The Oregon Ducks will begin their run for a national title with a contender for the College Football Playoff walking into Autzen Stadium. Boise State, newly minted into the Pac-12, could win the conference in its first season as one of the best Group of Six programs in the country.
The Ducks are heavy favorites in the game, but that says more about the quality of Oregon’s roster than it does about Boise State’s ability to compete in the matchup. In fact, the Broncos nearly knocked off the Ducks in 2024, as Oregon needed a walk-off field goal to win a shootout.
Boise State’s defense features plenty of returning talent, but some questions with new starters taking over. The Broncos added a few nice pieces to the secondary through the transfer portal,
but the biggest strength of the group is the pass rush, both on the edge and the interior. With plenty of experience in the front seven, the Broncos could challenge Oregon's offensive line, which is likely to still be figuring out the rotation early in the season.
Are the Broncos going to be able to slow down a potent Oregon offense to start the season? Let’s take a look at the Boise State defense and find out.
What does Boise State do well on defense?
Like the Ducks, Boise State has great depth on the edge and at cornerback on the perimeter, as well as plenty of returning talent. Edge rushers Max Stege and Jayden Virgin-Morgan create chaos off the edge, while David Latu is stepping into a bigger role at nose tackle and garnered big expectations from his performance in camp. Linebacker has some new starters, but Boen Phelps returns with the most tackles from last season.
The secondary features four new starters, but doesn’t lack experience. Boise State has three strong corners who can rotate in Jaden Mickey, Sherrod Smith and Kennesaw State transfer JeRico Washington Jr.; all could crack the All-Pac-12 team at the end of the season. Roman Tillmon, a South Dakota transfer, is Boise State’s top transfer addition and is a stronger tackler from his spot in the nickel.
The Broncos primarily play a nickel defense with four down linemen, while the secondary plays match coverage. They often rely on their linebackers in coverage over the middle and against tight ends, but they do a good job of disguising traditional zone coverage drops and man coverage, depending on the opposing route combination. It's a new group of players in the secondary, but the style of play that defensive coordinator Erik Chinander asks for from his players is aggressive.
Players to know
EDGE Jayden Virgin-Morgan
The biggest test for Oregon’s offensive line will be Virgin-Morgan, who led Boise State with six sacks last season. He tallied 55 tackles and 13 for a loss last season, earning himself a preseason first-team All-Pac-12 selection coming into the season. Virgin-Morgan racked up 10 sacks in 2024 and has forced three fumbles in his career, so he will be a force to look out for off the edge.
LB Boen Phelps
Someone the Broncos are expecting a lot of this season is Phelps, who has stepped into a “quarterback of the defense” role for Boise State in the offseason. Phelps has great speed to run from sideline to sideline, as well as solid instincts in coverage. Of Boise State’s returning defenders, Phelps leads the team with 66 stops a year ago.
NB Roman Tillmon
Don’t overlook Tillmon as just an FCS transfer. The former South Dakota safety will start at the nickel for the Broncos and is a hard hitter. He made 94 tackles a year ago, but the senior defensive back still has yet to snag his first career interception. He’s focused on creating more turnovers this season, and he’s in a good place to do so in the slot.
Are the Ducks built to score on Boise State?
One would think so, but that was the case in the 2024 matchup, and that didn't work out how many expected.
With the amount of talent Oregon has offensively, there isn’t a defense the Ducks shouldn’t be able to score on this season. Boise State has plenty of returners, but also plenty of defenders stepping into new roles as starters. The Broncos’ defense was awful in the red zone last season, allowing scores on 44-of-48 trips, and the Ducks have the potential to run and pass with success to score points often.
In 2024, the Ducks were 4-of-12 on third downs, and while the offense had big plays, it lacked consistency late in the game. The Ducks need to get ahead early in the game to avoid a similar outcome, giving Boise State too much life late in a close game.
There isn't much concern about Oregon's high-powered offense, but the moving parts along the offensive line against the Broncos' seasoned pass rush could expose issues that typically arise in a Week 1 matchup. Still, it would be a surprise if the Ducks didn't run the ball well and connect on some downfield shots. Expect the Ducks to lean on the ground game to set up the pass and connect on explosive plays later in the game.
What should we expect?
Oregon is favored by 24.5 points, so the game could get out of hand at some point. However, Boise State took the Ducks down to the wire in 2024, and the rivalry between the two programs is underrated, often producing close games. Boise State’s pass rush should be a good test for the Ducks’ new-look offensive line, and whatever rotation they choose to use.
Expect Oregon to try to establish the run early on and use quick passes to neutralize Virgin-Morgan and the veteran pass rushers up front. Boise State's secondary is talented but unproven, so look for Dante Moore to test them once the run game has opened up opportunities in the play-action pass game.
I still expect the Ducks to have plenty of success offensively and find time to get the backups in the game for some reps near the end. Oregon should come close to the betting line and win going away.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: What the Oregon Ducks should expect from Boise State's defense
