When the Boise State Broncos and the Georgia Bulldogs take their respective fields for their spring football games this Saturday, each squad will be working hard to prepare for their marquee season-opening match-up in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game Sept. 3.

 The game will be nationally telecast on ESPN. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m.

“With Boise State coming in as the winningest team in the nation over the last 10 years and Georgia delivering one of the strongest recruiting classes in the country, this really is a compelling match-up,” said Gary Stokan, Chick-fil-A Bowl president and CEO.

If history is any indicator, the winner of this year’s Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game will have taken the first step in putting together a successful season.

In 2008, No. 24 Alabama’s defeat of No. 9 Clemson propelled them 11 spots up the rankings on the way to an eventual No. 1 national ranking and BCS bowl berth. The No. 1 Crimson Tide took advantage of another appearance in the 2009 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game to defeat No. 7 Virginia Tech in a game that started their national championship run and began Mark Ingram’s successful Heisman Trophy campaign.

The No. 16 LSU Tigers leveraged a victory over No. 18 North Carolina last year to pave the way for a 10-2 season that ended in a No. 8 final national ranking.

 The 2011 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game will mark only the second meeting all-time between the Broncos and Bulldogs. Boise State visited Georgia in 2005, with Georgia earning a 48-13 win in Athens.