‘Defining moment’ win at Fresno State could be turning point for Boise State, Avalos
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Boise State 40, Fresno State 14
Boise State running back George Holani played a full game without limitations for the first time this season and the defense forced three turnovers as the Broncos rolled at No. 25 Fresno State.
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‘Broncos are dangerous’: Healthy Holani helps Boise State deliver huge road victory
‘Defining moment’ win at Fresno State could be turning point for Boise State, Avalos
Kaniho brothers make rare list in Boise State’s upset of No. 25 Bulldogs
Instant analysis: RB Holani is big in return to full health as Boise State routs Fresno
Final: Boise State 40, No. 25 Fresno State 14; Broncos get five sacks, three picks
Every college football win is good, but nothing feels quite like one that is therapeutic.
So many of the ills that have plagued Boise State’s football team this season were but a memory Saturday night at No. 25 Fresno State.
It had to have been an otherworldly feeling for first-year coach Andy Avalos, his staff and his players, to see the first sellout crowd at Bulldog Stadium in seven years head for the exits early in the fourth quarter.
This has not been a dream season for Boise State (5-4, 3-2 Mountain West), but Saturday’s 40-14 thrashing of the Bulldogs — the Broncos’ second road win this season over a team that was ranked at the time — should provide a lot of reason to be optimistic not just for the rest of 2021, but beyond.
It is going to take awhile for fans to be comfortable with the coaching staff’s ability to adjust during games, but improvements made over the course of a season — even if they take a bit — should not be glossed over.
Case in point: The Broncos’ defensive line, ravaged by injuries this season, came into the game ranked 102nd nationally against the run. Boise State gave up just 77 yards on the ground Saturday, a week after the Bulldogs ran for 179 yards and two touchdowns against San Diego State. The Aztecs had allowed just 79.6 yards per game on the ground and only two rushing touchdowns all season prior to that.
That same D-line also had four of Boise State’s five sacks, and constantly was in quarterback Jake Haener’s face, helping the Broncos intercept three of his passes.
Oh, and the other line? The one that has (rightfully) been scrutinized for the offense’s issues, particularly in the rushing attack? Well, give credit where it’s due: Boise State rushed for a season-best 187 yards, with no run longer than 18 yards.
It’s one thing to break a big run, but to consistently chip away, to keep the ball moving forward on run after run, that isn’t easy. That takes patience and focus — which, despite the struggles and the record, these Broncos seem to have.
We may not have seen the fire come out of Avalos when things needed to change, but the leadership he showed as a player is starting to shine in his rookie season as head coach.
The Monday after the Broncos’ road win at BYU last month, offensive coordinator Tim Plough put his heart on his sleeve and said something pretty remarkable about a guy who just turned 40 — a guy he’s worked for less than a year.
“There’s not a person I respect more in coaching,” Plough said. “He really creates a situation where you want to do really well for him.”
It seems pretty clear the Broncos have bought in. The struggles haven’t carried over week to week. Perhaps the team is learning why, as the great Ted Lasso said, the goldfish is the happiest animal because of its short memory.
Plough, rocking a Lasso-esque mustache on the sideline Saturday, would surely agree.
And maybe that’s a lesson for anyone watching this edition of the Broncos, not used to seeing a team one game above .500 in November.
Forget UCF, Oklahoma State, Nevada and Air Force.
Those games happened, they hurt and they could have been different if a thing or two had gone the other way. But there is only frustration in thinking about that.
Be a goldfish, but also think about the big picture. The Broncos look like a team that could be playing their best in the final month of the season, the goal of every school in the country.
On Friday, Fresno State put out a hype video on its football Twitter account: “This will be our defining moment.”
It sure was — but for the visiting team.
This story was originally published November 7, 2021 at 4:00 AM.