Bronco Round Table: No. 22 Boise State Heads Into Bye Week Rattled But Not Defeated
Bronco Nation Circles the Wagon after a Tough Loss and Looks Ahead
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Contact/Follow: @MWCWire, @RajaBleedsBlue, @PolarisMan17, @erik_smiley54, and @JeremyMauss
Another look at the Broncos during the bye week.
The Boise State Broncos dropped to No. 22 in the national rankings after a tough loss to BYU however Boise State is far from eliminated of reaching any of their goals. B
oise State is 6-1 and undefeated in Mountain West Conference play and now look to regroup and push forward for the stretch run of the season. Since the second bye week is upon us, we decided to round up some local diehard fans along with our Boise State contributors to give you all another round table where we discuss the season so far and look ahead. We even got Mountain West Wire Managing Editor to come down from his perch to give his thoughts on the MWC’s flagship program.
Additionally, this time around we were lucky enough to get a special guest in Aaron Tevis. Aaron played 4 years at Boise State and was recently on the Blue Turf along with some of his teammates from the 2009 Fiesta Bowl winning team as they were honored during the homecoming game this year versus Hawaii.
Look back at our Bronco Round Table from the first bye week earlier this year: Here
Before we jump into the questions, let’s take a moment to meet our contributors:
Hello, I am Scott Martin from Louisville, Kentucky and my town produces bourbon. I became especially thankful for bourbon’s invention beginning around 11:30 PM (EST) this past Saturday evening. While accruing over $300 in campus parking tickets, I somehow also finished two degrees from Boise State (BA, 1995 and MPA, 2000). I have two dreams. First, that Built to Spill will play the national anthem for a Boise State home football game. Second, that tortillas will once again be thrown at Albertsons Stadium. You may find me frequently yapping about Bronco football on Twitter at @smartin_scott
I’m Mary Rohlfing. I have been a diehard fan since around 2003 when I had a few players in one of my classes who were horrified to learn that I had never attended a game. When they learned I didn’t just teach at Boise but was also an alumna, they ramped up the pressure. I went to a game and I found that knowing those players engaged me in a way that college ball before just really hadn’t. I grew up in Philly and was mostly a pro sports fan but after attending that first game on the Blue, I was hooked on the Broncos and fell in love with college football. I am on Twitter at @MaryRohlfing
Hey everyone, I’m Ryan. I’m 18 years of age and have been a Boise State fan ever since I can remember. My family moved to the Boise area in 2002 and we were hooked since the first game we attended that year. I unfortunately have few memories of the Kellen Moore era and the rest of the magic before Brett Rypien’s reign. If you want to hear my opinions on Boise State you can find me on Twitter at @Ryan_C_ID
Hello everyone, I am Erik and I was originally a Nebraska fan in the late 90s. The more I watched and played football; the more I started siding with the little guys, the underdogs, and the teams that won by shear will. Once I saw The Blue, I was hooked. You can find me contributing at Mountain West Wire and on Twitter at @erik_smiley54
My name is Collin, and I am a native Idahoan that was born and raised in Boise. I grew up being a big Boise State fan, even before they were even in the FBS and attended Boise State for a portion of my college education. I do some writing at Mountain West Wire and my Twitter handle is @PolarisMan17
Hey! Jeremy Mauss here, I am the head guy here at MWWire.com and it is a weird story how I got to this point. This is the short version for those who do not know. I am from Houston, TX grew up and still follow University Texas and Texas A&M football (a real sin by the way, think of it as liking both Boise State and Idaho), ended up at the University of Utah after a detour to the East Coast at Iona College, started writing about Mountain West sports, and kept at it even when my Utes went to the Pac-12. So when people claim for me to have a bias for or against a team, well I don’t. Onto the questions from Raj! On Twitter at @JeremyMauss
What up all, my name is Raja and I am from California originally but moved to Idaho after I got out of the military and started attending Boise State in 2008. I got on the Bronco hype train at a pretty good time and traveled to Autzen Stadium in Oregon as a freshman myself to see a young Kellen Moore dissect the Ducks. Boise State and Bronco football has been pretty good to me and I have slowly evolved (or devolved) into a Bronco Fanatic. You can find me ranting away about Boise State football on Twitter at @RajaBleedsBlue
My name is Aaron Tevis and I’m from Tucson, Arizona. I committed to Boise State in 2006 a few months before the famous first Fiesta Bowl, then moved up here in 2007 to start my NCAA football career as #36, a linebacker for Boise State. I was lucky to be a part of the Kellen Moore class that went 50-3. After a short preseason stint with the New Orleans Saints, I moved back to Boise and got married to my high school sweetheart. I collect hobbies like kids used to collect Pokémon, whether it’s snorkeling, bridge jumping, racquetball, yard games, skateboarding at Rhodes, backpacking, paddle boarding, snowboarding I’m always down to try something new and adventurous. In the Summer you can find me in the water, and in the Winter I’m shredding Bogus Basin. And of course, in the Fall you can find me tailgating at every Bronco game. Since Raja threw out his Twitter handle, I might as well too – give me a follow at @AaronTevis if you want to see my often stupid, but entertaining Tweets.
NEXT: Question 1: Initial thoughts on the BYU loss
- The perfect season dream ended with a stunning upset by BYU. It was definitely a disappointing and frustrating loss against a rival. What were your initial thoughts on the game?
Scott: BYU? I mean, really? Those guys? It’s like losing to John L. Smith, except without the witty banter. Unlike those of you in the west, the upshot for me back here in the upper south is that I don’t have a lot of BYU fans running around, I don’t depend on the local stake for solid weekday lunch basketball games (Baptists check that box, so Baylor really scares me), and thus I will live out this loss in relative anonymity.
Old guy story alert- I attended our last loss against a team with a losing record (North Dallas Metroplex State). As I recall, we got over that one. Granted, that was well before the internet message board made everything seem real, rally, really important – (Thanks for the memories Dan Pavel (miss you buddy) and the original Bronco Sports message board community). My initial thought is that we weren’t ready for the humidity in Provo. You can’t simulate that stuff.
Mary: Initial thoughts . . . I thought they would pull it out, even with three minutes left, but they didn’t, and it stung. The ugly truth was that BYU on that given Saturday night was better in every phase. They weren’t going to lose. I give BYU credit for playing with confidence and purpose. They won because they were better. But then I felt relief that it was BYU and not a conference opponent. Losses happen, undefeated seasons rarely do. They will come back and I think we’ll see a complete game against San Jose State.
Ryan: More than anything I’m disappointed. It didn’t seem like our guys really wanted it. CT Thomas mentioned how the weather got to the team and how they were more focused about staying warm than beating the Cougars. The offense and defense got in their zone in the fourth quarter, but it was too little too late. This doesn’t mean we can’t still be excited about our team though. No one expected a 6-1 start for the Broncos at the start of the season and that’s something to be proud of.
Erik: Initially I was just stunned by the 3rd quarter. The more it sank in, the more I realized that we should have seen it coming. Boise State has made mistakes all year and they finally caught up to them. I still feel they are the top team in the Mountain West and having this bye week to let it stew a little bit should be beneficial in getting the team focused on not letting it happen again.
Collin: That was quite a painful game. Losing always hurts, but it is significantly more painful when you play your way out of a game rather than putting forth your best football and simply coming up short. Hats off to BYU, they clearly wanted it more and they went out and stole a win. On a positive note, it will not affect the Broncos chance to win the Mountain West. They need to learn from this pain to avoid letting it happen again.
Jeremy: Felt like a punch in the gut because BYU is not a very good football team. The third-string string, true freshman, walk-on quarterback marched up and down a defense that has shown to be really good this year up until this game. The offense was not as good as normal with Chase Cord but some of that had to do with BYU being aggressive on defense which saw head coach Kalani Sitake take a more hands on approach on that side of the ball.
Raja: Losing a game is always a crappy feeling and losing to BYU… well that is another level of gut punch. I’m never going to blame players for losing a game when they play hard but it was clear that there was a drop off from the first string to the second string at certain positions. And you got to credit BYU for playing hard and emptying their playbook with some gutsy play calling. Still, standing at 6-1 and being ranked feels pretty good and I feel like this team can get to the MWC Championship game with a healthy Hank Bachmeier.
Aaron: I’ve been in this situation before, with the infamous losses to Nevada and TCU (on the Blue) so I know the disappointment, but the season is not over and you have to just learn from the game and start prepping for the next one. I’m not thrilled since it was a game that we should’ve won and it’s BYU, but I think it’s one of those games that was a reality check for not only the team, but the fans as well. Some fans expect an undefeated season every year and throw a fit when we lose a game. When a program like Boise State has sustained excellence over 20 years, people take for granted just how difficult it is to sustain that and don’t appreciate the greatness that is happening.
To some fans, a loss as a highly ranked team is the end of the season, but to a great team it’s the end of that game and they are on to preparing for the next game. I love this team, but we are a young team that has way outperformed expectations. Although we were undefeated, I do think we were slightly overrated at #14, but that goes to show the respect our school has nationally now (As a player, we ignored rankings until the season was over, but as a fan I’m allowed to talk about it midseason :)).
I know we usually rise to the occasion in bowl games, but if we were to go undefeated and the stars aligned, I don’t know if we are confident and consistent enough at every position to have a playoff caliber team. Once again, this is not to discredit anything with this year’s team as it was expected to be a rebuilding season and we have been grinding out every game and showing people that we can still be at the top of the pack even during predicted ‘down’ years.
UP NEXT: QUESTION 2: BIGGEST CONCERN ON OFFENSE
- The offense has played well but has been inconsistent over the course of the year. What is the biggest source of optimism for you and what is the biggest reason to worry on that side of the ball?
Scott: As long as Bryan Harsin is running this program, we are more than fine. With Coach Harsin at the helm, I’d say we will consistently enjoy a lot more winning than losing. Our coaches are smart guys, they will figure this out and we will roll on. My biggest worry is depth – and that is to be expected at our level (super high G5 program). You don’t lose starting running backs, quarterbacks, and tee retrieving labradors without it eventually showing up on the field.
Mary: My concerns are two fold and they are intertwined. The offensive line has to protect the quarterback and they have to help open holes and make opportunities for the running backs. That those two haven’t really gelled and as experienced as they are, that’s concerning. For some reason though it seems like a recurring issue with the Broncos of late, but at some point they will find the groove and the Broncos will play like we expect them to. Runners get yards, long balls get tossed and caught, points get put up, and W’s pile up.
I think they’ll be back better than they’ve been so far after this bye. My optimism is based in the fact that they are just ridiculously deep and talented. George Holani is the next big Boise back. It’s him. And Hank, well he’s Hank and appears to be all that was promised and maybe more. The receivers? My god, there are guys on the bench that are insanely capable. I’m always optimistic, this season ain’t over. Far from it.
Ryan: The man I’m most optimistic about is Hank Bachmeier. He was able to beat out Chase Cord as the starter and is the real deal. Going into Tallahassee and defeating Florida State with all of the things going against the Broncos was amazing, especially considering we were down 31-19 at the half. I fully believe he will be a great leader and spearhead the Broncos back to a NY6 bowl.
Erik: The answer is the same for both questions for me: the youth. When Hank Bachmeier and George Holani are on, it is frightening how good they look. To think that we have 3 more years of that is a great thing to look forward to. The worry comes from the inconsistency. There are times in games where you can tell how young these guys are where the game is a little too fast for them.
Collin: Let’s get the negative out of the way first, my biggest worry has and will always be the offensive line. They have shown to be inconsistent, even when healthy. Another worry has to be the quarterback position. I went into the BYU game with a tremendous amount of faith in Chase Cord, and I learned that he may not be quite as prepared for the ‘big moment’ as Bronco fans hoped he would be. On to the positives, the offense is very deep at the skill positions. The stats show extreme balance at the skill positions and that may should not change for at least a few seasons.
Jeremy: The biggest worry is quarterback Chase Cord who did not look or play well against an aggressive defense. Having that type of performance against even better defenses in Utah State and Wyoming could spell trouble and possible losses. As for optimism, this loss to BYU is probably going to be the worst game of the year for Boise State. The bye week upcoming allows for Bachmeier to get even more healthy as well as Robert Mahone because the running attack needs a one-two punch with him and George Holani.
Raja: I am optimistic because of the sheer talent on the offense. George Holani already looks like a stud as a true freshman and Khalil Shakir, CT Thomas, and John Hightower are ballers. If we can fine tune our offense and get Hank healthy, this offense will hopefully come together for that breakthrough game. We have a new QB for the first time in nearly 4 years folks, an adjustment time was expected. My biggest reason to worry is inconsistency. You can blame play calling but the answer might be a little more simple. We got a talented but brand new quarterback and this is the first time in a decade that we do not have an experienced NFL-caliber running back in the fold.
Aaron: The biggest source of optimism for me is seeing drives where all cylinders are running and the play calling is there and we are moving the ball, like the first drive of the BYU game. It shows the potential we have. My biggest worry has already happened. Hank has taken at least a dozen hits that could’ve knocked him out of the game this season so far. Some of the hits cannot be avoided and I commend his toughness but he needs to protect his future by sliding, throwing the ball away, and lessening impacts (except in season changing plays where it’s worth putting your body on the line).
UP NEXT: QUESTION 3: HOW IS THE DEFENSE DOING?
- The defense has given up a few big plays here and there but has the unit has been solid overall. What is your take on the Bronco defense so far this season?
Scott: I want to be super pumped about the defense. And I should be, right? Statistically speaking, they are killing it but I am a bit anxious. I find myself thinking that while the offense can get a lot better, the defense may have already peaked. And that SHOULD be ok as the conventional wisdom is that your defense carries you early and then your offense catches up and starts RUTTING opponents. The second part of this equation is something I’m still waiting to see. I am excited about the defense, but I know they will be much better when the offense hits on all cylinders.
Mary: I think the defense has the potential to be better. The first six games showed that, but BYU exposed some weaknesses too. They played well as a unit as David Moa played great against BYU, Riley Whimpey played like his hair was on fire, Curtis Weaver tossed aside blockers, and the secondary was attentive; it’s as good a defense as I’ve seen on a Boise State team. But when a few guys aren’t playing their best or are not focused, we see the weaknesses.
They always say you have to win the turnover battle and this team needs to challenge itself to create more chaos. They need some interceptions and some sacks that announce they won’t be trifled with. They’re good, but we haven’t seen their ceiling. I want to see that roof.
Ryan: My takeaway is that the secondary has to be lock down for the rest of the season. The game last Saturday showed that the defensive line won’t get consistent pressure every game. Kekoa Nawahine and Kekaula Kaniho have been great ballhawks this season, but the rest of the secondary needs to contribute on the interceptions. Having a feared secondary will be a major factor in getting to the Cotton Bowl or the Las Vegas Bowl.
Erik: They have been able to adjust all season to what they see. That has been one of the things that has impressed me the most. The other thing that has caught my eye is the overall speed of the team. We have seen them give up big plays when they get fooled, but there haven’t been many plays where they are just straight up beat when it comes to speed.
Collin: My biggest takeaway is the need to be consistent. The Broncos defense has been a solid unit, but occasional lapses in focus has left them looking vulnerable at times. They definitely have the talent and the coaching looks to be very good. A light improvement in consistency could allow the defense to lead this team to a Mountain West Championship.
Jeremy: It is good but not great, well outside of Curtis Weaver. The team lacked discipline versus BYU by falling for a pair of trick plays and not taking advantage of attacking Baylor Romney who was making his first start. In most major defensive categories they are a 30 to 50 team and by definition are just above average on that side of the ball. Boise State usually has more than one playmaker and that is not really the case this year.
Raja: It’s a very good unit. Compared to last year where there was more top end talent, I feel like this defensive squad is far more balanced. Of course the exception to this is Curtis Weaver, who is a maniac. If our offense can spot us ~27 points, I feel confident that our defense will get the job done. We are lacking that Tyler Horton/Jamar Taylor level shut down cornerback that we have had to fall back on in the past though Avery Williams and Jalen Walker have played admirably. Here’s hoping that DeAndre Pierce and Kekoa Nawahine are fully healthy and ready to go after the bye.
Aaron: First off, we need to stop biting on trick plays especially when they were taken from our playbook. I remember Coach Wilcox would have at least a period each week going through possible trick plays and what everyone’s roles are in each situation. I don’t know if that isn’t happening anymore or if players were having lapses of discipline, but those plays hurt! But I think the defense has looked pretty solid, we just have to continue to have our defensive line get pressure on pass plays and penetration on run plays.
Big plays don’t bother me if they were a great play by the offense. I’m not dwelling in the past but Coach Pete was my coach all 4 1/2 years at Boise State, so I’ll always remember that he preached: if the offense makes a great play, get up and say “nice play, bet it won’t happen again”. That needs to be the attitude on defense because even if you play perfect defense, an offense can have a wide receiver that makes an ‘Odell-esque’ catch and there’s nothing you can do about it but line back up and do everything to not let it happen again. Overall, I am impressed with the defensive unit this year so far though.
UP NEXT: QUESTION 4: WHO IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PLAYER
- Outside of Hank Bachmeier, who is the most important Boise State player for the rest of the season?
Scott: Can I cheat and give you two? First Eric Sachse, his play is beyond huge. I’m not trying to sound super football smart saying this, but the ability to trot him out with confidence does so much for play calling on third down in scoring position. As it gets colder, windier, and we play teams that know our tendencies backwards and forwards; three points will mean more and more. Second, Avery Williams. Every great Bronco team has been defined by a lockdown guy in the secondary.
Think about the names (Paging Tom Scott) – Chris Carr, Shaunard Harts, Frank Robinson, Rick Woods, DaWuan Miller, Kyle Wilson, Jeron Johnson, Brandyn Thompson, Quintin Mikell, Marty Tadman, and on and on. Opponents are going to bomb away as they try and catch up (see, I do think our offense will improve). Avery’s continued ability to shut down one half of the field is a big weapon. And if he can find the mojo on returning punts, look out!
Mary: There isn’t a single player, I just don’t think we have seen a complete game yet. Hawaii was close, but we haven’t seen that game where every phase just kills it. They will rise and fall as a team. The job now is to become fully a team and play like a there is no area that they doubt themselves in. What’s that take? Ultimately, it’s about recognizing that every player is key and that another guy isn’t going to cover your mistakes, lack of preparation, or effort.
Ryan: I’ll throw in an unexpected player and say John Hightower. He is a force to be reckoned with, standing at 6’3”, and can beat almost any player in the conference in a foot race. Having Hightower be a reliable weapon downfield and in the return game will be a huge asset for this offense which has struggled at times to put points on the board.
Erik: I would say John Hightower. He has such big play ability and he does it from so many different ways. Obviously catching the ball but also kick returns, rushing, running the wildcat. I fully expect him to pass for a TD sometime this year.
Collin: Well you already know how I feel about the offensive line, they are definitely the most important players for the rest of the season and every year moving forward. Because we’re all about having fun at Mountain West Wire, I’m going to pick George Holani. I think Holani has shown enough to build a strong case that he can and should be the running back of the future. Boise State is a run-first team and will need to establish a more dependable run game to bring home a conference trophy in December.
Jeremy: Curtis Weaver. He is what is keeping this defense going. As I said in the third question, the defense is just above average nationally and not having one of the best defenders in the game would be a huge blow. Weaver is what makes the defense go and with the offense not as explosive with Cord in the game — who knows for how long, but seems like his time is limited with Hank Bachmeier dressing vs. BYU — the defense needs to be as strong as possible.
Raja: Well obviously Hank Bachmeier is and Curtis Weaver is the best player. I should say George Holani but I’ll go with Nawahine/Pierce for a double answer. Our defense has been good but the occasional big play has broken through. We really haven’t seen Kekoa Nawahine and DeAndre Pierce play a full game together since the middle of last season. If they can stay on the field and lock-in; our defense might rise to another level. I trust Hank, Harsin, and Hill to get us some points but our defense might make us a true top team in the country.
Aaron: I can’t really point at someone and say that they’re the most important player for the rest of the season, but I can say that it starts in the trenches and if you dominate the line of scrimmage (both sides of the ball), the rest falls in place. And I do have to give a shout out to the successor of my number, #36 Eric Sachse, even though there was a consequential missed kick against BYU. I like what I’ve seen out of him this year.
UP NEXT: QUESTION 5: PREDICTING THE REST OF THE SEASON
- Our NY6 chances have been dimmed but have not been eliminate. Boise State is also undefeated in conference play. The Broncos have shown flashes of great strength and moments of weakness. How do you think the rest of this season plays out?
Scott: The Broncos just sustained their only loss of the season. Vicki Vallencourt told me so.
Mary: I think they’re going to win out and I think they’re going to blow out their remaining opponents. The only thing they can control is themselves. I think the coaches and the players know that small wins won’t cut it. They have to ‘Hawkins’ these games, put up a lot of points, humble every opponent, and play every down as though they believe they’re the best G5 school in the country. They can control their own wins, but not anyone else’s. They show up and they play with their damn hair on fire as a team and good things will happen. It’s gonna be an exciting end of the season.
Ryan: If you have seen my Twitter, you’d know that I’m pretty optimistic, and that is why I’m still thinking Cotton Bowl. SMU, Cincinnati, and App State can all lose down the stretch and open the way for the Broncos. Utah State is going to be a test at the end of the year, but I believe the players and coaching staff will be ready for the challenge. Go Broncos!
Erik: I was fully on board when the season started saying the Broncos were going undefeated. I was wrong about that, but it hasn’t dampened my optimism for the team. The AAC still has some tough matchups left and the parity in the Sunbelt leaves Appalachia State vulnerable. Couple that with the fact that Boise State is still the best team in the Mountain West, I’m saying conference champions and Cotton Bowl bound!
Collin: I went big the last time this question was asked of me and predicted an undefeated season and look what happened. For that reason and because it is the Boise State way, I’m simply going to predict that the Broncos take each game at a time, while quickly learning from mistakes and capitalizing on advantages.
Jeremy: It depends on what Boise State team shows up. If the team that came from behind versus Florida State or the one that put up over 50 points for Hawaii then they should be considered the favorite in the league. However, if the Marshall and BYU game pop up with turnovers and red zone woes then the Broncos could very well lose to Wyoming and/or Utah State. As for where the Broncos will finish, I’ll stick with my preseason prediction of them losing to Utah State meaning a 10-2 finish and not appearing in the Mountain West title game. That prediction is pretty close and this may sound like a copout but I can also see Boise State going 12-1 and winning the conference.
Raja: First things first, we got to get past the remaining Mountain West foes on our schedule. Wyoming may be tough but that game is on the Blue Turf, so traveling to Utah State late in the season looks like it will be the game circled on the MWC calendar. I think that will be the Hank Bachmeier game and he will leave his signature all over that road victory for us. While the MWC Championship game will not be easy, I don’t think we lose that game twice in a row in Boise. Y’all know I like hanging out in Vegas and I’ll head down there if that’s the bowl we get invited to but I haven’t ruled a late December trip to Dallas. In fact, I still think that’s a really good possibility.
Aaron: I think the Utah State game will be a tough one, and I think we’ll have another game or two that we’ll need to grind out, but I think we’ll win out and have a home MWC Championship game where I’ll share a beer with Raja.
Aaron, that ice cold beer in the freezing Boise State parking lot in December will be one of the sweetest beverages I have ever had. Thank you for helping us out and sharing your first-hand knowledge. I also appreciate Scott, Mary, and Ryan for taking some time and sharing their thoughts, folks go give them a follow on Twitter. Boise State will head to San Jose to face the Spartans on November 2nd and I expect San Jose to face an angry and motivated Bronco team…
