We are officially in college football mode here at 103.7 the Game! You probably are as well, especially with a pair of great games this weekend for Louisiana schools. Let’s preview the Ragin Cajuns matchup this Saturday against Boise State.
Last meeting: The Boise State Broncos hosted the Ragin Cajuns on the smurf turf in 2014 and took them down by the score of 34-9. This is only the second ever meeting of these two teams.
What to Watch For
The QB Battle: Both teams have quarterbacks that have everyone talking heading into 2016. On the Boise State side of things, you’ve got Brett Rypien, who is coming off of a stellar freshman campaign where he played in 11 games and accumulated a little more than 3,000 yards and having an impressive 20 TDs to eight picks. Expect a heavy air assault from the Broncos on Saturday. With the Cajuns, all the talk is about a former LSU QB trading in purple and gold for vermillion and white. Anthony Jennings has impressed Coach Mark Hudspeth and earned his spot on the roster as the starter. Jennings numbers with the Bayou Bengals didn’t exactly set the world on fire, but when you have a player like Leonard Fournette in the backfield, there will be a lot less passing attempts. According to Hudspeth, Jennings has got a strong arm and also an accurate arm. Perhaps the step down from SEC defense to a Sun Belt defense has helped show that Jennings has the potential to be great.
Star Safety Suspended: The Broncos will be missing one of their better defensive players in Dylan Summer-Gardner not only for the season opener at Cajun Field, but for the three games afterwards. His suspension is due to him failing to meet academic eligibility requitements. According to head coach Bryan Harsin, it is a statement to the players that you have to take care of business both on and off the field. Summer-Gardner was a four-star recruit out of high school and made 33 tackles in his two years at Boise State.
Not Bringing the Heat: This is something the Cajuns fans have been hoping for: a hot day. When you’ve got an 11 am kickoff in the middle of Cajun country, you want it to be a warm day. But it looks like that won’t happen. The high for the day will be 91 degrees and around 86 degrees at kickoff on Saturday. Mind you, the weather in Louisiana could change if you flip a coin the wrong way, but at the time of this writing the Cajuns advantage may not be there.
The Cajuns Will Win If:
The Cajuns odds of winning are fairly low as they are currently 20 point underdogs, but they will have to establish a solid balance of run and pass on Saturday afternoon. Boise State has been scouting the Cajuns and are expecting a good run game as they have seen plenty of footage of Elijah McGuire running all over the place. If Anthony Jennings can establish that this team isn’t a one-trick pony and can get things done through the air, the Cajuns could have a puncher’s chance at pulling off the upset. Also, if they can eat up the clock that leaves less time on the clock for a high-powered offense like the Broncos to get points on the board.
The Broncos Will Win If:
The Broncos have all of the tools to win especially if Brett Rypien can continue to do what he did his freshman year. One again, the guy had over 3,000 yards and this is against a team that allowed almost 3,000 yards through the air in 2015. The Cajuns defense has shifted to a zone style which could help them out, but he lets it rip (pun intended) then the Cajuns will start the season 0-1 for the second straight year.
-Clint Domingue