BYU opens its season Saturday evening with a FCS foe for the second consecutive year when Portland State comes to town. This is the first meeting between BYU and Portland State since 2017 when BYU slogged to a 20-6 win. Portland State opened its season at home last week with a 42-0 loss to Tarleton State. A BYU win isn’t in doubt, but fans will want a decisive win from the Cougs.
After opening as a 34.5-point favorite, BYU is now favored by 44.5, according to FanDuel odds. The point total for the game is 62.5. BYU under Kalani Sitake has twice beaten a FCS foe by 45+ points. BYU beat North Alabama 66-14 (52 points) in 2020 and Idaho State 59-14 (45 points) in 2021. BYU will want to give Bear Bachmeier reps, which should mean the offense keeps the foot on the gas longer
ESPN’s Bill Connelly’s SP+ rankings give BYU a 100% chance to win and predicts a 55-0 final score. BYU is ranked 36 in SP+ and Portland State is ranked one of the worst FCS teams in the country— 120 out of 129 FCS teams.
Sagarin rankings are not high on BYU, ranking the Cougs 59. Portland State is rated 186 in the combined FBS/FCS rankings. Sagarin predicts a 29-point BYU win.
