The Boise State Broncos have proven over the years that they are willing to travel anywhere and everywhere. That barnstorming mentality has served the team well and helped Boise to establish itself as the best mid-major team in college football over the last decade. When the Broncos travel to take on the UL Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns in College Football Week 1 it will be about more than just football though. The Ragin’ Cajuns will also be playing for a city that has been ravaged by flooding over the past month.
This matchup in Week 1 of the regular season will take place on Saturday, September 3, 2016,
at 12 p.m. ET at Cajun Field on ESPN3.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Boise State -20.5
UL Lafayette +20.5
Over/Under 63.5
Odds Analysis
This line has remained steady since it opened but will likely come down in the run up to the game. Boise State is the favorite to win the Mountain West, but UL Lafayette is a lot better team than most people think. The Ragin’ Cajuns are much better than the 4-8 record they had last season and will show the Broncos just that.
Player to Watch
Boise State has a history of producing NFL caliber running backs and Jeremy McNichols is the next in that long line of talent. McNichols was dominant in conference play, cracking the 100-yard mark in every game he played in. If that didn’t highlight how valuable he was, the one game in which he sat out was Boise State’s worst loss of the season.
Speed isn’t the game for McNichols. He is a battering ram of a back and draws many comparisons to Doug Martin for his style of running. McNichols will be running behind a very experienced offensive line that is great at getting to the next level. He could have a huge day against UL Lafayette’s undersized 3-3-5 defense.
Look-ahead Situation
The biggest concern for Boise State in this game will be looking past UL Lafayette. This game is the least important matchup on the Broncos’ schedule and their next two games are a home affair against Washington State and then a road trip against Oregon State. The Broncos live for beating power conference foes and especially those in the PAC-12.
Boise State will also be fighting its lackluster record in season openers. For a program that has only lost 14 games in the past five years, three of those have come in the opening game. The Broncos were routed in 2013 and 2014 against Washington and Ole Miss and just barely squeaked by Washington as a double-digit favorite last season.
Free ATS Pick
Boise State is the better side here and should score plenty of points. The Broncos are oozing with talent at all the skill positions. Brett Rypien is a solid passer, McNichols should have a 1500-yard season, and Thomas Sperbeck had a breakout season as Rypien’s primary target last year. Bryan Harsin is able to squeeze all the talent he can out of the offense, but the defense has taken some significant steps back under his watch.
The Broncos ended the season with decent defensive numbers but there were some awful performances. Utah State dropped 52 points on Boise and New Mexico and Air Force each scored over 30. Boise State buoyed its stats with great performances against anemic offenses, but failed to deliver in some of its biggest games.
UL Lafayette is perennially one of the top teams in the Sun Belt but took a big step back last season. Turnovers were a big part of that, but the defense also fell apart at times. That defense should be better this season and though UL Lafayette won’t be able to stop Boise State, it won’t get run over and that will be enough for the Ragin’ Cajuns to get the cover.
College Football Odds: Broncos 38, Ragin’ Cajuns 27
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