5 players to watch in UNLV-Boise State game Friday night
Here are five players to watch when UNLV’s football team (4-6, 3-3 Mountain West) plays No. 22 Boise State (9-1, 5-1) at 6 p.m. Friday at Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho:
The junior’s first start of the season Saturday was an unforgettable one as he led the Rebels to a 69-66 triple-overtime upset win over Wyoming that ranks as the third-highest scoring game in FBS history. He completed 20 of 32 passes for a career-high 252 yards, three touchdowns — including two in overtime — and no interceptions and ran for a career-high 157 yards and a key, go-ahead 76-yard score in the fourth quarter en route to earning conference offensive player of the week honors.
2. Brett Rypien, QB, Boise State:
The sophomore was 18 of 22 for 338 yards and four touchdowns in Saturday’s 52-16 win over Hawaii and has completed 65 percent of his passes (193-for-297) this season for 2,916 yards, 22 touchdowns and only six interceptions. The nephew of former Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Mark Rypien threw for a season-high 442 yards and three TDs in a 28-27 win over Brigham Young and 391 yards and a season-high five touchdowns in a 49-21 rout at New Mexico.
3. Jeremy McNichols, RB, Boise State:
The junior leads the country in scoring with 22 touchdowns, including 18 on the ground, and is fifth in the nation in rushing with 1,369 yards. He ran for 153 yards and two scores in Honolulu and has scored a touchdown in 22 consecutive games. McNichols also has 31 catches for 428 yards and four scores.
4. Thomas Sperbeck, WR, Boise State:
The senior is 16th in the nation in receiving yards, with 1,023, leads the Broncos in receptions (62) and is tied for the team lead in touchdown receptions (nine) with Cedrick Wilson, who has 44 catches for 827 yards. Sperbeck had 88 catches last season for a school-record 1,412 receiving yards.
The senior had two interceptions Saturday, one in the fourth quarter and one in the third overtime that set up Nicolai Bornand’s game-winning 40-yard field goal. McTyer, who was named the conference defensive player of the week, is second in the nation in passes defended per game (1.7), has 12 pass breakups and three picks. He’ll be tested this week by Rypien, who ranks 12th in the country in passing yards.
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354. Follow @tdewey on Twitter.
GAMEDAY COVERAGE FOR UNLV-BSU GAME
