Boise State @ Idaho preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 14, 2009 ) Idaho 25, Boise State 63

It pales in comparison to college football’s big-time rivalries and few people in most of the nation’s other 49 states passionately tune in but Boise State vs. Idaho is annually the biggest sporting event held in the Gem State.

The question is whether the two programs will soon be referred to as “former rivals.”

Idaho hosts No. 4 Boise State on Friday night and it could be the last time the two fierce combatants face off for a while.

Boise State is departing the Western Athletic Conference to join the Mountain West after this season and Broncos coach Chris Petersen has said he has no interest in playing at Idaho in the future. University president Bob Kustra also weighed in with Boise State’s intent to never again play at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow.

Vandals coach Robb Akey wants to continue the series but he is insisting that the two rivals play home-and-home against each other and not just in Boise State’s stadium.

For now, the stalemate is on and the two schools won’t meet in either the 2011 or 2012 seasons.

The atmosphere for Friday’s contest is expected to be intense as tensions between the two schools increased when Kustra termed Idaho’s culture as “nasty” and “inebriated” during the summer.

Vandals fans rejoiced more than a month later when an assistant coach was arrested for DUI – Boise State running backs coach Keith Bhonapha.

Unfortunately for the Vandals, the ongoing spitting match between the only two major-college programs in the state of Idaho figures to continue to be much more competitive than Friday’s game.

Kellen Moore and the Broncos (8-0, 4-0) have too much firepower for Idaho to contend with and figure to churn out the yardage against a Vandals’ defense that allowed a staggering 844 yards in a 63-17 loss to Nevada last Saturday.

Meanwhile, Moore passed for a career-high 507 yards and the Broncos rolled up a school-record 732 yards while putting a 42-7 pummeling on a red-hot Hawaii squad.

Boise State ranks second nationally in scoring offense (47 points per game) and fourth in total offense (543.5 yards per game). With Idaho (4-5, 1-3) ranking 82nd in scoring defense (29.3) and 103rd in total defense (436.8), it’s hard to envision a scenario where the Vandals end Boise State’s 11-game winning streak in the series and ruin the Broncos’ BCS hopes.

Idaho quarterback Nathan Enderle has passed for 2,506 yards and 17 touchdowns but has been intercepted 12 times. Boise State’s Moore has 2,372 yards, 21 touchdowns and four interceptions.

The Broncos have outscored their four WAC opponents 198-27, an average winning margin of 42.8 points.