The BYU game was always going to be an uphill battle for the Broncos. The team knew it, the media knew, and the fans knew it. Boise State had to overcome the massive amount of extra time that the Cougars had to become a complete, battle-tested team.
To add injury to insult, the Broncos also were forced to deal with an almost comical amount of bad luck with injuries and illness at crucial positions. Boise State played their fourth and fifth string quarterbacks, had just one scholarship running back available, and had injuries on a completely rebuilt defensive line that couldn’t afford anymore missing bodies.