Pac-12 Football Notebook: Week 6

Amidst a time of growth and optimism in the future Pac-12 Conference, this weekly series explores compelling stories & quotes from each Pac-12 member school.

Boise State

After a season-opening debacle at South Florida, the Broncos have recovered with three consecutive wins. Importantly, a once-moribund offense has torched the scoreboard in all three of those wins: Boise State dropped 51 points on Eastern Washington, then 49 points against Air Force, and 47 points last week versus Appalachian State.

Now, the Broncos face their biggest challenge yet: last season's national championship runners-up, Notre Dame, at the hallowed grounds of Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend. Head coach Spencer Danielson is trying to align his team's focus ahead of the difficult test, telling reporters today that "Our goal is just to keep growing each and every day, and the message to our team this week is your best is enough, your best is required, and that's not just in the three hours of the game, that's in their prep".

Boise State will need to be at its best on Saturday. The Broncos battle #21 Notre Dame at 12:30 PM PST on NBC.

Colorado State

Last week was a litmus test for the Rams, and they failed. Local beat writers are pondering unanswered questions, and Colorado State head coach Jay Norvell is trying to navigate through the bumpy road of a losing season. This week, Norvell is taking over play-calling duties.

He'll likely need a deep playbook to best his opponent this week; two weeks ago, San Diego State's defense shut out highly-touted Cal freshman phenom quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele.

Friday night, Colorado State faces San Diego State at 7:30 PM PST on CBS Sports Network.

Fresno State

Two weeks ago, in Battle for the Golden Screwdriver, the Bulldogs narrowly escaped from their long-time Mountain West Conference rivals Hawaii, 23-21.

Ahead of their next game, Fresno State head coach Matt Entz wants his team to stay positive. This week, Entz explained that his players are hearing a message of perseverence. "There's a lot of people in the athletic world that have bad days. You know, I'm older than most of you, so a lot of you probably don't know, but there was a guy by the name of Michael Jordan that occasionally didn't shoot very well. And I think they just keep telling him to keep shooting, or if Kershaw [Dodgers star pitcher Clayton Kershaw] didn't have a good outing, they're still going to come back to him and keep throwing, right?".

Entz will ask his Bulldogs to keep shooting and keep throwing against Nevada. The schools square off Saturday night at 7:30 PM on CBS Sports Network.

Oregon State

Few teams in sports can honestly say they are playing at their best, five weeks into their season, and yet still seek their first win. That's the case for Oregon State. Maalik Murphy played like a prized $1.5M transfer quarterback. Redshirt freshman tailback spelled Anthony Hankerson with 17 carries, and had a career night. Despite their best efforts, the Beavers remain winless, but that could change on Saturday. Right now, betting lines are tilting towards Oregon State (+1.5), as oddsmakers believe the Beavers can go into Boone - their first trip to the state of North Carolina since January 1942 - and match up with Appalachian State. Generally, home favorites have at least a 3 point spread.

The Beavers and the Mountaineers fight Saturday afternoon at 12:30 PM PST on ESPN+.

San Diego State

As stated earlier, the Aztecs defense is one of the nation's best. Not only did it shut out Cal, but it held Northern Illinois to just 3 points last Saturday, as San Diego State won by a baseball score of 6-3.

San Diego State has forged an identity: physical, shutdown defense. Now, that identity will be tested in the crucible of Mountain West Conference action. Colorado State's Jay Norvell is taking over play-calling duties, and will throw out every wrinkle to get his offense on the scoreboard Friday night. If San Diego State's defense can live up to their reputation, the Aztecs will make a statement to the rest of the nation.

Friday night, San Diego State faces Colorado State at 7:30 PM PST on CBS Sports Network.

Texas State

Fresh off a bye, the Bobcats are ready to begin their final season in the Sun Belt Conference, beginning with a road test at Arkansas State. Right now, Arkansas State quarterback Jaylen Raynor has the conference's second highest passing yards tally (1,210 across 5 games), but his teammates on the other side of the ball are struggling mightily: a nation-wide 9th worst total defense with 467 yards allowed per game.

If Texas State can keep Raynor out of the end zone, they should kick off conference play with a victory. We'll find out Saturday afternoon at 1 PM PST on ESPNU.

Utah State

Last Saturday, the Aggies lost another shootout to a ranked opponent. This week, Utah State faces a different challenge: themselves. It's a bye week in Ogden.

Next week, the return to Mountain West Conference action sends Utah State across the Pacific, battling Hawaii. The Rainbow Warriors are fresh off a nailbiter loss to Fresno State 23-21 and a shootout win at Air Force 44-35. Timmy Chang's team - yes, that Timmy Chang - are real contenders to steal the Mountain West Conference championship. Whoever wins, the game should be extremely compelling.

Washington State

A week removed from Cougin' It, Wazzu scored an emphatic victory, and the Washington State Cougars faithful are once again feeling optimistic. The latest bowl projections have Washington State tabbed to take a Hawaii trip on Christmas Eve.

First, they'll have to escape the bye-week unscathed. Then, they'll fight an even tougher foe. The Cougs' next game is a daunting one: October 11th at #4 Ole Miss.