Saturday, December 1
Boise, Idaho
5:45 PM MT
Boise State
vs
Fresno State
Photo by: Boise State Photo Services
Broncos, Bulldogs Clash In Mountain West Championship Rematch
11/26/2018 2:05:00 PM | Football
BOISE, Idaho -Â Boise State, ranked Nos. 19/20 in the Associated Press and Amway Coaches Polls, respectively, will host Nos. 25/23 Fresno State in the 2018 Mountain West Championship Game, Saturday (Dec. 1). Kick between the Broncos and Bulldogs is scheduled for 5:45 p.m. at Albertsons Stadium, and the game will be nationally televised by ESPN.
This is the second-straight year that Boise State has hosted Fresno State in the MW Championship, and the third such occurrence since the MW went to its current format for the 2013 season.
Boise State is the only school to host the MW Championship three times, and the home team is 4-1 in the previous five editions of the title game.
THE FLAGSHIP MATCHUP: Saturday's Mountain West Championship Game between Boise State and Fresno State pits the two teams with the most title-game appearances since the inaugural event in 2013. The game marks Fresno State's conference-best fourth title-game appearance (2013-14, 2017-18), while the Broncos are second with three appearances (2014, 2017-18).
It is also the third time in five seasons that the Broncos and Bulldogs have met for the conference title (2014, 2017-18). Boise State won the previous two matchups, both at Albertsons Stadium, defeating Fresno State, 28-14, in 2014, and 17-14 last year.
SEVEN-STRAIGHT: Since falling to San Diego State (19-13), the Broncos have reeled off seven-straight wins, tied for the fifth-longest active winning streak in the country (Army). Only UCF (24), Alabama (14), Notre Dame (13) and Clemson (12) enter this week with longer active streaks than the Broncos.
THE REMATCH (AGAIN): Boise State will face Fresno State for a second time this season Saturday, the third time in school history that Boise State and Fresno State have twice squared off in a year. Rematches in the 2014 and 2017 MW Championships preceded this year's meetings, with the Broncos defeating the Bulldogs each time in 2014 and splitting last year's series. The Broncos were victorious in each of the two previous championship games.
The only other time a Boise State squad faced an opponent twice in a season came against Nevada in 1990. That year the Broncos defeated the Wolf Pack (30-14) during the regular season, then fell in a 59-52, triple-overtime match-up in the NCAA Division I-AA Semifinals. The two-game series with Nevada, which was ranked Nos. 2 and 4 in the games, respectively, was also the last time Boise State faced a ranked opponent twice in the same season. Fresno State was ranked No. 16 in this year's first meeting, and is currently No. 25.
A HOME ADVANTAGE: Boise State fans have not only contributed to the highest home attendance average in the Mountain West in 2018 (34,635), they have also forced opponents into 20 false starts – more than any other stadium in the country. Kentucky (19), Arizona (18), Texas Tech (18) and Clemson (16) round out the top five.
BOWL ELIGIBLE WINS: Boise State defeated six bowl-eligible opponents in 2018, more than any other Group of Five team in the country.
HOME COMEBACKS: The Broncos, which trailed Fresno State 17-3 early in the third quarter on Nov. 9, overcame a 14-point deficit at home for the first time since being down 20-0 to San Diego State on Nov. 15, 2014 (Boise State won that game, 38-29).
Also, the last time Boise State came back to win at Albertsons Stadium after trailing entering the fourth quarter was last year's Mountain West Championship Game against Fresno State (Dec. 2, 2017), in which the Broncos trailed the Bulldogs, 14-10, entering the fourth quarter of that game, and won, 17-14.
This is the second-straight year that Boise State has hosted Fresno State in the MW Championship, and the third such occurrence since the MW went to its current format for the 2013 season.
Boise State is the only school to host the MW Championship three times, and the home team is 4-1 in the previous five editions of the title game.
THE FLAGSHIP MATCHUP: Saturday's Mountain West Championship Game between Boise State and Fresno State pits the two teams with the most title-game appearances since the inaugural event in 2013. The game marks Fresno State's conference-best fourth title-game appearance (2013-14, 2017-18), while the Broncos are second with three appearances (2014, 2017-18).
It is also the third time in five seasons that the Broncos and Bulldogs have met for the conference title (2014, 2017-18). Boise State won the previous two matchups, both at Albertsons Stadium, defeating Fresno State, 28-14, in 2014, and 17-14 last year.
SEVEN-STRAIGHT: Since falling to San Diego State (19-13), the Broncos have reeled off seven-straight wins, tied for the fifth-longest active winning streak in the country (Army). Only UCF (24), Alabama (14), Notre Dame (13) and Clemson (12) enter this week with longer active streaks than the Broncos.
THE REMATCH (AGAIN): Boise State will face Fresno State for a second time this season Saturday, the third time in school history that Boise State and Fresno State have twice squared off in a year. Rematches in the 2014 and 2017 MW Championships preceded this year's meetings, with the Broncos defeating the Bulldogs each time in 2014 and splitting last year's series. The Broncos were victorious in each of the two previous championship games.
The only other time a Boise State squad faced an opponent twice in a season came against Nevada in 1990. That year the Broncos defeated the Wolf Pack (30-14) during the regular season, then fell in a 59-52, triple-overtime match-up in the NCAA Division I-AA Semifinals. The two-game series with Nevada, which was ranked Nos. 2 and 4 in the games, respectively, was also the last time Boise State faced a ranked opponent twice in the same season. Fresno State was ranked No. 16 in this year's first meeting, and is currently No. 25.
A HOME ADVANTAGE: Boise State fans have not only contributed to the highest home attendance average in the Mountain West in 2018 (34,635), they have also forced opponents into 20 false starts – more than any other stadium in the country. Kentucky (19), Arizona (18), Texas Tech (18) and Clemson (16) round out the top five.
BOWL ELIGIBLE WINS: Boise State defeated six bowl-eligible opponents in 2018, more than any other Group of Five team in the country.
HOME COMEBACKS: The Broncos, which trailed Fresno State 17-3 early in the third quarter on Nov. 9, overcame a 14-point deficit at home for the first time since being down 20-0 to San Diego State on Nov. 15, 2014 (Boise State won that game, 38-29).
Also, the last time Boise State came back to win at Albertsons Stadium after trailing entering the fourth quarter was last year's Mountain West Championship Game against Fresno State (Dec. 2, 2017), in which the Broncos trailed the Bulldogs, 14-10, entering the fourth quarter of that game, and won, 17-14.
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