EUGEGE, Ore. – Boise State coach Spencer Danielson is not even trying to downplay the difficulty of going to Autzen Stadium Saturday to face No. 7 Oregon.
“They are going to be one of the most talented teams we’ve faced here in a while,” Danielson said. “It’s a tall task.”
But it’s one the Broncos are embracing. And one they’ve looked forward to for quite some time.
“They are fired up,” Danielson said of his players. “These guys have been talked to about this game for eight, nine months. They are very aware of what this thing is. The majority of our kids are west coast kids and they’ve grown up watching Oregon.
“This is an awesome opportunity for our players. It’s a big game. It’s a Big 10 opponent, a top 10 team. I mean this is why you come to Boise State, to give yourself an opportunity to play in these games.”
Oregon was ranked No. 3 in the AP Preseason Poll but dropped to No. 7 after a less-than-inspiring 24-14 home win over Idaho last week. It’s the sixth-straight season the Ducks have been ranked in the top 10 at some point during the regular season.
The Ducks went 12-2 last year and won the Fiesta Bowl with a 45-6 win over Liberty, and then added Heisman Trophy candidate Dillon Gabriel from Oklahoma in the transfer port
Oregon is loaded with speed and skill on both sides of the ball and will be a much more formidable opponent than the Georgia Southern team Boise State beat 56-45 last week.
“We know how talented Oregon is,” Danielson said. “We know how well-coached they are. They are going to play their best on Saturday and we’re working our tail off to make sure we do, too.”
Boise State has had many memorable wins over the years. They are 3-0 all-time against Oregon, and also have wins over programs such as Oklahoma, Georgia, Virginia Tech, Florida State, Washington, Arizona, TCU, Utah, Arizona State, Washington State and Oregon State to name a few.
A win Saturday, beating No. 7 Oregon on the road as 19-point underdogs to move into the drivers seat for the Group of 5 spot in the College Football Playoff, would go down as one of the biggest wins in program history. Some would say it might be the biggest regular season win of them all.
“This is what we come here for,” Boise State safety Zion Washington said. “Its exciting. Everything is going to do everything they can to be on top at the end of it. These are the games in the back of our head that we look forward to and it’s finally here and it’s a blessing we get to participate in something like this.
“A lot of respect to those guys, they are obviously an explosive offense. They’ve got a lot of good players that can make plays. We’re confident as well that we have a lot of players who can make plays. It’s going to be exciting.”
Playing at Autzen Stadium makes the challenge Saturday even tougher with a sellout crowd of 54,000 expected The unique amphitheater shape of the stands and the way the seats funnel down to the field make it one of the loudest and most hostile road environments in the country.
Oregon is 40-3 at home since the start of the 2017 season.
“It’s one of the crazier place to play,” Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen said. “It’s loud. Their fans love Oregon football. And they are a good team. Expectation-wise we know it’s going to be loud and we just have to handle our operation at a high level and communicate, almost overly, so there are no mishaps.
“I think momentum comes from being art home but you can also shut that down. That place is going to be bumping. It’s going to be fun. I think everyone is excited to go play there.”
Boise State’s hope of being the top-ranked Group of 5 conference champion and making the College Football Playoff won’t be impacted negatively with a loss. Should the Broncos win out and finish 12-1 they’d still be in a really strong spot to get in.
But a win Saturday night? The Broncos would be the clear favorite to make the CFP, they’d shoot into the Top 25 and become a national story. The Broncos will likely be favored in every game the rest of the season – meaning another historic, undefeated season would be in play.
There’s so much to gain, and really not a ton to lose for the Broncos on Saturday in Eugene.
And they are ready to let it rip.
“Embrace the challenge,” freshman running back Sire Gaines said. “I know we’re going against a good team – but I like my team better.”
Kick off is set for 8 p.m. Saturday night and the game will stream exclusively on the Peacock app.
