OGDEN — For only the third time in the last 15 seasons, Weber State football will open a season at home when the Wildcats host Western Oregon on Thursday.

No. 20 Weber State debuts its offense under new coordinator Mickey Mental, looking to bring the football equivalent of pace-and-space basketball to the gridiron.

The visiting Wolves are a Division II program from Monmouth, Oregon, that is in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference — but the football team now plays in the Lonestar Conference (anchored in Texas) with fellow northwest vagabonds Simon Fraser and Central Washington.

The last three games in which Weber State hosted a non-Division I school for a season opener resulted in WSU wins of 61-0, 62-6 and 76-0.

Despite that, it’s business as usual for Weber State.

“These Division II schools have a bunch of kids who love the game. They don’t have the NIL deals, they don’t have the big scholarships, they don’t have that stuff. They play because they love the game. They’re tougher than nails and they’re well-coached,” WSU head coach Jay Hill said. “We expect that team to come out here and give us everything they’ve got. We’re not overlooking them because we understand it’s a big deal for them.

“But it’s a big deal for us, you only get one first game of the year. So we’re excited about the opportunity to play an opening game in our stadium.”

An assumption of a blowout similar to previous non-DI openers also assumes Weber State will, at bare minimum, be the playoff-contending team it has been in the last seven years of Hill’s tenure.

While such a blowout wouldn’t be terribly instructive for the season, the timing of it works out favorably. Weber State is, after all, playing Western Oregon after WSU and James Madison mutually agreed to terminate the second game of their home-and-home series set for Harrisonburg, Virginia, this season after JMU made its jump to FBS one year early.

So instead, WSU gets to debut several new players, several more taking over as main guys at their positions, and test out a new offense in circumstances much less daunting as they would have if opening with two FBS road games, as Utah State looms in Week 2.

This might at least help set a foundation for the rest of the season, one in which WSU aims to return to the playoffs after a 6-5 season in 2021.

MEET THE WOLVES

Western Oregon went 4-6 last season, including a cobbled-together 2-2 in the GNAC where it defeated Simon Fraser twice and lost to Central Washington twice (hence the new football affiliate membership with the Lonestar Conference). The Wolves averaged 22.4 points on 353 yards per game.

Sophomore Gannon Winker has the nod at No. 1 QB for Western Oregon. He threw 19 of 33 for 323 yards, five touchdowns and one interception in limited time under center last season; he’s the only returning QB from last season. He’s backed up by three freshmen.

Starting at one receiver position is Damon Hickok, brother of Weber State women’s basketball player Daryn. The junior was last season’s third-leading receiver, catching 23 balls for 328 yards and three touchdowns. The 6-foot-6 senior Thomas Wright returns after leading the team with 36 catches for 541 yards and four touchdowns last season.

Winker also has last year’s top running back with him in the backfield. Senior Omari Dixon-Land rushed for 947 yards in 10 games, totaling 10 touchdowns.

In a 3-4 defensive front, the Wolves’ top tackler Jaylin Parnell (78 tackles, 17 for loss) returns at middle linebacker, though he is marked as injured on this week’s depth chart provided by WOU. Anthony Mack Jr. will be a top playmaker in the middle, joined by Simon Thompson as an outside backer. Thompson is a native of nearby Salem who spent three seasons at Utah State, recording no stats.

Western Oregon is coached by Arne Ferguson, entering his 17th season at the helm with a career record of 94-78.

ODDS & PREDICTIONS

Sportsbooks and computer ratings don’t typically place lines or predictions on games involving non-Division I teams. Jeff Sagarin, longtime college football computer ratings guru, ranks all of FBS and FCS together. His system ranks Weber State 121st out of 261 Division I teams heading into the season.

WEATHER

Thursday’s forecast predicts a high temperature of 98 degrees in Ogden. By 6 p.m. kickoff, the forecast calls for sunny skies and a hot 97 degrees, with sunset at 8 p.m. and temperatures dropping to the mid-80s by the end of the game.

TV & RADIO

Weber State and Western Oregon kick off at 6 p.m. Thursday at Stewart Stadium.

The game will stream on the ESPN+ subscription service with Tony Parks and Riley Jensen on the call. Brandon Garside pinch-hits for Steve Klauke on the radio play-by-play call, with Jerry Graybeal providing color commentary; that radio call will go out on 103.1 FM locally and stream online at 1031thewave.com.

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