Washington State Football: Keys to Victory at Boise State

Jared Miller | Sep 27, 2024

Sep 7, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) warms up before a game against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Washington State and Boise State will clash on the blue turf this Saturday.

The Cougars are off to an impressive 4-0 start this year but now standing in front of them is one of the toughest tests they'll see all year with Boise State. The #25 Broncos have not lost at home this season and will field arguably the best offensive player WSU's defense will line up against this season in the ground game. If Washington State wants to remain unbeaten on the year and get by one of the G5's best teams on the road, it will have a laundry list of things it will need to accomplish on Saturday in Idaho.

Slow Down Jeanty However Possible

It's no easy feat but Washington State's defense will need to find a way to bottle up Ashton Jeanty. The standout running back has been tremendous so far this season for the Broncos, already rushing for nine touchdowns. Jeanty has ran for well over 100 yards in each of the first three games and one of those showings was a monster 267-yard performance against Georgia Southern. Boise State, by no coincidence, is 2-1 with a near victory over Oregon. Stopping Jeanty is a must if the Cougars want to stay in this game and they'll need their best to do it.

Linebacker Kyle Thornton will surely be called upon in this department but he can't do it alone. Taariq Al-Uqdah, Andrew Edson and Parker McKenna will all need to pitch in to slow down #2. Defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding will have to draw up run coverages that focus on plugging gaps and limiting Jeanty's running lanes. Then, of course, it will also come down to tackling fundamentals and wrapping up upon first contact. Simply put, it's going to take a total team effort on defense to limit the damage from Boise State's star player.

RELATED: WATCH: Washington State Head Coach Jake Dickert Talks Week 5 Matchup at Boise State

Keep Third Downs Manageable

Boise State's defense has only allowed 23 third down conversions through three games and, if WSU's offense doesn't want to fall in line with that statistic, they'll need to get themselves into short yardage scenarios on third down. This means positive pushes from John Mateer and Wayshawn Parker in the run game on early downs. Negative plays will stack up in a hurry and be extremely detrimental to the Cougs' chances of keeping drives alive and keeping the ball out of Boise State's hands.

Mateer cannot take sacks, a responsibility that also falls on the offensive line. Parker, likewise, cannot be brought down behind the line of scrimmage and, if the offense opts to throw on early downs, high percentage plays will be their best friend. Sound blocking will be equally as important. If WSU can manage all this and make third... and perhaps fourth downs... that much easier then they just might be able to keep pace with the Broncos.

RELATED: How Washington State's 2024 Opponents Fared in Week 4

Tighten Up in the Red Zone

The Broncos are a perfect 15-of-15 in their red zone possessions so far this year as far as scoring goes and are 13-for-15 when it comes to finding the end zone. Making stops inside the 20 is going to be huge for the Cougars chances and if they can make Boise State's offense come up empty a time or two then things get a whole lot more interesting.

Washington State's secondary will need to be at its best when trying to defend a shortened field. DBs Stephen Hall and Kapena Gushiken have both had solid starts to the 2024 season and have been able to slow down opposing route runners very well over the first four games. The duo has teamed up for two interceptions and two PBUs and a forced fumble. They have a knack for creating turnovers and they'll need to tap into the ability down near the goal line.