Week 7: Boise State at Southern Miss

The Broncos, who have played just four games and one road game in the first six weeks, finally heat up their season with the first of eight straight games. Five of those games are on the road.

And this one figures to be a challenge, despite the Golden Eagles’ 2-3 record. It’s a long trip for a Boise State team that has struggled through the years to win in the South — losing twice at Arkansas, once each at South Carolina and Georgia and once in the Liberty Bowl and barely escaping the last three meetings at Louisiana Tech.

It will be an interesting matchup between the Golden Eagles offense and Broncos defense. Southern Miss is 17th in the nation in total offense but 39th in scoring because of eight turnovers, five missed field goals and inefficiency in the red zone (60 percent touchdowns). Boise State is 41st in total defense but 12th in scoring defense because of nine takeaways, five opponent missed field goals and effective play in the red zone (54.5 percent touchdowns).

The problem for Southern Miss is that it’s defense has been gashed this year and Boise State’s offense just put up 75 points in two games against Oregon and Louisiana Tech and left complaining about inconsistency. Freshman quarterback Kellen Moore is sixth in the nation in pass efficiency and the Broncos are ninth in pass offense at 312.5 yards per game.

The Broncos’ biggest area of concern is their usually dominant run game. They have rushed for 140 yards per game. The inefficiency on the ground sometimes leads to second- and third-and-long — situations that have caused several lengthy scoring droughts.

The Eagles rely heavily on their rushing attack. Junior tailback Damion Fletcher, already the leading rusher in school history, is seventh in the nation with 136 yards per game.

Notes:

Boise State is 27-3 in two-plus seasons under coach Chris Petersen — a 90 percent win rate.

Boise State’s last loss came in the 2007 Hawaii Bowl against East Carolina, a Conference USA school. The Broncos’ previous non-conference loss to a non-BCS team was in the 2004 Liberty Bowl against Louisville, then a Conference USA school.

Both starting quarterbacks are redshirt freshmen. Boise State’s Kellen Moore was the first freshman to start the season opener in school history. Southern Miss’ Austin Davis was the first at his school since 1991. Moore is a two-time WAC offensive player of the week; Davis is the first Southern Miss quarterback to throw for 200 or more yards in each of the first five games of a season.

Boise State beat Southern Miss 38-16 last year in Boise, the schools’ first meeting.

Boise State starting tight end Chris O’Neill likely will miss the rest of the season with a broken foot.

Key Player (Broncos) — Ian Johnson, RB

Johnson, who is approaching school records for career rushing yards and touchdowns, hasn’t had a 100-yard rushing game this season. He did go over 100 yards receiving last week. He will face a Southern Miss defense that is soft against the run — a defense that allowed him to rack up 191 total yards and three touchdowns last year.

Key Player (Golden Eagles) — DeAndre Brown, WR

The 6-foot-6, 228-pound true freshman gives the Eagles a serious size advantage in the Broncos secondary — an advantage Oregon parlayed into three fourth-quarter touchdowns. Brown, a five-star recruit, is averaging 74 yards per game and 16.1 yards per catch. He’s tied for the team lead with three touchdown catches.

Boise State by 9