Boise State Broncos Preview 2022: Season Prediction, Breakdown, Key Games, Players
Boise State Broncos Preview 2022: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Boise State season with what you need to know and keys to the season.
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Boise State Broncos Preview
Head Coach: Andy Avalos, 2nd year. 7-5
2021 Preview, Overall: 7-5, Conference: 5-3
Keys To The Season | Season Prediction, What Will Happen
Boise State Top 10 Players | Boise State Schedule
Boise State Broncos Preview 2022
This isn’t a program that’s used to having just a good year.
The bar is set so ridiculously high for Boise State that just a winning season and bowl bid – the Broncos’ bowl last year was cancelled – feels flat.
Forget that 2021 was technically the program’s worst season since 1998, and forget that double-digit win campaigns that finish with a trophy are the norm. Boise State hasn’t had a losing season since 1997.
It’s the only FBS program since the start of the BCS/College Football Playoff era – and the start of CFN – that doesn’t have a losing season.
And there’s more than 7-5 of 2021 being 7-5. It’s not like there were any big misfires with the Broncos having a shot in every loss, with the possible exception of the season finale against a San Diego State that turned it up a few notches.
There were issues that need to be fixed under head coach Andy Avalos, and again, just coming up with a winning season isn’t okay around there, but this is a tweak. There’s no reason for any sort of panic, or tear down, or redo.
However …
Boise State Broncos Preview 2022: Offense
The running game has to be better. Boise State has always had an efficient offense, great defense, and tough ground attack with great backs who set the tone for everything else.
It’s not necessarily about the bulk yards – the 2017 ground game wasn’t great, but that strong team got steady production for what it needed. The 2020 ground game was lousy, but that was 2020 and an odd seven game season.
Last year’s offensive line was okay, but it struggled to generate enough of a push for a ground attack that finished an inexcusable 110th in the country. The line has size, more options, and decent depth, but it needs to come up with a solid starting five that can generate a push
The backs are more than good enough. Andrew Van Buren is transferring out, but leading rusher George Holani is terrific when he gets into groove, and the untested backups at least fit the system in a rotation.
Running game, schmunning game … Hank Bachmeier is back at quarterback. As long as he’s healthy, he’s a difference-maker who’s been around long enough to take his game up a few notches. Helped by the transfer of Sam Vidlak from Oregon State, the depth is there in case 19 goes down.
The receiving corps isn’t exactly a concern, but top target Khalil Shakir is off to the Buffalo Bills and almost all of the top pass catchers from last year are either gone or running backs or both.
Boise State Broncos Preview 2022: Defense
The defense was good, but it needs to be better. It wasn’t consistently strong enough against the run, the pass rush wasn’t there, and overall it finished fifth in the Mountain West. However, it led the conference in scoring D – tough to do in a conference with that San Diego State defense of last year – and now almost all of the stars are back.
The linebacking corps loses longtime star Riley Whimpey, but 240-pound Ezekiel Noa is a veteran banger in the middle and he’s got good good tacklers, size, and experience around him to fill in the gaps in the 4-2-5 alignment.
Scott Matlock is an All-Mountain West interior pass rushing tackle to anchor the front, and most of the playmakers who got behind the line return. But …
A whole lot of the disruption came from the secondary. Safety JL Skinner is an all-around defender who led the team in tackles and tackles for loss, and Tyreque Jones is a big-tackling run supporter who can do a little of everything.
The defense picked off 13 passes – almost all from the secondary – and helped by the return of Caleb Biggers and Tyric LeBeauf, the corners are set.
Keys To The Season | Season Prediction, What Will Happen
Boise State Top 10 Players | Boise State Schedule
Boise State Broncos: Keys To The Season, Top Game, Top Transfer, Fun Stats NEXT
Boise State Broncos: Keys To The Season, Top Game, Top Transfer, Fun Stats
Boise State Broncos: Key To The 2022 Offense
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Boise State Broncos: Key To The 2022 Defense
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Boise State Broncos: Key Player To The 2022 Season
WR Stefan Cobbs, Sr.
It’s a bit of a stretch to say the Boise State receiving corps is a problem, but it lost most of the parts from last year and has to rely on a slew of new guys and needs a No. 1 target.
The 6-0, 187-pound Cobbs has the speed and flash – he caught 34 passes for 421 yards and five scores in eight games, and he returned a punt for a touchdown – but can he be volume-catch go-to guy? At the very least, the Broncos need a receiver to work around.
Boise State Broncos: Key Transfer
OT Cade Beresford, Sr.
The Boise State line might have enough good parts to play around with, but it needs a strong starting five to be better than the 2021 version. Adding the 6-7, 300-pound Washington State transfer should help the cause with his size and versatility.
He should work at one of the tackle jobs – likely on the right side – but he was a guard at Wazzu. Either way, he’ll work up front and be a good part of the puzzle.
Boise State Key Game To The 2022 Season
San Diego State, Oct. 1
It’s an interdivisional Mountain West game, and there are bigger fish to fry for the Mountain Division later on – like at Air Force and against Utah State – but this is the game that should show just how much of a player Boise State is.
San Diego State took over last year’s game in a better performance than the 27-16 final score might indicate. Win, and the Broncos will look like the front-runner in the race. Lose, and the Fresno State showdown the week after becomes a big deal.
Boise State Broncos: 2021 Fun Stats
– 1st half scoring: Boise State 223 – Opponents 142
– Penalties: Opponents 95 for 758 yards – 59 for 595 yards
– Red Zone Scores: Boise State 49-of-53 (92%) – Opponents 30-of-38 (79%)
O, D Breakdown | Season Prediction, What Will Happen
Boise State Top 10 Players | Boise State Schedule
Boise State Broncos Season Prediction, What Will Happen NEXT
Boise State Broncos Season Prediction, What Will Happen
Win the Mountain West. That’s the goal every year, and there’s no reason to shoot for anything less with this team, even with all the parts that have to come together.
The receiving corps has to rise up, the running game has to be better, and the defense has to be a tad stronger, but …
Win the Mountain West.
The Broncos have the quarterback, the defense should be far stronger, and the kicking game might be the best in the league. It also helps that the schedule works with the toughest games at home, but …
Set The Boise State Broncos Regular Season Win Total At … 8.5
It stinks to get San Diego State and Fresno State from the West, but both of those are early up in Boise. It would’ve been nice to get UNLV and/or San Jose State and/or Hawaii, but again, the key dates are at home.
There isn’t a game on the slate the team can’t win, but going to Air Force, dealing with BYU, and road games against Oregon State, Nevada, and Wyoming are dangerous.
Whatever. Anything less than eight wins would be a major disappointment.
Anything less than winning the Mountain West would be a major disappointment.
Offense, Defense Breakdown | Keys To The Season
Boise State Top 10 Players | Boise State Schedule
