The Air Force Falcons travel to Idaho for a showdown with the Boise St. Broncos in the first ever matchup between these two teams. Air Force had some extra time to prepare for Boise State since the Falconcs played on Thursday night, but that may not matter since Boise State is 12th in total offense and Air Force is 103rd in total defense. The Air Force offense is actually better in total offense at 10th in the nation, but the Boise State defense is 10th in college football.
Air Force has the offense to move the ball, but their defense, particularly their secondary, is just one of the concerns they have on defense. Against TCU, San Diego State and Notre Dame, Air Force allowed those schools to complete 76 percent of their passes, and Kellen Moore and Boise State's passing offense is better than all three of those schools.
Also consider that Boise State has running back Doug Martin, who makes the defense essentially have to pick their poison against the Broncos' offense. Martin had 200 yards in three quarters of play against Colorado State and is averaging 103 yards per game.
Air Force will need to be on top of their game to have a chance against Boise State. That means quarterback Tim Jefferson and running back Asher Clark need great performances. The hope for Air Force is that since Boise State has never played against this unique run-option offense. Normally this offense is difficult for any team to stop, especially the first time they see the option in action. That is the big advantage for Air Force and if they are going to pull off the upset the Falcons will need to control the time of possession, score touchdowns, not field goals, and force turnovers.
For more on Boise State head over to One Bronco Nation Under God. Visit the Mountain West Connection for more on the MWC, and head over to SB Nation College Football for more Week 8 action.