Game Day Guide: Boise State visits Oregon State for 2022 season opener
Everything Bronco Nation needs to know about Oregon State and Boise State's season opener Saturday in Corvallis.
Almost 12 years ago, the world of college football was reintroduced to Boise State's legitimate, blue collar 'standard.' With ESPN's College Gameday in town, the No. 3 Broncos defended The Blue in a 37-24 win over No. 24 Oregon State.
During the 2022 offseason, players and coaches alike have discussed the Boise State 'standard,' motivated by the thought of returning to the national spotlight as the Broncos have time and time again.
For second-year head coach Andy Avalos, Saturday's season opener in Corvallis presents another opportunity for the blue and orange to reestablish its brand. The matchup with Oregon State is similar to storylines entering last year's kickoff at UCF -- the Broncos need momentum with a weaker nonconference schedule -- and a Pac-12 matchup on ESPN could start the engine.
"There's been a standard instilled here from way before I was here. That standard that you see - we watch videos on them all the time, about the very dominant Boise State teams - and that really is the standard here," senior safety JL Skinner said during fall camp.
Kickoff is set for 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 3. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN, marking the second-straight season with Boise State's opener on the network.
As construction continues on the 'Completing Reser Stadium' project, Oregon State's venue is without roughly 13,000 seats on the stadium's west side for the entire 2022 season. The remodeling project will be finished next summer.
Odds and predictions A coin flip pick
According to ESPN's Football Power Index, Boise State has a 50.2% chance to win Saturday. The ESPN Pick Center odds list the Broncos as a 2.5-point underdog, nearly split 50/50 considering home-field advantage for the Beavers.
Caesars Sportsbook and DraftKings agree with ESPN's line, both giving Oregon State the 3-point advantage in Corvallis.
College Football News (CFN) invited 19 sports analysts from around the country to give their picks on the Broncos-Beavers matchup, with 14 reporters picking Boise State to cover as 3.5-point underdogs.
Both programs finished 2021 with seven wins, but their relative performances felt opposite. Last fall was Boise State's worst finish since 1998 -- when the Broncos went 6-5 in the Big West -- while Oregon State celebrated its first winning season since 2013.
Game Information Boise State (0-0, 0-0 MWC) at Oregon State (0-0, 0-0 Pac-12)
- Saturday, Sept. 3
- Reser Stadium, Corvallis, Oregon
- Capacity: 26,407
- Kickoff: 8:30 p.m. MT
- Channel: ESPN
- Weather: High of 85 degrees, partly cloudy
How to Watch/Listen TV, Radio, Streaming
ON TV
Boise State's season opener will be broadcast on ESPN, available on the following channels:
- Sparklight: Channel 133 / 1133 ESPN HD
- DirecTV: Channel 206
- Dish Network: Channel 140
- Cox: Channel 32
ON THE RADIO
Fans can listen to the game on the Bronco Radio Network, which can be found online or on the following stations in the Boise area:
- KBOI 670 AM in Boise
- KTIK 93.1 FM in Boise
- KDZY 98.3 FM in McCall
- KSNQ 98.3 FM in Twin Falls
Here is a list of Bronco Radio Network stations outside the Boise area.
STREAMING
The Sept. 3 nonconference tilt stream live on the WatchESPN app, available in the Apple and Android app stores. The service is only available to subscribers of participating cable and satellite television providers (including Cable One, Dish Network and DirecTV).
Bronco Roundup KTVB in Corvallis
BRONCO ROUNDUP GAME DAY
KTVB's Bronco Roundup Game Day Show will be live on KTVB Channel 7, KTVB.COM, KTVB+ on Roku and Amazon Fire TV and on the KTVB mobile app on Saturday from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. MT. Join Jay Tust, Justin Corr, Tom Scott and Brady Frederick for an inside scoop on storylines surrounding the Broncos-Beavers matchup.
The exclusive pre-game show will feature interviews and updates live from Corvallis, getting Bronco Nation prepared for the 2022 season opener.
POST-GAME INTERVIEWS
KTVB will live stream the post-game press conference on KTVB.COM, KTVB+, the KTVB YouTube channel, and on the KTVB mobile app.
Interviews with Boise State head coach Andy Avalos and players will be posted online soon after the press conference ends, so Bronco Nation can watch the press conference whenever and wherever they want.
Stay tuned to KTVB.COM after the game for a recap, highlights and comments from Corvallis.
The matchup Starting consistent
The Broncos are coming off one of the most-unique seasons in recent memory, winning every-other game in their first eight contests, before finding their footing with a three-game win streak late in 2021.
Boise State's streaky outing likely came from a bevy of reasons; a new coaching staff at the helm, bouncing back from the COVID-riddled 2020 campaign and testing its depth chart in unimaginable ways.
The Broncos started three different running backs, five different cornerbacks, six different starting combinations on the offensive line, and ran out eight unique starting-11 lineups on defense last year.
In 2022 fall camp, the Boise State coaching staff created the mentality of 'every job is up for grabs.' While it may sound cliché, the message paid dividends and Avalos said it provided a "tremendous improvement with the overall consistency with how they work."
Much like the Broncos 7-5 finish, Oregon State experienced plenty of highs and lows last fall. After a season-opening loss at Purdue, the Beavers rallied off four-straight wins, including upset victories over USC and Washington.
Oregon State battled inconsistency the rest of the regular season, going 3-4. In their first postseason appearance since 2013, the Beavers fell to Utah State 24-13 in the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl.
In its final seven games, the Beavers went 3-0 in the comfort of Reser Stadium. Wins over Utah, Stanford and Arizona State catapulted Oregon State towards the top of the Pac-12 North Division.
Boise State offense Two-deep depth chart
Boise State released its initial depth chart Monday, painting a clear picture of the Broncos' top-two players at each position for week one. Offensively, notable listings include Taylen Green at backup quarterback and true freshman Ashton Jeanty as Boise State's No. 2 running back:
- QB: Hank Bachmeier - No. 2: Taylen Green
- RB: George Holani - No. 2: Ashton Jeanty
- TE: Riley Smith - No. 2: Tyneil Hopper OR Kurt Rafdal
- X: Billy Bowens - No. 2: Austin Bolt
- H: Latrell Caples - No. 2: Davis Koetter
- Z: Stefan Cobbs - No. 2: Cole Wright
- LT: John Ojukwu - No. 2: Joseph Amos
- LG: Garrett Curran - No. 2: Will Farrar
- C: Kekaniokoa Holomalia-Gonzalez - No. 2: Will Farrar
- RG: Ben Dooley - No. 2: Mason Randolph
- RT: Cade Beresford - No. 2: Cord Kringlen
Boise State defense Two-deep depth chart
Defensively, the Broncos are stacked in the secondary. Caleb Biggers and Markel Reed will start Saturday in Corvallis at cornerback, with JL Skinner at boundary safety and Tyreque Jones at nickel.
Following a neck-and-neck offseason competition at field safety, redshirt sophomore Rodney Robinson earned the starting nod over Seyi Oladipo. Robinson has been praised in 2022 for his high energy and motor:
- DE: George Tarlas - No. 2: Cortez Hogans
- NT: Jackson Cravens - No. 2: Herbet Gums OR Michael Callahan
- DT: Scott Matlock - No. 2: Divine Obichere
- EDGE: Demitri Washington - No. 2: Isaiah Bagnah OR Deven Wright
- MIKE: Ezekiel Noa - No. 2: Marco Notarainni
- WILL: D.J. Schramm - No. 2: Brandon Hawkins OR Andrew Simpson
- N: Tyreque Jones - No. 2: Zion Washington
- BCB: Caleb Biggers - No. 2: Jaylen Clark
- BS: JL Skinner - No. 2: Alexander Teubner
- FS: Rodney Robinson - No. 2: Seyi Oladipo
- FCB: Markel Reed - No. 2: Kaonohi Kaniho OR Tyric LeBeauf
Specialists:
- KO: Will Ferrin
- P: James Ferguson-Reynolds
- SNAP: Mason Hutton
- HOLD: Connor Riddle
- K: Jonah Dalmas
- KOR: Stefan Cobbs
- PR: George Holani
Beware of three Beavers Oregon State players to watch
Brandon Kipper (OL - No. 68): Name sound familiar? Kipper is a Columbia High School alum and Caldwell native. The 6-6, 327-pounder was named to the 2022 Preseason All-Pac-12 Conference Second Team and has 32 starts in his college career.
Omar Speights (LB - No. 1): The rising Pac-12 star collected 89 total tackles last fall, to go along with 2 interceptions and 3 pass deflections. Speights is the Beaver on the media's Preseason All-Pac-12 First Team Defense.
Jaydon Grant (DB - No. 3): The veteran defensive back has been with the Oregon State football program since 2016, serving as a team captain in 2020, 2021 and again this fall. Grant's college resume includes 28 starts, 159 tackles, 6 interceptions and 13 pass breakups.
Broncos-Beavers Series Matchup history
The Broncos are 4-5 all time in matchups with the Beavers, but hold the 4-3 advantage in contests since 2013. The last time the two faced off was 2016, when Oregon State was led by head coach Gary Anderson.
Now, a familiar face guides the Beavers. Head coach Jonathan Smith served as Boise State's quarterbacks coach in 2012 and 2013 under Chris Peterson, helping the Broncos defeat Washington in the Las Vegas Bowl. Smith followed Peterson to Seattle as the Huskies' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
The Broncos' 38-24 win in Corvallis six years ago saw Jeremy McNichols rush for 208 yards and 3 touchdowns on 28 carries.
In the 2013 Hawaii Bowl, Boise State and Oregon State combined for nearly 1,000 yards of total offense, including 206 receiving yards from Matt Miller, the Broncos' current wide receivers coach.
Boise State's performances against Oregon State:
- Sept. 24, 2016: Win - 38-24 (Corvallis)
- Dec. 24, 2013: Loss - 38-23 (Honolulu)
- Sept. 25, 2010: Win - 37-24 (Boise)
- Sept. 7, 2006: Win - 42-14 (Boise)
- Sept. 10, 2005: Loss - 30-27 (Corvallis)
- Sept. 10, 2004: Win - 53-34 (Boise)
- Sept. 20, 2003: Loss - 26-24 (Corvallis)
- Sept. 23, 1989: Loss - 37-30 (Boise)
- Oct. 25, 1986: Loss - 34-3 (Corvallis)
Bronco Bash in Corvallis Pre-game Tailgate Party
Prior to the season opener, the Boise State Alumni Association and Athletic Association are hosting a 'Bronco Bash Pre-Game Tailgate Party' at Oregon State's LaSells Stewart Center, next to Reser Stadium.
The event is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT and includes dinner and a no-host bar. Bronco Nation can prepare for kickoff with the Boise State Spirit Squad, Buster Bronco and local alumni.
Admission costs $35 for adults and $15 for children between 5 and 12 years old. Anyone under 5 can attend the Bronco Bash for free.
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