Rating Player Performances In Boise State vs. Florida State Game
Broncos performers of the week.
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Which Broncos stepped up and which left something to be desired on Saturday against the Noles?
Everyone has now heard about Boise State’s amazing come from behind victory against Florida State, but which players made this win a reality and which players (or units) made it that much harder to achieve. Let’s take a closer look at who overachieved on Saturday and who left us scratching our heads and wishing for more.
Helmet Stickers
Hank Bachmeier– You have to start with the true freshman from Murrieta, California, a year ago he was prepping with Murrieta Valley High School for his senior season. Fast forward to 2019 and he turned in a gutsy, come from behind victory, in one of college football’s toughest places to play. While he did have two fumbles (one lost) and one interception, his overall play was well beyond reasonable expectations for a first-time college football player. Both his fumbles and his interception were direct results of subpar protection by his offensive line or running back.
When he was provided time to throw, he proved he was the right man for the job, going 30 for 51 for 407 yards and a touchdown. He threw for an additional touchdown that was called back on a questionable (and late) offensive pass interference call. The Seminoles pass rush was relentless and Hank’s white jersey quickly turned green in this matchup, as he was hurried eight times and sacked six.
Despite the pressure, he delivered multiple 3rd down throws to keep the Broncos drives alive, none bigger than his 3rd and goal touchdown to Khalil Shakir in the second half. Bachmeier gave Bronco fans a lot to be excited about this year, especially if he keeps up these gritty performances.
Robert Mahone– The second biggest question mark and offseason discussion for the Broncos (and our fearless leader Jeremy Mauss) was who was going to replace Alexander Mattison and his 1,588 yards from scrimmage and his 17 touchdowns.
Mahone did his best to answer that question with a standout performance in Tallahassee on Saturday. Despite the dreaded humidity (had to sneak that line in this article) Mahone rushed 24 times for 142 yards and 2 touchdowns, good for an average of 5.9 yards per carry and a long of 18. He also had a reception for 27 yards.
If he wants to extend Boise State’s streak of having an 1,000 yard rusher to 11 straight seasons in 2019, he will have to average 78 yards per game going forward in the regular season. More importantly, he put a lot of Bronco fans’ minds to ease, showing he can reliably tote the rock for Boise State.
Kekaula Kaniho– Ever since Kaniho stepped foot on Boise State’s campus, the coaches felt like he was a difference maker. Kaniho first stepped on the field as a true freshman in 2017 and since has scored touchdowns 3 different ways, primarily as a defender.
He returned a fumble for a touchdown in 2017 vs San Diego State, he took an interception to the house vs Oregon in the 2017 Las Vegas Bowl, and he “finished” a punt return for 74 yards and a touchdown for Avery Williams in 2018 vs Colorado State(his one and only punt return of his career).
He burst on to the scene on Saturday to the tune of 6 solo tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and a forced fumble that led to Boise State’s first touchdown. He may be slight in stature (5’10” 182lbs), but he should be a force in the Mountain West this year for the Broncos.
Eric Sachse– Boise State, big games, and kickers have not always gotten along (cue the Nevada fans in the comments, good job against Purdue by the way!), but the Broncos look to change that in 2019. What’s the best way to make that a reality? Invite a kicker from a small D3 liberal arts school in Hartford, Connecticut, to walk on as a grad transfer of course. Sachse quickly earned a scholarship after proving himself in action in fall camp scrimmages and further showing his worth in Tallahassee going 5 for 5 on field goals (with a long of 41) and 3 for 3 on PATs.
Bronco fans may still be dubious of kickers, but Eric did a lot to calm the fears after single handedly (or footedly…I’ll show myself out) keeping the Broncos in the game, despite their red zone struggles.
Back to the Film Room
Boise State’s Defense in the 1st Half– Bronco fans may be celebrating (and even talking trash, looking at your Raj), but when the Boys in Blue were down 18 points and quite frankly getting dominated on defense, things were not as pretty. Leading up to this game, there was much talk of if the Broncos could handle Kendal Briles’ up-tempo offense, after the Baylor bowl game in 2016.
For nearly 30 minutes of Saturday’s game, the answer appeared to still be no. The Bronco defense line that was supposed to be the defense’s (and quite possibly the team’s) strongest unit, struggled to get pressure on Seminole quarterback James Blackman. The linebackers looked slow and indecisive as they missed tackles at the point of attack that either extended drives or allowed for easy touchdown runs.
The secondary looked overmatched as FSU receivers scored on screen passes and deep shots alike. Halftime adjustments were the only thing that saved this unit on Saturday as they came out firing on all cylinders, holding Florida State to just 68 total yards and zero points in the second half including a fumble, 7 punts, and a turnover on downs.
Boise State’s Offensive Line– If you recall I previously stated in this article that Hank Bachmeier’s jersey turned a different color throughout the game. That was a direct result of the offensive line’s issues pass blocking against the large and talented Seminole defenders. Finishing the game with eight quarterback hurries and six sacks is not something of pride for one of the most veteran offensive lines in the Mountain West.
The Bronco Big Men did improve for the second half and were even complimented by the ESPN announcers for their size and strength, but they need to be more consistent going forward so true freshman Hank Bachmeier gets to live to see himself become a true sophomore. In addition to those second half adjustments, they we also excellent run blockers leading the way for 238 yards and a 5.3 yard per carry adjusted average, with a pair of touchdowns. Right Tackle John Ojukwu did go down with a leg injury in the second half, so Bronco fans will have to hold their breath until Coach Harsin provides an update in his weekly press conference.
Andrew Van Buren– Many Bronco fans, (including myself), felt as though Van Buren was the answer to who was going to replace Alexander Mattison. While he very well still could, as one game does not necessarily define a season, Van Buren did not look ready to carry that role on Saturday.
The Bronco offense was marching down the field on their first drive, when Van Buren failed to protect the football and fumbled on just his third carry from scrimmage. He also looked to struggle a bit to pick up Florida State’s intense and disguised pass rush, including leaving Bachmeier’s blindside open to a Seminole rusher that lead to a strip-sack and turnover. Van Buren finished the day with 5 carries for 19 yards, a 3.8 yard per carry average.
He also had two receptions for 7 yards. A further sign pointing to the fact that it was not Van Buren’s day, was when his word be touchdown reception was called back by a mysterious offensive pass interference penalty. Despite his week 1 performance, I would expect Van Buren to play a large and positive role in the Bronco’s offense in 2019.
Bonus Helmet Sticker
George Holani– Another one of the Broncos’ 2019 4-star recruits got the opportunity to see the field on Saturday in Tallahassee and he did not disappoint. Coach Harsin promised that Bronco Nation would get to see Holani in action this season, but I am not sure that anyone outside the football facilities would’ve predicted the 3rd string running back to turn in the game he did.
Holani rushed 14 times for 70 yards, a 5 yard per carry average, and also caught 2 passes for 33 yards. The stats guru KTVB Sports Director Jay Tust (@KTVBSportsGuy) also pointed out that 78 of his 103 yards were after contact/catch, which illustrates the toughness of the shifty 192 pound back. Holani looks to be yet another player for Bronco Nation to be excited about in 2019.
That’s it for this week, check back to see which players or position groups continue to impress and which need to go back to the film room!
