Boise State climbs in AP, coaches polls after passing road test at Air Force
The Boise State football team climbed four spots to No. 21 in the latest AP Top 25 poll on Sunday and cracked the top 25 in the coaches poll, coming in at No. 23.
Last week, the Broncos made their regular-season debut in the AP poll at No. 25. They were just outside the top 25 in the Coaches poll.
On Saturday, the Broncos (2-0) passed their first road test of the season with a 49-30 win at Air Force (1-2).
Making his first start as a Bronco, quarterback Jack Sears racked up four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing), including a 75-yard touchdown strike to CT Thomas on his first pass of the game.
Sophomore quarterback Hank Bachmeier missed the game for undisclosed reasons.
Starting safety JL Skinner also didn’t make the trip, and Boise State lost running back George Holani, defensive end Demitri Washington and nose tackle Scale Igiehon to injury during the game. No information on the severity of their injuries was available after the game, but Washington was taken to the locker room on a cart.
Boise State is one of five teams from the Group of Five in the AP top 25, led by Cincinnati (5-0), which moved up to No. 6 after a dominant win over American Athletic Conference rival Memphis. Two more undefeated teams — Coastal Carolina (6-0) and Marshall (5-0) — are Nos. 15 and 16, respectively, and SMU (6-1) is ranked No. 18.
The Broncos are back at home Friday to face No. 9 BYU (7-0). Kickoff is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. and the game with air on Fox Sports 1. Last season, the Cougars knocked off Boise State, 28-25, in Provo, Utah.
This year will mark the first time Boise State and BYU have played while both were ranked, and the Cougars will be the highest-ranked team the Broncos have hosted in Albertsons Stadium.
