UNLV linebacker Marsel McDuffie said he expects the Mountain West Championship at Boise State to be a heavyweight fight.
“They’re not going to lay down and make it easy for us,” McDuffie told reporters on Monday. “Going into their environment, it’s going to be loud. It’s going to be rowdy. We have to come ready to play.”
McDuffie, a senior who leads the Rebels with 94 tackles, was also open about how much weight this game carries.
“Not going to lie, this will be the biggest game I’ve ever (played in),” he said. “I have yet to beat these guys.”
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The last time UNLV beat the Broncos was 1976. The Rebels have come up short against them in back-to-back Mountain West title games, and Friday’s showdown at Albertsons Stadium will be their last chance to unseat them.
It will also be the last time for the foreseeable future that the programs meet as conference rivals.
Boise State, San Diego State, Fresno State, Utah State, and Colorado State are leaving the Mountain West to join the Pac-12 next year.
“There are 18 teams playing college football this weekend,” UNLV football coach Dan Mullen said on Monday. “We’re fortunate and blessed to be one of those 18 teams.”
Boise State made the title game for the eighth time in the past nine seasons after winning its last two games of the season and coming out on top of selected computer metrics that were used to break a four-way tie for first place in the conference.
The Broncos will have their starting quarterback back on the field. Head coach Spencer Danielson confirmed Monday that Maddux Madsen will play after missing three games with a foot injury. He’s completing 59.6% of his passes and has thrown for 1,994 yards, 15 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
UNLV is led at quarterback by Virginia transfer Anthony Colandrea, who was named Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year on Tuesday. He’s completing 68.2% of his passes and leads the conference with 3,050 yards and 22 touchdown throws. Colandrea has also run for 555 yards and eight touchdowns.
UNLV vs. Boise State Betting Line
Boise State is a 4.5-point college football betting odds favorite on BetMGM as of this writing, and the Over/Under is 58.5 points. The moneyline is at -190 for the Broncos and +160 for UNLV.
Boise State leads the all-time series 12-3, and the Broncos have won 10 straight games against the Rebels, including a 56-31 victory in the regular season and a 21-7 win in last season’s Mountain West title game.
UNLV is 5-15 overall and 4-15-1 against the spread in its past 20 games as an underdog on the road. Boise State is 17-3 overall and 13-6-1 ATS in its past 20 games as the favorite at home.
UNLV at Boise State On TV
The Mountain West championship game featuring Boise State and UNLV at Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho, will be televised on FOX.
Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.
UNLV at Boise State Prediction
I predict Boise State wins 31-21.
UNLV has won four straight games and scored at least 30 points in 11 of 12 games this season, but the Rebels’ regular season loss at Boise State had to be hard to get over because of how the Broncos physically dominated them.
Boise State controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and pressured Colandrea all day. Most of the Rebels’ 476 yards of offense came from Colandrea’s ability to improvise and the fact that the Broncos took their foot off the gas with a big lead in the second half.
I believe the Rebels have to find a way to run the ball consistently and give Colandrea time to operate if they have any hope of unseating the Broncos.
Conversely, I think Boise State needs to lean into its running game and let Dylan Riley and Sire Gaines carry the Broncos to victory. If they do that and protect the ball, I anticipate they’ll ride off into the sunset with their sixth Mountain West Championship since 2014.
