’s loss in that shootout was another rough one. Stone Saunders performed well in his first career start, but the Aztecs’ defense has taken a serious step back since defensive coordinator Rob Aurich left for Nebraska last December.
Utah State also came up short, falling 20-17 at Texas State after a strong defensive effort that didn’t get much help from Javen Jacobs and the run game. The Aggies return home to face Colorado State on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. on USA Network.
At the bottom, Washington State is still searching for answers after the loss to Boise State. The Cougars cannot block or catch, and that has made it tough to keep an offense on the field or give the defense any relief. They’ll travel to San Diego State on Saturday at 5 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.
In Other News...
Oregon State Faces A Road Test That Could Reveal A Lot
A road trip to Fresno State is hardly a routine stop for Oregon State, especially with the Bulldogs bringing a defense that has been one of the better units in the Pac-12. Fresno State opened with a loss to USC, then ripped off four straight wins before stumbling in key games against Boise State and San Diego State, a stretch that still says plenty about the challenge waiting in front of the Beavers.
The Bulldogs have been steady enough to make this feel like more than a typical nonconference test, with quarterback Jayden Mandal and receiver Josiah Freeman helping keep the offense in the middle of the pack while the defense has stayed near the top in conference scoring prevention. Add the Halloween backdrop and a venue that has given Fresno State plenty of comfort over the years, and Oregon State is walking into a game that could reveal a lot about where it stands. [Read more 🡒]