Early Opponent Preview: Boise State

After traveling west for Week Zero against UNLV, Memphis will head west again in Week 2 for another non-conference matchup against Boise State. Like the game against the Rebels, the Tigers’ game against the Broncos could have playoff implications for the Group of Five spot, and Lindy’s Sports listed it as a top-15 non-conference game of the season.

The Pac-12 returns as a full-fledged conference in 2026, and Boise State is predicted by nearly everyone to win the conference in its first season as a member. The Broncos have had a ton of success in recent years in the Mountain West, and head coach Spencer Danielson will look to make a seamless transition to the new conference. 

The Broncos will be led by Maddux Madsen, who returns for his senior season in Boise. The quarterback threw for 2,334 yards, 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions last season, but he’ll look to bounce back early this season after struggling in the bowl game against Washington State to end his junior year.

Boise State lost its top four receivers from last season, and senior Ben Ford will look to make an impact after logging 320 yards and five touchdowns on 21 receptions last season. The team also added Southern wide receiver Darren Morris, who recorded 1,256 yards and nine touchdowns in three years with the Jaguars.

The Broncos should have an impressive run game after bringing back both leading rushers from last season, and it will be interesting to see if they can improve on the ground. Junior Dylan Riley ran for 1,125 yards and 20 touchdowns during his sophomore season, while Sophomore Sire Saines added 811 yards and eight touchdowns in his first season with the program.

The offensive line returns three starters, including the entire right side of the line, and they will fill the two holes on the left side with players who have been in the program and saw plenty of playing time last year.

Defensively is where the Broncos will have questions. They lost four of their top five tacklers and only return four starters on that side of the ball.

Linebacker Boen Phelps returns after having 66 tackles during his sophomore season, and he’ll look to be one of the defensive leaders for Danielson’s team.

The Broncos also return edge rusher Jayden Virgin-Morgan, who led the team last season with six sacks and 13 tackles for loss.

The secondary will be a big question as well. Derek Ganter Jr. and Jaden Mickey are both back, and the group will look to build off of the success it had last season.

The Broncos will host Memphis after a brutal opening game in Eugene against Oregon, which is predicted to be a national championship contender.