Getty QB Hunter Johnson takes the reins for Northwestern this season.
The Michigan State Spartans (0-0) head to Ryan Field in Evanston to take on the Northwestern Wildcats (0-0) in a Big Ten showdown.
The game (7 p.m. ET start time) will be televised on ESPN. But if you don’t have cable, here are some different ways you can watch a live stream of Boise State vs UCF online:
Note: Heavy may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up via a link on this page
FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of ESPN and 100-plus other live TV channels on FuboTV, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch Boise State vs UCF live on the FuboTV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the FuboTV website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your Fubo credentials to log in and watch.
Vidgo
You can watch a live stream of ESPN and 90-plus other TV channels on Vidgo. This option doesn’t include a free trial, but you can get your first month for just $10:
Once signed up for Vidgo, you can watch Boise State vs UCF live on the Vidgo app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Vidgo website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your Vidgo credentials to log in and watch.
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream (formerly AT&T TV) has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” ESPN is included in every one, but you can pick any package and any add-on you want with your free 14-day trial.
Note that the free trial isn’t advertised as such, but your “due today” amount will be $0 when signing up. If you watch on your computer, phone or tablet, you won’t be charged for 14 days. If you watch on a streaming device on your TV (Roku, Fire Stick, Apple TV, etc.), you will be charged for the first month, but you can get still get a full refund if you cancel before 14 days:
Once signed up for DirecTV Stream, you can watch Boise State vs UCF live on the DirecTV Stream app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the DirecTV Stream website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your DirecTV Stream credentials (may still be listed as AT&T on the list of cable providers) to log in and watch.
Sling TV
You can watch a live stream of ESPN and 30-plus other live TV channels via Sling TV’s “Sling Orange” package. This option doesn’t include a free trial, but it’s the cheapest long-term streaming service with ESPN, and you can get your first month for just $10:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch Boise State vs UCF live on the Sling TV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), airTV Mini, Oculus, Portal, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Sling TV website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your Sling credentials to log in and watch.
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of ESPN and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch Boise State vs UCF live on the Hulu app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, Nintendo Switch, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Hulu website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your Hulu credentials to log in and watch.
Michigan State vs Northwestern Preview
The Spartans are coming off a disappointing 2-5 season that saw them put up just 18.0 points on offense. Michigan State’s running game left much to be desired, as the team averaged 91.4 yards per game on the ground along with an unimpressive 2.7 yards per carry.
Head coach Mel Tucker starts his second season as the Spartans head coach, but after a wildly unconventional first year in 2020, Tucker will get his first-ever offseason with his team, which should help with preparations on both sides of the ball.
“We’re obviously very excited to get to get the season started,” Tucker said, per SB Nation. “We have a very tough opponent, Northwestern, on Friday night. They are always ready to play. They are the defending Big Ten West champs. It’s going to be a great environment. It’s prime time on Friday night, and we’ll have a lot of Spartans there as well. So really looking forward to that. We’ve prepared for the last eight months for these opportunities. We have a few more days to go and the hay is never in the barn, but I’m feeling good about our preparation to this point.”
On the other side, Northwestern is coming off a solid 7-2 campaign that saw its No. 5th ranked defense surrender just 15.9 points a game. On offense, Pat Fitzgerald’s squad scored 24.7 points per contest, and they’ll be getting a new leader.
After sitting behind Indiana transfer Peyton Ramsey in 2020, quarterback Hunter Johnson will take the reins on offense. Johnson last played in 2019, when he appeared in six games. He completed 50 of 108 passes that season (46.3% completion percentage) for 432 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions. Those numbers aren’t encouraging, but he has grown a great deal since then, and Johnson has also been developing a solid rapport with sophomore wide receiver Bryce Kurtz.
“It’s been fun,” Johnson said of playing with Kurtz, per Sports Illustrated. “It’s not very often that you get to play with (someone on) a high school team and college ball, so yeah having that chemistry has been great.”
Johnson also has another solid wideout to work with in Stephon Robinson, so it will be interesting to see how well they do against a Spartans defense that allowed 35.1 points a game to opposing teams last year.
“He is a technician with his routes,” Johnson told SI about Robinson. “I think he does a great job setting guys up and getting open. He’s a good athlete, he goes out every day, works hard and has a good mindset. I’m really excited about him.”