Coming off a 34-17 loss at Oregon State, Boise State opens Mountain West play on Friday against New Mexico.

Kickoff is at 7 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.

Here are some thoughts before the game.

1. I think Hank Bachmeier deserves to start.

Yes, I know what happened on Saturday. No scores. Two interceptions. A fumble.

It was ugly. It was also just 20 minutes.

Coaches spent the entire spring, the entire fall, and the entire week leading up to the season opener believing Bachmeier was their best option at quarterback. It's tough to think all that should go out the window after a bad quarter.

This is not criticizing the decision to bench Bachmeier. He was off Saturday night. Maybe the pressure of his senior season got to him. Who knows. But Bachmeier should be allowed to have an off night and get the chance to redeem himself, to show he is the guy who impressed throughout the last eight months of practice.

"He's gonna have an opportunity to respond," offensive coordinator Tim Plough said. "If he responds positively, it could be the greatest lesson he's ever learned. If he can't respond positively then, obviously, things will keep moving."

Judging by that quote and Plough's entire Monday press conference, I'd bet Bachmeier is the first quarterback out there against New Mexico — likely on a short leash.

In saying that …

2. Taylen Green should make Boise State fans excited.

Green is the epitome of the "No. No. No. No. No. Yes!!!!" quarterback.

On Saturday, he was not perfect. Especially not in the eyes of the coaches. Asked about his performance, Plough was almost critical, saying coaches had to call a pair of timeouts because he called plays wrong, including one call Plough thought was a for-sure score.

Even on Green's 74-yard touchdown scamper, Plough noted his quarterback had "guys wide open and he doesn't see them and he just takes off."

That can be a bad thing. It can also be an offense's most prized possession. Look around the country. These quarterbacks who can make magic with their legs are the ones that strike fear across the nation. Alabama's Bryce Young. Ohio State's CJ Stroud. Florida's Anthony Richardson. Green is not those guys. But he possesses many of the same skill sets.

In time, if Green becomes a more-polished passer, he could become one of the Mountain West's best quarterbacks.

3. I struggle to understand the logic of Andy Avalos' answers at times.

Early in his Monday presser, the Boise State head coach said this:

"We had a really good week of practice (last week). Some of the things we did really well in practice we did not do well in the game. Some of the exact looks, whether it be on offense or defense, that we weren't able to execute."

Makes sense. So I asked Avalos "You

mentioned on Saturday night that Hank (Bachmeier) wasn't going through his progressions, that he was throwing into double coverage and stuff. Is that possible to fix in four days?"

"Yeah. I mean, he did in practice" Avalos said sharply, turning to the next question.

So the things coaches taught in practice last week didn't translate to the field, but somehow they're going to this week? Interesting.

4. Perhaps I was too harsh on the defense.

Rewatching the game and taking a closer look at the stats against Oregon State, I'll admit my criticism of the defense on Saturday night might have been a bit overblown.

There were definitely concerns. Boise State didn't have a sack. It recorded only three quarterback hits. The Broncos secondary allowed almost 20 yards per completion.

But they also notched three turnovers of their own — interceptions by JL Skinner and Caleb Biggers along with a Biggers fumble recovery. Here's another thing: For as many big passing plays BSU gave up, the Broncos were solid when they needed to be.

They held Oregon State to just 17 first downs (the same number BSU tallied) and the Beavers converted on just 4 of 13 third downs (also the same number BSU had). That's pretty impressive.

In all respects, Oregon State should've probably beaten the Broncos by 30. After the fumble that got Bachmeier benched, the Beavers started their drive six yards from the end zone and BSU held them to a field goal.

There are still reasons to worry about the Broncos' defense, but your hand should be far away from the panic button.

5. This New Mexico team is a pain in the neck to deal with.

It's easy to look at the Lobos' record last season (3-9). Don't. Through the transfer portal and just improved recruiting heading into coach Danny Gonzales' third season, New Mexico figures to be much improved.

It also isn't an easy squad to prepare for, especially on a short week. The Lobos' offense — now led by Kansas transfer quarterback Miles Kendrick — runs the triple option and their defense — led by defensive coordinator Rocky Long, the former San Diego State head coach — operates a little-used 3-3-5 scheme.

New Mexico's first game of the season — a 41-0 thrashing of Maine (an FCS program) — doesn't give many clues to how good the Lobos are. But it was a far better result than Boise State had in week one.

"This will be — I told the guys today — probably the greatest challenge we see all year," Plough said.

"We need to stop the run this week," EDGE coach Kelly Poppinga said.

PREDICTION: Boise State 27, New Mexico 20.