The Boise State Broncos are set to hit the road to Autzen Stadium where they’ll face off against the University of Oregon this Saturday, Sept. 7 at 7p.m. Pacific Time.
After No. 7 Oregon opened up their season with a difficult victory against the University of Idaho, there is optimism for how Boise State will compete against the Big Ten school.
Last week the Ducks beat the Vandals with an underwhelming score of 24-14 and in turn, Oregon dropped from third to seventh in the Associated Press Poll..
Saturday’s game marks the 41st time Boise State will face a ranked team since 1996. The Broncos have gone 47-55 against ranked opponents since moving to a four year status in 1968.
Oregon was a preseason favorite at 19.5 points and is still favored against Boise State, setting the game total at 61.5 points.
Boise State excelled in their opener against Georgia Southern last week behind Heisman Trophy candidate Ashton Jeanty’s six touchdowns and 267 yards on the ground with a final score of 56-45.
In a press conference on Sept. 2, Oregon’s Head Coach Dan Lanning spoke on Boise State’s offense.
“Their offense does a lot of good things to scheme you up. They have compliments off of each play. So a great stretch play is going to have a great boot play action off of it as well,” Head Coach Lanning said. “They hold you accountable. They make you tackle. They do a really good job at that. And the back certainly is a big piece of their success.”
Although the Broncos are coming off a high, there is no denying that Oregon will be their toughest opponent this season. This may be one of the biggest games for Boise State in the last decade for national exposure..
“This game is one of those games that our guys have been hearing about since last season ended, right?” Danielsen said. “That’s why you come to Boise State — to have an opportunity to play these games, to play a top five opponent on the road. So my message to our team is all about how we grow from week one to week two. We know the opponent that we’re playing, they’re going to be one of the most talented teams we face here in a while. They’re going to be extremely well coached.”
A key Oregon player that Boise State will need to watch out for is quarterback and Heisman prospect Dillon Gabriel.
“I think the world of Dillon Gabriel, obviously I saw it firsthand as a defensive coordinator,” Danielsen said. “He is in the Heisman discussion for a reason because he’s an extremely efficient passer and he is an explosive runner as well. He can get open to throw or he can get open and take off like he did against us a couple years ago and make plays with his feet. And he’s a big time leader. He’s one of the best quarterbacks in the entire nation and he’s deserved that and he’s grown every single year.”
Other top players to keep an eye out for include wide receivers Tez Johnson and Evan Stewart, cornerback Jabbar Muhammad and left tackle Josh Conerly. All five of these players were ranked in the top 100 of EA Sports College Football 2025.
Boise State has a 3-0 career record against Oregon but has not played the Ducks since their victory in 2017 in the Las Vegas Bowl.
The Broncos now have the opportunity to make history by going 4-0 against this nationally ranked team.
“We understand that it’s going to be a tall task,” Danielsen said. “We have to earn the right to be successful on Saturday with how we prep today, tomorrow, how we practice this week so that we go out on Saturday, when the nation’s watching. Like I talked about, we are willing to work in the dark so when the lights are on Saturday we are ready.”
Score Prediction: 35 (Boise State) – 31 (Oregon)
