Boise State Broncos College Football Futures

Thanks in part to Kyle Brotzman's 2 missed fieldgoals, the Boise State Broncos ended their season on a sour note. Will they be able to make a run for the BCS Championship this year?

November 26, 2010, is a day that will live in infamy in the annals of the Boise State Broncos (12-1 in 2010-11). The No. 3 Broncos were poised to kick a field goal to move to 11-0 and closer to a BCS berth, when kicker Kyle Brotzman booted the ball wide-right. He then over-adjusted in overtime, sending a field goal wide-left. The Nevada Wolfpack took advantage and kicked a field goal to defeat Boise State 34-31, relegating the Broncos to the MAACO Bowl in Las Vegas. 

Boise State will continue to seek an elusive spot in the BCS National Championship Game for a non-BCS school in its first year in the Mountain West Conference. Bodog.com has the Broncos listed as a 14-1 shot to win the BCS Title Game. Will this be the magical year for Chris Petersen’s squad? 

Offense

When Texas and Mack Brown came calling for Boise State offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin, Petersen quickly made the move to replace him internally with Brent Pease. The two have been together for Petersen’s entire tenure at Boise State, so we should not expect changes in the offensive philosophy. 

Seniors Kellen Moore and Doug Martin will lead the offense in 2011. Moore will be entering his fourth season as the Broncos’ starting quarterback, and should be a Heisman Trophy contender again (depending on the development of his receivers). He threw for 35 touchdowns and 3,845 yards in 2010. Expect more of the same in 2011. 

While we often think about Boise State’s passing game, the rushing game (20^th in NCAAF in 2010) does not get enough credit. Martin will be the primary back in 2011, and I anticipate that he will at least equal his numbers from last season (12 td, 1,260 yds). D. J. Harper will also contribute if he is fully recovered from ACL surgery. 

Wide receiver is a bit of a question mark for the Broncos, as Titus Young and Austin Pettis have departed. Those two contributed 19 touchdowns and over 2,100 receiving yards to the offense in 2010. Boise State will look to Tyler Shoemaker (5 td, 582 yards) to step up to lead the receiving corps.

The offensive line returns three starters, led by senior center Thomas Byrd and senior tackle Nate Potter (both All-WAC). Spring and fall practice will determine the final two spots on the line, but Petersen and Pease are confident they have players ready to claim the roles. 

Defense

Boise State’s defense was underrated last season by the average college football fan. The Broncos finished second in points against, with 12.8 per game. They, admittedly, did not play in the top conference in the country, but the numbers are impressive. 

The front seven is absolutely loaded with senior talent. Shea McClellin will lead an experienced defensive line, while Byron Hout will be the top returning linebacker. In addition, Boise State’s recruiting class was heavy with defensive talent. Look for true freshmen Samuel Ukwuachu and Jeff Worthy to work their way into the rotation (unless Petersen redshirts either of them). Recruit Blake Renaud could see playing time as a linebacker. 

Senior George Iloka will anchor the secondary at safety with assistance from returning starter Jamar Taylor at cornerback. There will be open competition for the other secondary spots. Dextrell Simmons is a JUCO player that I would expect to see significant time at safety in 2011. 

Schedule/Outlook 

The Broncos will get a chance to prove themselves immediately in 2011 as they travel to the Georgia Dome to meet Mark Richt’s Georgia Bulldogs. This game, win or lose, will dictate the remainder of their season. 

Other interesting/key contests will include visits by Nevada, Air Force, and TCU to the Smurf Turf, and a road trip to always-dangerous Fresno State. Those would appear to be the only truly dangerous games on the schedule. 

Boise State has more talent than Georgia, and I think they’ll win the game, even though it is in the Georgia Dome. Assuming that result occurs, the Broncos will be favored by the College Football betting odds in the remainder of their games. I actually do like Boise State to go undefeated in the regular season. The problem is that they will not be able to pass two or more BCS undefeated teams to get to the title game.