Boise State has a shot to lock up something bigger than just another win on Saturday: a clear path to hosting the first Pac-12 championship game since the conference’s revival. The Broncos are 8-1 overall and 5-0 in league play, and if they take care of Oregon State at Albertsons Stadium, they’ll strengthen their hold on first place in the regular-season standings.
That matters because, just like in Boise State’s old Mountain West setup, the Pac-12’s regular-season leader gets to host the championship game against the second-place team. Senior defensive back Derek Ganter Jr. put it plainly Tuesday: “One step closer to our goal.
We put the work in, and we’re going to continue to put the work in to be able to have that opportunity in front of us,” Boise State senior defensive back Derek Ganter Jr. said on Tuesday. “...
Being able to have that, it’s what we live for.”
The challenge is real enough that College GameDay is coming to Boise for the first time since 2010. Oregon State enters at 5-4 overall and 3-2 in the Pac-12, still alive in the conference race even after dropping its last two games. And the Beavers bring one of the most dangerous quarterback-receiver combinations in the country.
The record doesn’t tell the whole story with Oregon State. The Beavers opened with losses to Houston, 33-20, and Texas Tech, 35-24, and both of those teams are now in the College Football Playoff committee’s top 25 and in the mix for the Big 12 title. After that, Oregon State ripped off five straight wins before stumbling in Pac-12 play with a 38-22 loss at Fresno State and a 42-21 home loss to Texas State.
Boise State has already handled those same two teams, but not without a fight. The Broncos beat Fresno State 38-31 and had to mount a wild late comeback to edge Texas State 46-45.
The headliners for Oregon State are sophomore quarterback Braden Atkinson and freshman wideout Jesse Legree. Atkinson leads the nation in passing yards with 3,169, while Legree sits atop the receiving charts with 1,209 yards.
Boise State coach Spencer Danielson didn’t hide his respect for Atkinson’s game.
“He can make every throw, and he makes it seem effortless, no matter what disguise coverage,” Danielson said.
Danielson also singled out Legree as a major problem for any defense.
“Jesse Legree is a matchup problem,” Danielson continued. “If he gets the ball in space, the first guy is missing. He’s one of the best I’ve seen this season with the ball in the air and finding a way to track it in the air.”
There is, though, a small question mark hanging over Atkinson’s availability. He left last weekend’s game against Texas State in the third quarter with a hand injury and is listed as questionable. Oregon State coach Jamarcus Shephard said Monday that “hopefully he’s ready to go” for the Boise State game.
If Atkinson plays, he’ll be dealing with a defense that gets after the quarterback. Boise State fifth-year quarterback Maddux Madsen is expected back from a knee injury, and he’ll need to be sharp against an Oregon State front that has allowed the fewest passing yards per game in the Pac-12 at 205.6.
The Beavers also rank third in the conference with 19 sacks, one behind Boise State, and senior edge rusher Takari Hickle is the biggest name to know. Hickle has seven sacks, which ranks 14th nationally and leads the Pac-12, along with 12.5 tackles for loss for 51 yards.
Danielson praised Oregon State’s front for its size and physicality.
“They do a really good job up front. They’re physical, they play blocks really well, they’re big,” Danielson said.
“I like their edge players. Their edge players have had a lot of success in regard to sacks and being physical on the line of scrimmage.”
Boise State and Oregon State kick off at Albertsons Stadium, which seats 34,423 and has a turf surface. The game will air on USA Sports, with Nate Gatter, Ryan Leaf and Lauren Green on the call.
Bob Behler and Michael Callahan will handle radio coverage on KBOI 670 AM and KBOI 93.1 FM/Sirius XM Ch. 84.
Boise State is a 13.5-point favorite, and the weather forecast calls for a high of 54, a low of 43, 60% humidity, cloudy skies and a 20% chance of rain.
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