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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted at 2:56 p.m., Tuesday, November 18, 2008

CFB: Boise State ground game to face tough test vs. Nevada

By Chadd Cripe
McClatchy Newspapers

BOISE, Idaho — The Boise State football team is coming off one of the best rushing performances in school history — but now the Broncos must face maybe the best rushing defense they've seen all year.

Nevada (6-4 overall, 4-2 WAC) ranks second nationally in rushing defense, allowing a meager 63.9 yards per game.

No. 9 Boise State (10-0, 6-0) rushed for 315 yards and averaged 8.3 yards per carry last week at Idaho, the fourth-best rushing average in school history.

They meet at 2:07 p.m. MST on Saturday in Reno, Nev. The Broncos can clinch the outright WAC title with a win.

Nevada held San Jose State to minus-23 rushing yards last week.

"They just commit a lot of people to (stopping the run) and they have been vulnerable against the pass," San Jose State coach Dick Tomey said. "That's been their negative on defense. They're a team that's very good on offense. They're just playing very good against the run and making you throw and they're very good at rushing the passer."

The Wolf Pack lead the nation in rushing offense (325 yards per game) and the WAC in scoring offense (38.5 points per game), so they can afford to give up some passing yards. They allow 318.1 passing yards per game, ranking last in the nation.

Boise State, meanwhile, has been inconsistent on the ground. The Broncos haven't rushed for 150-plus yards in consecutive games since the first two games of the season.

So while coach Chris Petersen was happy with the Broncos' rushing attack against Idaho, he isn't ready to say they can rely on that part of the offense.

"The only way we'll know that is to put a couple games back to back," Petersen said, "where we build some confidence and do it time and time again."