Game Day Guide: Boise State faces Memphis eyeing third-straight win
Boise State looks to make it three-straight wins as it heads east for a battle of the blues with Memphis on Saturday.
John Kelly photo / Boise State Athletics
Boise State football concludes its 2023 non-conference slate on Saturday as it visits Memphis for an early afternoon showdown inside Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.
Head coach Andy Avalos earlier this week said the Tigers present a "huge challenge" for the Broncos as a "top-25 type team." Similar to its first three contests this fall, Boise State will be tasked with slowing a high-powered offense.
Memphis enters week five ranking among the top-40 offenses in the FBS in scoring, rushing and total yards per game, averaging 436.8 yards each outing. The squad out of the American Athletic Conference plays aggressive, converting three fourth-down attempts on four tries last week.
The Tigers lone loss came on the road last Saturday at the hands of undefeated Missouri, who landed at No. 23 in this week's AP Top 25 Poll. Memphis defeated Navy 28-24 the week prior, following blowout victories over Bethune-Cookman and Arkansas State.
Fans of explosive, all-around athletes will love the running back matchup coming to ESPN2 on Saturday at 2 p.m. MT. Both Boise State sophomore Ashton Jeanty and Memphis senior Blake Watson have posted eye-opening numbers.
Jeanty and Watson rank No. 1 and No. 12 in the nation respectively in all-purpose yards, despite the fact neither standout returns punts or kicks. Jeanty has 407 rushing yards and 285 receiving yards this season, while Watson has 342 yards on the ground and another 213 with his hands.
While the Broncos are thrilled by the Lone Star High School product's start, quarterback Taylen Green and offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan this week acknowledged the need to improve the passing attack.
The OC said it is "not where we want it to be," but Boise State is confident in Green's ability and so is the athletic QB.
"It just starts with consistency, because we have spirts of it, you know, but it's just having to build on that," Green said. "Our run game is really good, but once we get that run and the pass going, it's gonna be really special."
The Broncos' offensive line received praise for its play in last week's win over San Diego State, paving the way for Jeanty to have a career night. Tim Keane's group will need another lights-out effort in the heat this weekend against a solid front.
Avalos said Memphis touts "one of the best defensive fronts that we will play against this year, you can see that on film." He added the Tigers are aggressive at the line of scrimmage, along with quality coverage on the back end.
Memphis sits at No. 38 in the country, allowing less than 320 yards to opponents each week. The group is giving up just 18.8 points per game, while ranking 18th in passing yards allowed (169.8 YPG).
The Tigers have generated 10 sacks and 28 tackles-for-loss as a defense through four games. 2022 Freshman All-America honoree and East Tennessee State transfer Chandler Martin leads the team with 26 total tackles and 3.5 TFLs. Fellow linebacker Geoffrey Cantin-Arku has forced a pair of fumbles, with 22 tackles of his own.
Scroll down for more information on Saturday's matchup, including how to watch and listen to the game, odds and predictions, a breakdown of KTVB's coverage in Memphis, team and player statistics, and more.
Game Information Broncos vs. Tigers
Boise State (2-2, 1-0 MW) vs. Memphis (3-1, 1-0 AAC)
- Saturday, Sept. 30
- Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium
- Capacity: 58,325
- Kickoff: 2 p.m. MT
- Channel: ESPN2
- Weather: 92 degrees, sunny, with roughly 40% humidity
Ways to Watch TV, Radio, Streaming
ON TV
Boise State's non-conference clash with Memphis Saturday afternoon will be televised on ESPN2, available on the following TV channels:
- Cox: Channel 33
- DirecTV: Channel 209
- Dish Network: Channel 143
- Sparklight: Channel 134 / 1134 (HD)
ESPN's broadcast team featuring Beth Mowins (play-by-play), Kirk Morrison (analyst) and Stormy Buonantony (sideline) are set to cover the contest at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. Boise State last played on ESPN2 in September 2019, defeating Marshall 14-7 at Albertsons Stadium.
ON THE RADIO
Fans can listen to Saturday's contest through the Bronco Radio Network, with Bob Behler calling play-by-play for Boise State alongside former offensive lineman Pete Cavender. Click here to stream the Bronco Radio Network online. Radio affiliates are listed below by location:
- Boise: KBOI 670 AM / 93.1 FM
- Idaho Falls: KSPZ 980 AM / 98.7 FM
- McCall: KDZY 98.3 FM
- Pocatello: KSPZ 94.5 FM
- Salmon: KSRA 960 AM
- St. Maries: KOFE 1240 AM
- Twin Falls: KSNQ 98.3 FM
- Baker City: KBKR 1490 AM
- La Grande: KLBM 1450 AM
STREAMING
Boise State vs. Memphis can be streamed using ESPN+ or the Watch ESPN app, available in Apple, Android and Amazon app stores. The service is only available to subscribers of participating cable and satellite television providers, such as Sparklight, DirecTV and Dish Network.
A majority of popular streaming platforms and services offer the ESPN networks, including Apple TV, DirecTV Stream, Disney+, fuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, YouTube TV and more. For additional information on streaming ESPN, or to log in with your provider, click here.
KTVB in Tennessee Bronco Coverage Plan
BRONCO ROUNDUP GAME DAY
Get ready for Boise State football with the official TV station for Bronco Nation both Friday evening and Saturday afternoon ahead of kickoff! The Bronco Roundup Game Day Show featuring KTVB's Jay Tust and Brady Frederick gives fans an up-close look at players warming up, provides an in-depth preview, hits on matchup storylines, features interviews with leaders of Boise State Athletics and more.
The first exclusive pre-game show airs Friday from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. MT on KTVB Channel 7, KTVB.COM, KTVB+ on Roku and Amazon Fire TV and the KTVB mobile app. Saturday's Bronco Roundup Game Day Show runs from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. MT on KTVB.COM, KTVB's YouTube channel, KTVB+ and the KTVB mobile app.
Tust will be live from the sidelines of Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, showcasing the sights and sounds of Tennessee. Frederick will provide Bronco features and notes, while highlighting potential future Boise State players on Friday Night Football.
POST-GAME COVERAGE
KTVB will live stream Boise State's post-game press conference on KTVB.COM, the KTVB YouTube channel and the KTVB mobile app Saturday immediately following the game. Tune in to hear from head coach Andy Avalos and select Bronco players as they meet with the media at the stadium.
Post-game coverage also includes reaction and commentary from Tust and Frederick. Interviews with Avalos and players will be posted online shortly after the press conference ends, so Bronco Nation can watch whenever and wherever they want. Stay tuned to KTVB.COM Saturday night for a game recap, photos and extended highlights from Boise State vs. Memphis.
Odds and Predictions Road Underdogs
In the first-ever meeting between the two Group of 5 powers, ESPN's Matchup Predictor likes the home team, giving Memphis a 65.1% chance of beating Boise State. Caesars Sportsbook favors the Tigers by 3.5, with an over/under of 59.5.
The likes of FanDuel, DraftKings, Unibet and bet365 agree, all giving the Broncos 3.5 on the road Saturday, per VegasInsider. Betting the spread in either direction is right around -110 in most popular sportsbooks.
Boise State is 2-2 this year against the spread. If picking the Broncos to win straight up, FanDuel and bet365 have the best odds as of Tuesday night at +150. Memphis is 2-1 against the spread in 2023 contests.
Team Stats FBS Ranks
Team: Stat Per Game | FBS Rank:
TOTAL OFFENSE
- Memphis: 436.8 YPG | No. 39
- Boise State: 395.8 YPG | No. 65
SCORING OFFENSE
- Memphis: 37.0 PPG | No. 30
- Boise State: 27.8 PPG | No. 76
RUSHING OFFENSE
- Boise State: 171.0 YPG | No. 45
- Memphis: 157.8 YPG | No. 65
PASSING OFFENSE
- Memphis: 279.0 YPG | No. 33
- Boise State: 224.8 YPG | No. 85
RED ZONE OFFENSE %
- Memphis: .857 (15 TDs, 3 FGs) | No. 60
- Boise State: .833 (7 TDs, 3 TDs) | No. 69
TIME OF POSSESSION
- Memphis: 33 minutes (avg.) | No. 12
- Boise State: 29 minutes (avg.) | No. 75
TOTAL DEFENSE
- Memphis: 319.8 YPG | No. 38
- Boise State: 430.0 YPG | No. 117
SCORING DEFENSE
- Memphis: 18.8 PPG | No. 37
- Boise State: 30.8 PPG | No. 104
RUSHING DEFENSE
- Boise State: 135.8 YPG | No. 73
- Memphis: 150.0 YPG | No. 90
PASSING YARDS ALLOWED
- Memphis: 169.8 YPG | No. 18
- Boise State: 294.2 YPG | No. 122
RED ZONE DEFENSE %
- Memphis: .727 (4 TDs, 4 FGs) | No. 27
- Boise State: .778 (12 TDs, 2 FGs) | No. 45
Top Players Individual Stats
PASSING
- Taylen Green: 58-of-109 (53.21%), 738 yards, 4 TDs, 4 INTs
- Seth Henigan: 102-of-147 (69.39%), 1,107 yards, 8 TDs, 5 INTs
RUSHING
- Ashton Jeanty: 73 carries, 407 yards (5.6 avg.), 6 TDs
- Blake Watson: 58 carries, 342 yards (5.9 avg.), 4 TDs
RECEIVING
- Eric McAlister: 20 receptions, 328 yards (16.40 avg.), 3 TDs
- Roc Taylor: 22 receptions, 297 yards (13.50 avg.), 1 TD
TACKLES
- Marco Notarainni: 28 total tackles (17 solo, 11 assisted)
- Chandler Martin: 26 total tackles (19 solo, 7 assisted)
TACKLES-FOR-LOSS
- Notarainni and Ahmed Hassanein: 3 TFLs each
- Martin: 3.5 TFLs (-5 yards)
SACKS
- Notarainni: 2 sacks (-24 yards)
- Andres Fox and Derick Hunter Jr.: 1.5 sacks each
INTERCEPTIONS
- Alexander Teubner and Jaylen Clark: 1 INT each
- Cameron Smith and DJ Bell: 1 INT each
Weekly Press Conference Coaches Preview Memphis
During Monday's weekly press conference, Avalos, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Bush Hamdan and defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach Spencer Danielson discussed Saturday's showdown with the Tigers.
It was revealed Monday that Wisconsin transfer and fourth-year junior safety Titus Toler is no longer with the program. Bronco captain and linebacker DJ Schramm, who missed the North Dakota game and was playing through pain against the Aztecs, was recognized by Danielson for his toughness.
Also of note, both Avalos and Hamdan touched on a needed improvement in the passing game moving forward. Each coordinator on Monday previewed Memphis' opposing unit, evaluated the performance in San Diego – highlighting successes and downfalls – and more. Watch each interview below:
Watch more on Boise State Football:
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