No. 10 Boise State battles with No. 20 UNLV in one of the biggest Group of Five games in college football history. The Broncos have put together a sensational season, exploding to 11-1 with the only loss coming at the buzzer against No. 1 Oregon. Boise State crushed Oregon State 34-18 in its regular-season finale.
UNLV sits at 10-2 with the only losses — totaling eight points combined — coming to this Boise State team and a 9-3 Syracuse squad. Since a two-point win at Hawaii, the Rebels have been one of the hottest teams in college football. UNLV beat San Diego State, San Jose State and Nevada by a combined 56 points.
The Rebels and Broncos played a highly competitive game at Allegiant Stadium on Oct. 25. Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty scored a fourth-quarter touchdown with 12:38 remaining to send the Broncos to an emotional victory. The winner of the Mountain West Championship Game should earn a trip to the College Football Playoff.
Boise State vs. UNLV: Need to know
Heisman hopeful: Boise State star running back Ashton Jeanty has the opportunity to make a closing statement for the Heisman Trophy against an outstanding UNLV team. The Rebels held him to only 128 yards, his worst FBS output of the season, but Jeanty still became the first running back since 2019 to clear 2,000 yards. He needs 566 yards to pass Barry Sanders‘ all-time record and has at least two games to accomplish the feat. Hitting 200+ against UNLV could get him back into contention against Colorado’s Travis Hunter.
QB carousel: Former UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka drew headlines after shockingly opting out of the season after only three games. However, Hajj-Malik Williams has been an ascendent star ever since. The Campbell transfer threw for 1,735 yards, rushed for 768 yards and accumulated 26 touchdowns in only nine starts. UNLV’s offense has averaged 38 points per game with Williams in the lineup.
CFP implications: After the penultimate CFP Rankings dropped on Tuesday, UNLV and Boise State are the overwhelming favorites to reach the College Football Playoff as the Group of Five conference champion. If Boise State is able to take care of business, the Broncos are on track to earn a first-round bye in the playoff. If UNLV wins, the Rebels will likely rank behind the Big 12 champion but should still be in as the 12-seed. The winner of this game will see their national profile explode.
How to watch Boise State vs. UNLV live
Date: Friday, Dec. 6 | Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Albertson’s Stadium — Boise, Idaho
TV: Fox | Live stream: fubo (Try for free)
Boise State vs. UNLV prediction, picks
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These two teams match up evenly, and UNLV proved that it can at least slow down Jeanty. The Rebels offense under offensive coordinator Brennan Marion is hard to stop and the pair played a one-score game in Las Vegas earlier this season. However, Boise State will not let the moment pass them by. In a highly competitive game, Jeanty will make just one more play and help launch the Broncos to the College Football Playoff. Pick: Boise State -4
SportsLine’s proven computer model is calling for three outright upsets during college football’s championship week. Visit SportsLine now to see them all, plus get spread picks for every game from the model that simulates every matchup 10,000 times.
