The parking lots and pathways around Albertsons Stadium were packed with bright orange and blue hues hours before Boise State’s game against FCS opponent Portland State on Saturday evening.
It’s not uncommon for tailgaters and fans to take over the campus stadium on game days, but fans have waited especially long for this one. Entering the weekend, Boise State was the only team at the FBS level not to have played a home game yet, having opened the season with two road games and a bye week.
And it was expected to be a party on the field as well for the sellout crowd: Boise State entered the game as basically a seven-touchdown favorite.
The Broncos are 66-19-2 in home openers but notably lost their first game on The Blue last year, falling to UCF 18-16 on a last-second field goal. Boise State’s only other home-opening loss in the 21st century came against Washington State in 2001.
“When we come home to play on The Blue in front of Bronco Nation … we have to find a way to win,” coach Spencer Danielson said this week.
Boise State was without two starting offensive linemen as well as junior wide receiver Chris Marshall on Saturday night.
Redshirt junior Mason Randolph was still out with an upper-body injury picked up ahead of the game against Oregon two weeks ago. He was replaced for the second straight game by redshirt junior Zach Holmes. Starting redshirt sophomore Roger Carreon was out following an injury he sustained against Oregon; Tyler Keinath started in his place.
Boise State vs. Portland State
When: 8 p.m. Saturday
Where: Albertsons Stadium (36,363, Turf)
TV: Fox Sports 1 (Eric Collins, Spencer Tillman)
Radio: KBOI 670 AM/KTIK 93.1 FM/Sirius XM Ch. 390 (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)
Records: Boise State 1-1; Portland State 0-2
Series: Boise State leads the series 7-1
Vegas line: Boise State by 41.5 points
Weather: 70 degrees, humidity 24%, clear skies, 0% chance of rain
