Boise State Broncos vs. Oregon Ducks Pick & Prediction SEPTEMBER 7th 2024

Preview and Prediction

The Oregon Ducks narrowly escaped with a win in their season opener, but their ranking in the Associated Press Top 25 poll dropped from No. 3 to No. 7 this week.

Last week, Oregon (1-0) faced off against FCS powerhouse Idaho in Eugene, Ore. This Saturday, they will take on another team from Idaho, the Boise State Broncos, at Autzen Stadium.

The Ducks will have to put in some extra work during practice this week to address the issues they faced against the Vandals. The offensive line was plagued by procedural and holding penalties, negating potential big plays. Idaho was also able to put pressure on new Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel, resulting in three sacks and a fumble.

Oregon only converted 1 out of 3 fourth downs, and their typically dominant rushing offense only averaged 2.9 yards per carry. This is a stark contrast to last season, when they only allowed five sacks in the entire year.

While Idaho certainly deserves credit for their strong performance, the Ducks also struggled to finish drives, something they have been known for in recent years.

On the other hand, Gabriel had a solid game, completing 41 out of 49 passes for 380 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Jordan James also had a strong showing, gaining 95 yards on 15 carries and scoring a touchdown. The Oregon defense was also impressive, holding Idaho to just 2 out of 12 on third downs, allowing only 217 total yards, and recording two interceptions.

Despite the opportunities on offense, the Ducks were unable to capitalize as much as their fans are used to seeing.

According to head coach Dan Lanning, the team did not perform up to their standards and there is definitely room for improvement.

The Broncos (1-0) come into this game with a strong rushing attack led by Ashton Jeanty, who had a record-breaking performance last week against Georgia Southern. He rushed for 267 yards on 20 carries and scored six touchdowns. Boise State ultimately won 56-45 and as a team, they ran for 371 yards.

Jeanty set a new program record for single-game rushing yards and touchdowns, and his six rushing touchdowns tied a Mountain West record. He also became only the 10th player in FBS since 2013 to score six rushing touchdowns in a single game, according to Boise State sports information.

For his impressive performance, Jeanty was named the conference's Offensive Player of the Week.

The Broncos ended their 2023 season with four consecutive regular season wins, including a victory in the Mountain West championship game. However, they fell to UCLA in the LA Bowl.

In their last game, Boise State racked up 651 total yards of offense, with quarterback Maddux Madsen throwing for 280 yards. However, they struggled to stop Georgia Southern's offense.

They will need to be prepared for an Oregon team that is determined to bounce back from their lackluster performance last week.

According to Broncos defensive coordinator Erik Chinander, they will need to improve on their formations, shifts, and plays in order to be successful against the Ducks.

Boise State has a perfect 3-0 record against Oregon, with wins in 2008, 2009, and 2017.

PREDICTION

Boise State Broncos

Oregon Ducks

Boise State Broncos vs. Oregon Ducks Recap SEP 7TH 2024

On Atticus Sappington's 25-yard field goal with no time left on the clock, No. 7 Oregon survived Boise State's upset bid with a 37-34 win on Saturday night in Eugene, Ore.

In a wild, back-and-forth game that saw Oregon (2-0) score twice on long returns on special teams and Boise State's Ashton Jeanty run the ball 25 times for 192 yards with three touchdowns, the Ducks had the ball at the end of the game and quarterback Dillon Gabriel engineered the winning drive.

Gabriel was 18-for-21 passing for 243 yards and two touchdown passes and running back Jordan James rushed for 102 yards on 17 carries. Boise State (1-1) outgained Oregon 369 to 352 and was 9-of-19 on third down compared to the Ducks' 4-of-12. The Broncos ran 16 more offensive plays and forcing two turnovers, but the Ducks extended the nation's longest active nonconference home win streak to 34 games.

The Ducks took a 27-20 lead on Tez Johnson's 85-yard punt return in the third. But they trailed 34-27 early in the fourth after losing two fumbles on consecutive possessions, both leading to Boise State touchdowns. Jeanty ran 70 yards to tie the score at 27 with 13:09 to play, and after Gabriel fumbled in Oregon territory on the next drive, Jeanty scored on an 8-yard run.

The kickoff after that touchdown was returned 100 yards by the Ducks' Noah Whittington. He appeared to drop the ball before he crossed the goal line, but Jayden Limar picked up the ball in the end zone to tie the score at 34.

Oregon had the ball with 3:36 to play and converted two third-and-1s to drive inside the Boise State 10-yard line for the winning field goal.

Boise State was the better team in the first half, outgaining Oregon 214 to 149 in total yards. Jeanty had 85 rushing yards with a touchdown at halftime, and when the Ducks loaded up to stop the run, Boise State's Maddux Madsen had some downfield success and threw a first-half touchdown to Cameron Camper.

Oregon gained only 16 net yards on the ground in the first half. The Ducks scored touchdowns on a 1-yard run for Gabriel, set up by a 67-yard completion to Evan Stewart, and later a 34-yard strike from Gabriel to Stewart to give Oregon a 14-10 lead with 9:28 to go in the half.

The second of two Jonah Dalmas field goals came with two seconds left in the half and sent the Broncos into the break with a 20-14 lead.