BOISE — The Western Athletic Conference does not play a football championship game, but due to scheduling serendipity, No. 6 Boise State University (11-0, 6-0 WAC) and the University of Nevada play Friday night for the conference crown.

“It’s kind of interesting how it’s all come down to the end of the year,” Broncos head coach Chris Petersen said during a Monday press conference after BSU improved to 11-0 (6-0 WAC) with Friday’s 52-21 victory at Utah State University. “It’s without question our biggest challenge we’ve had all season.”

Nevada (8-3, 7-0) lost its first three games before rattling off eight straight wins, trouncing its last three WAC opponents by a total score of 177-41.

“It’s impressive to be able to start how they started and be where they are now,” Petersen said. “Early on, if you win some games and get momentum going, things build on itself. To not start where you want to start and to get where they are — tremendous job of coaching those guys.”

Nevada coach Chris Ault’s Pistol offense has produced the nation’s best rushing attack. Three Nevada players — Vai Taua, Colin Kaepernick and Luke Lippincott — have rushed for 1,000 yards, the first trio to do so NCAA football history. The team averages 373.18 yards per game and has scored 47 rushing touchdowns.

The difference between this year’s Wolf Pack and teams of previous years is a defensive emergence. Nevada leads the WAC in rush defense but ranks last in pass defense.

The last time these two teams met at Bronco Stadium, BSU won a four-overtime thriller, 69-67, in 2007. With a conference title in the balance, Petersen is confident his team will be prepared for what may amount to a postseason atmosphere.

“That’s what everybody plays for, is your league championship,” Petersen said. “You can talk about all the other things, bowl games, but it’s all about the WAC championship. This puts a different spin on it. Nevada is so good. We’re just worried about taking care of them and not thinking about all the things that go around it.”

For the Boise State defense, defending Nevada’s potent ground attack can’t come at the cost of ignoring the Wolf Pack passing game.

“They’ve made some adjustments but they honed in to what they want to do and how they want to run the ball,” Petersen said. “They can throw it when they need to. You’re picking your poison. They can kill you either way.”

The Thanksgiving holiday complicates some aspects of preparation but simplifies others. There’s no school this week, so both teams can spend extra time watching film, but Friday’s game comes right off a brief holiday break for the players.

Boise State sophomore quarterback Kellen Moore said his and junior tight end Tommy Gallarda’s mothers will cook for them Thursday after an early-morning walk-through. The BSU coaches also open the doors of their homes for players who want to come. Sophomore safety George Iloka said his family won’t come up, but he and some friends will share a modest meal.

There’s not a lot of worry about the holiday, but Petersen said he has his eye on the linemen.

“The big fellas … they’ve been known for staying at the table longer than they probably should,” Petersen joked.

There are few tickets remaining for the game and Petersen implored fans Monday to match the intensity of previous important conference games.

“When you’re playing against a good team, they’re going to make plays,” Petersen said. “Don’t let them take you out of the game either. Everybody is human and feel it like the players do, but that’s the challenge we all have, the challenge our offense and defense have. When it doesn’t go just right, we gotta be able to shake it off and come back with that focus and energy.”