Game To Watch: Oklahoma State vs Boise State: September 18, 2021
Oklahoma State and Boise State will meet in an intriguing out of conference match-up in Boise on Saturday at 9:00 EST. The Cowboys have won both their games this season but both were one possession games. Boise State blew a big lead against UCF, but bounced back with a dominant win over UTEP last week. Oklahoma State needs a win over a quality opponent, while Boise needs to avoid picking up a second loss early in the season.
Recent History
Oklahoma State and Boise State have only played one another once before. The Cowboys won the 2018 meeting in Stillwater by a 44 – 21 score.
Top 25 Players
Oklahoma State
| Player | Rank |
|---|---|
| Spencer Sanders | #23 QB |
| Josh Sills | #21 G/C |
| Kolby Harvell-Peel | #7 S |
| Tre Sterling | #10 S |
Oklahoma State Cowboys Gear
What To Watch For…
Can Oklahoma State Contain Khalil Shakir?
Boise State’s Khalil Shakir has been awesome so far in 2021. He had two touchdown catches against UCF and though he didn’t score against UTEP, he made several highlight reel plays en route to a 166 yard performance. Shakir has done a great job of getting open, making difficult catches and picking up yardage after the catch. He has been Boise State’s best weapon and is making the case to be recognized as one of the best receivers in college football. Oklahoma State’s defense will have to pay attention to Shakir at all times and keep the star receiver from taking over the game. Oklahoma State’s pass defense is built around a pair of excellent safeties. Kolby Harvell-Peel and Tre Sterling are able to clean up any mistakes in the secondary and are both play-makers who create big plays for the defense. The duo will be aware of where Shakir is on the field and will do their best to keep Boise State’s star receiver in check.
Hank Bachmeier vs Spencer Sanders?
Both Hank Bachmeier and Spencer Sanders have shown flashes of brilliance over the course of their careers. Unfortunately injuries and inconsistency have kept the two quarterbacks from reaching their potential. Bachmeier and Sanders will face off looking to lead their team to a key win and build momentum for a strong season. Bachmeier has played well so far this season, but threw an ill-advised pass at the end of the UCF game, which ended up sealing the Broncos fate. He bounced back with an excellent performance against UTEP and will try to repeat that against Oklahoma State. Sanders has played in one game this year and led the Cowboys to a win, though he only threw for 173 yards on 6.7 yards per attempt in the game against Tulsa. Sanders was effective running the ball and his play-making ability will be needed on Saturday. Both teams are looking for a strong performance from their quarterback, paving the way for a big win.
Can Oklahoma State Run the Ball?
Oklahoma State was expected to have a strong running game this year, but so far the backs have struggled for the Cowboys. LD Brown, Jaylen Warren and Dezmon Jackson have combined for 50 carries this year, but none of three has averaged over 3.5 yards per carry. The Cowboys ran for just 54 yards on 28 carries against Southwest Missouri State and then gained 136 yards on 43 carries against Tulsa, but 62 of those came from Spencer Sanders. Boise State struggled defending the run against UCF, giving up 255 yards on 45 carries, but corrected that against UTEP. The Broncos held the Miners to 104 rushing yards on 40 carries in a dominant performance. Oklahoma State will need to run the ball successfully to stay balanced and keep the Boise State defense guessing, they have yet to prove they are capable of doing that.
Prediction
Boise State had an impressive performance last week and built momentum to carry over to this week. They will get running back George Holani back at full strength and should be balanced and efficient on offense. Spencer Sanders is a talented quarterback who will make some big plays, but has yet to get into rhythm with some new weapons on offense this year. The Broncos have home field advantage and are just in a better place as a team right now, they will get the win. Boise State 34 Oklahoma State 24.
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Alberstson’s Stadium Record Attendance for Boise State Football in October 2019.jpg image taken by Rickmouser45 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
