ORLANDO, Fla. – The UCF Knights will see blue everywhere they look on Saturday night when they kick off in the capital city of Idaho at 7 p.m. ET.
Boise State is home to college football’s only all-blue turf field and, through the years, it’s given the Broncos a tremendous homefield advantage.
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A capacity crowd of over 36,000 is expected for Boise State’s home opener against UCF.
Here are reasons why the Knights can come home from Boise with their second win instead of the blues.
- “Road Warrior” mentality: Coach Gus Malzahn said before the season started that his team needed to have a “road warrior mentality” as he looked ahead to the daunting schedule away from home. Week 2 is the time the Knights must start practicing what their coach is preaching. The distance from Orlando to Boise is more than 2,000 miles making this UCF’s furthest trip of the season. Shutting out or playing off the hostile crowd will be a test of the Knights’ maturity. Communicating in crowd noise is crucial to avoid penalties and confusion.
- QB John Rhys Plumlee: Nothing motivates this Knight more than good, ol’ competition. The dual-threat quarterback did it all in UCF’s opener, throwing for 3 touchdowns while running for 90 yards in the win over Kent State. However, he also threw two interceptions and fumbled the football. He was quick to point out his mistakes after the game, rather than celebrate his successes, while his coaches have emphasized the quarterback slide this week. He’s a smart, sharp guy. He can correct the mistakes that cannot be made on the road against a better opponent in Boise State.
- UCF’s playmakers: They’re the reason that Plumlee doesn’t have to do it all. He’s surrounded by talent and he knows it. 7 Knights scored touchdowns in their season opener with Plumlee targeting 3 different receivers on touchdown passes. Johnny Richardson is coming off a 100-yard game and his partner in the backfield, RJ Harvey got into the endzone twice. Can Boise State keep up? The Broncos defense was overwhelmed at Washington 56-19 in Week 1.
- The Washington Film: The Knights’ lopsided Week 1 victory over Kent State didn’t expose many of UCF’s weaknesses. On the flip side, UCF saw what Washington did to Boise State. The Huskies seized momentum through their passing game and never looked back from the second quarter on. Boise State quarterback Taylen Green threw a touchdown pass and was intercepted twice. Other than 100 receiving yards from halfback Ashton Jeanty, the Broncos stalled on offense throughout the game. Washington is ranked 10th in the country. UCF is not. However, the Knights do have a blueprint on how to beat Boise State on Saturday.
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