Boise State Vs Oregon: Under Pressure

Think of opening night in an elementary school recreational league. The spirit of competition is in the air, young athletes are eager to play, and parents come out to support their children. The atmosphere is light-hearted, and losing is not the end of the world because there are plenty more games to come.

Now think of opening night for the Boise State Broncos, a team in an eternal struggle to prove it can compete against the power conferences. Competition is still part of the picture, the athletes are still eager to get the season going, and parents are still tuned in to the game.

For the Broncos, however, losing tonight is the end of the world. With Boise State likely to run the table in the WAC, their most important contests are those played outside of their conference. Despite having 12 more games on the schedule, a loss tonight would keep Boise State out of a BCS bowl.

Sophomore Kellen Moore will lead Boise State’s passing attack after throwing for nearly 3,500 yards and 25 touchdowns as a freshman. Moore will have to operate without Jeremy Childs and Vinny Perretta, his top two receivers from a year ago. The offense is going to have to click right away for the Broncos, if they want to join the BCS hunt early on.

Boise State plays host to the Oregon Ducks, a team on the cusp of a breakthrough season for the last few years. With a young core of players for conference rival USC, Oregon has a realistic chance to compete for the Pac 10 crown. Tonight, they begin by looking to avenge last season’s 37-32 loss to Boise State, a game in which the Ducks trailed by 24 at the start of the fourth quarter.

Senior quarterback Jeremiah Masoli captains an offense that averaged 42 points in 2008-2009. He is complemented by senior halfback LeGarrette Blount, who rushed for over 1,000 yards last season while splitting time. Oregon ought to receive solid rushing production from both the quarterback and halfback positions.

Look for a high scoring, high intensity game when the 16th ranked Ducks meet the 14th ranked Broncos on the blue turf. With experience on their side, Oregon ought to spoil the Boise State party before it starts and come away with a win.