Learning to appreciate the weirdness of Boise State’s successful, ‘special’ home opener

When Boise State football coach Bryan Harsin asked his fellow coaches around the country what it was like playing in front of no fans, they all said the same thing: “It’s gonna be weird.”

On Saturday at Albertsons Stadium, it was weird.

Signs along University Drive proclaimed that it was Homecoming. With no tailgates, no band, no Buster, no Kohl The Tee Dog, it felt more like a surprise party where the host forgot to send out invitations.

When public address announcer Bob Rosenthal did his usual “And that’s another …” it was met with an eerie silence — so he just answered “first down!” himself for all 25 the Broncos had against Utah State in a 42-13 victory.

The 700 or so cardboard cutouts in the stands obviously could not muster a slow rise to jet engine decibel levels when Boise State had a big play.

Over the past two seasons, opponents have committed 48 false-start penalties on the blue turf, the most by visitors at any venue in the country.

“They had a false start, and I was like, ‘The crowd’s not even here.’ I was hoping that would continue, that the spirit of Albertsons Stadium would get them to false start several more times,” Harsin said. “… I was like, ‘Man, if our crowd was here … ’”

The only thing that didn’t feel weird Saturday was the result — a rout in which the talent difference between the Broncos and their Mountain West opponent was glaring all night long.

But amid a sea of strangeness, there were moments that put it all in perspective. Things are going to be very different this season, and everyone has to embrace it.

One of those cardboard cutouts featured not a photo of one person, but two: ex-Boise State linebacker Hunter White smiling with the late Dan Paul, a linebacker-turned-fullback who died in July 2019.

The photo of the duo, roommates on the road as freshmen, shows them celebrating outside of Autzen Stadium in Eugene after beating Oregon in 2008. Only in this situation could the pair symbolically be on hand.

“I thought it was a pretty good excuse to be able to watch a few more Bronco games with Dan,” White said. “I wanted to do one anyway, but as soon as I thought of that photo, I had to do it. It brought my spirits up, and with everything going on, you need to put some good vibes out there.”

No doubt, the Broncos felt that positivity, kicking off nearly two months after initially planned — two months after it looked like there would not even be a Mountain West season this fall.

Alas, the abbreviated season is here, and the team soaked it in.

“To be able to go out there and play today was something special,” senior linebacker Riley Whimpey said.

Sophomore quarterback Hank Bachmeier equated the game to a practice-type feeling, saying simply, “I missed our fans.” Whimpey’s mom, Barb, started a Change.org petition to allow players’ families to attend games.

“She could’ve tried to break in and she could be in jail right now,” Whimpey said with a laugh.

Whimpey’s family watched the game at a nearby restaurant on FS1, the new TV home for the Broncos’ home games. There was a 15-minute slide so that kickoff was a tad later than planned, so hey, there’s something normal for you, Boise State fans!

It remains to be seen whether any fans will be attending any of the three remaining home games. Idaho’s COVID-19 numbers are continuously climbing and not showing signs of slowing. One Mountain West game slated for Saturday — New Mexico at Colorado State — was canceled last week. Four bowl games already have been canceled.

No Boise State players missed Saturday’s game because of the coronavirus, but Harsin said “we may not be in the same situation next week, the teams we play may not.”

After waiting 10 months to play since the Las Vegas Bowl, after thinking there might not even be a season, after settling for an eight-game regular season, there is a sense of appreciating each game — not knowing what the next will hold.

You saw it in Boise State’s trick-play attempt to have left guard Garrett Curran (unsuccessfully) run the ball. You saw running back George Holani punt.

The Broncos have had a lot of time to think and not a lot of time to play.

“We’re enjoying the process of it … because we don’t know, today we could’ve got a call that Utah State couldn’t play,” Harsin said.

So savor the good, football fans, such as the connection between Bachmeier and junior receiver Khalil Shakir — and even the bad, such as the punt that hit tight end John Bates in the back for a 38-yard loss, aka the Negative 38 Special.

It is going to be weird, and it’s going to be memorable, because there (hopefully) will never be anything like this season again.