BOISE — Five years ago, playing at Boise State would have been a monstrous task for Weber State.
Playing at Boise State in 2007? After the Broncos have established themselves as, perhaps, the best little program in the nation, and after BSU stunned the nation by beating Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl?
"They're beatable," Weber State defensive lineman Pate Moleni said. "Any team is beatable on any given week."
Those words might sound a little naive if not for the sentence that next slipped out of Moleni's lips.
"But we're not kidding ourselves," he said. "We know Boise State is as good a football team as there is. For us to go up there and beat them, it's going to have to be the perfect game."
The Wildcats open their season tonight at Bronco Stadium against No. 24 Boise State. BSU, last year's BCS-busting breakout team, has enjoyed unparalleled success in recent years.
No team has scored more points (3,672 for an average of 41.7 per game) than the Broncos have since the turn of the century. Since 1999, BSU has won more games (86) than any other team.
Weber State, on the other hand, is trying to erase the memories of a disappointing 4-7 season.
"This is a fresh start for our team," Weber State coach Ron McBride said. "We were close in a lot of games last year, maybe just a play or two away from changing things around."
The Wildcats will bring a new-look offense into the game. While WSU has leading rushers Trevyn Smith and Adrian Conway back, they will replace virtually all starters in their passing game.
Quarterback Jimmy Barnes, the much-hyped transfer from Alabama, will try to spread the ball around the field and keep Boise State's offense spread out so Smith and Conway can find a little room to run.
The Broncos, who return seven starters on the defensive side of the ball, are almost as good at slowing opponents down, however, as they are at scoring on them. Five opponents were held to 10 or fewer points in 2006.
That doesn't seem to intimidate Barnes.
"We know they're going to be the best team we see all year," Barnes said. "But we've got some pretty good athletes here, too. If we run our plays the way they're supposed to be run, we can have success. We can't go in there thinking we've got no chance. We've got to have faith that our game plan is a good one and will work."
Weber State's defense will be tasked with stopping — or at least slowing down — Heisman Trophy candidate Ian Johnson. The junior running back ran for 1,713 yards and 25 touchdowns last year. He was also the guy who took the Broncos into college football history as he ran in the winning points on a Statue of Liberty play in overtime against Oklahoma.
Senior Taylor Tharp has been handed the quarterback keys by BSU coach Chris Peterson. Tharp has waited patiently behind former star Jared Zabransky.
On the air
Weber State at No. 24 Boise State
Today, 7 p.m.
Bronco Stadium
TV: None
Radio: 1430AM
E-mail: jeborn@desnews.com