Boise State's Young is on the right path

The number of times wide receiver Titus Young has reached the end zone this season shows his growth.

What he has done there shows how far he still must go.

Young, a junior who was suspended from the Boise State football team for most of last season, has scored 13 touchdowns this season - including five of at least 40 yards. Three times, he has been flagged for excessive celebration.

"That's part of the whole issue of playing by the rules - whatever they are," coach Chris Petersen said. "Whether they're our rules, NCAA rules or the rules of life, you've just got to follow the rules - and I think he's doing better."

That improvement has translated into on-field production. Young has refined the details of his game, learned more aspects of the offense and become a multi-dimensional threat. Teammates say his explosive ability could be even more valuable in a game like Friday's WAC showdown with Nevada (8:08 p.m., ESPN2), when one big play could decide a championship.

Young has not been allowed to speak to the media all year.

"He knows we need him," said junior safety Jason Robinson, a high school friend of Young. "... We haven't had a ton of tight, tight games this year, but when we get in that situation, which will probably come up here shortly, when we need the game busted wide open, he'll probably be the one to deliver."

Even before his run-ins with Petersen, the Broncos didn't have that confidence in Young. He scored seven touchdowns as a true freshman, but fumble problems marred that season.

"He's a game-changer," Petersen said. "... We can count on him more on the field. We can count on him more off the field."

AN ULTIMATUM

Petersen suspended Young for the first quarter of the 2007 Hawaii Bowl and the second game of the 2008 season for violations of team rules. Two games after he returned, Young got in trouble again - and Petersen became so fed up that he not only suspended him for the season but ordered him to stay away from team activities for the rest of the year.

Petersen even suggested that it might be time for Young to play elsewhere. He didn't give him any criteria to meet for reinstatement. His only instruction: "You better keep your grades up."

"I didn't want him to come back unless he was totally willing to say, 'I'm going to do it that way,' " Petersen said.

Young was away from the team for about three months.

"You don't want to run away from something," wide receivers coach Brent Pease said, "so he kind of attacked his situation head-on and said, 'I'm going to do what's right and fix the problem, which is probably myself, and make it good for the people who wanted me originally.' "

Petersen allowed Young to return when the season ended. He was swayed in part by Young's father, with whom Petersen spoke often about the situation.

"The bottom line, at the end of the day, was we thought he could do it the way we needed it to be done around here," Petersen said.

MISSING INGREDIENT

Young returned for the spring semester. In spring and fall camps, he produced big plays in 1-on-1 matchups with cornerback Kyle Wilson.

"We missed that last year - especially the TCU game, with the type of players they had on the field," said junior safety Jeron Johnson, referring to the Broncos' 17-16 loss in the Poinsettia Bowl. "You can't guard him 1-on-1. ... It helps defenses play us more honest."

Young doesn't just provide the big play. He provides the threat of the big play.

Put him in motion and defenses have to worry about the end around, which might leave a hole for the running back. Send him deep and tight end Kyle Efaw can slide into the hole behind him for a long catch. Use him as a kickoff returner and opponents surrender field position to avoid kicking deep.

Young has nine touchdown catches, three touchdown runs and a 100-yard kickoff return for a score this year. He has scored 23 touchdowns in 27 career games and has topped 100 receiving yards in four of the past five games.

Plus, Young has had an 80-yard touchdown run and a kickoff return for a touchdown wiped out by penalties.

"He's the whole package," said Utah State coach Gary Andersen, whose team couldn't contain Young last week. "He has great speed, great hands. He's a very fierce competitor when you watch him out on the field."

And Young still is evolving.

He needs to block better. He needs to clean up some of his routes. He needs to finish every play, even if he thinks he's a decoy. Last week, he stopped a route just as Kellen Moore chucked a deep ball his way. The pass might have gone for a touchdown.

"Another year of him doing the same things - continuing to stay focused and working hard - he's even got more to him," Petersen said.

ROOM TO GROW

Young hasn't completely overcome the immaturity that landed him in trouble in the past. The celebration penalties are the clearest example. He was relegated to a backup role for one game because of them.

"He pushes the envelope on things," said Pease, who gave Young a public dressing down on the sideline at Hawaii after a penalty. "... I've seen him grow as a person and open up and communicate better. Is he totally there? No. He still does some things that I've got to correct, not necessarily just on the football field. He's got to understand the situation he's in, the microscope he's under."

The one thing that hasn't changed - Young is having fun. Too much, sometimes.

But Robinson says touchdowns must be euphoric moments for a player who nearly lost his spot on the team.

"(Young) understands that you get so many chances in life and he's used up some of his - at least in this scenario," Pease said. "If it was a gunfight, he wouldn't be around."

Chadd Cripe: 377-6398