Defense on spot as Boise State battles for postseason life again; a Bronco comes home
Boise State safety Tyreque Jones is looking forward to matching wits with Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener.
Jones said Nevada’s Carson Strong is the most talented quarterback the Broncos have faced this season, but he expects the defense to have its work cut out for it with Haener taking the snaps for No. 25 Fresno State on Saturday (5 p.m. MT, CBSSN).
“He runs the show for the most part,” Jones said. “I like that type of competition because I run the show on the back end.”
Haener leads the Mountain West with 2,888 passing yards this season, and he’s No. 2 in the conference in completions (344), touchdown passes (23), passing yards per game (320.9) and passer efficiency rating (156).
He threw for 455 yards to lead Fresno State (7-2, 4-1 MW) to a win over UCLA earlier this season, and he threw a season-high five touchdown passes the following week in a win over UNLV. Haener also recorded his sixth 300-yard passing game to lead the Bulldogs to a win over previously unbeaten San Diego State last weekend.
“The guy has a good arm, he’s confident in the offense and he trusts his weapons across the board,” Jones said. “They’re a great team and I know he’ll have a lot of confidence coming into this game, and I like that.”
Haener’s favorite target in the passing game is junior wide receiver Jalen Cropper, who is expected to play after suffering an injury against San Diego State. He leads the Mountain West with 10 receiving touchdowns.
With Boise State cornerback Markel Reed out for the season and no word on the availability of Tyric LeBeauf, who has missed the past three games for undisclosed reasons, the Broncos (4-4, 2-2 MW) are likely to turn to Bowling Green transfer Caleb Biggers and redshirt freshman Kaonohi Kaniho again this week. Biggers knows he has to be on guard against the deep ball when defending Cropper.
“They’re a great offense, a lot of their receivers are very talented and the quarterback is elite,” Biggers said. “It’s all about technique with (Cropper) — just learning to how to play his speed and the way he runs his routes.”
Fresno State also has a pair of experienced running backs. Fifth-year senior Ronnie Rivers leads the team with 573 yards and fellow fifth-year senior Jordan Mims has rushed for 504, with an average of 6.1 yards per carry. Rivers missed Fresno State’s win over San Diego State last weekend because of an injury, but Mims racked up 186 yards and two touchdowns.
Boise State is hoping to have the full services of its top duo in the backfield. Running back George Holani has missed the past two games because of a hamstring injury, and he has yet to be at full strength for a game this season. The good news is coach Andy Avalos said earlier this week that he was hopeful Holani would be able to play without limitations on Saturday.
Holani will split time again with Oregon transfer Cyrus Habibi-Likio, who led the Broncos with 61 rushing yards on 19 carries in a win at Colorado State last Saturday.
This weekend is the perfect time for Boise State’s backfield to get healthy, because the Broncos’ postseason hopes hang in the balance basically every game now. They’re two wins shy of qualifying for a bowl game and three wins from guaranteeing an invite to a postseason game, and they’re going to have to beat either Fresno State or San Diego State (7-1, 3-1) on the road to ensure seven victories.
Boise State was also playing for its postseason life last weekend at Colorado State, and it took a big second half for things to go the Broncos’ way. They posted a season-high 177 rushing yards and erased a 13-0 first-half deficit on the way to a 28-19 victory.
Colledge comes home
Former Boise State offensive lineman Daryn Colledge is returning to his alma mater.
Boise State has hired Colledge as the Bronco Athletic Association’s director of development and Varsity B coordinator, AD Jeramiah Dickey announced on Thursday.
Colledge will be responsible for managing the Varsity B program — which helps former Boise State athletes find ways to donate to the program — and working with current stakeholders and potential donors to support Bronco Athletics. He’ll also work with the BAA staff to develop marketing strategies for the Varsity B membership program, and to develop networking and engagement opportunities for former BSU athletes.
Colledge, a 2005 Boise State graduate, played nine seasons in the NFL after his college career, which included starting what was a school-record 52 consecutive games. He was a second-round draft pick by Green Bay in 2006, and Colledge helped the Packers win Super Bowl XLV.
“The time I spent in Boise, and at Boise State, has helped me become who I am today,” Colledge said in a statement. “I take great pride in where I came from and value the experiences I had here as a student-athlete. During my professional career, I made it a point to give back to this university so that I could make a positive impact on the student-athlete experience, and in this role, I feel like I will be able to serve the next generation of Broncos more directly. “
BOISE STATE AT NO. 25 FRESNO STATE
When: 5 p.m. Mountain time Saturday
Where: Bulldog Stadium (40,727, grass), Fresno, California
TV: CBS Sports Network (John Sadak, Aaron Murray, Lindsay Rhodes)
Radio: KBOI 670 AM/KTIK 93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)
Records: Boise State 4-4, 2-2 MW; Fresno State 7-2, 4-1 MW
Series: Boise State is 15-7 against Fresno State, but the teams haven’t played since the 2018 Mountain West championship game, which the Bulldogs won 19-16 in overtime.
Vegas line: Fresno State by 5
Weather: 69 degrees at kickoff, 0% chance of rain, 9 mph winds
