Boise State vs. North Dakota: Game Preview, How To Watch, Picks

Boise State vs. North Dakota: Game Preview, How To Watch, Picks Broncos should get its first win Contact/Follow @MWCwire & @erik_smiley54 First time FCS foe Week 3: North Dakota Fighting Hawks vs. Boise State Broncos WHEN: Saturday, September 16, …

Boise State vs. North Dakota: Game Preview, How To Watch, Picks

Broncos should get its first win

Contact/Follow @MWCwire & @erik_smiley54

First time FCS foe

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Week 3: North Dakota Fighting Hawks vs. Boise State Broncos

WHEN: Saturday, September 16, 2023, 10:00 AM MT/ 11:00 AM CT

WHERE: Albertson’s Stadium, Boise, ID

TV: FS1

STREAM: Get a free trial with FuboTV

SERIES: This is the first meeting between the two teams.

LAST GAME: Boise State lost at home against UCF 16-18, and North Dakota won against Northern Arizona 37-22.

Boise State kicks off the Mountain West slate of games early on Saturday with a 10 AM MT kickoff against FCS North Dakota. North Dakota comes in ranked 13th in the FCS with a 2-0 record and the best offense at the FCS level. The Broncos are looking to get their season back on track after going 0-2 with losses to Washington and UCF. Boise State has struggled defensively, allowing 549 yards per game, but tightened up against UCF, only allowing 18 points.

Keys to Victory:

Keep the Kicker Involved.

This is meant defensively, but this is an area where Boise State has a clear edge with Jonah Dalmas and James Ferguson-Reynolds. North Dakota’s Brady Stevens has a career-long of 42 yards but has hit on less than 60% of his 24 career attempts. Their punter, Redshirt Freshman Luke Silvernale, has also had his struggles, averaging 30 yards per kick on the season. 

Keep Schuster Running.

After the past two games, this seems counterintuitive. North Dakota’s Tommy Schuster is not a running quarterback, however.  He is mobile and moves well in the pocket, but he is far from being able to gouge the defense with his legs. Schuster has completed over 75% of his passes on the season, with most of them being within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. Getting him uncomfortable will allow the secondary to keep tighter coverage and increase the chance for turnovers.

Win the Ground Game.

The Broncos run game carried them last week, with Ashton Jeanty being the main contributor in the absence of George Holani. North Dakota is led by back Gaven Ziebarth and Isaiah Smith.  Ziebarth is a very “north-south” runner who will try to make his own hole if one is not produced for him, while Smith has a little more lateral speed and can bounce to the outside if need be. 

Both backs are used at almost a 50-50 split in carries.  Smith is used more in the passing game, but at only 4 catches on the year, he doesn’t seem to be a big threat.  Clearly, the Broncos have the edge even if Holani is held out for this game. Jeanty is the leading receiver and rusher on the season and has the ability to score anytime the ball is in his hands.

Prediction.

This has all the ingredients to be either a three or four touchdown victory or a nail-biter. One thing for certain is if the offense can finally gel, and with the talent and speed that they have, points should not be an issue.

The question is if the defense continues to be as porous as they have been. If that answer is yes, the Fighting Hawks could put 30-plus points on the board. This will be the best defense North Dakota has seen all year by a wide margin, so I think they will struggle with the pressure and, outside of a couple of 50-50 shots, will not be able to find consistent space to operate in. Boise wins big and gets their first win of the season.

Boise State 54, North Dakota 17

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