8 things to know about Boise State
Sep. 13—GRAND FORKS — The UND football program will play Boise State for the first time at 11 a.m. Saturday in Idaho.
Here are eight things you need to know about Boise State.
Boise State kicker Jonah Dalmas tied a school record last weekend with a 56-yard field goal against Central Florida.
The 56-yard field goal is the second-longest field goal in the country this year. It's the third-longest in Mountain West Conference history.
It's the fourth time in Dalmas' career he's hit from 50 yards or beyond.
Boise State enters the UND game off a rare home loss.
The Broncos have an .890 winning percentage on the blue turf since 2000 (130-16).
That winning percentage is the third-best in the nation, trailing just Oklahoma (.908) and Ohio State (.895).
Boise State leads the nation in opponent false starts since 2018. The Broncos' opponents are averaging 3.14 false starts per game — the second-best mark to North Carolina State, who has 2.54 opponent false starts per game.
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty will be handful for UND.
One week after recording 153 all-purpose yards against Washington in Week 1, Jeanty had a career-best 212 all-purpose yards against UCF.
The sophomore carried 24 times for 115 yards and caught five balls for 97 yards. He had five gains of 15 or more yards including a 38-yard touchdown catch.
Jeanty's average of 182.5 all-purpose yards ranks third in the country and first in the Mountain West.
Boise State defensive lineman Ahmed Hassanein, who was raised in Cairo, is the first player from Egypt to play Division I college football.
Hassanein didn't speak English until five years ago.
In all of Division I, 53 Egyptians were listed on rosters during the 2021-22 NCAA athletic season, according to Boise State.
The Mountain West Conference has had its hands full against the FCS this season with Idaho beating Nevada 33-6 and Eastern Washington taking Fresno State to overtime.
But Boise State has 18-straight wins over the FCS.
The Broncos have only been scared by the FCS a couple of times since 2000. Boise State beat UC Davis 34-16 in 2009 and Portland State 21-14 in 2005.
Boise State cornerbacks/special teams coach Demario Warren was Southern Utah's head coach from 2016-21.
Warren was in Grand Forks when UND beat Southern Utah 36-18 in 2019.
In that game, UND running back Luke Skokna played in his fifth game as a true freshman, pulling his redshirt.
Skokna had two touchdowns in that game. Skokna is now a senior for the Fighting Hawks, making his 2023 debut last week against Northern Arizona.
Boise State co-defensive coordinator Kane Ioane was defensive coordinator at Montana State in 2015. That season, UND beat Montana State in Grand Forks 44-38. John Santiago ran 30 times for 230 yards, while Brady Oliveira — now a CFL star with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers — ran 12 times for 167 yards. UND ran for 426 yards as a team.
Boise State offensive line coach Tim Keane was the offensive line coach at UC Davis in 2019 when UND beat the then-ranked No. 12 Aggies 38-36 in Grand Forks.
Brady Leach hit a game-winning 46-yard field goal with 57 seconds left.
The first blue turf was installed in 1986, 16 years after Bronco Stadium, now Albertsons Stadium, was built.
Boise State was the first school to have a non-green football field. UND, when a member of the Big Sky Conference, played annually at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash., Eastern Washington's red turf installed in 2010.
EWU's athletic director at the time was now-UND athletic director Bill Chaves.
The idea for the blue turf is credited to former Boise State athletic director Gene Bleymaier.
UND's Jake Saltonstall, a New Mexico graduate transfer defensive lineman, had a big game against Boise State as a junior in 2021.
Saltonstall had 1.5 sacks against Boise State. The Lobos lost in that game 37-0 in Boise.
Saltonstall has two tackles this season, one quarterback hurry and had a fumble recovery last week against Northern Arizona.
