Rejoice, Boise State football fans: Broncos’ next home game gets early afternoon kickoff
The Boise State football team got the rarest of gifts from the television gods — an early afternoon kickoff for one of its biggest Mountain West home games.
On Monday, it was announced the Broncos’ next home game, Oct. 6 against San Diego State, will have a 1:30 p.m. MT start. The game will be televised on ESPN2 or ESPNU.
It is the first October afternoon home game in six years for Boise State. The last such game was Oct. 20, 2012, against UNLV, which also was a 1:30 p.m. kickoff.
Boise State is 2-1 and San Diego State is 3-1. The Broncos play at Wyoming on Saturday, and the Aztecs are on a bye before facing the Broncos at Albertsons Stadium.
“I think it’s great,” Boise State coach Bryan Harsin said. “... when we get to it, that will be an awesome opportunity. It’s something we pushed for over the years to get some of those games.”
It will be a big recruiting weekend for the Broncos, but some prospects may not arrive at the ideal time, as they will play Friday night and have to travel to Boise. So used to night games, it is an interesting twist — some players’ parents have even said their flights will get in after the game starts.
Ranked in one, but not the other
The Broncos dropped one spot in the USA Today coaches’ poll following the bye, from No. 24 to 25, but for a second consecutive week remain two spots out of the Associated Press Top 25.
“It shows the coaches are smarter than you media people,” Wyoming coach Craig Bohl said at his weekly news conference.
Oklahoma State, which beat Boise State 44-21 on Sept. 15, is behind the Broncos in the AP poll, but ranked No. 21 in the coaches’ poll.
Freshman CB tears ACL in practice
Harsin said true freshman cornerback Tyric LeBeauf tore his ACL in practice and will be out for the rest of the season. LeBeauf, a rangy 6-foot-2, 197-pounder from Long Beach, Calif., had been on the team’s travel roster but did not play.
Continuing on the injury front, Harsin did not say if senior cornerback Tyler Horton would miss additional time after not playing at Oklahoma State. He did say it was not a season-ending one.
Senior defensive tackle David Moa and sophomore wide receiver Octavius Evans, who both made their season debuts in Stillwater, should be at or near full-go. On Evans, who saw just one series, Harsin said “it will be different” against Wyoming.
BSU soccer sweeps conference awards
For the first time in more than five years, the Boise State women’s soccer team won both the Mountain West offensive and defensive player of the week awards.
Raimee Sherle, a junior forward from Rocky Mountain High, received the nod on offense after becoming Boise State’s No. 1 career goal scorer with a hat trick against UNLV on Sunday in 3 minutes, 11 seconds. Sherle leads the Broncos in career goals (37), hat tricks (four), multi-goal games (eight) and game-winning goals (19). Her 12 goals this season is tops in the nation.
Senior goalkeeper Tara Fisher was honored on defense for allowing just one goal in wins over Nevada and UNLV. Fisher, a native of Eagle River, Alaska, recorded her fifth shutout of the season Sunday in the Broncos’ 3-0 victory against UNLV. Fisher’s five shutouts ranks third in single-season history at Boise State, and it is also No. 1 in the Mountain West and 20th in the NCAA.
News and notes
Three true freshmen are on the depth chart — receiver Khalil Shakir, running back Andrew Van Buren and nose tackle Scale Igiehon. They could play one more game and still redshirt under new NCAA rules, but Harsin expects them to play all season. ... Boise State and Wyoming have played 12 times. The Cowboys have scored more than 17 points only once, their lone win in 2016. ... Former Boise State offensive lineman Rees Odhiambo, a third-year pro, signed with the Colts’ practice squad. He was released by the Seahawks before the season. ... Boise State quarterback Brett Rypien is one of only two players in the nation with at least 10 touchdown passes and no interceptions. Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa is the other.
BOISE STATE AT WYOMING
When: 5 p.m. MT Saturday
Where: War Memorial Stadium (29,181; FieldTurf)
TV: CBS Sports Network (Carter Blackburn, Aaron Taylor, John Schriffen)
Radio: KBOI 670 AM/KTIK 93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)
Records: BSU 2-1 (lost 44-21 at Oklahoma State on Sept. 15); Wyoming 2-2 (beat Wofford 17-14 on Sept. 15)
Series: Boise State leads 11-1 (BSU won 24-14 last year in Boise)
Vegas line: Boise State by 16 1/2
Weather: High-60s, mostly cloudy, 15-20 mph wind
This story was originally published September 24, 2018 at 12:02 PM.