Boise State football looking to make noise against Florida State in opener

Florida State and Boise State football is no longer a neutral-site game. Here’s how you can catch all the action between the Broncos and Seminoles.

Originally scheduled to be played in Jacksonville, the showdown between Boise State and Florida State has been moved to Tallahassee and pushed up from a prime-time slot to the noontime slate of games due to inclement weather. That means the Seminoles now get another home game, while the Broncos now face the full force of a hostile crowd.

Vegas has shifted its lines due to the change in venue, but it should not substantively change the complexion of this contest. Bryan Harsin’s squad will be motivated to claim a statement win over a Power Five opponent to kick-start its bid for a New Year’s Six berth, while the Seminoles will be looking to start strong in a season where beleaguered second-year head coach Willie Taggart is already feeling his seat heat up.

The Broncos will be breaking in a new quarterback, with Brett Rypien now suiting up in a different shade of orange for the Denver Broncos in the NFL. Florida State is hoping that experience will carry them through, along with the benefit of playing the game at Doak Campbell Stadium that fell into their lap.

Will that be enough? Is Vegas overestimating the potential for the Seminoles? Here is how you can catch this game live and find out for yourself whether Boise State can capture a statement win to kick off the new campaign.

Date: Saturday, Aug. 31
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: Tallahassee, Fla.
Venue: Doak Campbell Stadium
TV: ESPN News
Live Stream: ESPN | FuboTV

Keys to Victory

Boise State needs Hank Bachmeier to prove himself to be the real deal. After Harsin and the offensive staff elected to go with the four-star true freshman over the more experienced Chase Cord, it will fall upon Bachmeier to guide what should be a high-powered offense once again. They will benefit from the support of a highly-experienced defense, which will need to shut down the Seminoles run game and force James Blackman to beat them with his arm.

Florida State, meanwhile, needs to avoid getting stuffed on the ground. If they can get the ground game going and control the clock, it will limit the opportunities for the Broncos on offense. When they are on defense, the Seminoles will need to win the battle at the line of scrimmage and put pressure on Bachmeier.

Betting Odds

Odds courtesy of Bovada

Point Spread: Florida State -7
Over/Under: 54

Prediction

Vegas loves Florida State by a touchdown, but look for Boise State to get a quick advantage and hold it throughout the rest of the game. Things will be close throughout the contest, but the Broncos are going to stifle Blackman and company and keep Florida State from punishing them with their rushing attack.

Look for a late Boise State score to put the margin of victory into double digits, though the score will look much wider in the end than the relative difference between the two squads proves over 60 minutes.

Final Score: Boise State 41, Florida State 30