Game Day Guide: Boise State visits No. 10 Washington for season opener
"You come to Boise State to play in games like this." | Here's everything Bronco Nation needs to know ahead of Saturday's showdown with Washington in Seattle.
For just the second time in program history, Boise State begins a season against a top-10 team in the country on Saturday. 13 years after defeating Virginia Tech, the Broncos will once again play in front of more than 70,000 fans when they meet No. 10 Washington at Husky Stadium.
Head coach Andy Avalos said his staff is "excited to see how our guys handle the environment." Defensive coordinator Spencer Danielson said "you come to Boise State to play in games like this."
The Broncos undoubtedly have an opportunity to secure their biggest win in recent years.
However, the massive upset will not come easy. Washington is tabbed No. 10 in the AP poll and No. 11 in the coaches' poll for a reason after going 11-2 last fall on its way to an Alamo Bowl win over Texas. Additionally, the Huskies return a loaded offense, similar to the 2023 Broncos.
On top of traveling to the difficult environment, Boise State will also have eyes from across the nation watching it duel with the soon-to-be Big Ten program. Saturday's contest at 1:30 p.m. MT will be nationally televised on ABC.
Headlining the season-opening showdown is the quarterback matchup between Washington's Michael Penix Jr. and Boise State's Taylen Green. Penix returns to Seattle after throwing for a record 4,641 yards last fall. The junior and team captain finished eighth in Heisman voting and tossed 31 touchdowns against eight interceptions.
The Broncos' secondary, which lost standouts JL Skinner and Tyreque Jones to the NFL, will be tested from the jump. Boise State will also be tasked with putting pressure on Penix without the likes of Scott Matlock and George Tarlas on the defensive line. Penix was only sacked five times in 2022.
Earlier this offseason, Danielson said his defense is "a little frustrated with all the talks of how many guys we lost." The hungry and rather young group still returns a plethora of talent, which looks to prove its ability against Penix and wide receiver standouts Roman Odunze and Jalen McMillan.
On the flip side, the Broncos rumble into 2023 led by last year's Mountain West Freshman of the Year, who stole the show after taking over behind center. Green, who is considered one of the most-explosive players in the conference, found the end zone 24 times and threw for more than 2,000 yards.
Saturday's matchup marks Boise State's first trip to Seattle in a decade and the sixth meeting between the two teams. It also marks the Bronco coaching debut for offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Bush Hamdan, who was hired in December 2022.
Hamdan spent two years on Washington's staff under the legendary Chris Petersen. He admitted "it's not just gonna be another game" when the Broncos take the field surrounded by a sea of purple and gold.
Scroll down for more information on Saturday's matchup, how to watch and listen to the game, a history of the Boise State-Washington series, statistical leaders, odds and predictions and more.
Game Information Broncos vs. Huskies
Boise State (0-0, 0-0 MWC) vs. Washington (0-0, 0-0 Pac-12)
- Saturday, Sept. 2
- Husky Stadium - Seattle
- Capacity: 70,138
- Kickoff: 1:30 p.m. MT
- Channel: ABC
- Weather: High of 81 degrees, mostly sunny with some clouds
Ways to Watch TV, Radio, Streaming
ON TV/STREAMING
The Broncos' season opener against the Huskies will be nationally televised on ABC Saturday. The contest is available on channel 6 for Sparklight, DirecTV and Dish Network users, and channel 8 for Cox users.
Streaming services such as ESPN, fuboTV, Hulu with live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV also carry ABC. Bob Wischusen, Robert Griffin III and Kris Budden are set to call Saturday's Boise State-Washington showdown. Those with the proper subscription can also watch the game at ESPN.com/watch.
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
- KBOI 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.
Bronco Roundup KTVB in Seattle
BRONCO ROUNDUP GAME DAY
Before the 2023 campaign officially gets underway, fans can tune into the Bronco Roundup Game Day Show from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. MT Saturday for an inside scoop on storylines surrounding the battle on Lake Washington.
The pre-game show includes insight from KTVB Sports Director Jay Tust and sports reporter Brady Frederick, live on KTVB Channel 7, KTVB.COM, KTVB+ on Roku and Amazon Fire TV and the KTVB mobile app.
The exclusive show will feature interviews, injury updates, players to watch, sights and sounds and more, live from the sidelines of Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium in Seattle.
POST-GAME INTERVIEWS
KTVB will live stream Boise State's post-game press conference on KTVB.COM, the KTVB YouTube channel and the KTVB mobile app Saturday evening.
Interviews with 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 season opener for a recap, highlights and comments from Boise State vs. Washington.
Odds and Predictions Underdog Broncos
ESPN's Matchup Predictor gives Boise State just a 25.3% chance to upset Washington Saturday afternoon. The platform's odds, created by Caesars Sportsbook, favor the Huskies by 14.5, with an over/under of 58.5 as of Tuesday.
The story in Las Vegas resembles Caesars' spread, with sites such as BetMGM, bet365, DraftKings and FanDuel also giving the Broncos 14.5 points. As of Monday night, the Boise State moneyline sits at +460, while picking the Huskies straight up is -650, according to VegasInsider.
History Series Breakdown
Despite their regional proximity, Saturday's Northwest matchup marks just the sixth meeting between the blue and orange and purple and gold, with the last meeting coming in 2019. Washington leads the all-time series 3-2, with a 2-0 record against Boise State at home.
The Las Vegas Bowl match four years ago gave Boise State legend and former head coach Chris Petersen a send-off win against his former program, as the Huskies dominated the 19th-ranked Broncos 38-7 in front of 34,000 fans in September 2019.
More than four years prior, Boise State squeaked out a 16-13 Friday-night win over Washington on The Blue to open the 2015 campaign. The contest brought Petersen back to the City of Trees one full season after he left to lead the Pac-12 squad. The Broncos went up 16-0 and walked away with a victory after Washington's game-tying field-goal attempt with 15 seconds remaining missed wide right.
The Broncos and Huskies faced off for the first time ever back in 2007, when Boise State traveled to Seattle ranked No. 22 in the nation. After rolling Weber State 56-7 in its season opener, Petersen and company fell at a jam-packed Husky Stadium 24-10.
Boise State's all-time record against Washington:
- Sept. 8, 2007: L - 24-10 (Seattle)
- Dec. 22, 2012: W - 28-26 (Las Vegas)
- Aug. 31, 2013: L - 38-6 (Seattle)
- Sept. 4, 2015: W - 16-13 (Boise)
- Dec. 19, 2019: L - 38-7 (Las Vegas)
Stat Leaders Players to Watch
A comparison of both team's statistical leaders in several categories is included below. The breakdown does not include Washington running back Cameron Davis or Boise State wide receiver Latrell Caples, who are both out for the 2023 season due to injuries.
PASSING
- Taylen Green: 2,042 yards, 14 TDs, 6 INTs
- Michael Penix Jr.: 4,641 yards, 31 TDs, 8 INTs
RUSHING
- George Holani: 221 carries, 1,157 yards, 10 TDs
- Dillon Johnson: 89 carries, 488 yards, 3 TDs (Mississippi State transfer)
RECEIVING
- Billy Bowens: 32 receptions, 462 yards, 4 TDs
- Rome Odunze: 75 receptions, 1,145 yards, 7 TDs
TACKLES
- DJ Schramm: 107 total tackles, 11.5 tackles-for-loss
- Alphonzo Tupatala: 71 total tackles, 6.5 tackles-for-loss
SACKS
- Demitri Washington: 4.5 sacks (-26 yards)
- Bralen Trice: 9 sacks (-49 yards)
INTERCEPTIONS
- Rodney Robinson: 3 INTs
- Asa Turner: 2 INTs
Uniforms Boise's Icy Look
Boise State will wear its all-white combination to start the season. The uniforms include white helmets, jerseys and pants, with blue facemasks and the large, outlined Bronco head in blue on one side of the helmet. The clean look features blue numbers and lettering on the white jersey, with accent orange on the sleeves.
In the outfit's last appearance, the Broncos rolled to a 41-3 victory over Nevada in a snowy November 2022 contest in Reno. Boise State has a 21-7 all-time record when wearing the all-white combo.
The Huskies will likely rock their classic gold-purple-gold combination or all-purple look on Saturday. Washington unveiled updated Adidas uniforms in June. The gold pants include a white and gold stripe down the side and all the jerseys feature subtle shoulder stripes in shiny and matte purple.
Depth Chart Boise State Two-Deep
Boise State's released its initial two-deep depth chart on Monday. Of note, George Holani will again return punts, while third-year running back Kaden Dudley is set to return kicks. Last week, Avalos named redshirt freshman Maddux Madsen the Broncos' No. 2 quarterback behind Taylen Green and ahead of true freshman CJ Tiller.
At center, fourth-year starter Garrett Curran will be sliding over to snap the ball on Saturday. Mason Randolph, who was at center to start fall camp, is not included on the week one depth chart.
As Boise State works to replace now Los Angeles Charger Scott Matlock, the Broncos list both sophomore Braxton Fely and fifth-year senior Michael Callahan as potential starters at defensive tackle.
Two true freshmen were included on Monday's release. Ty Benefield will back up starter Rodney Robinson at free safety, while Max Stege is listed behind Fely and Callahan on the three-deep DT list. Redshirt sophomore Andrew Simpson will start at linebacker on Saturday alongside veteran and team captain DJ Schramm.
The entire depth chart is shown below:
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