Saturday's Homecoming football game between Boise State and Fresno State isn't for all the marbles, but a good chunk of them anyway.
You see, the winner of the game would clearly emerge as one of the favorites to take the Mountain West Conference crown, while the loser, although they wouldn't be out of the race, would face a steep uphill climb. The winner of Saturday's game would also be one of just two teams still undefeated in the conference race, joining the winner of the Nevada-UNLV game. And the loser would then join three other Mountain West teams with one conference loss. To lose this game and then win the conference would mean that both MWC leaders would have to lose a game and then the loser would have to somehow emerge from a packed crowd of six teams to take the title.
We hear how the current Boise State team doesn't want to be thought of as inheriting a legacy, but rather earning one. Defeating Fresno State Saturday would go a long way towards creating one. With your backs against the wall, with all the criticism coming from the media and from bandwagon fans that really are better off not criticizing the only two-time Paul Bryant National Coach of the Year, Chris Petersen, a victory over the Bulldogs would indeed be quite a feather in the 2012 Broncos' cap.
This is because of Fresno State's combustible combination of a potent ground game, a hero of a quarterback in Derek Carr, a tough defense, and quality special teams. Boise State, on the other hand, has yet to put together a game in which all units play spotless football. To win Saturday, the Broncos will have to have all cylinders firing, all guns a-blazing. No more situations in which the offense covers for a defense that can't stop a ground game. No more times when a defense covers for an offense that can't punch the ball in from the one-yard line. And no more times when the team finds a way to win without the stellar special teams that Boise State exhibited in the early part of the new millennium.
The Bronco defense in years past, when they were building a legacy, prided itself in stopping the run. For this year's Boise State team to have a legacy, it means they will stop Bulldog running back Robbie Rouse first and foremost. It means gang tackles and not arm tackles. It means staying home and not getting sucked in. It means playing your assignment and being in place instead of being out of place. Rouse is the real deal, as his 711 yards, eight rushing touchdowns and 5.39 yards-per-carry average show. Rouse explodes off first contact, so unless he's hit hard at first impact, he's going to keep going for extra yards. And Rouse will break tackles, so as hinted at above, you need good solid tackling skills and usually some help also to bring him down.
This certainly isn't to say that stopping Rouse = victory, because it doesn't. Fresno has plenty of other offensive weapons. But stopping Rouse at least gives you a chance to win, and then you can focus on the Bulldog passing game, which is in good hands with Carr and his bevy of talented Bulldog receivers. But if the game comes down to Carr vs. the Boise State secondary, sixth in the nation in passing defense, the Broncos have a much better chance to win than if Rouse runs free through the Boise State defensive front.
Carr is 19th in passing efficiency, completing 159 of 232 passes for 1,816 yards and 18 touchdowns vs. only three interceptions, and an amazing completion percentage of 68.53%. Carr fired 42 completions for a school record-tying 536 yards against San Diego State, numbers that made the entire country sit up and pay attention to this 6-3, 212-pound leader. If you're simply living off a legacy, Carr puts up big numbers against you, ones that you regret the morning after. If you're creating a legacy, you put constant pressure on Carr, take away his passing lanes, bat down balls at the line of scrimmage, and take him to the turf.
Davante Adams. There's a name that the Boise State secondary wants to know. Better yet, they'll want to know where he is at every moment. Boise State's Matt Miller set all kinds of freshman receiving records last year for the Broncos. Adams is blowing those numbers away, already boasting 40 receptions for 478 yards and five touchdowns. Adams ranks as the #27 receiver in all of college football. Miller, by the way, is #49. Rouse has also caught 38 passes for 208 yards, and needs to grow a Bronco shadow come Saturday. Isaiah Burse has caught 30 for 427 yards and four scores while Josh Harper has hauled in 24 passes for 333 yards and four TD's. That gives Fresno State four of the nation's top 100 receivers. Boise State, just the one.
Yes, stopping Fresno State's potent offense averaging 493.83 yards a game takes a defense. It takes a defense with the stuff for which legacies are made. So this is the do-or-die moment for the 2012 Boise State defense. Do they want to be remembered as merely "the guys who took over for all of those NFL stars" or a legitimate, stout defense in their own right? With all due respect to Michigan State, BYU, New Mexico, Miami of Ohio and Southern Mississippi, Fresno State has a far superior offense than those Boise State opponents.
We know Boise State has a good defense. Is it good, or is it great? Do they sit back and let Fresno come to them or do they make things happen? Do the members of the Bronco line get tied up in blocks unable to disrupt the passing game and unable to see Rouse until he has run by them, or do they create havoc in the Bulldog backfield? Do the Bronco linebackers stay in position to make the plays expected of them? Will the Bronco secondary come up with rare picks of Carr to create opportunities for their team? Good or great--we'll find out Saturday.
On the other side of the ball, you have the Boise State offense going against Fresno's tough defense. While the Broncos showed signs of busting out last Saturday against Southern Mississippi, they are still a unit trying to find itself. Again comes the question--does the offensive line live off of the legacy built by Matt Hill, Daryn Colledge, Ryan Clady, Nate Potter and others, or will they be a unit that fires off the signal count and sends its defenders into a belly flop? We know they can protect the quarterback; they've certainly shown that. But can they open holes--consistent holes for a ground game that offensive coordinator Robert Prince can count on? Smash mouth football is something that characterizes a champion, something that a conference title can be built on, for an offense that can't be stopped on the ground can't be stopped period.
The Bronco offensive line is blessed to have a back of the ability of senior D.J. Harper. Harper is one of the most talented backs in the nation; all he needs is a hole here and there to burst through and do serious damage. But all the talent in the world back there is wasted if he's got three or four Bulldog defenders after him as soon as he gets the ball. So will the members of the Boise State offensive line open those holes and do some downfield blocking to spring Harper for big gains? This again amounts to living off a legacy or creating one, and once again, we'll find out Saturday.
A good part of answering that question centers around dealing with junior defensive lineman Andy Jennings, who already has nine tackles for loss. Like any complete defensive lineman, Jennings excels against the run and against the pass, with five sacks in six games. Another way to answer the question includes accounting for senior linebacker Tristan Okpalaugo, who has eight tackles for loss and three sacks. If a missed block means Jennings or Okpalaugo is hounding Harper, it means that, with Colledge, Clady and Potter gone, they can't make that key block to thwart the Bulldogs. If the Bronco O-line is performing as a unit with heady play, it means they will begin to create their own legacy. Fresno State allows 150 yards per game on the ground, so they can be beat, but the Boise State offensive line must make it happen.
Miller has been the runaway star of the Boise State receiving corps, the only member of that corps ranked in the Top 100. A one-man threat or "go-to guy" is great, but to beat the Bulldogs, Bronco quarterback Joe Southwick has to begin establishing a reliable connection with other receivers. If the Bulldogs know Southwick is throwing to Miller, that means one thing: Interception. For Boise State to beat Fresno State Saturday, we need to hear "Southwick to Kirby Moore, complete." "Southwick to Geraldo Boldewijn for a big gain." "Southwick hits Harper out of the backfield for a first down." "Southwick finds Potter for the touchdown!"
So to defeat the Bulldogs Saturday, Boise State must play their best football of the year. To date, the Broncos have found ways to win while their young team grows up, with the one blemish at Michigan State. But now, the 2012 Bronco team has arrived at their moment of truth. They won't be able to get away with mistakes against Fresno State. They'll have to perform at their best, at a high level of efficiency. The defense will have to play with their hair on fire. The offensive line will have to play like nothing is going to stop them. The hits will have to be fierce.
Last year, Boise State, with all of its NFL players, did not win the Mountain West championship. A victory Saturday over Fresno State would be a key step in accomplishing that feat for the 2012 Broncos. For all of its talent, that is something that the legendary Boise State senior class could not do. If the 2012 Boise State team can make some noise, defeat Fresno State in an across-the-board effort that serves as a springboard for the rest of the season, they have a chance to capture that conference title.
That is how legacies are built.
You see, the winner of the game would clearly emerge as one of the favorites to take the Mountain West Conference crown, while the loser, although they wouldn't be out of the race, would face a steep uphill climb. The winner of Saturday's game would also be one of just two teams still undefeated in the conference race, joining the winner of the Nevada-UNLV game. And the loser would then join three other Mountain West teams with one conference loss. To lose this game and then win the conference would mean that both MWC leaders would have to lose a game and then the loser would have to somehow emerge from a packed crowd of six teams to take the title.
We hear how the current Boise State team doesn't want to be thought of as inheriting a legacy, but rather earning one. Defeating Fresno State Saturday would go a long way towards creating one. With your backs against the wall, with all the criticism coming from the media and from bandwagon fans that really are better off not criticizing the only two-time Paul Bryant National Coach of the Year, Chris Petersen, a victory over the Bulldogs would indeed be quite a feather in the 2012 Broncos' cap.
This is because of Fresno State's combustible combination of a potent ground game, a hero of a quarterback in Derek Carr, a tough defense, and quality special teams. Boise State, on the other hand, has yet to put together a game in which all units play spotless football. To win Saturday, the Broncos will have to have all cylinders firing, all guns a-blazing. No more situations in which the offense covers for a defense that can't stop a ground game. No more times when a defense covers for an offense that can't punch the ball in from the one-yard line. And no more times when the team finds a way to win without the stellar special teams that Boise State exhibited in the early part of the new millennium.
The Bronco defense in years past, when they were building a legacy, prided itself in stopping the run. For this year's Boise State team to have a legacy, it means they will stop Bulldog running back Robbie Rouse first and foremost. It means gang tackles and not arm tackles. It means staying home and not getting sucked in. It means playing your assignment and being in place instead of being out of place. Rouse is the real deal, as his 711 yards, eight rushing touchdowns and 5.39 yards-per-carry average show. Rouse explodes off first contact, so unless he's hit hard at first impact, he's going to keep going for extra yards. And Rouse will break tackles, so as hinted at above, you need good solid tackling skills and usually some help also to bring him down.
This certainly isn't to say that stopping Rouse = victory, because it doesn't. Fresno has plenty of other offensive weapons. But stopping Rouse at least gives you a chance to win, and then you can focus on the Bulldog passing game, which is in good hands with Carr and his bevy of talented Bulldog receivers. But if the game comes down to Carr vs. the Boise State secondary, sixth in the nation in passing defense, the Broncos have a much better chance to win than if Rouse runs free through the Boise State defensive front.
Carr is 19th in passing efficiency, completing 159 of 232 passes for 1,816 yards and 18 touchdowns vs. only three interceptions, and an amazing completion percentage of 68.53%. Carr fired 42 completions for a school record-tying 536 yards against San Diego State, numbers that made the entire country sit up and pay attention to this 6-3, 212-pound leader. If you're simply living off a legacy, Carr puts up big numbers against you, ones that you regret the morning after. If you're creating a legacy, you put constant pressure on Carr, take away his passing lanes, bat down balls at the line of scrimmage, and take him to the turf.
Davante Adams. There's a name that the Boise State secondary wants to know. Better yet, they'll want to know where he is at every moment. Boise State's Matt Miller set all kinds of freshman receiving records last year for the Broncos. Adams is blowing those numbers away, already boasting 40 receptions for 478 yards and five touchdowns. Adams ranks as the #27 receiver in all of college football. Miller, by the way, is #49. Rouse has also caught 38 passes for 208 yards, and needs to grow a Bronco shadow come Saturday. Isaiah Burse has caught 30 for 427 yards and four scores while Josh Harper has hauled in 24 passes for 333 yards and four TD's. That gives Fresno State four of the nation's top 100 receivers. Boise State, just the one.
Yes, stopping Fresno State's potent offense averaging 493.83 yards a game takes a defense. It takes a defense with the stuff for which legacies are made. So this is the do-or-die moment for the 2012 Boise State defense. Do they want to be remembered as merely "the guys who took over for all of those NFL stars" or a legitimate, stout defense in their own right? With all due respect to Michigan State, BYU, New Mexico, Miami of Ohio and Southern Mississippi, Fresno State has a far superior offense than those Boise State opponents.
We know Boise State has a good defense. Is it good, or is it great? Do they sit back and let Fresno come to them or do they make things happen? Do the members of the Bronco line get tied up in blocks unable to disrupt the passing game and unable to see Rouse until he has run by them, or do they create havoc in the Bulldog backfield? Do the Bronco linebackers stay in position to make the plays expected of them? Will the Bronco secondary come up with rare picks of Carr to create opportunities for their team? Good or great--we'll find out Saturday.
On the other side of the ball, you have the Boise State offense going against Fresno's tough defense. While the Broncos showed signs of busting out last Saturday against Southern Mississippi, they are still a unit trying to find itself. Again comes the question--does the offensive line live off of the legacy built by Matt Hill, Daryn Colledge, Ryan Clady, Nate Potter and others, or will they be a unit that fires off the signal count and sends its defenders into a belly flop? We know they can protect the quarterback; they've certainly shown that. But can they open holes--consistent holes for a ground game that offensive coordinator Robert Prince can count on? Smash mouth football is something that characterizes a champion, something that a conference title can be built on, for an offense that can't be stopped on the ground can't be stopped period.
The Bronco offensive line is blessed to have a back of the ability of senior D.J. Harper. Harper is one of the most talented backs in the nation; all he needs is a hole here and there to burst through and do serious damage. But all the talent in the world back there is wasted if he's got three or four Bulldog defenders after him as soon as he gets the ball. So will the members of the Boise State offensive line open those holes and do some downfield blocking to spring Harper for big gains? This again amounts to living off a legacy or creating one, and once again, we'll find out Saturday.
A good part of answering that question centers around dealing with junior defensive lineman Andy Jennings, who already has nine tackles for loss. Like any complete defensive lineman, Jennings excels against the run and against the pass, with five sacks in six games. Another way to answer the question includes accounting for senior linebacker Tristan Okpalaugo, who has eight tackles for loss and three sacks. If a missed block means Jennings or Okpalaugo is hounding Harper, it means that, with Colledge, Clady and Potter gone, they can't make that key block to thwart the Bulldogs. If the Bronco O-line is performing as a unit with heady play, it means they will begin to create their own legacy. Fresno State allows 150 yards per game on the ground, so they can be beat, but the Boise State offensive line must make it happen.
Miller has been the runaway star of the Boise State receiving corps, the only member of that corps ranked in the Top 100. A one-man threat or "go-to guy" is great, but to beat the Bulldogs, Bronco quarterback Joe Southwick has to begin establishing a reliable connection with other receivers. If the Bulldogs know Southwick is throwing to Miller, that means one thing: Interception. For Boise State to beat Fresno State Saturday, we need to hear "Southwick to Kirby Moore, complete." "Southwick to Geraldo Boldewijn for a big gain." "Southwick hits Harper out of the backfield for a first down." "Southwick finds Potter for the touchdown!"
So to defeat the Bulldogs Saturday, Boise State must play their best football of the year. To date, the Broncos have found ways to win while their young team grows up, with the one blemish at Michigan State. But now, the 2012 Bronco team has arrived at their moment of truth. They won't be able to get away with mistakes against Fresno State. They'll have to perform at their best, at a high level of efficiency. The defense will have to play with their hair on fire. The offensive line will have to play like nothing is going to stop them. The hits will have to be fierce.
Last year, Boise State, with all of its NFL players, did not win the Mountain West championship. A victory Saturday over Fresno State would be a key step in accomplishing that feat for the 2012 Broncos. For all of its talent, that is something that the legendary Boise State senior class could not do. If the 2012 Boise State team can make some noise, defeat Fresno State in an across-the-board effort that serves as a springboard for the rest of the season, they have a chance to capture that conference title.
That is how legacies are built.
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