Oregon @ Boise State

Oregon:

That did not look like an offense that can score with any team in the country. I think they were too focused on putting little brother in his place instead of going out trying to win a football game. They had better get their heads on straight if they are going to compete in the Pac 10 or beat Utah here in two weeks. Don't take the Bellotti approach and try to show your superiority as a BCS team. You aren't better just because your conference is better! Prove it on the field!

Defensively they did OK, considering what the score COULD have been. However, there were a lot of miscues by Boise State's O and special teams. At least SOME of that is attributable to Oregon. They weren't able to stop the run on 1st down. They had pretty soft coverage on 3rd down. They couldn't get consistent pressure on the QB and when they did, Kellen Moore was able to sidestep it.

Offensively it was bad, very bad. Missing open receivers, dropped balls, no push upfront on running plays, etc. Again, they thought they were faster, tougher, more talented, but they weren't. While Boise State may not have the 3 or 4-deep that Oregon does, they have a similar (or better) 2-deep. In a one-game situation, that is all you need.

Boise State:

I was VERY impressed with the defensive effort. Oregon, while not doing a great job offensively last night, will turn out to be one of the better offensive units in the country this season. Boise State did not allow a FIRST DOWN until midway through the 3rd quarter. They were fast, they were laying licks on people, and they were getting penetration upfront. They made it look like a tune-up game against a I-AA offense. Not only were they stout early, but they played great late in the 3rd and in the 4th when they were put in 3 or 4 consecutive bad situations, forcing turnovers, turnover on down, and punt.

Offensively (and on special teams), Boise State left a lot of points on the field. 2 missed field goals and a botched snap on a field goal attempt left 9 potential points. A couple of turnovers and the stalling of a couple of promising drives is also a little disconcerting, particular when the O is a fairly veteran group. With that said, they dominated an Oregon defensive front that is bigger and more talented than anyone else the Broncos see all year (except maybe Hawaii on the bigger part). Kellen Moore looked comfortable in the pocket and under pressure. He did make one or two fairly bad decisions on throws and nearly threw a bad interception while under pressure (but the Oregon defender whiffed on the ball), but it was a good game. I think with another game or two under the belt, they'll be fine there. As with the defense, I was very impressed with the speed on the perimeter and the size upfront. They may not be as deep as some top 10 teams, but their top 44 are very comparable to top 10 teams not in the top 5...

Outlook for Boise State is good. This is the bad year for the conference schedule though as they have to travel to Fresno State in two weeks for a Friday night ESPN game and to Hawaii later in the year. I see those two games as the biggest obstacles between Boise State and another undefeated season. I think Fresno State is the most likely game they'll drop, but I don't see them dropping two games. The D looks too good, and the O will come around like Boise State's O always does. They had better get their kicking game figured out as that WILL matter one of these games.