Boise State favored by 6 TDs in home opener against Portland State

BOISE — (Idaho Statesman) Saturday evening may present a chance for Boise State football fans to breathe easy in the second half.

The Broncos enter the game at Albertsons Stadium against Portland State as six-touchdown favorites, a margin so wide that ESPN Bet won’t even provide a line for the game.

This will be Boise State’s first home game of the season, slated for a 7:55 p.m. kickoff. The Broncos are the only team at the FBS level to have not played a home game, after opening the season with two road games and a bye week.

So, who is Portland State, and why is Boise State so heavily favored?

PORTLAND STATE AT A GLANCE

Portland State enters the game 0-2. The Vikings’ game last weekend was canceled after a member of the Portland State team tested positive for whooping cough and several other team members were exposed. There were initial concerns that this weekend’s game at Albertsons Stadium also could be canceled. On Monday, both schools agreed to go ahead with the game with Portland State’s traveling staff and players having undergone a five-day antibiotic regimen.

The Vikings have started the season with two heavy losses: 70-30 at Washington State and 43-16 at home to Weber State. Last season, Portland State finished eighth in the Big Sky with a 5-6 record, including a 38-24 loss to Idaho State.

Boise State has played Portland State on eight occasions, with the Broncos winning seven. The two teams last met in 2019 at Albertsons Stadium, with the hosts winning 45-10. Portland State’s victory came in a 51-26 blowout in 1992 in Boise.

The Vikings are led by 10th-year head coach Bruce Barnum, who previously led the Vikings to FBS upsets over Washington State (24-17) in 2015 and North Texas (66-7) later that season.

WHAT CAN FANS EXPECT FROM THE VIKINGS OFFENSE?

Portland State enters with a balanced offense, averaging 180.5 yards on the ground and 167 in the air through two games. The Vikings’ major threat comes through senior quarterback Dante Chachere, who poses a similar challenge to what the Broncos saw against Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel two weeks ago.

“They’ve got a quarterback that can run all over the place,” Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson said. “He’s been a matchup issue in every game last year and even these couple games they’ve had. I mean, it’s tough to get third-and-10. If everybody’s covered, he’s not, and he’s out of there and can run to get a first down.”

Boise State defensive coordinator Erik Chinander said he expects Portland State’s offense to play to the perimeter early in the game before forcing the game back inside. If that’s the case, Boise State must keep an eye on sophomore running back Quincy Craig. Craig has done much of his damage on the ground this year, rushing for 125 yards on 24 attempts. But he’s also made nine catches for 46 yards and a touchdown.

“I think they’ve got a nice package … where they put some stress on the defense in certain spots,” Chinander said. “… You’re going to see a lot of different things.” Junior receiver Brandon Alvarez will have the secondary’s attention when the ball isn’t in Craig’s hands. Alvarez, a transfer from San Jose State, has 51 yards and two touchdowns on just four receptions this year.

WILL THE VIKINGS BE ABLE TO STOP BOISE STATE’S OFFENSE?

The 41.5-point spread suggests the Vikings won’t have an answer to the Broncos’ offense. Boise State offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter expects Portland State to involve its safeties in the run game. Doing so could be of extra importance to the Vikings, who’ll be looking for a way to slow down junior running back Ashton Jeanty, who has 459 rushing yards and nine touchdowns through two games.

Portland State safety Tyreese Shakir is the younger brother of former Bronco receiver Khalil Shakir, who’s now a standout for the Buffalo Bills in the NFL.

The Boise State offensive line, which has only allowed one sack this season, will have to keep an especially close watch on Portland State middle linebacker Michael Montgomery, who has 19 tackles and one sack this season.

“They’re not going to be afraid of coming in and playing on The Blue against Boise State,” Danielson said. “They played at Wazzu, at Weber, this is not going to wow them. We’ve got to be ready to play.”

BOISE STATE VS. PORTLAND STATE

When: 7:55 p.m. Saturday

Where: Albertsons Stadium (36,363, Turf)

TV: Fox Sports 1 (Eric Collins, Spencer Tillman)

Radio: KBOI 670 AM/KTIK 93.1 FM/Sirius XM Ch. 390 (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)

Records: Boise State 1-1; Portland State 0-2

Series: Boise State leads the series 7-1

Vegas line: Boise State by 41.5 points

Weather: High of 73 degrees, low of 50 degrees, humidity 45%, sunny skies, 3% chance of rain.