Boise State Football: Preview, prediction, live stream vs. Oklahoma State

Boise State football heads to Stillwater for a matchup of Top 25 teams. Can the Broncos burnish their Group of Five bona fides against Oklahoma State?

Last week, Boise State overtook UCF in the AP Top 25 after walloping UConn by more than 50 points. That shared opponent with the Knights gave the pollsters an early comparable between the two Group of Five contenders. And with UCF’s game against North Carolina canceled due to Hurricane Florence, the Broncos have an opportunity to put even more distance between themselves and the American Athletic Conference frontrunner.

Byran Harsin’s squad has played formidable defense in its firat two games of the year, largely shutting down Troy on the road in the season opener in addition to the rout of the Huskies in Week 2. Now they get to test themselves against a Power Five opponent in one of three Top 25 matchups this weekend.

But Oklahoma State is also a different beast than either the Trojans or the Huskies. The Cowboys are 2-0 and climbed up into the AP Top 25 this week for the first time this season. Mike Gundy’s team looks like they are surviving the loss of quarterback Mason Rudolph without too many issues, and their run game has stepped up their game and provided a greater contribution as a unit.

Oklahoma State is in a unique, favored at home by less than a field goal against a Group of Five team ranked more highly in the polls. Will the small-school juggernaut do to the Pokes what they did to their Bedlam rival 12 years ago? Here’s how you can watch the Saturday game between Boise State and Oklahoma State:

Date: Saturday, Sept. 15
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Stillwater, Okla.
Venue: Boone Pickens Stadium
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN | FuboTV

Keys to Victory

As odd as it may sound, the most dangerous thing the Cowboys could do is try to keep up in a shootout against the Broncos. Boise State is averaging nearly 60 points per game, and Oklahoma State’s defense will have to come up with stops and turnovers to keep the score from getting out of control. They have been among the 20 best defenses so far this year, but Boise State is their biggest test yet.

Boise State needs another efficient passing game from quarterback Brett Rypien and a prolific ground game led by Alexander Mattison. The Broncos defense, so solid this year as they allow fewer than two touchdowns per game, has to keep Taylor Cornelius and the Pokes offense in check to secure the nominal upset.

Betting Odds

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

Point Spread: Oklahoma State -2.5
Over/Under: 63.5

Prediction

Oklahoma State is theoretically favored by Las Vegas this weekend, but they will have their hands full against their guests from Idaho. Boise State is going to snatch an early lead, and Oklahoma State will be left chasing them the rest of the game. It will be close in the end as the Cowboys mount a furious but ultimately futile comeback.

Final Score: Boise State 49, Oklahoma State 45