As Utah State prepares to commence its Mountain West Conference season, the challenges ahead appear steep. The Aggies are entering the conference play on a three-game losing streak and will be facing the top-ranked team in the league, Boise State, this Saturday.
To gauge how the matchup might unfold, a simulation of the game was conducted using the EA Sports College Football 25 video game, where Boise State emerged victorious with a score of 24-6.
The simulation was structured with 10-minute quarters, allowing the computer to control the game without user input, and included adjustments to CPU ratings for a more realistic passing defense. Injuries and depth chart changes were also factored in, although they had minimal impact on this simulation as Utah State was coming off a bye week and had time to recuperate.
In the simulation, Boise State quickly established a commanding lead, scoring on three consecutive possessions to go up 17-0. The Broncos utilized their star running back, Ashton Jeanty, effectively, culminating in a touchdown pass from Maddux Madsen. Despite a couple of promising drives, Utah State struggled to score, with their best chance thwarted by a goal-line stand from Boise State.
Jeanty continued to shine, closing out the third quarter with a 26-yard touchdown run, extending the lead to 24-0. Utah State finally broke through in the fourth quarter with a 75-yard touchdown pass, but it didn’t significantly alter the course of the game.
Overall, Boise State controlled the matchup with key contributions from Jeanty, who rushed for 173 yards, and Madsen, who threw for 147 yards and two touchdowns. The Aggies’ performance showed some promise, particularly from running back Rahsul Faison and wide receiver Kyrese White, but ultimately, they couldn’t find their footing against a strong Broncos defense.
Although the final score may seem low compared to Boise State’s real-life scoring average of nearly 48 points per game, the simulation accurately reflected the dominance Boise State displayed throughout the game.