Boise State QB ‘Hillbilly Hank’ focuses on timing, staying healthy in sophomore campaign
Hank Bachmeier wasn’t the first freshman to start at quarterback for Boise State football coach Bryan Harsin.
Harsin was the offensive coordinator in 2008 when Kellen Moore took the snaps as a redshirt freshman. He was the head coach when Brett Rypien started as a true freshman in 2015. He knows what it takes to progress as a quarterback in year two.
“Those guys spent a tremendous amount of time studying themselves, and they were pretty deliberate about exactly what they needed to work on,” Harsin told reporters earlier this month. “Both guys were really good at being aware of what that previous mistake was and not doing it again.”
Harsin’s goal for Bachmeier’s second year in the system is simple: Make new mistakes. That starts with the season opener Saturday against Utah State at Albertsons Stadium (5 p.m., FS1).
“That’s the simplest way I can put it for how I think a quarterback develops,” Harsin said. “You made mistakes the previous year. Don’t make the same mistakes. Make new ones.”
Bachmeier went 7-1 as the starter last season, threw for 1,879 yards and nine touchdowns and completed 62.5% of his passes. He also took too many hits behind the line of scrimmage and on quarterback runs, which led to him missing six games, including the Mountain West championship.
“I think for one season I had everything and the kitchen sink thrown at me, from getting injured and coming back and struggling,” Bachmeier said during a media call. “Reflecting back, I think there’s a lot of room for growth.”
Bachmeier was knocked out of the Broncos’ regular-season win over Hawaii after taking a shot on a quarterback run, which sidelined him for Boise State’s loss to BYU. He returned to lead a come-from-behind win at San Jose State, but suffered a shoulder injury, which kept him out until Boise State’s loss to Washington in the Las Vegas Bowl.
His focus this offseason has been on taking less punishment, and staying healthy may be more important than ever this fall. Redshirt junior Chase Cord is still rehabbing from offseason surgery and injuries suffered last season, which leaves USC transfer Jack Sears and freshmen Andy Peters and Cade Fennegan as the only options behind him.
“There’s definitely a fine line for when you have to push it or when you have to take (a hit) or slide or get out of bounds or throw it away,” Bachmeier said. “You don’t have to do everything on one play.”
New offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau said improving Bachmeier’s footwork will help him deliver passes on time, which will lead to fewer collisions.
“He was a little all over the map last year,” Kiesau told reporters. “How you play the game at quarterback is getting in a rhythm so you don’t have to think about some of those fundamentals and just go play the game with your eyes downfield.”
Bachmeier spent plenty of time this offseason working on his own to make sure each step in his drop matches the timing of the routes his receivers are running.
“All your footwork times up with a specific route concept,” Bachmeier said. “Am I too slow? Am I too fast? Am I double hitching? We’ve been working on all those things to get the timing down.”
Avoiding a sophomore slump has been on the forefront of Bachmeier’s mind, but spring ball was canceled and offseason workouts were limited because of COVID-19, which left him with a little more free time than usual.
He spent part of it earning the nickname “Hillbilly Hank.”
The Murrieta, California, native hadn’t explored much of Idaho outside of Boise and he had never ridden a horse before making a trip to teammate Tyler Eiguren’s family ranch in Fruitland.
He had to borrow boots and a hat and didn’t even own a pair of jeans before his first ride. Since then, he went out and bought his own cowboy hat, boots and jeans, and he even added a belt buckle.
“Man, I loved it,” he said. “I’m all in on ‘Hillbilly Hank,’ and I’m loving it here (in Idaho) more and more.”
Whether he’s perfecting his footwork, learning how to slide or tweaking his riding form, Bachmeier needs to improve in every facet in year two.
“You can never stay the same as a player,” Kiesau said. “You either get better or you get worse. Hopefully you’re not getting worse, so he’s got to continue to improve and constantly have that mindset.”
Boise State cheat sheet
Last season: The Broncos finished 12-2, completing their first undefeated run through the Mountain West and claiming their second conference championship in three years. The season ended with a 38-7 loss to Washington in the Las Vegas Bowl.
Number to know: 11. Behind freshman George Holani, the Broncos extended their nation-leading streak of seasons with a 1,000-yard rusher to 11 straight.
Players to watch
Hank Bachmeier, QB — Bachmeier went 7-1 as the starter last season and completed 62.5% of his passes, but he missed six games due to injuries.
George Holani, RB — As a freshman, Holani carried the ball 192 times for 1,014 yards and totaled 10 touchdowns: seven rushing and three receiving.
JL Skinner, S — At 6-foot-4 and 214 pounds, Skinner is an imposing presence in the Broncos’ secondary, and with Kekoa Nawhine (graduation), Jordan Happle (transfer) and D’Andre Pierce (transfer) gone, he’s sure to play a larger role this season.
Khalil Shakir, WR — Shakir should be among the best wide receivers in the conference this season. Last fall, he led the Broncos with 63 catches and finished second with 872 yards and six receiving touchdowns. He also ran for three touchdowns and threw one.
CT Thomas, WR — A speedy slot receiver, Thomas was third on the team last season with 41 catches for 522 yards and five touchdowns.
Demitri Washington, STUD — The Broncos have to replace leading pass rusher Curtis Weaver this season, and Washington is the favorite to fill his shoes. He appeared in all 14 games last season and tallied 4.5 sacks.
Scale Igiehon, NT — The 6-2, 293-pound junior is expected to be the centerpiece of the defensive line, which is replacing three starters. Last season, he appeared in all 14 games and earned praise from his coaches for his performance in the Las Vegas Bowl.
Jalen Walker, CB — Boise State’s top cornerback, Walker returned his only interception of last season for a touchdown at Colorado State. He led the team last fall with nine pass breakups and finished fifth with 53 tackles.
Avery Williams, CB — Williams was named 2019 Mountain West Special teams Player of the Year after returning two punts for touchdowns. He also started every game at cornerback last season.
Newcomers to watch
Jack Sears, QB — A former four-star recruit coming out of high school, Sears joined the Broncos this year after spending the past three seasons at USC. He’s likely to enter the season at No. 2 on the depth chart with Chase Cord still rehabbing from injuries suffered last season.
Jonathan Earl, CB — A junior college transfer from Golden West College, Earl has the athleticism and size (6-2, 190) to play cornerback or safety.
Shane Irwin, DL — A junior college transfer from Long Beach City College, Irwin is a leading candidate to step in for defensive end Chase Hatada, who is one of three interior linemen the Broncos have to replace this season.
Uzo Usoji, OT — A graduate transfer from Rice, Usoji is competing to start at right tackle after John Ojukwu switched to the left side.
Semaj Verner, S — One of the headliners of the Broncos’ 2020 recruiting class, Verner has the athleticism to play cornerback, but all the turnover at safety may give him a chance to see the field sooner than expected.
Sleepers
Scott Matlock, DT — Hailing from Homedale, Matlock will be a central figure on the interior of a defensive line trying to replace veterans David Moa and Sonatane Lui.
Stefan Cobbs, WR — Cobbs appeared in six games last season, including the Broncos’ loss in the Las Vegas Bowl, where he caught two passes for 13 yards.
Markel Reed, CB — Reed appeared in 11 games last season, and with Avery Williams potentially returning kicks and punts on top of starting at cornerback, he may see the field even more this fall.
Key position battle: Redshirt senior Donte Harrington and redshirt sophomore Kekaniokoa Holomalia-Gonzalez are competing to start at center. Harrington missed all of last season with a torn ACL. Holomalia-Gonzalez appeared in five games last fall.
Schedule
Oct. 24: Utah State, 5 p.m., FS1
Oct. 31: at Air Force, 4 p.m., CBSSN
Nov. 6 (Friday): BYU, 7:45 p.m., FS1
Nov. 12 (Thursday): Colorado State, 6 p.m., FS1
Nov. 21: at Hawaii, 9 p.m., CBSSN
Nov. 28: San Jose State, TBA, FS1 or FS2
Dec. 4 (Friday): at UNLV, 7:30 p.m., CBSSN
Dec. 12: at Wyoming, 4 p.m., CBSSN
All times Mountain
