Boise State’s ‘field general’ returns in blowout; ‘Fat Guy’ TD pumps up Broncos
Between COVID-19, injuries and a 74-player roster limit, the Boise State football team had 35 inactive players for Thursday’s game against Colorado State.
But Boise State fans breathed a sigh of relief when No. 19 trotted onto The Blue for the Broncos’ first offensive series.
Starting quarterback Hank Bachmeier was back in the lineup after missing the Broncos’ last two games for an undisclosed reason, and the 6-foot-1, 204-pound sophomore provided an invaluable piece of stability in a 52-21 victory over the Rams at Albertsons Stadium.
“It was nice to have him back out there,” Boise State senior Avery Williams said. “From a defensive perspective, he’s just a field general out there and a playmaker. He’s really smart. His IQ is really high, and he really knows how to operate the offense.”
Although Bachmeier participated throughout warmups, his return after a two-game absence wasn’t certain until he took the field for the first time with 11 minutes left in the first quarter.
He threw a 12-yard completion to Stefan Cobbs on his first passing attempt of the game, and the second-year starter capped the Broncos’ opening possession with a 5-yard TD pass to tight end Riley Smith. It was Smith’s first career TD reception.
Bachmeier, who was not made available for postgame interviews, finished with a QB rating of 129.5, going 16-for-28 through the air for 202 yards and the TD toss to Smith. Bachmeier’s return was crucial given backups Jack Sears and Chase Cord were both on the inactive list for Thursday’s game, leaving just true freshmen Cade Fennegan and Andy Peters.
“Having Hank back was big,” Boise State coach Bryan Harsin said. “… He knows what he’s doing out there. He’s able to operate, and he’s a competitor.”
With Bachmeier at the helm, the Broncos converted on 9-of-18 third-down attempts. Six of those third-down conversions came on Bachmeier passes to senior receiver CT Thomas. The Lancaster, Texas, native caught passes of 19, 33, 19, 11, 12 and 9 yards for a team-best 103 receiving yards. It was his 34th straight game with a reception, which ranks third nationally among active players.
“He continues to be a playmaker,” Harsin said of Thomas. “We’ve got to find more ways to get him some touches.”
While Bachmeier’s return was a much-needed boost after a disappointing loss last week to BYU, Harsin pointed out the Rams’ three sacks of Bachmeier for 18 yards as an area that must be addressed quickly.
“He still got hit,” Harsin said. “They came after the quarterback, and that was something that we really wanted to not let happen. But they had some good schemes that they dialed up on the defensive side.”
Fat Guy Touchdown
Khalil Shakir’s miscue ended up making Nick Crabtree’s night.
Crabtree, the Broncos’ 6-foot-7, 315-pound starting right tackle, was in the right place at the right time late in the third quarter.
Shakir looked like he was going to score but fumbled at the goal line after a hit from Colorado State’s Tywan Francis. The football then conveniently landed in Crabtree’s hands while he was standing in the end zone.
Any time a lineman scores, Twitter celebrates the so-called “Fat Guy Touchdown.”
“A lot of guys scored tonight that we would not expect to score,” senior linebacker Riley Whimpey said. “I think that’s awesome. I think it brings a ton of energy to the team, and to see Nick Crabtree get a touchdown, I mean, who would have thought? We’re pumped for him.”
Fellow offensive lineman Jake Stetz (6-2, 308) tried to lift Crabtree into the air after the touchdown.
“That’s a bad move,” Harsin joked. “You don’t try to lift somebody up bigger than you.”
Broncos lose two defensive linemen
Nose tackle Keeghan Freeborn and defensive tackle Herbert Gums will miss the rest of the season, Harsin said after Thursday’s game.
Freeborn, a redshirt sophomore from Rocky Mountain High, is out with a broken ankle. Gums, one of the highlights of Boise State’s 2020 recruiting class, will miss the rest of the year with a torn ACL. Both injuries were suffered this week in practice.
Freeborn led the Broncos with nine tackles during a 49-30 win at Air Force, and Gums made his collegiate debut last Friday against BYU.
They were two of four defensive linemen who missed Thursday’s game, joining nose tackle Scale Igiehon and Utah transfer Jackson Cravens. Igiehon has been limited the past two games by an ankle injury suffered in the season opener. Boise State did not specify why Cravens was out.
Scott Matlock and junior college transfers Divine Obichere and Shane Irwin took the majority of the snaps on the line. Irwin finished with seven tackles and Obichere added five.
Broncos without 14 players
The Broncos were without several other impact players for Thursday’s game, including Sears, who started the past two games but left last week’s loss to BYU with a potential head injury.
In all, 14 Boise State players were ruled out because of COVID-19 protocols, the university announced before kickoff: nine because of positive tests and five as a result of contact tracing.
Boise State did not identify the players who were missing because of the protocols.
Punter Joel Velazquez, linebacker Brock Miller, cornerback Tyric LeBeauf and wide receivers Octavius Evans and Shea Whiting were out for the second week in a row for undisclosed reasons.
New additions to this week’s list of inactive players included defensive tackles Cravens, Freeborn and Gums, leaving the Broncos thin on the interior of the defensive line.
Cord was also listed as officially out for the first time this season. He was limited in fall camp while still recovering from injuries suffered last season and offseason ankle surgery. He has not played this season.
More new additions to the list of inactive players: cornerback Rodney Robinson, offensive lineman Dallas Holliday, safety Evan Tyler and linebacker Brandon Hawkins.
Only 74 players can dress for games this season, according to the Mountain West, and Boise State listed 35 as inactive.
Kaniho named finalist for William V. Campbell Trophy
Boise State nickel Kekaula Kaniho was named to the 2020 NFF National Scholar Athletes Class and one of 12 finalists for the William V. Campbell trophy on Thursday.
The William V. Campbell trophy honors the best football scholar-athlete in the country for combined success on the field and in the classroom and for exemplary leadership.
As a finalist, Kaniho will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship. If he wins the award, his scholarship will increase to $25,000.
“It’s really an honor and a blessing to just be recognized for an award like that,” Kaniho said. “It really just gives me a lot of great opportunities to do something special with that money that they set aside for post-graduation.”
Kaniho is the second Boise State player in four years honored as a finalist, joining Mason Hampton, who made the cut in 2017.
In the classroom, Kaniho boasts a 3.94 GPA and is pursuing a health science degree.
On the field, he was a first-team All-Mountain West pick last season with 61 tackles and 11 tackles for loss.
Boise State hopes to have AD in place by March
Boise State hopes to have a new athletic director in place by March 2021, university President Dr. Marlene Tromp said in a statement on Thursday.
“A thorough and exhaustive process will ensure our next leader is poised to build on our program and help it achieve even greater excellence,” Tromp said. “I am pleased, and certainly not surprised, at the level of interest we already have had in this important position.”
In October, Boise State announced former Athletic Director Curt Apsey was stepping down and moving into a university-level fundraising position.
Bob Carney was named interim athletic director, and a national search was initiated.
A search committee will be named in the coming weeks, and an executive search firm will be selected by Dec. 1 to assist in the search.
Tromp selected former Missouri Athletic Director Mike Alden to advise the committee and university leadership throughout the transition, according to Thursday’s release.
“We are profoundly proud of our athletic department, and are seeking an AD who can continue to elevate our programs,” Tromp said in Thursday’s press release. “There are, of course, challenges ahead, but Boise State always has been known for boldly facing and rising to such challenges — and the amazing opportunities that lie before us make this an exciting time for Boise State.”
Quick hits
Thomas was the Broncos’ honorary fourth game captain. ... Cornerback Avery Williams represented the Broncos in the coin toss. ... Colorado State won the coin toss and elected to receive. ... OL Donte Harrington carried out the Dan Paul Hammer, TE Tyneil Hopper carried the Bleed Blue flag, and DE Shane Irwin carried the American flag. ... Left tackle John Ojukwu had to be helped off the field on the Broncos’ first drive of the second quarter. He appeared to have a left ankle injury. ... Borah High grad Austin Bolt made his Boise State debut at tight end in the second quarter. ... Rocky Mountain graduate Jonah Dalmas took over punting duties for the Broncos. He is now tasked with PATs, field goals, kickoffs and punting with Velazquez out. ... Boise State running back Danny Smith made his season debut late in the third quarter on a 2-yard run. He totaled 10 carries for 33 yards. ... Redshirt sophomore receiver Maclaine Griffin had his first career reception for the Broncos and finished with two catches for 12 yards.
This story was originally published November 13, 2020 at 1:39 AM.
