MWC FOOTBALL
Boise State ranked 15th in nation against more traditional teams
Boise State is expected to return to its spot as a league contender, but the Broncos need to improve their defense vs. the option.
Boise State is pretty good at football.
Imagine how good the Broncos would be, though, if they knew how to stop an optionbased offense.
The past two years against Air Force and New Mexico, Mountain West Conference opponents that run various forms of the triple option, the Broncos are 1-3. They’re 11-1 against the rest of the MWC.
Boise State has lost two in a row to Air Force. They’re 1-1 against UNM, but needed to score 60 points and get a favorable and disputed reversal from the instant-replay official to beat the Lobos in 2014. Last year, both the Lobos and the Falcons beat the Broncos on their blue home turf.
In those four 2014-15 games against New Mexico and Air Force, the Broncos have given up averages of 36 points, 351 yards rushing and 495 yards total offense.
Boise State has been better known for its offense than for its defense over the arc of its amazing college football success. Even so, those are hardly typical Bronco defensive numbers.
Late last month, at the annual Mountain West media gathering in Las Vegas, Nev., Broncos linebacker Ben Weaver discussed the problem — and what he hopes will be the solution.
“It’s lulling (defensive) players to sleep,” he said of the option attack, “so that you run, toss, toss, toss, then they crack you on a post route. And you saw that against Air Force and New Mexico, guys running wide open down the field.
“It’s just strictly discipline. I think if we can correct that, we should manage a lot better than we have been.”
Well, sure. But what’s the key?
Obviously, hands-on work in practice is important.
“We’ve definitely worked on that in the offseason and the summer,” Weaver said, “and going into fall camp it would be a huge emphasis for us.
“But I think the biggest thing is the film study . ... It’s, I think, what gives you the extra advantage.”
As always, Boise State opponents will have plenty of homework to do, as well. The Broncos’ offense promises to be prolific.
Quarterback Brett Rypien (304 yards per game, 63.6 percent completions, 20 touchdowns) was often spectacular last fall as a true freshman, and senior wide receiver Thomas Sperbeck (88 catches, 1,412 yards, eight TDs) said the young signal-caller is improving on almost a daily basis.
“He’s only what, 19, something like that, but he acts like he’s a pro,” Sperbeck said. “That’s how he practices, and that’s how he trains.”
And against non-triple option offenses last fall, the Boise State defense was superb — ranking 15th nationally in average yards allowed.
Rare home-field losses to New Mexico and Air Force, Weaver said, still rankle.
“I try to look at things in a positive way,” he said, “so I think that will humble us tremendously going into this next year, put that chip back on our shoulder, even for home games, so that we can’t let that happen again.”