Boise State fans guide: How to watch, what to watch for against New Mexico

The New Mexico football team comes limping into Albertsons Stadium this week after its worst margin of defeat this season.

The Lobos lost 56-14 to UNLV last Saturday, and head coach Danny Gonzales fired special teams coordinator Jamie Christian on Monday. UNM allowed 161 yards on three punt returns, and the Lobos rank last in the country this season, having allowed eight punt returns of 20 or more yards.

The 42-point loss was New Mexico’s worst home margin of defeat since October 29, 2011, when the Lobos fell to Air Force 42-0.

“I think we’ve struggled a lot in the return game this year, obviously,” Gonzales said during a Tuesday news conference. “I just thought that it was time for a different voice. I mean, Jamie Christian did a great job. He came here with my inaugural staff and worked his tail off for this place. ... I just think we need to go a different direction on that aspect of our football team.”

New Mexico enters Saturday’s Mountain West matchup (8 p.m., FS1) as a 25-point underdog. The Lobos are 1-13 all-time against the Broncos, with their lone win coming in 2015 at Albertsons Stadium. Boise State has won the past six meetings.

“We’ve got a big hill to climb. But I think this group is excited to play, and they don’t care who it is,” Gonzales said. “So we’ll go out there and we’ll go up to Boise, and if we’ve only beat them once, great, then we’re gonna try and make it twice.”

The Lobos rank near the bottom of the Football Bowl Subdivision in scoring defense (125th) and last in the Mountain West, allowing 35.1 points per game. They’ve done slightly better in total defense, checking in ninth in the conference and 101st nationally, but they give up 408.6 yards per game.

Perhaps the biggest bright spot for the Lobos has been red-zone offense. New Mexico has scored on 27-of-29 trips inside the 20-yard line this season, including 23 touchdowns. The Lobos’ 93.1% conversion rate ranks tied for 13th in the country. In addition, New Mexico’s offensive line currently ranks 18th in the nation in sacks allowed, at just 1.22 sacks per game on average.

“It’s always fun to play in that stadium. It’ll be a great atmosphere, the aura of the blue turf and all that stuff,” Gonzales said. “Obviously, in 2015 New Mexico went up there with the only win against Boise State in unbelievable fashion, so we’re excited to go up there as a big underdog.”

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Can Boise State defeat two opponents this weekend?

New Mexico will be on the other sideline at Albertsons Stadium, but honestly, the tougher foe the Broncos face Saturday is themselves.

How do they respond to yet another loss, and to having a losing record this late in the season for the first time in 26 years? And to the untimely departure of top wide receiver Eric McAlister? And to the fact that they still need to win two games to guarantee a non-losing regular season and be eligible for one of the many underwhelming December bowls?

Technically the Mountain West title game is still a possibility, if UNLV loses to Air Force in two weeks (likely), and Fresno State loses at San Jose State or San Diego State (possible), and the Broncos win out, including beating Air Force, and claim a three-way league tiebreaker (possible). But that’s a copious amount of ifs.

Football coaches love to talk about being a family, overcoming adversity and taking one game at a time. That’s never been more applicable than it is now for head coach Andy Avalos and his staff, who have to get their players focused during what’s undoubtedly a tough time. They have to play as if they are not going to win Saturday simply by stepping on the blue turf against an outmatched opponent. They need to treat this as a title game.

Can the offense play a nice, clean, efficient game?

You have to go back to the Broncos’ visit to Memphis to find a contest in which they didn’t give the ball away. And they still lost, 35-32, on Sept. 30.

In the four games since, Boise State’s offense has 10 turnovers. Quarterbacks Maddux Madsen and Taylen Green both have multiple interceptions.

Madsen has been able to find more of a rhythm in some games simply because he has been given the opportunity, but he’s completing only 62% of his passes after a 22-for-42 effort last week. Green is completing just 53% of his throws. And now both QBs are without McAlister as a target.

If Ashton Jeanty can return this week, giving the Broncos a 1-2 rushing punch with George Holani, and they can avoid giving the ball away, they should have no problem rolling over a leaky Lobos defense. They don’t need to be tricky or fancy — just need to let a good offensive line do its work and put together drives.

Who will step up in the receiving corps?

During practice in August, Boise State receivers coach Matt Miller said of his group, “We’ve got a lot of depth.”

It’s time for that depth to shine.

McAlister had 47 catches. Combine the receptions of veterans Stefan Cobbs and Billy Bowens, heralded freshman Prince Strachan and Colorado transfer Chase Penry, and you get 48. Those numbers speak volumes.

With just one catch last week, the first of his college career, Austin Bolt showed a glimpse of his potential. Strachan needs to show his promise, and Bowens and Cobbs need to help fill the big-play role in the passing game.

NEW MEXICO AT BOISE STATE

When: 8 p.m. Saturday

Where: Albertsons Stadium (36,363, FieldTurf), Boise

TV: Fox Sports 1 (Guy Haberman, Charles Arbuckle)

Radio: KBOI 670 AM/93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)

Records: Boise State 4-5, 3-2 MW; New Mexico 3-6, 1-3 MW

Series: Boise State leads the all-time series 13-1, including six straight wins. The Broncos won 31-14 last season in Albuquerque.

Vegas line: Boise State by 25

Weather: High of 53, 4% chance of rain, 6 mph wind

THIS WEEK’S COVERAGE

Boise State’s leading receiver leaves team ahead of transfer portal opening

Former Borah star back on field for Boise State after gruesome injury. Can he step up?