Boise State has been ‘stingy’ with the football, but its biggest test comes Saturday
Props of all kinds dot the Boise State football practice field, from pool noodles to pointed pads that look like puffy crayons to a boxing glove on the end of a PVC pipe.
They’re all there to do one thing: try to dislodge the ball from whoever has it.
It’s engrained in the minds of the Broncos’ offense that ball security is job security.
“It’s tiring for us to hear, but it pays off to listen,” junior running back Alexander Mattison said.
Senior quarterback Brett Rypien said that while the team is warming up, skill players will have the ball in their hands.
“The coaches will come and swipe at it. It’s a constant reminder of how important that thing is,” Rypien said.
Offensive coordinator Zak Hill couldn’t help but chuckle when thinking about how much of a focus it is for his side of the ball.
“Our guys understand it’s a huge deal,” Hill said. “We overemphasize it in practice. ... When we are able to take care of the football, we’re usually pretty successful.”
So far, so good for these Broncos. They’re tied for 20th nationally with 12 turnovers allowed, and have lost the ball just three times in their past five games.
This season, giving the ball up has been the difference between a comfortable win and one of those that make the natives a little restless. Boise State’s offense has turned the ball over in five games. The Broncos have lost two of those and won by a combined 16 points the other three. They’ve won by 30 points per game in those six contests in which they’ve not turned it over.
When the offense gives the ball up, the whole side of the ball does a little extra conditioning the next day.
“Nobody wants to run, that’s one thing,” Boise State coach Bryan Harsin said. “... It’s really up to us, we can control those things.”
The biggest test of that ability will come Saturday in No. 14 Utah State — the Aggies are No. 2 in the nation in takeaways, having forced 28 turnovers. They’re tied for No. 1 with 18 interceptions and they’ve run six back for touchdowns, including two in last Saturday’s 29-24 win at Colorado State in which their offense scored one touchdown.
“It’s something we put a big emphasis on this offseason. We did well in that last year (29), but felt we could have more opportunities,” Utah State linebacker David Woodward said in a phone interview with the Idaho Statesman. “I think we have the scheme, but also the personnel to create them.”
In a game that will decide the Mountain Division champion, the No. 21 Broncos know that if they don’t give the Aggies’ defense a chance to turn the tide, they have a good shot at the chance to play for another conference title.
“From my standpoint, got to be really stingy with the football. ... We can’t give the ball up,” Rypien said.
Aggies, Broncos move up in CFP rankings
The latest College Football Playoff rankings were released Tuesday night, and both Utah State and Boise State moved up two spots, to 21st and 23rd, respectively.
Only one other Group of Five school is ranked, Central Florida, at No. 9. The Knights (10-0) play at South Florida (7-4) on Friday.
Utah State at Boise State
When: 8:15 p.m. Saturday
Where: Albertsons Stadium (36,387; FieldTurf)
TV: ESPN (Roy Philpott, Tom Ramsey, Edward Aschoff)
Radio: KBOI 670 AM/KTIK 93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)
Records: BSU 9-2, 6-1 (won 45-14 at New Mexico on Friday); Utah State 10-1, 7-0 (won 29-24 at Colorado State on Saturday)
Series: Boise State leads 17-5 (Broncos won 41-14 on Oct. 28, 2017 in Logan)
Vegas line: Boise State by 2 1/2
Weather: Low 30s, mostly clear
Tickets: Office on the west side of Albertsons Stadium, visit BroncoSports.com/tickets or call 208-426-4737. Boise State reported 31,219 tickets were out as of 5 p.m. Monday.
This story was originally published November 20, 2018 at 6:22 PM.