Coach Spencer Danielson says 12th-ranked Boise State must seize moment and respect 2-win Wyoming
Associated Press
Boise State coach Spencer Danielson wants his Broncos to seize every moment over the final two weeks of the campaign.
That means not looking past what he deems a dangerous Wyoming Cowboys team that has just two wins this season.
“November, when you get to that month, no matter where you play, who you’re playing, you’re gonna get everybody’s best,” Danielson said. “It’s the compete month and like I said … a ton of respect for Wyoming, for coach (Jay) Sawvel, what they do. We’ve had battle after battle – we know the test that’s coming.”
The Broncos (9-1, 6-0 Mountain West) cannot afford to look past Wyoming (2-8, 2-4) after they leapfrogged BYU into the fourth seed in this week’s College Football Playoff rankings.
“It’s huge,” Danielson said. “We talk to our players about that because that’s, right now, what’s at hand. It’s not about anything past this week, but winning the game (means) we have the opportunity to go play a home game on the blue in the Mountain West championship.”
Boise State is 17-1 all-time against the Cowboys, including an 8-1 mark in Laramie, and has won the last seven meetings.
Wyoming returns home after a 24-10 loss at Colorado State, which followed its second win of the season, a 49-45 thriller at New Mexico on Nov. 2.
Danielson believes the Cowboys will employ their rushing attack, which ranks 89th in the country. It’s a three-headed monster that has enjoyed the return of Harrison Waylee, a starter before the season who ran for 185 yards and a touchdown on 35 carries in his first two games back this month.
“They’ve got some guys back healthy,” Danielson said. “Their running back is one of the better players we’ve seen all year, he’s finally back healthy and explosive.”
“We know how they’re going to be ready to play. We’ve got to finish our prep. And I’m going to talk to our guys more about seizing the moment. Like in life, you don’t want to be the guy that lives with regrets because you didn’t seize and attack the moment.”
Offensive onslaught
Boise State brings one of the nation’s most prolific offensive units to Laramie, as it ranks No. 4 in the country with 492.2 yards per game. The Broncos have bucked their way to 500 or more total yards on four occasions this season, equaling their total from the last two seasons combined.
Plenty of Jeanty
If there is one opponent Heisman Trophy candidate Ashton Jeanty would love to run wild on, it’s Wyoming. The junior workhorse leads the country in several categories but has never topped the 100-yard plateau against the Cowboys, rushing for 91 yards in 2022 and just 53 in 2023. Jeanty leads the nation in rushing yards (1,893), rushing touchdowns (26), total touchdowns (27) and all-purpose yards (1,991).
Yessir Sargent!
Wyoming wide receiver Jaylen Sargent has enjoyed his best stretch of football and could be poised for a big game against Boise State’s less-than-impressive pass defense. Sargent, who has 231 yards receiving the last two games, faces a pass defense that ranks 131st in the nation and allows 296.7 passing yards per game.
Red zone hoedown
The Cowboys may only have two wins and might be tied for 118th in scoring offense (20.4 points per game), but they’re dangerous when they get inside their opponents’ 20-yard line. Wyoming ranks 14th in red-zone conversion (92.3%) and will the Broncos’ defense, which ranks 26th in the nation in red-zone D (77.1%).
Backfield Broncos
Boise State’s defensive front has been a menace in opposing backfields and is tied for 13th with 196 total pressures, per Pro Football Focus. And it’s not just team leader Ahmed Hassanein, who is tied for eighth in the country with a team-high 45 pressures, as there are 15 Broncos with multiple pressures and 21 Broncos with at least one. The Broncos also rank second in the nation with 41 sacks.
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