Final: Shakir, Holani crack century mark in Boise State’s season-opening win vs. Utah State
Wide receiver Khalil Shakir and running back George Holani were expected to play major roles in Boise State’s offense in 2020.
The pair delivered more than enough in the Broncos’ 42-13 season-opening victory over Utah State on Saturday at Albertsons Stadium.
Shakir caught seven passes for a career-high 123 yards and two touchdowns, and also added three carries for 34 yards. Holani contributed 100 yards and one touchdown on the ground and also caught three passes for 33 yards and a score.
Sophomore Hank Bachmeier got the start at quarterback as expected and finished with a QB rating of 187.2. Bachmeier completed 20-of-28 passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns, and added a 6-yard TD run in the second quarter.
Linebacker Ezekiel Noa led the BSU defense with eight tackles, including one for loss. Riley Whimpey and Sam Whitney had seven tackles apiece.
Fans were not permitted to attend Saturday’s game because Ada County is in a modified version of Stage 3 of the Idaho Rebounds plan, which does not allow for gatherings of larger than 50 people. They would have liked what they saw.
“Following conversations with local health authorities, Boise State has determined it is in the best interest for the health and safety of our community to forgo having fans in Albertsons Stadium for football games at this point in time,” the university said in a statement.
Boise State also said it will “continue to monitor the situation in the Treasure Valley throughout the course of the season.”
Check out hat happened with our scoring summary, news and notes, and tweets below:
SCORING SUMMARY
First quarter
BSU — George Holani 1-yard run (Jonah Dalmas kick), 7:28. Key plays: Holani carried the ball four times for 23 yards on the drive. Quarterback-turned-tight end Riley Smith caught a 16-yard pass from Hank Bachmeier to get Boise State to the Aggies’ 20-yard line. Drive: 9 plays, 79 yards, 3:56. Boise State 7, Utah State 0
Second quarter
BSU — Khalil Shakir 52 pass from Bachmeier (Dalmas kick), 13:58. Key play: The Aggies lost track of Shakir, leaving him wide open for Bachmeier down the middle. Drive: 1 play, 52 yards, 0:08. Boise State 14, Utah State 0
BSU — Bachmeier 6 run (Dalmas kick), 3:23. Key plays: Holani got the Broncos down to the 14-yard line on a 13-yard gain, courtesy of left guard Garrett Curran. The Broncos used some creativity on the drive with runs from Shakir, CT Thomas and a Stef Cobbs (on a double reverse). Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 4:45. Boise State 21, Utah State 0
BSU — Holani 17 pass from Bachmeier (Dalmas kick), 0:25. Key plays: The Broncos picked up the pace by going no-huddle on this drive. Bachmeier managed the clock well, completing six passes to four different receivers. Holani broke at least four tackles on his way to the end zone. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 1:59. Boise State 28, Utah State 0
Third quarter
USU — Jaylen Warren 1 run (Nels Haltom kick), 2:05. Key play: On third-and-4 from the Broncos’ 35-yard line, Warren escaped the Bronco defense for a 22-yard gain and had eight carries for 48 yards on the drive. Drive: 16 plays, 80 yards, 6:42. Boise State 28, Utah State 7
Fourth quarter
USU — Warren 2 run (kick failed), 11:57. Key play: Boise State’s Joel Velazquez booted a punt off the back of teammate John Bates, resulting in a punt of -38 yards. The Aggies started on the Broncos’ 21-yard line. Drive: 6 plays, 21 yards, 2:47. Boise State 28, Utah State 13
BSU — Shakir 18 pass from Bachmeier (Dalmas kick), 8:29. Key play: Holani broke off a 34-yard run to get the Broncos into Aggie territory. Utah State safety Shaq Bond made the shoestring tackle on Holani; otherwise he would have been gone for a touchdown. Drive: 7 plays, 83 yards, 3:22. Boise State 35, Utah State 13
BSU — Andrew Van Buren 5 run (Dalmas kick), 1:37. Key plays: The Aggies went for it on fourth-and-15 from their own 37, but Jason Shelley’s pass was incomplete. The Broncos then took advantage of the good field position. Backup QB Jack Sears opened the drive with a 15-yard pass to Shakir. Drive: 6 plays, 37 yards, 3:07. Boise State 42, Utah State 13
NEWS & NOTES
Broncos missing some key backups
Boise State was without 29 players for Saturday’s season opener, but none were out because of positive COVID-19 tests, the university announced.
The Mountain West is allowing teams to dress only 74 players for games this season. Boise State has 103 players on the roster, which means the Broncos won’t dress 29 each week.
Boise State didn’t specify which players were out because of injuries or disciplinary issues, but a few key backups were not in uniform, including junior college transfer defensive back Jonathan Earl, true freshman safety Semaj Verner and graduate transfer Johnny Messina, a kicker.
The Broncos don’t have much in the way of depth in the backfield, either. Junior college transfer Taequan Tyler is out for the season after tearing his Achilles, and redshirt sophomore Danny Smith is recovering from offseason surgery. Freshman Obi Gee is also out, which leaves just George Holani, Andrew Van Buren and walk-on Tyler Crowe to carry the load each week.
Rocky Mountain High grads contribute
Two Rocky Mountain High graduates got on the field Saturday.
True freshman kicker Jonah Dalmas was 6-for-6 on extra points. Nose tackle Keeghan Freeborn, a redshirt sophomore, recorded the second tackle of his BSU career to close out the first half and totaled three tackles in the game.
Dalmas has played soccer since he was young, but didn’t try kicking a football until the eighth grade. He kicked for Rocky Mountain’s freshman team in 2013 and moved into a starting role on the varsity squad in 2014. He is a 2017 Rocky Mountain graduate. He then went on a two-year church mission before joining the Broncos.
As a senior, Dalmas led the state in goals (21) and assists (15), garnering 2016-17 Gatorade Idaho Boys Soccer Player of the Year honors.
Freeborn, a 2018 graduate, played four years on the Grizzlies’ offensive line, but transitioned to the defensive line at Boise State. He redshirted in 2018 to give him ample time to learn the nuances of his new position and heal a lingering ankle injury he sustained in his final season at Rocky Mountain. He played in three games last year, making a tackle against UNLV.
Freeborn is a former 5A state champion wrestler.
QUICK HITS
The Broncos wore blue pants, blue jerseys and blue helmets. ... Tight end John Bates was the single-game captain. ... Avery Williams participated in the coin toss for the Broncos. ... Octavius Evans carried the Dan Paul Hammer, John Ojukwu carried the American flag and Kekaula Kaniho carried the Bleed Blue flag. ... He was limited in camp while rehabbing from injuries sustained last season and offseason ankle surgery, but Boise State QB Chase Cord dressed for the game. ... After competing for the job with Donte Harrington in camp, Kekaniokoa Holomalia-Gonzalez got the start at center. ... Utah State was missing a major weapon in special teams ace Savon Scarver. ... Boise State safety Tyreque Jones left with 5:40 remaining in the third quarter with a possible ankle injury. ... Brothers Ezekiel Noa (Boise State LB) and Elelyon Noa (Utah State RB) went head-to-head on several plays. The older brother, Ezekiel, tackled Elelyon at least once. The two shared a hug at the 50-yard line after the game. ... Tyric LeBeauf capped off Boise State’s win with an interception.
THIS WEEK’S COVERAGE
Boise State safety Skinner to debut new number; Schmedding has history with Aggies’ OC
Keys to victory, matchups and predictions for Boise State football’s opener vs. Utah State
Pandemic football: 5 ways Boise State’s opener will look unlike anything you’ve seen before
Boise State AD Apsey steps down to focus on fundraising; interim replacement named
Sibling rivalry: Boise State’s Noa will play for family bragging rights in season opener
Boise State’s backup QB hasn’t played in a game since 2018; Washington filling many roles
Boise State dips into Texas to add second defensive back to 2021 recruiting class
Boise State QB ‘Hillbilly Hank’ focuses on timing, staying healthy in sophomore campaign
Boise State’s new linebacker could be a versatile weapon. ‘He’s got a maturity about him.’
Boise State adds first DB to 2021 class; No fans at games in Albertsons Stadium for now
This story was originally published October 24, 2020 at 4:39 PM.
