After exiting quietly in 2019, Boise State isn’t afraid to talk New Year’s Six

BOISE, Idaho — Back in the Chris Petersen days at Boise State, any utterance of “BCS” drew a Petersen eye roll so hard that the question-asker would fear for the head coach’s health.

Few topics made the Broncos less comfortable than the Bowl Championship Series. Sure, getting there was a possibility, but they usually had to be perfect to earn a spot in one of college football’s most lucrative bowl games.

In 2009, two seasons removed from their famous Fiesta Bowl win against Oklahoma, they began to embrace it, at least privately.

“We put it on our (goal pyramid),” said Boise State head coach Bryan Harsin, who was the Broncos’ offensive coordinator at the time. “We were a little bit worried as a staff at that time, but it was like, ‘Let’s put it out there,’ and we did it.”

The Broncos reached the Fiesta Bowl that year, beating TCU, and then made another in 2014, Harsin’s first season as head coach.

Although they have won 52 games in the last five seasons, the Broncos have not reached one of the bowls within the New Year’s Six, which replaced the BCS as the mountaintop for Group of 5 powers. In 2019, Boise State finished 12-1 after winning the Mountain West, but it was a foregone conclusion that AAC champion Memphis was going to get the Group of 5’s New Year’s Six berth.

That didn’t sit well with Harsin. On the day of the bowl announcements, he took the Mountain West to task for not promoting his team or its leaguemates like the AAC does with Memphis.

“It’s always there, I don’t think it’s something we shy away from … we can do a lot of really good things and really positive things, but it can just be out of our control at the end of the day,” Harsin said. “You can go 12-1 in a season … that one loss made all the difference.”

Now, reaching the New Year’s Six is at the top of the team’s goals every year, Harsin said. It was in 2019, and it will be in 2020.

“That’s something, in our program, we strive for that: How do we go 13-0, how do we win all these games, how do we not even leave it up for somebody to make that decision?” Harsin said. “We don’t focus on it as something we talk about it every week, but we certainly have it on there. That’s part of being at Boise State.”

Entering Harsin’s seventh season, the Broncos have the talent to make another run into the thick of the New Year’s Six conversation, although they have big questions concerning the largest players on the roster.

Roster analysis

Quarterbacks: After one of the strangest years at the position in program history, Boise State appeared to have a clear pecking order entering the summer. At the top of the depth chart is sophomore Hank Bachmeier, one of the highest-ranked recruits to ever sign with the Broncos.

Bachmeier started all eight games he played as a true freshman and averaged 297.8 passing yards per game before his first injury. A second injury forced him to miss more than a month, during which time third-string quarterback Jaylon Henderson guided the Broncos to a Mountain West title.

Bachmeier will need to improve his decision-making, avoiding unnecessary hits and dangerous throws into traffic. New offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau spent part of this spring giving his starter some homework to figure out what plays he does and doesn’t like.

However, Boise State added USC graduate transfer Jack Sears on May 18, and although Sears appeared in just one game for the Trojans, the former four-star recruit should immediately challenge Bachmeier.

Chase Cord, who also has two years of eligibility remaining, will join Sears in that push for snaps. Cord dealt with injuries of his own as a sophomore but turned in serviceable performances in his two starts and has good mobility. Kiesau said Cord will be a key part of the offense and will see the field, but the OC also said his goal has been to keep Cord motivated as the presumed backup.

The ceiling is very high for Bachmeier, and Cord and Sears at worst provide some dependable depth and at best may find multiple ways onto the field. Walk-ons Zach Matlock and Andy Peters were in for the spring, and incoming freshman Cade Fennegan is coming off a two-year church mission.

Bachmeier exposed himself to big hits too often for the Broncos’ liking in 2019. (Douglas Stringer / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Running backs: Bachmeier wasn’t the only freshman sensation last fall. George Holani stretched Boise State’s FBS-leading streak of seasons with a 1,000-yard rusher to 11 with 1,014 yards in his debut campaign. He has an excellent shot at helping the Broncos tie the FBS record of 12 this fall.

“We aren’t going to mess that up … George had a great season, but he needs to have a better one,” running backs coach Winston Venable said.

Holani took over as the Broncos’ primary back midway through the season, but he had more than 20 carries in only one game. The 5-foot-11, 205-pound sophomore has added about 15 pounds since he arrived on campus and fully intends to shoulder the load in 2020.

The Broncos did not sign a running back in the 2020 class, comfortable in their depth, as they should be. Senior Robert Mahone rushed for 142 yards in last season’s opener at Florida State, but Holani’s upside became evident as the season progressed. Mahone should provide an experienced, powerful option to pair with Holani, along with junior Andrew Van Buren (6-0, 234), who must improve his pass blocking and shore up fumble issues to be in the regular rotation. Harsin said many times last fall not to forget about Danny Smith, but he was an afterthought on the field as a redshirt freshman. He played in three games and totaled eight carries. Junior college transfer Taequan Tyler has four years to play three, and as a former high school receiver, he could help immediately in the passing game in the slot, as well as in the backfield.

Receivers/tight ends: Despite losing yardage leader John Hightower to the NFL Draft, the wide receiver group should be among the deepest on the team. Junior Khalil Shakir is on the verge of stardom after a team-best 63 receptions in 2019, scoring on six receiving touchdowns, three rushing touchdowns and a passing touchdown. Shakir’s versatility is his greatest weapon, and he’ll be used extensively to help replace Hightower’s vertical threat while also being used in the backfield, on jet sweeps and as a Wildcat quarterback.

Senior CT Thomas has been as reliable as any receiver the past two seasons – his 97 career catches are the most among the returnees. He has been excellent on third and fourth down, particularly in the slot. Fellow senior Octavius Evans, who has battled injuries and watched teammates enjoy breakout years before he could, should at least double his 36 career catches by the end of 2020. Receivers coach Matt Miller praised Evans’ strength this spring, which should translate into a lot of red-zone looks.

A pair of Texans, sophomore Stefan Cobbs and redshirt freshman Shea Whiting, impressed last fall while mostly on scout team and should be in the rotation in 2020. Cobbs’ first catch was a 44-yard touchdown against Portland State, and even though he didn’t record another catch until the Las Vegas Bowl, he saw some valuable time against Washington after Akilian Butler’s injury, catching a pair of passes. Sophomore Billy Bowens may be the fastest player in the group but is still looking for his first collegiate catch.

At tight end, senior John Bates has NFL size (6-6, 256 pounds), but he must be more of a physical presence. He did not have a red zone catch among the 22 he recorded last season. Tight ends coach Kent Riddle said Bates is a great blocker, but he wants him to put more defenders on their backs. The Broncos love to use multiple tight ends, so there will be opportunities for sophomores Tyneil Hopper and Riley Smith, an ex-quarterback. Lamar transfer Mason Sikes should also have a role.

Offensive line: The scapegoat for just about any of the Broncos’ offensive issues last season, the line will face even more scrutiny this year. Four of 2019’s five starters are gone, and only redshirt junior John Ojukwu (18 career starts) returns.

Ojukwu, a Boise native, will shift from right tackle to left, replacing the sizable void left by Ezra Cleveland. His old spot likely will be filled by someone without any starting experience for the Broncos. Redshirt freshman Ben Dooley and redshirt senior Nick Crabtree, a former tight end, saw the most work there in the abbreviated spring. Rice grad transfer Uzo Osuji had seven career starts at tackle for the Owls and will join the team when players are allowed back on campus.

Former walk-on Jake Stetz garnered a lot of praise this offseason, and after making four starts in 2019, the redshirt senior should be a lock to start at guard, likely on the right. Redshirt sophomore Garrett Curran, who made one start when Ojukwu was injured, moved this spring to left guard from right tackle.

Sophomore Kekaniokoa Holomalia-Gonzalez can play guard or center, but he has a leg up to replace Garrett Larson in the middle. During his redshirt year, he lined up on occasion at fullback. Redshirt senior Donte Harrington, set to be full-go this summer after tearing his ACL last year, will factor in at guard or center. He started four games as a sophomore and is one of the team’s smarter players. Redshirt sophomore Dallas Holliday is versatile and could play guard or tackle.

“It’s going to be fun, but when you look at it, it’s an unbelievable challenge, and they’re accepting it,” offensive line coach Brad Bedell said. “Exciting about (having) some experience, but still a little inexperienced.”

Defensive line: This is another huge unknown with so much experience departing. The Broncos lost six of the eight players listed on the depth chart as a defensive end, tackle or nose tackle.

Some concerns about a dropoff for the run defense that finished 15th in FBS have been mitigated by the return of junior nose tackle Scale Igiehon, who is more than ready for a big role. He has started only five career games but has 61 career stops and 6.5 tackles for loss. Coaches said he was the team’s best defensive player in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Alongside Igiehon, the Broncos could rely on a pair of transfers: Defensive end Shane Irwin joined the team in January from junior college, and tackle Jackson Cravens sat out last season after transferring from Utah. Both were the first names defensive line coach Spencer Danielson thought of when he was asked who had caught his eye since the semester started.

Junior Aisa Kelemete (6-4, 274 pounds) has been besieged by injuries and has yet to make a tackle in his career, but he looked reinvigorated this spring. He should compete to start at defensive end, but he could also play tackle. Sophomore tackle Scott Matlock is a favorite of the coaches and will see a much larger role. Expect sophomore Keeghan Freeborn to be a solid backup to Igiehon.

The Broncos signed four defensive linemen in the 2020 class, including Irwin. Junior college transfer Divine Obichere should immediately be in the rotation at one of the inside spots. Freshman Herbert Gums (6-1, 285) may see action early, as Igiehon did. Fellow incoming freshman Robert Cooper will play defensive end or STUD end.

Linebackers/STUD ends: Depth became an issue last season when starting middle linebacker Ezekiel Noa tore his ACL on Sept. 20 against Air Force, but it now may be a strength.

Noa, who was the team’s leading tackler when his season was cut short, is expected back in full for his junior year. His shift from weakside linebacker to the middle last summer was a smart one, and he started to come into his own before the injury.

The team’s stalwart at the weakside spot, senior Riley Whimpey, led the team in tackles with 83 and was second in pass breakups with seven. However, he’ll have some competition, and at worst a dependable backup, in incoming NC State transfer Brock Miller. A starter in 11 games last fall for the Wolfpack, Miller likely will be used by the staff in a variety of ways at all linebacker positions.

Senior Benton Wickersham started the 10 games Noa missed and will be counted on in a major way again, especially after defensive scout team player of the year Josh Booker-Brown entered the transfer portal in April. Senior Bruno DeRose has played in 41 games, seeing action at weakside and middle linebacker, and sophomore Brandon Hawkins is the likely heir apparent behind Whimpey.

The linebackers will need to make more plays — they combined for two forced fumbles and one interception all season — and counteract the inexperienced line in front of them.

Expect redshirt sophomore Demitri Washington to have a breakout season at the Broncos’ edge-rushing STUD position. He had four sacks in the final five games of 2019 and will be working with two years’ experience behind the departed Curtis Weaver, the Mountain West’s all-time sacks leader. “He’ll be one of the best football players in our conference and on the West Coast in the next year or two,” Danielson said.

Even without Weaver, there is some depth at STUD. Sixth-year senior Sam Whitney is back after a torn ACL, and sophomore walk-on Dylan Herberg has gained valuable experience. Redshirt freshmen Casey Kline and Isaiah Bagnah, who both stand 6-4, have very high ceilings.

Cornerbacks: The Broncos shouldn’t be hurting for depth here, either. Only four players saw meaningful time last season, but Boise State is expecting to have nine and possibly 10 on scholarship this fall.

In spot starts his first two seasons, Jalen Walker looked solid, but when he moved into a full-time starting job, he shined. Long praised for his physicality, he proved to be one of the best cornerbacks in the country in not allowing his receivers to get separation.

On the other side, coaches said Avery Williams’ late-season struggles were a product of overuse, but Williams isn’t making any excuses. He said there was a “lack of playmaking.” And the veteran knows he’ll be pushed by sophomore Markel Reed, who played in 11 games as a true freshman. Even if Williams remains the starter, Reed should see plenty of snaps, as should 6-2 sophomore Tyric LeBeauf.

Walker and Williams likely won’t have to be overworked if the depth is strong enough. Coming off a shoulder injury, junior Marques Evans looked good in the spring, and a healthy Chris Mitchell should factor in, too. Mitchell chose Boise State over Notre Dame during the 2017-18 recruiting cycle.

Among the returners, only Walker (one) had an interception last season, a year after the group combined for just three. Couple that with the team’s third-down struggles late in the year, and this is a group that has plenty to motivate it.

The depth in Boise State’s secondary gets young quickly, starting with sophomores Markel Reed and Tyric LeBeauf. (Stephen R. Sylvanie / USA Today)

Safeties/nickels: The Broncos lose both safeties who started the season opener at Florida State, but four returners made at least one start, one of whom is a big-time breakout candidate.

Sophomore JL Skinner has rare size (6-4, 220 pounds) and can be utilized around the field, moving out of the safety spot into the box as a nickel or even rushing the passer as a STUD end. “He looks the part in a lot of ways,” defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding said.

The leadership and experience of Kekoa Nawahine and DeAndre Pierce will be missed, but junior Tyreque Jones, senior Jordan Happle and sixth-year senior Evan Tyler have been around. Happle has started nine of the 14 games in which he’s played the last two seasons, but injuries have kept him from truly taking off. Jones, like Skinner, could also drop down to nickel. He started four games last season and finished strong after some struggles midway through the year.

The defense’s best havoc creator is senior nickel Kekaula Kaniho. He is not the biggest guy on the field (5-10, 185 pounds), but he makes up for it with outstanding football smarts and versatility. He’s the team’s active leader in sacks (five), tackles for loss (20.5) and interceptions (five). Kaniho usually was used against more spread sets, but in Jeff Schmedding’s first season calling the defense, he was deployed much more often. Expect that to continue.

Junior Roman Kafentzis and the aforementioned safeties also can fit at Kaniho’s spot, depending on the situation.

Special teams: Avery Williams is one of the best returners in the country, and his four punt return touchdowns are the most among active FBS players. He also has returned a kickoff for a score and blocked three kicks.

The Broncos will again utilize that skill set, occasionally putting Shakir as a punt returner when a punt block is possible, sending Williams off on the edge. Both may also help to replace the electric Hightower on kickoff return duties.

Jonny Messina may make it three consecutive seasons the Broncos have had a one-year kicker arrive from the smaller-school ranks. The Stetson transfer was 34 of 45 on field goals in his career for the Hatters, with three of those kicks blocked. He doesn’t have a booming leg, which is where senior Joel Velazquez may step in.

Velazquez is the team’s kickoff specialist and hit a 52-yard field goal last season at UNLV, his only career make. He was the team’s punter in 2019, but he will be pushed by redshirt freshman Gavin Wale. Velazquez’s 39.3-yard average was No. 91 out of 99 qualified FBS punters.

How the Broncos recruited from 2017-20

Let’s face it: Until the day comes when it joins a Power 5 conference, Boise State won’t have a top-25 class. That’s fine with the Broncos, because overproducing relative to the recruiting rankings is built into the program’s DNA. The Broncos have had 12 players rated as three stars or lower drafted in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft over the last decade. Only Ohio State and Wisconsin have more.

That’s not to say the Broncos haven’t fended off countless Power 5 suitors for its eventual signees. The Broncos’ last four classes have finished fifth, second, first and second among the Group of 5, according to the 247Sports Composite Ranking. The 2019 class, which included Bachmeier, Holani, Reed and Skinner, was the highest-ranked Group of 5 class in the history of the 247Sports Composite until Cincinnati topped it in the following cycle.

Texas became a key focus late in Chris Petersen’s tenure, and Harsin has built upon that with 13 Lone Star State signees in the last four classes.

Harsin has kept the Broncos in the thick of the Mountain West race every year, but the Fiesta Bowl run in his debut season is getting farther in the rearview. (Brian Losness / USA Today)

Impact of coaching changes

For the second consecutive offseason, Harsin had to replace multiple coaches on one side of the ball. After 2018, the changes came on defense. After 2019, it was the offense.

Offensive coordinator Zak Hill left for Arizona State after five seasons in Boise. His offenses didn’t put up the numbers of years past but were routinely solid. A recurring strength was the receiving corps, and after three seasons coaching that group, Eric Kiesau was promoted to OC/quarterbacks coach.

Kiesau has done a fantastic job with his position and has found the stability he was seeking when he arrived in Boise. He’ll have to buck his own history, however: In previous stops at Colorado, Washington and Fresno State, the offenses for which he has held the same OC/QB responsibilities have struggled.

Like any smart coach, Harsin often finds young minds who can move up the ranks quickly. He sought out Boise State legend Matt Miller to fill Kiesau’s former role. Miller spent the last four seasons at Montana State, the last one and a half as offensive coordinator. In 2019, the Bobcats scored 32.7 points per game and reached the FCS semifinals.

Running backs coach Lee Marks’ departure for Fresno State after six years came as a surprise — almost as big of a surprise as Harsin replacing him with Winston Venable, who has never been an on-field coach. A former Boise State defensive standout, Venable had worked with the team in program development and as a strength coach. His intelligence and energy are a fit, and he said inheriting a veteran group will help him.

Boise State essentially ran special teams by committee last year, spreading responsibilities among the staff, and that collaboration will continue, but Venable and outside linebackers/STUDs coach Zac Alley will be co-coordinators. Alley coached inside linebackers last season, but now Schmedding will work with that group, which is what predecessor Andy Avalos did.

Also of note: If Harsin wins eight games in 2020, he’ll pass Tony Knap for the second-most wins in Boise State’s four-year college era (since 1968). Knap had 71 from 1968 to’ 75. Chris Petersen is No. 1 with 92 from 2006 to ’13.

Schedule analysis

Everyone is hoping college football returns as normal, but Boise has been waiting more than seven years for Sept. 19. The Broncos beat Florida State in Tallahassee last year, and another win against a blue blood like the Seminoles would go a long way. That’s only part of a uniquely challenging September.

The Broncos open with back-to-back games against option-based offenses, including the road opener at Air Force, where they are 1-2 all-time. After Florida State, it’s a short week and a long flight to West Virginia to play Marshall, which won eight games in 2019 and lost a 14-7 slugfest in Boise in Week 2.

If the Broncos get out of September unscathed against teams that won 32 games combined last year, they’ll be in good shape for a New Year’s Six run. BYU will be tough as always, but Boise State is 5-0 all-time against the Cougars on the blue turf. The biggest landmine in conference play looks like a cold late November game in Laramie against a good Wyoming team.

Final assessment

Boise State has won at least 10 games in 17 of the last 21 seasons. Looking at this roster, the schedule and the staff returning, there’s no reason to think it won’t make that 18 of the last 22.

The question marks on the field are not small — in particular, replacing seven out of the eight starters on the lines, plus the conference’s all-time sack leader. It’s not that those positions are devoid of experience, but how all the pieces fit remains to be seen. Boise State has faced similar challenges before, and it’s always a reload, never a rebuild.

With a healthy Bachmeier, surrounded by depth at running back and wide receiver, and a reliable tight end, the Broncos should be potent again on offense. The defense has depth, along with its fair share of unproven commodities. The lack of staff turnover on that side of the ball won’t hurt.

Even though the Broncos have not played in a New Year’s Six Bowl since the 2014 season, they always are in the mix come December. As the clear Mountain West favorite, expect that once again.

(Top photo of Khalil Shakir: Brian Losness / USA Today)