Who has the edge and players to watch as Boise State takes on Florida State
WHO HAS THE EDGE?
When the Broncos run the ball
Tailback Alexander Mattison had a strong season last year, but the Broncos still must improve their run game. They averaged 4.2 yards per carry and scored more touchdowns through the air (31) than on the ground (24).
That improvement starts up front, where offensive line coach Brad Bedell has pushed his five returning starters to live up to the expectations that come with their veteran status. Junior tailback Robert Mahone, the new starter, needs to prove he can be a consistent runner while carrying the type of workload he didn’t even have in high school. Sophomore Andrew Van Buren and true freshman George Holani provide a good mixture of backs and could challenge Mahone for top billing.
Florida State’s defense didn’t match its reputation last year, allowing 1,772 rushing yards. But the Seminoles only surrendered 3.5 yards per carry and they faced 107 more plays than their opponents as their offense flopped.
Edge: Push
When the Broncos pass the ball
We’ll find out quickly how good true freshman quarterback Hank Bachmeier could be. If he plays smart, composed football on the road against Florida State, you can safety expect a breakout season.
Bachmeier does have weapons around him, including big-play wide receiver John Hightower, old-reliable Akilian Butler, playmakers CT Thomas and Khalil Shakir and — finally? — the rangy Octavius Evans. Plus, John Bates is back at tight end.
But Bachmeier will face a Florida State defense with speed he never has seen — and the Seminoles likely are more than a little agitated after hearing about last year’s messy season for nine months.
Edge: Florida State
When the Seminoles run the ball
Junior running back Cam Akers might be the biggest beneficiary of the new Kendal Briles offense, which will spread defenses out and give him all kinds of room to maneuver. Akers averaged 4.4 yards per carry last season behind a miserable offensive line and with an inefficient quarterback.
“They’ll run the ball right at you,” Boise State defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding said.
The Seminoles needed to rebuild the offensive line, and have. It remains to be seen how much that group has improved.
The Broncos were sound against the run last season, allowing 3.6 yards per carry and permitting only two running backs to rush for 100 yards. The defense benefits from the returns of defensive tackle David Moa (Achilles), linebacker Riley Whimpey (ACL) and safety DeAndre Pierce (spleen). Its strength should be stopping the run.
Edge: Push
When the Seminoles pass the ball
Sophomore James Blackman returns to the starting quarterback spot after redshirting (with one start) last season. He was pressed into duty unexpectedly as a true freshman in 2017, gaining valuable experience. He torched North Carolina State for 421 yards and four touchdowns last season in his lone start.
All-ACC wide receiver Tamorrion Terry returns after setting a school freshman record with 744 receiving yards (eight TDs). He averaged 21.3 yards per catch and 39.1 yards per TD catch. D.J. Matthews also returns (42 catches) and Tre’ McKitty is a productive tight end (26 catches).
That group will face a Boise State secondary that returns four of five starters but must get much better this year. The Broncos allowed a quarterback rating of 140.45 last season with a 62.8 percent completion rate and 17 touchdowns with just seven interceptions. The only saving stat for the pass defense: 39 sacks, led by STUD end Curtis Weaver (9.5).
Edge: Florida State
Special teams
The Broncos were so bad on special teams last year that coach Bryan Harsin pulled the coordinator title from Kent Riddle, who had been his special teams coach for six years and on the same coaching staff with him for 11. Transfer Eric Sachse steps into the kicker role, coming from a Division III school, and kickoff specialist Joel Velazquez takes over the punting job.
Florida State returns kicker Ricky Aguayo, who made two 50-yarders last year but was just 11-for-17 overall. Punter Logan Tyler averaged 43.2 yards per boot and banged more than a quarter of his whopping 82 punts 50-plus yards. The Seminoles made some mistakes in kick coverage last year.
Edge: Florida State
PLAYERS TO WATCH
BOISE STATE
Octavius Evans, WR
Evans was a popular breakout pick during fall camp last season after coach Bryan Harsin allowed him to wear jersey No. 1. Evans played in five games in 2018 and made just two catches for 12 yards as he struggled to fully recover from a high-ankle sprain he sustained in fall camp. Evans then missed spring ball with a broken foot.
“If there’s one thing about Octavius, he’s definitely a competitor,” Boise State receivers coach Eric Kiseau said. “It drives him crazy, it kills him that he can’t be out there sometimes because of an injury. ... But he’s been doing a really good job getting healthy and getting back. Because we did miss him last year, I’m really excited to see where he gets this year.”
Robert Mahone, RB
Inconsistency held Mahone back in the past, but Boise State coaches say the 5-foot-10, 218-pound redshirt junior is all in this season — both on the field and off. He rushed for 115 yards on 35 carries in 2017 and 128 yards on 32 carries in 2018 and has one career touchdown.
“Rob’s been one of those guys through his career that was always kind of inconsistent, and we always wanted to see the consistency with him,” Boise State offensive coordinator Zak Hill said. “He always had the talent and the athleticism and balance and vision. It was just the consistency, and he’s gained that.”
Curtis Weaver, STUD
The redshirt junior was named a preseason All-American by the Sporting News (second team) and Athlon Sports (fourth team) as well as the Mountain West’s Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. He ranks sixth all-time in Boise State history with 20.5 sacks and needs just three more to take over sole possession of third place on the list.
“From an athletic standpoint, you knew what he was all about. I didn’t know him personally before this,” Boise State defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding said. “... He’s a fun kid to be around. But one thing about Curtis, too, is everybody talks about him joking around and then what he does on the field, but he’s got a lot of leadership qualities, too. And the thing people don’t talk about is how smart of a football player he is. As a coach, you’ve got to make sure to challenge him in the room.”
FLORIDA STATE
Cam Akers, RB
The five-star recruit, a native of Clinton, Mississippi, was ranked the No. 7 player in the nation in 2017 and No. 1 running back by 247Sports.com. He ran for 1,024 yards as a freshman, breaking FSU’s freshman record, previously held by Dalvin Cook. He collected 706 rushing yards as a sophomore and has 13 career rushing TDs.
“Cam is one of the best running backs that I’ve ever been around,” Florida State offensive coordinator Kendal Briles told the Tallahassee Democrat. “He is in an awesome spot. He’s a tremendous kid, he’s a great teammate. He’s worked his butt off the entire summer.”
James Blackman, QB
The redshirt sophomore was named the Seminoles’ starter Sunday over Wisconsin transfer Alex Hornibrook and Louisville transfer Jordan Travis. In 2017, Blackman replaced the injured Deondre Francois as a true freshman, completing 58.2 percent of his passes with 19 touchdowns. Francois returned as the quarterback last season, and Blackman was limited to four games and one start, which allowed him to redshirt.
“I think he does have great abilities,” Briles told USA Today. “He’s not the best runner in the world, he’s not the strongest arm in the world. But when you put everything together, he’s a dang good quarterback.”
Marvin Wilson, DT
The 6-5, 311-pound junior landed on The Associated Press preseason All-America second team. He appeared in all 12 of the Seminoles’ games last season and totaled 42 tackles — including 4.5 for loss with 3.5 sacks — four quarterback hurries, two pass breakups and one forced fumble. He’s eager to test Boise State’s true freshman quarterback Hank Bachmeier.
“You definitely want to lay the quarterback on the ground, any quarterback, even if it is a freshman,” Wilson told the Orlando Sentinel. “You want to get him on the ground. No quarterback likes getting hit. So put a lot of pressure on him, get him on the ground, get him rattled. So he can start getting the ball turned over.”
BOISE STATE DEPTH CHART
Quarterback
19 Hank Bachmeier, 6-1, 202 (Fr.)
10 Chase Cord, 6-2, 208 (RSo.)
9 Jaylon Henderson, 6-1, 210 (RSr.)
Running back
34 Robert Mahone, 5-10, 218 (RJr.)
21 Andrew Van Buren, 6-0, 223 (So.)
24 George Holani, 5-11, 192 (Fr.)
Wide receiver
16 John Hightower, 6-2, 172 (Sr.)
1 Octavius Evans, 6-1, 209 (Jr.)
Wide receiver
6 CT Thomas, 5-8, 182 (Jr.) OR
2 Khalil Shakir, 6-0, 186 (So.)
Wide receiver
7 Akilian Butler, 5-10, 182 (RSr.)
82 Stefan Cobbs, 6-0, 178 (RFr.)
18 Billy Bowens, 6-1, 187 (RFr.)
Tight end
85 John Bates, 6-6, 255 (RJr.)
5 Garrett Collingham, 6-4, 242 (RSr.)
47 Matt Pistone, 6-3, 246 (RSr.)
88 Tyneil Hopper, 6-2, 231 (RFr.)
Left tackle
76 Ezra Cleveland, 6-6, 310 (RJr.)
73 Nick Crabtree, 6-7, 295 (RJr.)
Left guard
77 John Molchon, 6-5, 318 (RSr.)
72 Dallas Holliday, 6-3, 306 (RFr.)
Center
67 Garrett Larson, 6-4, 303 (RSr.)
55 Kekaniokoa Holomalia-Gonzalez, 6-2, 293 (RFr.)
Right guard
79 Eric Quevedo, 6-4, 302 (RSr.)
68 Jake Stetz, 6-2, 294 (RSo.)
Right tackle
70 John Ojukwu, 6-6, 300 (RSo.)
69 Garrett Curran, 6-5, 292 (RFr.)
Defensive end
93 Chase Hatada, 6-3, 262 (Sr.)
54 Matt Locher, 6-2, 270 (RSr.) OR
40 Jabari Watson, 6-1, 269 (RJr.)
Nose tackle
98 Sonatane Lui, 6-1, 283 (Sr.)
57 Emmanuel Fesili, 6-2, 312 (Sr.) OR
90 Scale Igiehon, 6-2, 306 (So.)
Defensive tackle
55 David Moa, 6-3, 296 (6YSr.)
62 Scott Matlock, 6-4, 283 (RFr.)
STUD end
99 Curtis Weaver, 6-3, 265 (RJr.)
38 Demetri Washington, 6-3, 254 (RFr.)
Weak-side linebacker
44 Riley Whimpey, 6-1, 233 (Jr.)
48 Bruno DeRose, 5-11, 223 (RJr.) OR
3 Brandon Hawkins, 6-2, 217 (RFr.)
Middle linebacker
7 Ezekiel Noa, 5-11, 242 (RSo.)
25 Benton Wickersham, 6-2, 230 (Jr.)
Nickel/strong-side LB
28 Kekaula Kaniho, 5-10, 182 (Jr.)
20 Roman Kafentzis, 6-1, 212 (RSo.)
Cornerback
26 Avery Williams, 5-9, 198 (RJr.)
8 Markel Reed, 6-0, 176 (Fr.)
Cornerback
15 Jalen Walker, 6-0, 179 (RJr.)
22 Tyric LeBeauf, 6-2, 180 (RFr.)
Boundary Safety
10 Kekoa Nawahine, 6-2, 207 (Sr.)
33 JL Skinner, 6-4, 213 (Fr.)
Field Safety
4 DeAndre Pierce, 5-11, 180 (RJr.)
5 Evan Tyler, 6-2, 195 (RSr.)
Kicker
36 Eric Sachse, 5-10, 198 (RSr.)
46 Joel Velazquez, 6-0, 225 (RJr.)
Kick returner
16 John Hightower, 6-2, 172 (Sr.)
26 Avery Williams, 5-9, 198 (RJr.)
Punter
46 Joel Velazquez, 6-0, 225 (RJr.)
36 Eric Sachse, 5-10, 198 (RSr.)
Punt returner
26 Avery Williams, 5-9, 198 (RJr.)
2 Khalil Shakir, 6-0, 186 (So.)
FLORIDA STATE DEPTH CHART
Quarterback
1 James Blackman, 6-5, 195 (RSo.)
12 Alex Hornibrook, 6-4, 220 (RSr.)
13 Jordan Travis, 6-1, 208 (RFr.)
Running back
3 Cam Akers, 5-11, 210 (Jr.)
4 Khalan Laborn, 5-11, 205 (RSo.)
10 Anthony Grant, 5-11, 197 (So.)
Wide receiver
15 Tamorrion Terry, 6-4, 203 (RSo.)
11 Warren Thompson, 6-3, 201 (RFr.)
28 D’Marcus Adams, 6-0, 180 (RFr.)
Wide receiver
7 D.J. Matthews, 5-10, 156 (Jr.) OR
20 Keyshawn Helton, 5-9, 170 (So.) OR
88 Tre’Shaun Harrison, 6-2, 191 (So.)
Wide receiver
89 Keith Gavin, 6-3, 212 (Sr.) OR
80 Ontaria Wilson, 6-0, 170 (RSo.)
83 Jordan Young, 6-2, 192 (RFr.)
Tight end
6 Tre’ McKitty, 6-5, 245 (Jr.) OR
87 Camren McDonald, 6-4, 231 (So.) OR
32 Gabe Nabers, 6-3, 243 (Sr.)
Left tackle
73 Jauan Williams, 6-7, 310 (RJr.)
75 Abdul Bello, 6-6, 315 (RSr.)
Left guard
59 Brady Scott, 6-6, 312 (RSo.)
77 Christian Armstrong, 6-4, 320 (RFr.)
Center
51 Baveon Johnson, 6-3, 305 (RJr.)
60 Andrew Boselli, 6-5, 308 (RJr.)
Right guard
55 Dontae Lucas, 6-3, 315 (Fr.) OR
72 Mike Arnold, 6-5, 340 (RJr.)
Right tackle
56 Ryan Roberts, 6-6, 300 (RSr.)
71 Chaz Neal, 6-7, 305 (RFr.)
Edge
35 Leonard Warner III, 6-4, 241 (Jr.)
33 Amari Gainer, 6-3, 215 (RFr.)
Defensive tackle
16 Cory Durden, 6-5, 305 (RSo.)
49 Cedric Wood, 6-3, 318 (RJr.)
Nose tackle
91 Robert Cooper, 6-2, 346 (So.)
90 Tru Thompson, 6-0, 315 (Fr.)
Defensive tackle
21 Marvin Wilson, 6-5, 311 (Jr.)
58 Dennis Briggs Jr., 6-4, 268 (RFr.)
Edge
11 Janarius Robinson, 6-5, 261 (RJr.)
13 Joshua Kaindoh, 6-7, 261 (Jr.)
Linebacker
6 Jaiden Lars-Woodbey, 6-3, 223 (So.)
28 DeCalon Brooks, 5-10, 209 (RSo.)
Linebacker
5 Dontavious Jackson, 6-3, 229 (Sr.)
56 Emmett Rice, 6-2, 220 (RJr.)
Cornerback
26 Asante Samuel Jr., 5-10, 180 (So.)
36 Renardo Green, 6-0, 174 (Fr.)
Cornerback
8 Stanford Samuels III, 6-2, 185 (Jr.)
14 Kyle Meyers, 6-0, 174 (Sr.)
Free Safety
Hamsah Nasirildeen, 6-4, 215 (Jr.)
15 Carlos Becker III, 6-2, 200 (RJr.) OR
27 Akeem Dent, 6-1, 182 (Fr.)
Strong Safety
1 Levonta Taylor, 5-10, 190 (Sr.)
24 Cyrus Fagan, 6-1, 191 (Jr.)
Kicker
23 Ricky Aguayo, 6-2, 215 (Sr.)
36 Parker Grothaus, 6-2, 220 (RSo.)
Kick returner
89 Keith Gavin, 6-3, 212 (Sr.)
14 Deonte Sheffield, 5-11, 205 (RSo.)
Punter
21 Logan Tyler, 6-0, 191 (Sr.)
30 Tommy Martin, 5-11, 191 (RSo.)
Punt returner
7 D.J. Matthews, 5-10, 156 (Jr.)
18 Travis Jay, 6-2, 185 (Fr.)
