Boise State Broncos
Report Card
Offense: B- | Defense: D | Special Teams: A | Meeting/Exceeding Expectations: C-
Things haven’t gone according to plan for the preseason favorites, but the Broncos are hard to kill.
At this point, it may be that Boise State is more like the other typically competitive teams in the Mountain West than anyone wants to admit. The reality is they got manhandled by Washington and have spent most of the rest of 2023 living or dying by the vagaries of close-game luck: They’re one of two teams in the conference to have played four games decided by eight or fewer points… and they’re 2-2 in those contests. Curtis Weaver and Ryan Clady aren’t walking through the door.
They still have the talent to make a run, though, just as when they started 2-2 in 2022 and won ten games, anyway. George Holani has missed the majority of the season to date, but Ashton Jeanty has played like one of the best running backs in the country. While the passing game has been erratic (55% team completion rate), it’s remained explosive when it connects because of Jeanty and Eric McAlister, who have made Boise State one of just four teams in the conference to have two players with five or more 20-yard receptions to this point.
Will the defense be able to pick up the slack, though? That’s been the one glaring issue that has handcuffed the Broncos in the first half of the season since they’ve allowed at least 6.7 yards per play to each of their five FBS opponents to date. Subpar tackling has been one part of the issue: Pro Football Focus has recorded 77 missed tackles through the first six games after Boise State had 106 in 14 games last fall. Injuries, most notably to all-conference linebacker D.J. Schramm, have also played a role, but that can’t entirely explain away the particular vulnerability to strong passing attacks (65.6% opponent completion rate, 9.5 yards per attempt allowed, 10:3 touchdown-to-interception ratio).
Head of the Class: Ashton Jeanty, RB
The offensive player of the year front-runner has been more important to the Broncos offense than just about any other player in the country. Through six contests, the sophomore still leads all FBS players with 168.3 all-purpose yards per game and is tied for the national lead with 12 total touchdowns while his 84.1 overall PFF grade is easily the best on the Boise State roster.
One Player Deserving of More Attention: Marco Notarainni, LB
It hasn’t always been easy to be a Boise State defender in 2023, but the redshirt sophomore from San Diego has thus far made a very strong first impression in the starting lineup. His 42 total tackles lead the Broncos while his 4.5 tackles for loss and three sacks both rank second, though Pro Football Focus also notes that his 24 stops currently rank third among Mountain West defenders, as well, despite playing just 279 snaps so far.
Midseason Grades By Team
Air Force | Boise State | Colorado State | Fresno State | Hawaii | Nevada | New Mexico | San Diego State | San Jose State | UNLV | Utah State | Wyoming
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