When Boise State visits No. 2 Oregon on Saturday, a member of the new Pac-12 will be facing one of the league's defectors.
Boise State is one of six football programs making its debut in the rebuilt Pac-12 this season, joining Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Texas State and Utah State, along with holdovers Washington State and Oregon State.
Oregon, meanwhile, was among the teams that bolted when the conference fell apart amid realignment in the summer of 2023. Since joining the Big Ten in 2024, the Ducks have twice made the College Football Playoff field.
Boise State coach Spencer Danielson called the Ducks “arguably the best team in the country.”
“I know they’re ranked No. 2. I’m not smart enough to know how everybody ranks those things, but when I look at their roster and how they’ve developed their team, I think they’re the best team in the country," Danielson said.
Oregon went 13-2 last season, with both losses coming to Indiana, once in the regular season and again in the College Football Playoff semifinals. The Ducks return key parts of that offense, including quarterback Dante Moore, who threw for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns.
Boise State also has a returning quarterback in Maddux Madsen, who threw for 2,334 yards and 18 touchdowns. The Broncos went 9-5 last season in the Mountain West and fell to Washington 38-10 in the LA Bowl.
“They play with an attitude and a toughness that shows up all over film. They’ve got some really dynamic players that do a really good job, and it seems like it’s a really cohesive unit,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “So everything you expect from a Boise State team seems to be showing up on film, and obviously there’s some unknowns because it’s a new group and new team, but they’re well-coached and we expect their best.”
The Ducks are the highest-ranked team Boise State has faced since the school moved to the FBS in 1996. Not surprisingly, Oregon is favored by 24 1/2 points.
“Competitors don’t run from the test,” Danielson said. “You fight every battle that you’re given and you give it your absolute best shot.”
Oregon has won 15 straight home openers at Autzen. The Ducks have 38 straight wins against nonconference opponents, the longest streak in the nation.
Family affair
Oregon senior outside linebacker Teitum Tuioti is the big brother of Boise State sophomore linebacker Mana Tuioti. Their dad is Tony Tuioti, Oregon's defensive line coach.
Teitum returned to the Ducks this season along with Bear Alexander, Matayo Uiagalelei and A’Mauri Washington, forming one of the most formidable veteran defensive lines in the nation.
Mana appeared in all 14 games for Boise State last season. Both brothers went to Sheldon High School in Eugene.
The recent history
Boise State is 3-1 in the all-time series against the Ducks. The Broncos prevailed both away and at home in 2008 and 2009. Then Boise State downed the Ducks 38-28 in the 2017 Las Vegas Bowl.
But for the Ducks, the game that sticks out was in 2024. Boise State led 20-14 at halftime but fell behind 27-20 in the third quarter.
The Broncos scored a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter on Ashton Jeanty runs before Oregon tied it at 34 with 9:59 left. The Ducks won it on a field goal as time expired.
"They remember that game," Lanning said about some of his players. “They remember how tight it was, and again, it could have gone a lot of different ways. So they’re familiar with it.”
Both teams went to the College Football Playoff that year. The Pac-12 is no longer a power conference, but the league’s teams still have a shot at the CFP as a Group of Six member.
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