Gardnerville product Zach Weber and Reno's Bart Hendricks will figure prominently Saturday afternoon when Boise State University tries to secure its second straight Big West Conference football championship at home against Utah State.
Weber is one of the defensive leaders and Hendricks leads the offense for the Broncos, who are 3-0 in conference (7-2 overall) coming into the showdown against Utah State (4-0, 5-4). The contest is scheduled for a 12:05 p.m. (PDT) kickoff at Bronco Stadium.
At stake for both teams is a shot at playing in the Crucial.com Humanitarian Bowl next month. Both teams are trying to become the first undefeated champion since the 1995 season when Nevada went 6-0.
The game features two of the league's top offensive performers in Hendricks, a Hug High School graduate, and Utah State's Emmett White. Hendricks is one of the top quarterbacks in the country, has thrown for 26 touchdowns and 2,578 yards this season. White leads the country in all-purpose yardage, is averaging 132 yards per game and has scored 12 touchdowns to lead all Big West players.
White had a record breaking game against New Mexico State this past weekend in leading the Aggies to their fourth league win. The junior gained 578 all-purpose yards to break the NCAA's single game mark by 141 yards. White rushed for 322 yards, had 134 receiving yards, and returned six kicks for 122 yards. He also rushed for four touchdowns, including the game-winner in the Aggies' 44-37 triumph.
Weber, a 6-foot-5, 240-pound senior defensive end, leads the Big West in sacks with seven and is tops with 35 unassisted tackles among defensive linemen in the conference. Weber is a 1997 Douglas High School graduate.
Boise State's only two losses this season have come by narrow margins: 42-35 against Washington and 38-31 against Arkansas. The Broncos have the league's top scoring offense, averaging 40.2 points per game, as well as the league's top total offense and total defense.
Boise State can keep its title hopes alive with a win and, combined with a win next week over Idaho, to win its second straight conference title. The Broncos can also claim the title with a win and an Idaho loss this week. Idaho needs to win its next two games and hope for Utah State to lose to Boise State in order to win its second title in three years.