Boise State’s oft-criticized offensive line finds confidence, will need it vs. Air Force
Boise State’s offensive linemen have faced plenty of criticism this season for the Broncos’ struggles to run the ball and the amount of hits absorbed by quarterback Hank Bachmeier, but offensive line coach Tim Keane said that’s something his players have to embrace.
“Being an offensive lineman, everything we do is in the shadows,” Keane said. “The only time those guys get acknowledged is when they’re jumping offsides or giving up a sack. That’s just part of the lifestyle. We talk all the time that it’s just us in this room and the guys in the locker room whose opinions matter the most. We’re trying to win their trust.”
The offensive linemen earned the trust of their teammates last weekend. The big men in the trenches led Boise State to its second-best rushing performance of the season and gave up just one sack — which offensive coordinator Tim Plough said was Bachmeier’s fault — in a 26-17 win at then-No. 10 BYU.
The line is going to get tested again when Air Force brings one of the top-ranked defenses in the Mountain West to Albertsons Stadium on Saturday (7 p.m., FS1), but Keane said his unit is playing with a little swagger, and that can carry it a long way.
“It was awesome to see those guys play with some confidence and communicate and establish a mentality,” Keane said of the BYU performance. “Those guys did a great job winning the presnap and communicating and ID’ing the front and making all the calls. … That was a huge help in allowing those guys to efficiently communicate, and that allows them to get off the ball and be physical.”
Thanks in large part to injuries, Boise State (3-3, 1-1 MW) has been playing musical chairs with its offensive linemen this season, having gone with four different starting combinations.
Center Kekaniokoa Holomalia-Gonzalez hasn’t played a snap for undisclosed reasons after winning the starting job in fall camp. Right guard Jake Stetz missed a game after suffering an ankle injury in the season opener, and left guard Garrett Curran has been out the past two games with an undisclosed injury.
Despite the turnover, the Broncos seem to have found their starters.
Left tackle John Ojukwu, a four-year starter, is the only member of the line who has started all six games at the same position this season. He’s playing next to Stetz, a fifth-year senior, who moved from right guard to left. Texas Tech transfer Will Farrar is at center, where sixth-year senior Donte Harrington started the first four games of the season.
Ben Dooley moved from right tackle to right guard and Rice transfer Uzo Osuji showed vast improvement at right tackle in the Broncos’ win at BYU, Keane said.
“We have to live up to a high standard — the highest standard in sports,” Keane said. “A pitcher can get in there and give up a couple home runs and that’s not a big deal, but if a tackle gives up a sack or two, that’s game-changing.”
Perhaps the most productive change the Broncos made on the offensive line was putting the most experienced members — Ojukwu and Stetz — on the same side.
“So much happens so fast, and you get so many different looks, there just has to be a high level of trust,” Keane said. “There was a couple times where John got beat inside and Stetz was there to bail him out, and John was able to help Stetz out with some double teams.”
Keane said Plough looks at the left side of the line as a security blanket now, and the offensive coordinator admitted earlier this week that he’s not even sure how many times he called a run play to the left in the second half of the Broncos’ win in Provo, Utah. Plough also said Ojukwu and Stetz did a lot more than drive defenders off the ball.
“I thought that John and Stetz together demanded communication from the start of last week until the game,” Plough said. “What got us (in previous games) was the presnap issues and the communication up front.”
The line is going to need that communication again on Saturday.
Air Force (5-1, 2-1 MW) is giving up just 16.2 points a game, which ranks No. 1 in the Mountain West. The Falcons — who limited Wyoming to 114 yards on the ground last week — also rank No. 2 in the conference in rush defense (93.5 yards per game) and total defense (280.8 ypg).
The Falcons are benefiting from the return of players that took “turnbacks” last year in response to a season that was shortened by COVID-19. Turnbacks allow players to leave school for up to two semesters without being penalized as a way to make up for service academies not offering the option of a redshirt year. Most of the players who took last year off play on the defensive side of the ball.
Air Force had to play last season without one of the most athletic linebackers in the conference, Demonte Meeks; defensive end Jordan Jackson; safety Trey Taylor; and cornerback Milton “Tre” Bugg III — all of whom have started games this season.
Meeks is second on the team in tackles (25) and sacks (3.5) — trailing only outside linebacker Vince Sanford, who has 31 tackles and 6.5 sacks, and forced two fumbles against Wyoming. Jackson has added 2.5 sacks this season, and Taylor led the team with seven tackles against the Cowboys.
“It’s always an extremely disciplined unit, and you wouldn’t be surprised to say that word when we’re talking about the Air Force Academy,” Plough said. “They believe in their system and what they do, so it’s going to be a tough effort for us to consistently move the ball against those guys.”
Air Force’s defensive front is also getting plenty of help on the back end from safety Corvan Taylor, who has had a hand in five turnovers in six games, including a team-high three interceptions.
AIR FORCE AT BOISE STATE
When: 7 p.m. Saturday
Where: Albertsons Stadium
TV: FS1 (Cory Provus, Mark Helfrich). That’s channel 146 on Sparklight, 219 on DirecTV and 150 on Dish Network.
Radio: KBOI 670 AM/KTIK 93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)
Records: Boise State 3-3, 1-1; Air Force 5-1, 2-1.
Series: Boise State is 6-3 all-time against Air Force, and the Broncos have won four in a row.
Vegas line: Boise State by 3.5
Weather: 65 degrees at kickoff, 0% chance of rain, 10 mph winds
This story was originally published October 15, 2021 at 12:21 PM.
