Tag: Boise State

Boise State is coming to Notre Dame in 2025!

No blue turf but a date with the Broncos coming soon!

Notre Dame’s 2025 football schedule is one game closer to being all set.

Notre Dame announced Tuesday that traditional Group of Five powerhouse Boise State will make their first trip to Notre Dame Stadium on Oct. 4, 2025.  It will mark the first meeting all-time between Notre Dame and Boise State.

Last year Boise State finished 8-6 overall and 6-2 in the Mountain West conference.  Their 2023 season concluded with a loss in the LA Bowl to UCLA.  Earlier today Boise State was mentioned here on Fighting Irish Wire as we shared Athlon Sports Top 40 Teams for the 2024 college football season.

Kickoff time and broadcast information wasn’t available yet per Notre Dame’s release, but the meeting will be the 90th different opponent of the current 134 FBS teams that Notre Dame will have played or is scheduled to play.

Boise State successfully made the jump from what was division 1-AA in 1996.  In that time the Broncos have won 10 or more games in a season 18 times.

See all of Notre Dame’s future schedules and opponents here!

Boise State’s Cole Rueck wins Genesis Invitational Collegiate Showcase in playoff

Past winners of the event include Will Zalatoris, Sahith Theegala and Scottie Scheffler.

For the second straight year, it took a playoff to determine a champion at the Genesis Invitational Collegiate Showcase.

Boise State sophomore Cole Rueck made a short birdie putt on the 11th hole at Riviera Country Club on Monday to win the 2024 Collegiate Showcase. With the win, he earned an exemption into the Genesis Scottish Open in July. Normally, winners would receive an exemption into this week’s Genesis Invitational, but since the tournament has become one of the PGA Tour’s signature events in 2024, the exemption is being awarded for the other Genesis-sponsored event on the schedule.

Rueck topped Washington’s Petr Hruby on the second playoff hole. Both players finished their round at even-par 71. The playoff began on Riviera’s par-4 10th hole, where both players carded pars. Each player found the fairway on the 11th, but Hruby’s approach went into the greenside bunker while Rueck came up short. However, Rueck chipped it to seven feet for the win, and he knocked it in.

There were two competitions during the Collegiate Showcase, so the amateur group playing with Hruby secured the team competition and earned a $50,000 donation to the Washington golf program.

Kristopher Stiles, the 2024 Pathway Player, finished eighth in the field of 15 collegiate athletes.

This was the 10th playing of the Collegiate Showcase. It is the first year the Showcase winner earns an exemption into the Genesis Scottish Open. Past winners of the event include Will Zalatoris, Sahith Theegala and Scottie Scheffler.

Unpacking Future Packers: No. 89, Boise State RB George Holani

Up next in the Unpacking Future Packers draft preview series is Boise State running back George Holani.

The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2024 NFL draft.

With AJ Dillon set to hit the open market and Aaron Jones entering the final year of his contract, the Green Bay Packers will need to add a running back or two in the 2024 NFL Draft.

A player that the Packers could target on Day 3 of the upcoming draft is George Holani. The Boise State running back checks in at No. 89 in the Unpacking Future Packers Countdown.

Holani, a four-star recruit out of California, burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2019, rushing for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns. Holani also added 26 receptions for 206 yards and three touchdowns. All those numbers helped him earn Mountain West Freshman of the Year.

In 2021, Holani rushed for 569 yards and one touchdown. The following season, he rushed for 1,157 yards and 10 touchdowns. The California native added three receiving touchdowns to his stat line.

This past season, Holani rushed for 748 yards and seven touchdowns in eight games, while sharing backfield duties with Ashton Jeanty.

“Holani was injured in the season opener at Washington, and wasn’t able to start playing until the week eight matchup against Wyoming,” Brady Frederick, a sports anchor at KTVB, said. “After that, he put together a strong back half of the season and led the Broncos with 191 total yards in a key game against Utah State. He also had a great showing in BSU’s loss at the LA Bowl. Considering what he did in essentially half a season, I would have expected a fully healthy Holani to rush for 1000 for a third time this year.”

Before diving into what makes Holani special on the football field, let’s talk about his leadership within the locker room. Jeanty, who finished this past season with 1,347 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns, has praised Holani for helping him grow his game. 

“Despite not being a team captain, Holani was consistently one of the key leaders on the team,” Frederick said. “He’s a very humble player, and is very ‘about his business’ whenever we get him in a media availability session, but he was consistently pointed to as one of the best teammates on the roster. Jeanty, who very well might be one of the best running backs in college football next season told us George took him under his wing when he got to Boise, and played a huge role in his development from high school to college – and that continued from preseason, to while Holani was sidelined with injury, to when he got back and they were essentially competing with each other for touches.”

Holani is a compact running back and keeps his legs pumping through contact. During his monster season in 2022, Holani forced 70 missed tackles and racked up 758 yards after contact. While not a burner by any means, Holani shows good burst to quickly clear holes. He trusts his eyes and once he sees the hole he plants his foot and goes. 

“He has a great mix of power, breakaway speed, and jukes to hurt opposing teams in a lot of ways,” Frederick said. “He also is great at taking care of the ball, he only lost four fumbles in his BSU career.”

Holani showcased soft hands out of the backfield and finished his career with 88 receptions for 777 yards and eight touchdowns. He’s a reliable screen target and finished his career with four career drops on 106 targets. He looks for work in pass protection and is a physical presence. 

“I would say Holani’s greatest strength is his versatility,” Frederick said. “Holani is a great pass catcher and is especially dangerous in the screen game. While he’s great in the power run, he really excels in open space, and has a great ability to make people miss.”

Fit with the Packers

How can the Packers extend the career of Jones? By adding young weapons to help alleviate the pressure and workload for the dynamic back who is getting ready to tee off on the back nine of his career.

Although Holani has missed time in his career with injuries, he’s shown that he can be a dynamic playmaker when healthy. Adding a player late on Day 3 with his toughness, burst and reliability in the passing game would be a great addition to any running back room.

‘He’s a low-risk/high-reward prospect,” Frederick said. “I think with concerns about his injuries he’s going to fall later than he would if healthy, but he’s the kind of guy who will give your team 100 percent in every play, practice, and meeting, and will find a way to make an impact. Although Boise State ran a very conservative return game, it felt like they called for a fair catch 90 percent of the time, I think at his floor Holani could prove to be a very effective punt returner because of his ability to make things happen in space, and I think with development from an NFL training staff could prove to be a very effective player.”

Malachi Nelson will play Oregon in 2024, and USC won’t

How’s this for a plot twist?

The twists of fate in the Malachi Nelson story are numerous and remarkable. Get this: Nelson, who came to USC ostensibly to compete against the Oregon Ducks for Pac-12 championships, will get to play Oregon in the 2024 college football season. The USC Trojans will not play Oregon next season, unless the two schools meet in the 2024 Big Ten Championship Game.

How wild is that?

Nelson transferred from USC to Boise State on Saturday night. Guess what? Oregon and Boise State play each other on September 7, 2024. The game will be in Eugene’s Autzen Stadium.

We will see how much Malachi Nelson has evolved and grown as a quarterback on that day. Nelson, by transferring to Boise State, has instantly become the highest-rated football prospect to play for the Broncos. Remember: Boise State does not have a long history as a Division I program. The Broncos moved up to the FBS (formerly known as Division I-A) in 1996, under 30 years ago. It’s not that remarkable that the program has not had a player as highly-rated as Nelson, who brings his five stars to the blue turf of Idaho.

Boise State-Oregon was always an interesting 2024 game, but now the matchup takes on added significance for a lot of people, including USC fans who hope Nelson can derail the Ducks.

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Malachi Nelson was so hungry for playing time that he trusted a rookie head coach

Malachi Nelson wasn’t worried that first-year Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson has a lot to prove.

The Boise State Broncos struggled last season. They struggled so much, in fact, that they fired head coach Andy Avalos well before the end of the season. They promoted Spencer Danielson to the interim head coaching position. Players loved playing for Danielson. They proved it by storming to the Mountain West Championship Game and then winning that game over UNLV. The response to Danielson from the Boise State roster was so roundly and uniformly positive that Boise State made Danielson the permanent head coach, a wise decision. Danielson certainly earned his chance to lead the Broncos into 2024.

The fact that Danielson won over his players and got the best out of them in a handful of games is, in itself, impressive. However, it’s very different from leading a team from start to finish over the course of a full season.

USC has had experiences with interim coaches who do well and then make a bid for the permanent head coaching job. Clay Helton is an interim who successfully got the permanent job in 2015. Ed Orgeron wanted the permanent job a few years earlier after a strong interim stint, but USC went with Steve Sarkisian instead.

We can all agree: Spencer Danielson might be a really good head coach, but he has to prove it first.

This could have been a deterrent to Malachi Nelson when he considered where he would play in 2024. Clearly, Danielson’s unproven identity as a college head coach did not dissuade the USC transfer. Nelson and Danielson are linked to each other. Their uncertain futures will depend on the other’s success. It will be fascinating to see how this partnership unfolds in Idaho.

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SJSU Basketball’s Success May Hinge On Guard Alvaro Cardenas

SJSU men’s basketball’s success may hinge on guard Alvaro Cardenas continuing his massive third-year leap.

SJSU men’s basketball’s success may hinge on guard Alvaro Cardenas

Alvaro Cardenas must continue his third-year leap

Follow @Mattweiner20 & @MWCwire

A deep-dive into SJSU’s third-year guard

WHO: Boise State (9-4) vs. San Jose State (7-7)

WHEN: Friday, January 5th — 9:30 p.m. CST / 7:30 p.m. PST

WHERE: Provident Credit Union Event Center; San Jose, Calif.

TV: Fox Sports 1

STREAM: FuboTV — get a free trial

ODDS: San Jose State +6

San Jose State junior point guard Alvaro Cardenas might wonder if he could’ve done more to prevent Wyoming’s Akuel Kot from drilling a jump shot over him as time expired last Tuesday night. Despite going step-for-step with Kot and coming within a hair of blocking the shot, Cardenas was forced to watch Kot’s teammates hound him at mid-court.  

And Cardenas might also wonder if he could’ve done more to prevent SJSU from conceding a 17-point lead. Similar to that cruel final possession, this too may be unreasonable. Cardenas led SJSU with 21 points, and nine rebounds and shot a ridiculous 4-for-5 clip from three. 

Buried in the debris of Tuesday’s soul-crushing defeat is the reality that Cardenas may have to play unreasonably well in order for SJSU to have a shot at maintaining its relevance in the Mountain West.

Now at 7-7 overall and 0-1 in conference play, the Spartans must win nine of their 17 conference games to become eligible for its second-straight CBI tournament appearance. If they can do it, it would be their first time making back-to-back postseason appearances. 

The vaunted Mountain West may play spoiler to this feel-good story. Twelve of those 17 conference games come against teams with a higher NET ranking than SJSU (No. 165 in NET). One of those 12 is Friday night’s opponent: Boise State.

The Broncos’ scoring core of Chibuzo Agbo (15.3 points), Tyson Degenhart (14.8 points), Max Rice (11.7 points) and O’mar Stanley (11.5 points) could be the latest squad to obliterate SJSU’s shaky defense. 

If that happened and SJSU were to fall to San Diego State (No. 21 in NET) this Tuesday, it would start out conference play a meager 0-3. Considering SJSU still has to face New Mexico (No. 36 in NET), UNLV (No. 115 in NET) and Utah State (No. 26 in NET) this month, the Spartans could rack up six losses before February begins. Even scarier, SJSU would have just three losses to spare for a slate that’ll feature another bout with both SDSU and Utah State, plus a trip up to Colorado State (No. 15 in NET). 

In order to survive this gauntlet, the Spartans defense must improve, but what if it remains hapless? Does that mean it’s back to being a conference punchline?

No, it does not. It’ll just require players like Cardenas playing exceptionally well on offense. 

Just take SJSU’s upset over crosstown rival Santa Clara from a couple of weeks ago. Sure, the Spartans allowed 78 points, but Cardenas contributed a whopping 37 points when combining his 14 points and 10 assists. 

But then there’s the example from last Tuesday. When adding Cardenas’ 21 points – two of which came on a layup to tie the game at 73 before Kot’s game-winner – and four assists he contributed 33 total points. 

If 37 contributed points was enough and 33 wasn’t, does that mean Cardenas must average the former moving forward? Possibly. Particularly because SJSU’s defense has allowed at least 75 points in each of its last seven games. 

Yes, it’s a daunting challenge for Cardenas. And a slightly unfair one, too. It’s not his fault SJSU’s rim protection is lacking. 

But if nothing else, it’s a compliment. 

Entering the 2023-24 season, there was a cloud of doubt hovering over Cardenas. 

‘Was he only good last year because of Omari Moore?’

By playing next to Moore, the 2022-23 Mountain West Player of the Year, Cardenas wasn’t burdened by the pressure to shepherd the team to victory. Plus, more attention on Moore, just equated to better opportunities for Cardenas. Perhaps the best example came in SJSU’s win over Southern Indiana in the CBI – the program’s first ever postseason win – when Moore scored just 15 points on nine total shots. Cardenas, meanwhile, went for a team-high 22 points on an 8-for-13 clip from the field and 3-for-6 clip from three. 

Through 14 games this year, Cardenas has quelled questions about his dependence on Moore. He’s gone from averaging 10 points, 3.4 assists, two turnovers on 41.3% mark on two-pointers and 31.3% from three in 2022-23, to averaging 13.9 points, 5.6 assists, 1.9 turnovers, 48.6% mark on two-pointers and 39.2% mark from three in 2023-24. He’s dished the fifth-most assists per game in the Mountain West and is tied with MJ Amey for the team-lead in points per game. 

But something SJSU fans should be cognizant of – even if they’d rather not – is that Cardenas taking that next step forward may not bode well for the team’s long-term success. For the better Cardenas does, the better the chance Power Five programs are going to offer what SJSU can’t: NIL opportunities and increased exposure.  

Of course, the retainment conundrum is still some time away – but – not too far away and not too unlikely to ignore it. 

For now at least, Cardenas is focused on leading SJSU: the only Division I school to offer him. 

Considering his success, it’s mind-boggling to think that Cardenas, an undersized guard from Spain, couldn’t even get on a Zoom call with the head coach of a Division I program back in 2021 – much less a scholarship. 

Cardenas was lucky SJSU eventually did come around and in a similar state of desperation. When Cardenas couldn’t get a visa appointment to head to San Jose, SJSU head coach Tim Miles was sending direct messages to members of the Spanish Embassy via social media, and trading emails with congressmen.

Since then, Cardenas has flown his way into becoming a cornerstone of rebuilding one of the worst programs in college basketball. But can he rise to the next challenge: leading the Spartans to the CBI?

“There’s nothing I don’t think that kid can’t handle,” Cardenas’ former trainer Gilbert Abraham told The Spear last January. 

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Former USC QB Malachi Nelson will visit Boise State

Malachi Nelson is in play at Miami and Boise State. That’s a wild top two.

Former USC five-star quarterback Malachi Nelson is set to take his first official visit to Boise State this weekend after entering the transfer portal on Dec. 17.

While at Los Alamitos High School in Southern California, Nelson threw for 2,898 yards and 35 touchdowns as a senior, winning back to back Gatorade State Player of The Year honors in California.

Nelson was ranked as the No. 1 recruit in the nation on ESPN and 247Sports tabbed Nelson as the No. 5 quarterback and No. 13 prospect in the country in the Class of 2023.

He played all four years on the varsity team and finished with 7,984 passing yards, 503 rushing yards and 110 total touchdowns.

Following Taylen Green’s decision to transfer to Arkansas, Boise State’s 2024 quarterback room consists of Maddux Madsen (R-So.), CJ Tiller (R-Fr.), Colt Fulton (R-Jr.), Max Cutforth (R-Fr.) and true freshman Kaleb Annett.

Boise State finished 8-6 last season, firing coach Andy Avalos in November before winning three straight games to win the Mountain West title. BSU lost its bowl game to UCLA.

Boise State has a rich recent history that includes 19 consecutive years of being ranked in the top 25.

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Former Notre Dame defender set to coach defense, safeties at Boise State

Former Irish defender moving up the ranks!

Former Notre Dame defensive lineman Tyler Stockton has been making a name for himself in coaching since his playing days ended.

Stockton played on Notre Dame’s defensive line from 2009-2013.  From there he joined the UConn coaching staff for two seasons as a graduate assistant before being hired and spending three years at Western Illinois.

Stockton has been coaching at Ball State since 2019.  He took over calling the Cardinals defense in 2020 and helped them to their first MAC championship in 14 years that season.

Stockton again led stellar defensive units at Ball State the last three seasons and had been promoted to assistant head coach.  Stockton has coached his last down in Muncie however and is on his way to Boise State.

At Boise State he’s set to be the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach starting next season.

Congrats on the success so far and all the best wishes for more of it on the blue turf!

UNLV Rebels Fell to Boise State 44-20 in Mountain West Championship

The UNLV Rebels hosted the Boise State Broncos in the Mountain West Conference Championship

The UNLV Rebels hosted the Boise State Broncos in the Mountain West Conference Championship. There were 31,473 fans in attendance, but that did not matter to the Broncos as they beat the Rebels 44-20.

The early part of the game was a back-and-forth, and both teams scored 14 points in the first quarter. UNLV’s touchdowns came on a five-yard rush from Vincent Davis Jr. and then a thrilling 47-yard interception return by linebacker Fred Thompkins to even things up.

However, Boise State converted two Rebel turnovers into 10 points en route to taking a 31-17 halftime lead, limiting the hosts to three points after the break, and never looking back after that, outscoring UNLV 13-3 in the second half.

Unable to Stop the Run

The Rebels’ run defense could not stop the Broncos rushing attack, as they rushed for 301 yards. Ashton Jeanty led Boise State with 153 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown. George Holani added 76 yards, along with quarterback Taylen Green rushing for 90 yards and two touchdowns. One of Green’s touchdowns was a 70-yard run. It is hard to win games, giving up 301 rushing yards and 5.9 yards per carry.

Turnovers

Rebels quarterback Jayden Maiava had a tough day at the office, turning the ball over three times (two interceptions and a loss fumble). He passed for 166 yards but threw no touchdowns.

Unable to Run the Ball

It was a tough day for the Rebels as the Broncos took away their rushing attack. UNLV rushed for 81 yards on 28 rush attempts, which is suitable for 2.9 yards per carry. Vincent Davis Jr. led the team in rushing with 55 yards and a touchdown.

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Ultimately, the Broncos had an old-school football mentality: run the ball and stop the run, and they executed it well. They also had efficient quarterback play, while Green only threw 15 times; he did complete 12 of those attempts. Green also threw two touchdown passes.

Chiefs TE Travis Kelce gives great advice to Chargers DT Scott Matlock

Following the Chargers’ loss to the Chiefs, Scott Matlock approached Travis Kelce with one question.

As Logan Pearsall Smith once said, “It takes a great man to give sound advice tactfully, but a greater to accept it graciously.”

Defensive tackle Scott Matlock and tight end Travis Kelce resonate with this quote. Following the Chargers’ loss to the Chiefs, Matlock approached Kelce with one question.

“Any advice for a rookie,” Matlock asked.

“You know what it is? Understand the other side of the ball just as well as you know your side of the ball,” Kelce responded. “Because everything is predicated off of what I’m doing and what the defense is doing. Just love it, man. Play with the guy next to you. That’s all I got for you, man.”

NFL Films captured the incredible moment between the rookie and the veteran.

Matlock has been primarily a rotational player, logging 26% defensive snaps with three tackles across six games.

While he might not be a significant contributor now, Matlock could grow into a more prominent role throughout his pro career, and sometimes all it takes is soaking in information from one of the best who was once in a less superior role during their rookie season.