Boise State vs. Florida State: Game Preview, Kick Time, TV & Radio Schedule, Livestream, Prediction
The Broncos travel to Tallahasee for the season opener against Florida State. Here’s how to watch and what to watch for.
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Will the Broncos upset the Seminoles?
College football is back! Boise State is certainly no stranger to facing the biggest names in college football to open the year having played Oregon, Virginia Tech, Georgia, Michigan State, Ole Miss, and Washington (twice) to start within the last ten years. Florida State, a three-time national champion, is certainly one of the biggest names there is in college football.
The Broncos will have a lot of new faces in key positions this year with the graduations of quarterback Brett Rypien, cornerback Tyler Horton, and defensive linemen Jabril Frazier and Durrant Miles, and running back Alexander Mattison. Boise State does return star defensive end Curtis Weaver and NFL prospect Ezra Cleveland at left tackle, along with a host of talented wide receivers.
Florida State is one of the bigger opponents, in terms of brand recognition, that Boise State has ever faced. This is the first part of a home-and-home series.
Boise State will once again look to open the year with a statement victory and march toward another successful double-digit win season and a major bowl game.
Date: August 31, 2019
Where: Tallahassee, Florida
When: 10 A.M. MST
Spread: Florida State -5.5
Weather: 78˚, partly cloudy with a 50% chance of rain and scattered thunderstorms
How to Watch: ESPNEWS
Streaming: WatchESPN – (Try SlingTV for a 7-day free trial to get this game)
All Time Record: First Meeting (Boise State is 2-2 vs the ACC/Florida State is 4-0 vs the MWC)
ESPN FPI Win Predictor: Florida State has a 71.5% chance to win
Boise State 2018 Rewind
Behind star quarterback Brett Rypien’s red hot start, Boise State started the 2018 season with a pair of blowout victories and earned an AP ranking. The Broncos, however, dropped two of their next three contests before rattling off seven straight wins behind Mattison and a stout defense.
Boise State finished the year 10-2 in coach Bryan Harsin’s fifth year before dropping a heartbreaker in the Mountain West Conference championship game. The Broncos’ bowl game against ACC foe Boston College was canceled due to thunderstorms.
Florida State 2018 Rewind
The Seminoles were ranked in the 2018 preseason AP Poll and that might have been the high point in coach Willie Taggart’s first season in Tallahassee. Florida State did grind their way to a solid 4-3 start before the wheels fell off, losing three straight games in humiliating fashion before splitting the final two. They finished the year 5-7 and were not eligible to play in a bowl game for the first time in 36 years.
Preseason Rankings
Boise State was not ranked in either the AP Poll or USA Today Coaches Poll, but the Broncos received a number of votes in both and are just outside the top 25. Florida State did not receive votes in the AP Poll, either, and earned just a few votes in the Coaches Poll. Jeff Sagarin’s computer rankings are high on the Seminoles in the preseason, however, as his model has Florida State at 23 and the Broncos at 27, similar to their position to the polls.
Weather Watch
The game has been moved to Doak Walker Stadium so the game is clear from Hurrian Dorian.
Predictions (my prediction can be found at the bottom of this article)
Pete Fiutak (College Football News): Florida State 26, Boise State 20
Dustin Lewis (Nole Game Day at 24/7) : Florida State 38, Boise State 24
Jason Parker (Chop Chat at Fansided): Florida State 30, Boise State 24
Jeremy Mauss (Mountain West Wire Manager): Boise State 21, Florida State 17
Matt Kenerly (Mountain West Wire Editor): Florida State 24, Boise State 20
Erik Smiley (Mountain West Wire Boise State Contributor): Boise State 36, Florida State 17
Collin Clovis (Mountain West Wire Boise State Contributor): Boise State 27, Florida State 24
