Boise State fans guide: How to watch, what to watch for against Fresno State

The Boise State football team has not fared well in the turnover battle this season, ranking tied for 119th in the country at minus-0.75 per game.

It’s a stat that could come into play Saturday when the Broncos travel to Fresno State for a Mountain West game at Valley Children’s Stadium in Fresno, California. The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.

The two teams will be vying to take home the coveted Milk Can, a trophy that was first introduced to the rivalry in 2006. The Broncos have claimed the Milk Can in 11 of 13 meetings, not counting conference championships matchups.

“Obviously we have a long history with them. They’re always typically very tight games and hard-fought games,” Fresno State coach Jeff Tedford said during a Monday news conference. “... Still have a ton of respect for them. They’re 3-1 (in the league). We’re 3-1. We’re right in the heat of the battle, so nothing’s really changed with them. They have great players and great coaches.”

The Bulldogs have the second-best turnover margin in the country this season, averaging plus-1.38 per game. They’ve grabbed 12 interceptions and recovered six fumbles, while giving up just seven interceptions this season. They have not lost a single fumble.

Fresno State senior cornerback Carlton Johnson has a team-leading four interceptions, a mark that is tied for sixth in the nation this season.

Meanwhile, the Boise State defense has come up with four fumbles and five interceptions this season, but the offense has coughed up eight fumbles and seven interceptions.

The Broncos will need to be at their best on both sides of the ball against the Bulldogs. Fresno State averages 33.6 points per game (No. 3 MW, No. 29 nationally) and boasts a defense that limits opponents to 20.6 points per game (No. 2 MW, No. 33 nationally).

“Both programs have had a lot of success. As we’ve said before, Coach Tedford’s done an unbelievable job,” Boise State coach Andy Avalos said. “In this conference, there’s usually a lot on the line when these two teams play each other.”

The Broncos and Bulldogs are tied with UNLV for second in the Mountain West standings at 3-1 apiece behind unbeaten Air Force (8-0, 5-0). Boise State and Fresno State played twice last season, with the Broncos winning the regular-season matchup 40-20 and the Bulldogs winning the Mountain West Championship game 28-16.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Can the Broncos become road warriors?

Boise State is 1-3 away from Albertsons Stadium this season, the lone victory being a 3-point win over a San Diego State team having a down season (3-5, 1-3). Of course, Boise State’s last road game was one it gave away, losing on a Hail Mary at Colorado State after blowing a 20-point lead.

Regardless, this has been a team that has fed off its home crowd, something it won’t be able to do against a top-notch opponent this week. In fact, the Broncos will be facing a very big, very loud opposing fan base for the first time since the season-opening loss at Washington. Fresno State led the Mountain West in attendance last season and will undoubtedly pack the house for BSU. That puts Avalos’ team in a position to rally itself in a rare underdog role, considering how infrequent it is to see the Broncos not be a betting favorite in a conference game.

It would be easy to say that not falling behind is the key to success this week, but the simple fact is that Boise State needs to play well in every quarter in this game, in every facet, on pretty much every possession.

Will Ashton Jeanty be back?

The Broncos finally see running back George Holani return, and bam, Jeanty gets injured in the win over Wyoming, forcing Holani to play more snaps than anticipated. Having both guys going full-tilt against a pretty strong Fresno State rushing defense (957 yards on season, 119 per game) seems rather necessary. Boise State is averaging 195 yards per contest on the ground, so something will give Saturday night in that battle.

Will Boise State’s defense ride momentum of Wyoming win?

The Broncos have had some games defensively this season they’d rather forget, but last week’s thrashing of the Cowboys was one to remember: 112 total yards and eight first downs allowed, seven tackles for loss.

The challenge this week is to slow a potent Fresno passing attack, and as has been well-documented, Boise State has struggled with its pass defense, yielding far too many big plays. The Bulldogs average nearly 300 yards per game through the air; the Broncos have given up about 277 per game, an average that dropped a bunch after last week’s stellar performance.

Pressuring quarterback Mikey Keene (1,946 yards, 19 touchdowns, six interceptions) would be a great start; Keene has been sacked 16 times, and he missed the end of the Wyoming game and the entire Utah State game with an injured ankle. Being in Keene’s face would help the secondary account for the Bulldogs’ top four receivers, all of whom are averaging more than 10 yards per reception. Fresno State doesn’t often dink-and-dunk down the field — Tedford’s attack looks for bigger plays.

BOISE STATE AT FRESNO STATE

When: 8 p.m. Mountain time Saturday

Where: Valley Children’s Stadium (40,727, AstroTurf), Fresno, California

TV: CBS Sports Network (Jordan Kent, Donte Whitner, Brandon Baylor)

Radio: KBOI 670 AM/93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)

Records: Boise State 4-4, 3-1 MW; Fresno State 7-1, 3-1 MW

Series: Boise State leads the series 17-8. The Broncos lost to Fresno State 28-16 in the Mountain West championship game last year in Boise.

Vegas line: Fresno State by 3 points.

Weather: High of 76, 5% chance of rain, 5 mph wind

THIS WEEK’S COVERAGE

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