Harsin, Broncos wary of Utah State on quick turn-around


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LOGAN— The winner of Friday night's showdown of Boise State and Utah State will likely determine who wins the Mountain Division of the Mountain West Conference. The Aggies have struggled mightily against the Broncos in recent years.

That doesn't stop Bronco head coach Bryan Harsin from worrying about the Aggies, especially on a short week. "It makes you spend time on a lot of different things and we don't have a lot of time each and every week to go out there and spend time on everything they do, so you have to pick what you think is going to happen and prepare yourself for that."

Harsin also had high praise for an Aggie defense that is ranked seventh in the nation in total defense. "Defensively, (they are) aggressive. They have been an aggressive defense They will challenge you, they don't sit back and try to keep things in front of them. They will come after you, blitz you, play man coverage. They are trying to attack, and that's something that I think, on the defensive side, that's a mindset they've had that for the years I've seen them play. … They give you a lot of different looks, and on a short week that's going to take a lot of focus from our players prepping for their defense."

The up and down Aggie offense will face a stiff test against Boise State. It might even be the best defense the Aggies will face all year, but the Broncos' defensive coordinator is not going to call his defense dominant, at least not yet. "When we are done with the season and we're a top-10 defense, you won't hear me say we're dominant until then. Every week, every opponent can humble you. … Every week you have to be humble and hungry. Every opponent is different. They're looking for a weakness in your defense, and if they find it, it can change around real quick. Dominance isn't a game or a half a season. It's a full season of playing that way."

Boise State coaches, including head coach Bryan Harsin, left, celebrate a defensive stop against BYU during an NCAA college football game in Boise, Idaho, Friday, Oct. 24, 2014. (AP Photo/The Idaho Statesman, Kyle Green)
Boise State coaches, including head coach Bryan Harsin, left, celebrate a defensive stop against BYU during an NCAA college football game in Boise, Idaho, Friday, Oct. 24, 2014. (AP Photo/The Idaho Statesman, Kyle Green)

The Bronco defense feeds off of draining the energy and excitement from the home crowd corner Chanceller James said in the weekly press conference. "It's great just watching the crowd die as we beat the teams we beat away. … We don't let offenses get into a rhythm. If we let the offense get in a rhythm, it's like a song — it just keeps going. It's terrible."

Boise State is 15-4 all-time against Utah State, and has defeated the Aggies in each of the last 12 meetings.

Despite recent success, Harsin and the Bronco players are not overlooking the Aggies. "On the road against a very good football team that's got very good players, and we're going to need to have our best game and probably the most physical game that we'll play at this point. That is really their mentality right now. I'm looking forward to the challenge, and I know our guys are as well."

Utah State hopes to take command of the Mountain Division on Friday at 7 p.m. The game will be nationally televised by CBS Sports network. Parker Robertson is a graduate of Utah State University, a freelance contributor and an avid fan of sports. Follow him on Twitter @ParkerRob78 Email: ParkerRobertson18@gmail.com

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