Looking forward to UCF's rematch with you guys in Boise this Saturday! I expect you guys to give us a hell of a game on your blue field. We had a struggling Kent State team in Week #1 that had maybe more changes from players leaving in the transfer portal than any other team in the country. It's difficult to tell how good we are based on that one game, but I did think we were sharp on both sides of the ball for the most part. The running game and passing game looked equally effective. Defensively, I think our secondary did blow some coverages, but also made some awesome plays. We did a good job putting pressure on Kent's QB and stuffing the running game. Our QB made some solid throws and looked great running the football, but did have a couple of interceptions and a fumble that he no doubt would've liked to have back.

I realize that you guys had a bad game against Washington, but are there any positives you saw in that game for Boise State?

(09-04-2023 10:44 PM)Golden Jedi Knight Wrote:  Looking forward to UCF's rematch with you guys in Boise this Saturday! I expect you guys to give us a hell of a game on your blue field. We had a struggling Kent State team in Week #1 that had maybe more changes from players leaving in the transfer portal than any other team in the country. It's difficult to tell how good we are based on that one game, but I did think we were sharp on both sides of the ball for the most part. The running game and passing game looked equally effective. Defensively, I think our secondary did blow some coverages, but also made some awesome plays. We did a good job putting pressure on Kent's QB and stuffing the running game. Our QB made some solid throws and looked great running the football, but did have a couple of interceptions and a fumble that he no doubt would've liked to have back.

I realize that you guys had a bad game against Washington, but are there any positives you saw in that game for Boise State?

If you go to our board at broncocountry.com, you will see it is gloom and doom. The coaching staff is terrible. The players quit at Udub, and the fans cannot wait for BB season. The expectations at BSU for FB, like UCF I am sure, are quite elevated. Nonetheless, this fan is excited to be playing the knights. Last season the Broncos started horribly and ended up having a decent season. There is talent in the backfield with a couple of excellent RBs in Holani and Jeanty. The QB is a true dual threat. The wideouts group is deep if not spectacular. The oline can be iffy (they lost their center before the UW game). The defensive line is a bit thinner than usual as are the LBs. It is an experienced, if not stellar, bunch of DBs. But hey, the kicking game is pretty solid. How are things in Florida? Trying to reason with the hurricane season? (a little Jimmy Buffet for you)

(09-05-2023 05:33 PM)Bronco85 Wrote:  

(09-04-2023 10:44 PM)Golden Jedi Knight Wrote:  Looking forward to UCF's rematch with you guys in Boise this Saturday! I expect you guys to give us a hell of a game on your blue field. We had a struggling Kent State team in Week #1 that had maybe more changes from players leaving in the transfer portal than any other team in the country. It's difficult to tell how good we are based on that one game, but I did think we were sharp on both sides of the ball for the most part. The running game and passing game looked equally effective. Defensively, I think our secondary did blow some coverages, but also made some awesome plays. We did a good job putting pressure on Kent's QB and stuffing the running game. Our QB made some solid throws and looked great running the football, but did have a couple of interceptions and a fumble that he no doubt would've liked to have back.

I realize that you guys had a bad game against Washington, but are there any positives you saw in that game for Boise State?

If you go to our board at broncocountry.com, you will see it is gloom and doom. The coaching staff is terrible. The players quit at Udub, and the fans cannot wait for BB season. The expectations at BSU for FB, like UCF I am sure, are quite elevated. Nonetheless, this fan is excited to be playing the knights. Last season the Broncos started horribly and ended up having a decent season. There is talent in the backfield with a couple of excellent RBs in Holani and Jeanty. The QB is a true dual threat. The wideouts group is deep if not spectacular. The oline can be iffy (they lost their center before the UW game). The defensive line is a bit thinner than usual as are the LBs. It is an experienced, if not stellar, bunch of DBs. But hey, the kicking game is pretty solid. How are things in Florida? Trying to reason with the hurricane season? (a little Jimmy Buffet for you)

In the Orlando area, we weren't in the direct path of Hurricane Idalia. We had to close schools for a day, but only because the schools were needed for use as shelters for people getting away from the storm's path. The very next day, the schools in my area reopened.

John Rhys Plumlee, as you may have heard, is a very athletic quarterback with tremendous running ability. UCF fans have had concerns about his decision making as a passer. Also, there's the concern that he hasn't learned when to slide while running; we can ill afford for him to get hurt. It's not that our backup QBs are awful, but they're not on Plumlee's level. We're very deep at running back, and so far it looks like the receiving corps has added depth as well. We lost our former starting center, Matt Lee, to the transfer portal; that's a position I was concerned about during the offseason, but it wasn't an issue in the Kent State game. Our defense looked great; I saw a couple of blown coverages, but for the most part I thought our defensive backs did a great job covering the Kent receivers. The defensive line forced Kent's QB into making some bad throws. I'd like to see our defensive front get more sacks; that's been a beef I've had about them the last few years, but I think it's safe to say the talent is there to make that happen. It's just a matter of the players figuring out how to get it done. The kicking game looks good so far; our kicker, Colton Boomer, became a fan favorite last season, and our punter got off some kicks against Kent State that had a decent amount of hang time.

You might get a kick out of this: Our head coach, Gus Malzahn, said during a recent press conference that our team would practice on a blue field. I don't know if he meant that the indoor practice field would be made blue or one of the outside practice fields. Just thought that was interesting that he was going to that length to help prepare the team.

I'll be watching the game with an alumni group at a sports bar. We'll find out how enjoyable or not enjoyable our party will be this Saturday, LOL.

I found out where our team practiced this week . . . at the Masters Academy in Orlando.





Pictures of TMA Pennington Field at The Masters Academy

Boise State played well in many facets of the game vs UW. Our DL held up well and held UW to only 78 yards Rushing, and the BSU OL did well and only gave up 1 sack. There were some flashes at QB, WR, and RB, but it felt our OC abandoned the running game too soon. Our QB, Taylen Green has a ton of upside and is a hell of an athlete but has not fully developed as a passer yet and does better when he can roll out of the pocket and make defenses worry about his running capabilities.

Sadly, our secondary, especially Safety position got exposed. But honestly, it is hard to know how bad it actually was because 1) Michael Penix Jr. is a hell of a QB, and 2) UW has 3-4 NFL calibre WRs on their roster which is a tall order for any secondary in the country.

I know Boise fans are hurting today with the close loss, but you guys didn't make it easy for us. This game could've been a win for you guys very easily. Good luck to you in the MWC this season!