Hawaii at (19) Boise State

Time: 2:30 PM CST

Spread: BOI -13.5

Total: 64.5

Odds c/o 5dimes

The Boise State Broncos finished 11-1 and notched a perfect 8-0 mark in Mountain West play. It will take on the West Division winners, Hawaii, at 3 PM (CST) on ESPN Saturday afternoon. Boise State enters as nearly two-touchdown favorites in the game, as the clear toast of the Conference. The over/under is set at 64.5 points according to college football oddsmakers at bookmaker 5dimes.

BOISE

Boise State suffered its only loss of the year in a non-conference matchup when it fell 25-28 to BYU. It then rattled off five-straight victories to close the season. The Broncos are heavy favorites in a Conference Title game that would be something of a disaster to lose. Boise State ranked No. 34 in passing offense this season and No. 47 in rushing offense while scoring 37.3 points per game and holding its opponents to 21.5 per.

Boise State cycled through three quarterbacks this season, and all three were successful. Hank Bachmeier, Jaylon Henderson, and Chase Cord combined to throw for over 3,250 yards while all bettering 60 percent on completion ratio. The Broncos scored 28 passing touchdowns with just eight interceptions. Its lead-rusher George Holani totaled 912 yards on 5.5 yards-per-carry and led the team with seven rushing touchdowns. No. 2 back Robert Mahone totaled 413 yards and six touchdowns on 84 carries. The Broncos averaged 4.5 yards-per-carry as a team this season.

Boise’s top-receiver was John Hightower. He caught 45 passes (No. 2) for 859 yards and seven touchdowns. No. 2 WR Khalil Shakir led the team in total catches (53) and managed 745 yards and five touchdowns. The Broncos scored 28 touchdowns via the pass this year while averaging 13.3 yards-per-catch.

Broncos kicker Eric Sachse put together a great season. He connected on 56 of 57 PATs while hitting 13 of 15 field goals. His long-kick was just 41-yards though.

HAW

The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors finished 9-4, but it had just a 5-3 mark in conference play. That was enough to win the West Division, by virtue of having defeated the 5-3 San Diego State Aztecs.

Hawaii is a dominant team via the pass, ranking No. 6 nationally with 332.5 yards per game. Its rush attack lingers far behind at 148.3 per game, ranking No. 85. Even so, the Warriors posted 35.4 points per game. Its defense was not good, however, allowing 31.8 points per game and keeping games far too close, often resulting in close losses.

Hawaii quarterback Cole McDonald threw 64.8 percent for completion en route to 3,401 yards on the year with 29 Touchdowns but 13 interceptions. His passer rating was decent, but not amazing, at 147.6. McDonald ranked No. 2 in rushing yardage with 404 yards on 78 attempts and a second-best six touchdowns. Lead rusher Miles Reed averaged 5.3 yards-per-carry on his 152 attempts and scored seven touchdowns. Cedric Byrd II had an outstanding year as the lead receiver. His 91 catches led the team, to go along with a team-leading 1,049 receiving yards and second-best 10 touchdowns. JoJo Ward led the team in TD catches with 11, and his 55 catches ranked No. 4 while his 906 yards ranked No. 3.

Hawaii kicker Ryan Meskell struggled. He connected on just 8 of 14 field goals, with two misses coming from within 40-yards. He knocked down 4 of 8 from beyond 40-yards, with a long-kick of 50 yards.