Boise State vs. Memphis: Preview, fan guide and ways to watch

Boise State football concludes its 2023 non-conference slate on Saturday as it visits Memphis for an early afternoon showdown inside Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.

Head coach Andy Avalos earlier this week said the Tigers present a "huge challenge" for the Broncos as a "top-25 type team." Similar to its first three contests this fall, Boise State will be tasked with slowing a high-powered offense. 

Memphis enters week five ranking among the top-40 offenses in the FBS in scoring, rushing and total yards per game, averaging 436.8 yards each outing. The squad out of the American Athletic Conference plays aggressive, converting three fourth-down attempts on four tries last week. 

The Tigers lone loss came on the road last Saturday at the hands of undefeated Missouri, who landed at No. 23 in this week's AP Top 25 Poll. Memphis defeated Navy 28-24 the week prior, following blowout victories over Bethune-Cookman and Arkansas State.

Fans of explosive, all-around athletes will love the running back matchup coming to ESPN2 on Saturday at 2 p.m. MT. Both Boise State sophomore Ashton Jeanty and Memphis senior Blake Watson have posted eye-opening numbers.

Jeanty and Watson rank No. 1 and No. 12 in the nation respectively in all-purpose yards, despite the fact neither standout returns punts or kicks. Jeanty has 407 rushing yards and 285 receiving yards this season, while Watson has 342 yards on the ground and another 213 with his hands. 

While the Broncos are thrilled by the Lone Star High School product's start, quarterback Taylen Green and offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan this week acknowledged the need to improve the passing attack. 

The OC said it is "not where we want it to be," but Boise State is confident in Green's ability and so is the athletic QB. 

"It just starts with consistency, because we have spirts of it, you know, but it's just having to build on that," Green said. "Our run game is really good, but once we get that run and the pass going, it's gonna be really special."

The Broncos' offensive line received praise for its play in last week's win over San Diego State, paving the way for Jeanty to have a career night. Tim Keane's group will need another lights-out effort in the heat this weekend against a solid front. 

Avalos said Memphis touts "one of the best defensive fronts that we will play against this year, you can see that on film." He added the Tigers are aggressive at the line of scrimmage, along with quality coverage on the back end. 

Memphis sits at No. 38 in the country, allowing less than 320 yards to opponents each week. The group is giving up just 18.8 points per game, while ranking 18th in passing yards allowed (169.8 YPG).

The Tigers have generated 10 sacks and 28 tackles-for-loss as a defense through four games. 2022 Freshman All-America honoree and East Tennessee State transfer Chandler Martin leads the team with 26 total tackles and 3.5 TFLs. Fellow linebacker Geoffrey Cantin-Arku has forced a pair of fumbles, with 22 tackles of his own.

Scroll down for more information on Saturday's matchup, including how to watch and listen to the game, odds and predictions, a breakdown of KTVB's coverage in Memphis, team and player statistics, and more.