Nov 142 min read

No. 13 Boise State Knows the Way to San José

In Week 12, the No. 13 Boise State Broncos (8-1, 5-0 Mountain West Conference) look to win their eighth consecutive game and continue on their path to a spot in the College Football Playoff. At 8 p.m. EST on Nov. 16, the Broncos take on the San Jos é State Spartans (6-3, 3-2) in San José, Calif.

The Spartans are undefeated at home this season and coming off a victory over the Oregon State Beavers (4-5, 0-0 Pac-12 Conference) on Nov. 9.

Postseason Implications

According to the College Football Network, Boise State has a 55.34 percent chance of making the 12-team CFP field. In order to accomplish that goal, the Broncos will likely need to win all of their remaining regular season matchups, including the clash with SJSU.

With only two conference losses, the Spartans have an outside chance of making the Mountain West Conference championship game. However, they need to upset Boise State to make that happen. The Broncos are favored by 13.5 points.

Big-Time Boise State Broncos

The headliner for Boise State all season has been standout junior running back Ashton Jeanty, one of the leading contenders for the Heisman Trophy. With 1,734 yards and 23 touchdowns on the ground, Jeanty is the nation's leading rusher. He is chasing the longstanding records for single-season rushing yards (2,628) and TDs (37) set by Barry Sanders 36 years ago.

Boise State - Ashton Jeanty — © Marco Garcia-Imagn Images

On defense, Egytpian native Ahmed Hassanein has excelled. The senior defensive end has already tallied 7.5 quarterback sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss. Sophomore safety Ty Benefield leads Boise State with 52 tackles. He and Hassanein lead a stout Broncos defense that ranks fourth in the country in TFLs per game with 8.7.

Stellar Spartans

Redshirt senior wide receiver Nick Nash leads the SJSU passing game with 86 receptions for 1,156 yards and 13 TDs and was named an AP midseason first-team All-American.

On the other side of the ball, the Spartans are led by junior linebacker Jordan Pollard and senior safety Robert Rahimi. Pollard and Rahimi have 82 and 59 tackles, respectively. Additionally, Rahimi has 4 interceptions.

Trends to Watch

As Jeanty looks to bolster his case for the Heisman and pursues Sanders' longstanding NCAA rushing records, both teams seek to perpetuate winning streaks: The Broncos are searching for their eighth straight overall victory, and the Spartans are on a quest for their fifth consecutive home victory this year.