Boise State (3-4, 1-2 MW) at Colorado State (3-4, 2-1)
5 p.m. Saturday, at Canvas Stadium
Tv/radio: CBSSN/1430 AM, 98.1 FM Line: BSU -2.5
Weather: Cloudy, 66 degrees
What to know
Amateur hour. Steve Addazio is on a roll with terrible decisions. CSU’S head coach blamed his own players for a last-second field goal blunder at Utah State that lost the game. Addazio changed his mind on Monday — “That’s on me” — but any public accountability was a farce. Addazio barred media access to the program for the rest of the week. CSU’S failure to act like a major college football program is one reason why the Rams are mostly irrelevant to anyone who didn’t graduate from the school.
Boise blues. All the negative chatter about these Rams will go away with a win on Saturday. CSU is 0-10 against Boise State since joining the Mountain West. A majority were double-digit losses. However, it’s not a given the Broncos will win the conference this year. Boise State slipped in a seven-point home loss to Air Force before its bye week. The Broncos’ typically potent offense has struggled at times under first-year coach Andy Avalos. Will CSU finally break its Boise curse?
Bet on Bailey. The Rams made strides last week fixing their red-zone offense with a simple strategy: Let running back David Bailey go to work. The 6-foot, 240-pound bulldozer ran in two goal-line touchdowns against Utah State. He also flashed big-play ability in the open field with 30 carries for 133 yards. Bailey arrived in Fort Collins after playing three seasons at Boston College. He overcame injury issues early in the season to become a true impact player for the Rams.
Get the QB. CSU’S greatest strength continues to be its pass rush. The Rams enter this week ranked tied for third in the nation with 28 sacks through seven games. Three players have stacked them up at an impressive rate: DL Scott Patchan (seven), LB Mohamed Kamara (six) and LB Cam’ron Carter (five). Boise State’s offensive line is vulnerable with 16 sacks allowed on the season. The Rams must take advantage and make life difficult for Broncos’ starting QB Hank Bachmeier for any chance at victory.
Key matchups
CSU special teams vs. BSU special teams. The Broncos dominated this matchup a year ago with two blocked punts and a blocked field — all three returned for touchdowns. A special teams error cost CSU a victory last week. The Rams can’t afford to beat themselves against a talented Boise State team.
CSU QB Todd Centeio vs. BSU defense. Centeio has performed well over his last two starts with 200-plus yards passing and a completion rate above 60%. He’s also thrown for a touchdown in each of his past four games. Centeio needs to play mistake-free football on Saturday.
Predictions
Kyle Fredrickson, sports reporter: Boise State 31, CSU 17
Halloween weekend in Fort Collins will be especially scary for the Rams. Boise State gets up big early. Students leave at halftime in search of a better costume party.
Sean Keeler, sports columnist: Boise State 28, CSU 27
The Rams are looking to punch somebody in the kisser. The Broncos are looking to punch somebody in the kisser. Both head coaches have issues with clock management. Another coin-flip game for the Rams lands on the wrong side.
Matt Schubert, deputy sports editor: CSU 27, Boise State 21
These aren’t your older brother’s Broncos. Outside of an upset win at BYU, BSU has looked vulnerable. Daz’s Dudes rise to the occasion in full bunker mode.