Boise State opens the 2026 season with a heavyweight assignment unlike any it has seen before: a trip to No. 2 Oregon in Eugene, a matchup that puts the Broncos against the highest-ranked opponent in program history.
The Ducks are 48-8 under Dan Lanning over four seasons and have reached the College Football Playoff twice. They’re also carrying the kind of roster depth that comes with major NIL investment, with Oregon reportedly spending $40 million on its 2026 football roster. Boise State, by comparison, spent $10 million in revenue sharing across its entire athletic department in the 2025-26 academic year.
That gap is part of what makes Saturday such a daunting ask for the Broncos, who are trying to snap a skid against power-conference opponents. Boise State last beat one when it opened the 2019 season with a win at Florida State.
And the challenge isn’t just the ranking or the money. It starts at quarterback, where Oregon now has Dante Moore.
Moore could have entered the NFL draft but chose to stay in Eugene for a third season, and he arrives as one of the Heisman Trophy favorites. The 6-foot-3 quarterback completed 71.8% of his passes last season for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns. He isn’t known as a runner, but he can be dangerous when plays break down, extending drives with his pocket movement and throwing accurately on the move.
“It’s either he has to go down, or we have to keep him in that pocket,” Boise State defensive coordinator Erik Chinander said Monday.
That task gets even tougher because of the group working in front of him. Oregon’s projected starting offensive line on Saturday is expected to average 6-foot-3 and 323 pounds. Boise State’s defensive front four averages 6-foot-2 and 287 pounds.
“We’ve got some big bodies, and we have to simulate. Is it going to be the same? No,” Chinander said.
“But the good thing is, a lot of our guys know a lot of those guys... so they know what they’re dealing with,” he continued. “I don’t think it’s ever been about the size of somebody. I’ll take our guys walking into any game you got.”
The Broncos’ pass rush will be under the microscope, too. Boise State led the nation with 55 sacks in 2024, but that number dropped to 27 last season, which ranked 62nd nationally.
If the Broncos are going to hang around, Maddux Madsen likely has to make plays, and he’ll have to do it with Oregon safety Brandon Finney Jr. hovering in the picture. The sophomore was one of the Ducks’ most disruptive defensive backs last season, playing all 15 games as a true freshman and leading Oregon with three interceptions and eight pass breakups while adding 42 tackles.
“Everybody’s got to be aware of him and where he’s at, at all times,” Boise State offensive coordinator Nate Potter said. “You can try to scheme things, but they’re scheming, too. So it’s just making sure you’re aware of them, and then we’re putting guys in the right position to be successful.”
Boise State and Oregon kick off at Autzen Stadium, where the Ducks are favored by 24.5 points. The game will be played on turf with a forecast calling for a high of 68, a low of 51, humidity at 73%, mostly cloudy skies and a 15% chance of rain.
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