BYU football vs Portland State: Preview, predictions, TV channel

We preview one of college football’s opening weekend games. Will BYU football stand strong and earn a home victory over the Portland State Vikings?

The 2017 football season on ESPN begins with a matchup between the BYU Cougars and the Portland State Vikings. The Cougars begin the year looking to build on their 9-4 season under first-year head coach Kalani Sitake. The Vikings of the FCS Big Sky Conference are in rebuild mode after finishing last season 3-8 and losing senior quarterback Alex Kuresa.

While BYU lost their starting quarterback in Taysom Hill, it is entirely possible they upgraded at the position. Junior Tanner Mangum takes over the starting job with plenty of starting experience and a flair for the dramatic. As a freshman, he led the Cougars to a 9-4 record, including a pair of miracles against Nebraska and Boise State in his first two games. Mangum also won the Poinsettia Bowl against Wyoming 24-21 last season.

BYU does have some question marks that they will have to work on answering in this first game. The Cougars’ schedule drastically increases in difficulty next week with a neutral site game against No. 13 LSU. In addition to their second leading rusher Hill, BYU lost their top running back Jamaal Williams and three leading receivers from last year’s squad. On the defensive side of the ball, the Cougars need to replace three-quarters of a defensive line of the ninth-ranked rushing defense last season.

Portland State has far more question marks. The Vikings begin their third year under head coach Bruce Barnum looking to get back to their 2015 form when they finished 9-3 and ranked 10th in the FCS. The loss of quarterback Alex Kuresa is a huge one because he also led the team in rushing yards. Coincidentally,  Kuresa was at one time a BYU Cougar. Barnum named true freshman Jalani Eason as his replacement.

Here’s how you can watch Saturday’s Portland State Vikings vs. BYU Cougars game:

Date: Saturday, Aug. 26
Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
Location: Provo, UT
Venue: LaVell Edwards Stadium
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN

Keys to Victory

BYU should win this game going away. The biggest key to victory for the Cougars is simply showing up engaged and ready to play. The only way they can lose is if the Vikings out work them to such a degree it overcomes the talent gulf between the disparate programs. Mangum needs to be sound with the football and not turn it over multiple times.

Everything needs to go right for the Vikings if they are going to pull off the upset in Provo. They need Eason to play beyond his years and the defense to force turnovers at an unprecedented clip. In reality, a moral victory, if such a thing exists, would be getting their true freshman quarterback some productive reps, collecting their check, and getting back on the bus healthy with a foundation to build on the rest of the season.

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Prediction

There is really no reason to overthink this game. Put one in the win column for BYU and move on to the next game. You will be happy there is football on TV, so the fact this game will be over before the end of the first quarter will not be as disappointing. There are times FBS vs. FCS games are fun and competitive —  just ask Michigan — but this isn’t one of those times. At least if you are a Portland State fan, you get to watch your team on ESPN which is kind of cool. If you are a college football fan, FOOTBALL IS BACK!

Final Score: BYU 45, Portland State 3