The Colorado State University Rams have an imposing challenge in front of them as they travel to Boise, Idaho, to take on the Boise State University Broncos tonight. 

The Rams are coming off an impressive 10-point victory over the University of Wyoming in the annual Border War matchup between the two schools. 

On the other hand, the Broncos are coming off a 34-point loss to Brigham Young University, their first loss of the year. 

The uncertainty around the Broncos’ roster will be tough to prepare for, but depending on who ends up under center, the Rams may see themselves positioned for their best chance to gain their first-ever program win over Boise State.” 

The Broncos’ recent quarterback problems could be the root cause of their recent loss. Starting quarterback Hank Bachmeier has been out for the last two games for an undisclosed reason, and second-string quarterback Jack Sears, a transfer from the University of Southern California, had to leave the BYU game early with a possible concussion-related injury. 

The Broncos may also be without their first-string running back George Holani after he “went down with an apparent knee injury” during the Broncos’ game against the United States Air Force Academy two weeks ago. 

Holani’s replacement, Andrew Van Buren, had a stellar game against the Falcons, but against BYU, he struggled significantly, only rushing for 45 yards over 16 carries.

While there likely will be no word on who the Broncos’ starting quarterback will be until game day if Bachmeier and Sears miss this week’s game, it could provide a little breathing room for a struggling CSU secondary. 

CSU has given up an average of 334.5 passing yards per game over their first two contests of the season. If quarterback responsibilities fall to Boise State freshman Cade Fennegan as they did in the Broncos’ game against BYU, CSU’s strong pass rush could help to stop Boise from getting its receiving core as involved in the game as the team would like.

Whoever is starting under center for the Broncos will need to be on their toes, as the Rams’ pass rush has been fierce so far this season. Over two games, CSU has had 10 sacks for a total loss of 78 yards. 

The pass rush could help CSU contain star wide receiver Khalil Shakir by limiting the Broncos’ ability to throw the ball. Shakir is coming into this game with 23 receptions for 352 yards and four touchdowns on the season and will definitely be a threat to watch for in this game.

However, the Rams have a dominant receiving core of their own by way of wide receiver Dante Wright and tight end Trey McBride. In his first game back, after having to sit out of the Rams’ first game due to contact tracing protocols, Wright had 10 receptions for 146 yards. McBride had an equally impressive game, with five receptions for 90 yards and two touchdowns. 

In order to truly compete in this game, the Rams will need their offense firing on all cylinders. The CSU ground game struggled last week, but there were flashes of potential from running back A’Jon Vivens, who bursted out for a 30-yard run on one such occasion.

Individual plays will not win this game though; the Rams will need a consistently strong run game, as they will hope to see a drastic improvement from the measly 2.4 yards per carry they were averaging on the ground last week. 

The uncertainty around the Broncos’ roster will be tough to prepare for, but depending on who ends up under center, the Rams may see themselves positioned for their best chance to gain their first-ever program win over Boise State. 

Scott Nies can be reached at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @scott_nies98.