The Washington Huskies suffered blow after blow in the offseason, the biggest of which was losing quarterback Cyler Miles to a sudden retirement. Now, they have to head to the Smurf Turf to take on the Boise State Broncos in the first return to Idaho for Petersen since he left the job which made him famous.
WHEN THE BOISE STATE BRONCOS HAVE THE BALL
The good news for Boise State is that nine starters are returning from last season's offense. The bad news is that Grant Hedrick and Jay Ajayi are the two starters who aren't back. Ryan Finley is going to be the new quarterback for this club, but as a sophomore, we have our concerns.
We do grant you the fact that Hedrick and others started off young as Boise State quarterbacks and were highly successful, but there's always a chance that the Broncos just don't have themselves an elite pivot, and we really aren't going to know that until we see Finley throw the ball a little bit.
Washington is undergoing a total makeover to its defense this year, running a 3-4 which Petersen has craved to give a shot in the Pac-12. This being the first game though, there could be some confusion, which could give the Broncos a real edge for some fast points if Finley turns out to be the real deal.
WHEN THE WASHINGTON HUSKIES HAVE THE BALL
Without really knowing who the U-Dub quarterback is going to be, it's tough to bet on this game before it kicks off. Our gut is that redshirt freshman K.J. Carta-Samuels is going to end up getting the nod, though junior Jeff Lindquist and true freshman Jake Browning are also in the running. Carta-Samuels has a little more speed than the others and might be more capable of getting out of trouble in the pocket. Regardless, you can safely bet that this isn't the way Petersen envisioned his return to Boise before Miles retired.
The Huskies might have to become more of a run-based team this year. That's good news for live bettors on the under, and it's good news for Dwayne Washington as well. Washington is a hulking back with some speed, and he could be a difference-maker. It's too bad that U-Dub only brings back one offensive lineman from last year, and many scouts feel as though this team is really going to struggle on this side of the ball because of it.
When you're talking about the Boise State defense, you have to talk about all of the explosive plays. This team creates turnovers all the time, and a lot of that is because of the play of the man who led the MWC in sacks last season, Kamalei Correa. Correa had 12 sacks a season ago, and he will be the man to keep an eye on. If he is running loose in the Washington backfield, you know that live betting on the Broncos is a good idea.
TREND TO TRACK
These two teams have played against each other three times since 2007. You could make the argument that Washington is 3-0 SU and ATS, or you could make the argument that Petersen is 0-3 SU and ATS.
Either way, it should be noted that some of Boise State's hardest challenges from its defense have come from the Huskies in recent years. This probably isn't going to be one of those really tough days at the office, but it should be worth remembering that both Bishop Sankey and Washington had massive days at the office two seasons ago for the Huskies on the ground. If they can get over 200 rushing yards again in this one, they'll have a shot at the upset. Don't consider that a likely result, though.
The NCAA football spread for this Friday game was first available at BookMaker Sportsbook, and the Boise State Broncos surfaced as 10.5-point chalks. The total opened at 57.5. Minute-by-minute spreads, totals and props are available for this game using the live betting platform at BookMaker.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The contest between the Boise State Broncos and Washington Huskies will start at 9:15 p.m. ET on Friday, September 5, 2015, at Bronco Stadium. The matchup will be televised on ESPN.
