Resilient Boise State defense eager to face New Mexico’s new-look offense

There were always two days on the schedule the Boise State defense used to circle with just the slightest amount of dread — the triple option teams.

Air Force still uses the run-heavy attack, but New Mexico has slowly grown out of it, fully embracing a more balanced look this season under a new offensive coordinator.

“It’s not that much of the triple option and things like that ... they like to pass the ball more, so we’ve got to go out and play our type of defense,” Boise State senior STUD end Jabril Frazier said.

The Lobos had finished No. 1 nationally in rushing in 2016 and no worse than ninth the four seasons prior. They were 19th last season as they added more spread and shotgun elements, but are 73rd nationally this season with 163 yards rushing per game.

New Mexico coach Bob Davie brought in OC Calvin Magee this offseason, and he’s implemented a spread-option system that was very successful in his years with Rich Rodriguez in West Virginia and Arizona, particularly.

“It’s been a breath of fresh air for everybody, because we’ve been in the same scheme for six years,” Davie told the Albuquerque Journal before the season.

The Lobos are averaging 198.5 yards passing per game, and have thrown it 257 times thus far — astronomical compared with recent seasons. Three quarterbacks have started, with junior Sheriron Jones and senior Coltin Gerhart possibly both playing Friday. New Mexico is averaging 14.0 yards per completion, which is No. 20 nationally.

“They’re a little bit different than what we’ve seen in the past, they still have the option component, a little more spread, zone read than what they’ve been ... seems like they’ve got an identity of what they want to do, they’re just working on it at this point,” Boise State coach Bryan Harsin said.

It surely is a welcome change for the Broncos, not having to prepare for the physical triple option, especially with so many injuries that have altered the face of the defense.

“We’re looking at a regular offense like another team, so that should be good,” sophomore STUD end Curtis Weaver said.

Sophomore safety Jordan Happle and redshirt freshman linebacker Zeke Noa made their first starts last week and are slated to do so again in Albuquerque, while the likes of sophomore defensive tackle Jabari Watson and senior linebacker Blake Whitlock have stepped into much larger roles the last two weeks.

Leave it to the gregarious Weaver to find a silver lining, that the injuries have meant new roles for plenty of Broncos.

“It’s just the next man up mentality, it’s fun moving people around, everyone gets to get on the field and do something they’ve never done, when it’s productive, it’s a great thing to see,” Weaver said.

LATE START FOR UTAH STATE GAME

In news that should surprise just about nobody, the Boise State football team will be playing a late-night game at Albertsons Stadium in its regular season finale.

The Mountain West and ESPN announced Monday that Saturday, Nov. 24’s game between Boise State and Utah State will kick off at 8:15 p.m. MT. The game will be televised on ESPN or ESPN2, to be announced after this weekend’s games.

Provided Boise State beats New Mexico on Friday, the Nov. 24 game will be for the Mountain Division, the winner going to the Mountain West championship game Dec. 1. Utah State (9-1 overall, 6-0 Mountain West) is ranked No. 14 in the AP Top 25 and has the No. 1 scoring offense in the nation.

No. 23 BOISE STATE AT NEW MEXICO

When: 7 p.m. Friday

Where: Dreamstyle Stadium (39,422; FieldTurf); Albuquerque, N.M.

TV: CBS Sports Network (Carter Blackburn, Aaron Taylor, John Schriffen); Cable One ch. 139/1139, DirecTV ch. 221, Dish Network ch. 158

Radio: KBOI 670 AM/KTIK 93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)

Records: BSU 8-2, 5-1 (won 24-17 vs. Fresno State on Friday); New Mexico 3-7, 1-5 (lost 42-24 at Air Force on Saturday)

Series: Boise State leads 8-1 (Broncos won 28-14 on Sept. 14, 2017, in Boise)

Vegas line: Boise State by 20 1/2

Weather: Mid-40s, clear

This story was originally published November 12, 2018 at 6:11 PM.