Season analysis: Boise State’s defense found its footing in second half of season
The offense wasn’t Boise State’s only unit that suffered through growing pains last season.
The Broncos added a few new defensive coaches as part of head coach Andy Avalos’ first staff, but neither the scheme nor personnel changed that dramatically. Yet Boise State struggled to defend against the run early in the season, especially against mobile quarterbacks.
That changed after the bye week in mid-October. In the month that followed, the Broncos surrendered less than 100 rushing yards a game, made Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener look average and shut down Wyoming’s potent rushing attack.
Boise State surrendered the fewest points among Mountain West teams this season, giving up just 19 per game, and the Broncos ranked No. 5 in the conference in total defense after allowing 364.4 yards per contest. They also forced 23 turnovers, which is the most they’ve forced in a season since racking up 24 in 2018. That’s a far cry from the three takeaways in the 2020 season, which was shortened to seven games because of COVID-19.
Here are three things Boise State fans learned about the Broncos’ defense in 2021, three story lines to keep an eye on in 2022 and some season awards.
Note: This is the second installment in a five-part series wrapping up Boise State’s 2021 football season. Tomorrow, the Idaho Statesman will break down the Broncos’ TV ratings.
What we learned
There is talent in the secondary
Boise State had to replace both starting cornerbacks this season, which left many to wonder how stout the Broncos’ pass defense would be. But the secondary turned out to be the strength of the defense, and the Broncos ranked No. 3 in the Mountain West, surrendering just 206.9 passing yards a game.
The Broncos finished the year with 13 interceptions — their most in a season since having 15 in 2017 — and defensive backs came up with 12 of them. Cornerback Tyric LeBeauf led the way with three interceptions. Veteran safeties JL Skinner and Tyreque Jones and true freshmen Seyi Oladipo (safety) and Kaonohi Kaniho (cornerback) all finished the season with two. Kaniho’s older brother, Kekaula — a five-year starter at nickel — added one, and edge rusher Demitri Washington was the only non-defensive back to record an interception this season.
After LeBeauf and Markel Reed were lost to injuries, Kaonohi Kaniho and Bowling Green transfer Caleb Biggers stepped in and more than held their own, especially in the Broncos’ win at then-No. 10 BYU. Boise State also benefited this season from trio of veteran defensive backs in Skinner, Jones and Kekaula Kaniho, who combined for 197 tackles, five interceptions and 14 pass breakups. Skinner led the team with 92 tackles, Jones finished with 53 and Kaniho added 52.
The scariest thing about the Broncos’ secondary — for opponents — is that most of it returns. Skinner said he’s coming back, Jones and Biggers said they want to return for super senior seasons, and Reed, LeBeauf and Kaonohi Kaniho are all underclassmen. The only starter the secondary is definitely losing is Kekaula Kaniho, who declared for the NFL Draft in December.
The defensive line is sneaky-good
No position was hit harder by COVID-19 and injuries in 2020 than Boise State’s defensive line. The Broncos had so few healthy bodies in the trenches, they were forced to move offensive lineman Ben Dooley to defense in a game against Colorado State.
Depth on the line was expected to improve dramatically this year, but it took a hit early in the season when nose tackle Scale Igiehon left the team for personal reasons and never returned. That left new defensive line coach Frank Maile to shuffle the deck, but the product he put on the field was better than expected.
Defensive tackle Scott Matlock, a Treasure Valley product, led the team with seven sacks, edge rusher Isaiah Bagnah finished second with six and junior college transfer Shane Irwin, a defensive end, had three. The Broncos got quality snaps out of Utah transfer Jackson Cravens on the interior, and Boise State fans got their first glimpses of promising underclassmen Herbert Gums and Ahmed Hassanein.
There is still work to be done in terms of producing consistency on the defensive line, but the future is bright. Matlock, Bagnah, Cravens, Gums and Hassanein are all are expected to return next season, and Irwin said he wants to come back for the extra senior year afforded him by the NCAA’s COVID-19 rules. Sprinkle in a few newcomers, such as incoming freshman Braxton Fely and junior college transfers Cortez Hogans Jr. and Deven Wright, and Boise State’s defensive line has the potential to scare foes.
The Broncos are still looking for a pass rush specialist
Boise State is still in search of a game-altering pass rusher, such as Jabril Frazier — a graduate assistant who posted 18 career sacks for the Broncos — or Curtis Weaver, who ended his college career in 2019 as the Mountain West’s all-time sack leader and No. 2 at Boise State, with 34. He is currently on the Cleveland Browns practice squad.
Bagnah has the long, athletic build coaches look for in edge rushers, and he has shown the ability to harass quarterbacks in spurts, but he hasn’t been nearly consistent enough. Three of his six sacks were recorded in one game, the Broncos’ loss to Nevada. Fellow edge rusher Washington was expected to step into Weaver’s role in 2020, but he missed most of that season with a knee injury. He was on the field for all 12 games in 2021, but he finished with just two sacks.
Help is on the way. Wright and Hogans Jr. showed a penchant for getting to quarterbacks at the junior college level, and Boise State also brought in Weber State transfer George Tarlas, who posted 20 tackles for loss and 17 sacks in five seasons with the Wildcats.
Story lines to watch in 2022
Are Skinner and Jones one of the best safety duos in the country?
Boise State hasn’t announced which players it’s bringing back for the extra senior seasons, but it’s hard to imagine Jones not being among them. He and Skinner could be one of the most imposing safety duos in the country. Skinner (6-foot-4, 218 pounds) probably could have moved on to the NFL this year, but he decided to return and build on a season that included a career-high 92 tackles, two interceptions, five pass breakups and a bone-jarring hit on Oklahoma State wide receiver Brennan Pressley that landed him a spot on ESPN’s “SportsCenter.”
Jones (6-2, 205) may have been the most improved player on the defense. He missed some tackles that cost the team dearly early in the season, but he became one of the Broncos’ surest tacklers in the latter half of the year. His ability to attack the line of scrimmage at full speed was a big part of why Boise State’s run defense improved so much after the bye week.
Will Igiehon return?
What happened to Igiehon remains a mystery. He played sparingly in the season opener at UCF. Just before kickoff against UTEP the following week, Boise State announced that he was taking a leave of absence.
Igiehon still has two years of eligibility remaining and he hasn’t been removed from the Broncos’ online roster, which has recently been the team’s first move when a player transfers. The door seems open for Igiehon to return, but it appears he’ll be wearing a different number if he does. Fely, one of 10 incoming freshmen expected to enroll early, will wear No. 90 this year, according to a picture he posted Monday on Instagram.
Igiehon (6-2, 290) came to Boise State with what many described as a skill set built for the NFL. He appeared in 25 games while playing behind a veteran group of defensive lineman during his first two seasons, and he transformed his body last summer in anticipation of what many expected to be a breakout year.
Who will start at linebacker?
Four-year starter Riley Whimpey won’t be back in 2022. He exhausted his college eligibility and announced in December that he won’t pursue a professional playing career after a string of concussions. There has been no word from Boise State on whether four-year starter Ezekiel Noa will be back for a super senior season, so the Broncos could be breaking in two new starters. They’re prepared, though, after investing heavily at linebacker in their past two recruiting classes.
The 2021 class included three-star recruits Jai Jones, Rejhan Tatum and Andrew Simpson — all of whom posted impressive numbers in high school. Tatum and Jones turned down scholarship offers from Power Five programs to sign with the Broncos, and Simpson came out of a highly competitive program at St. John Bosco, the same California high school that produced running back George Holani.
The new recruiting class was highlighted by a pair of four-star linebackers — Dishawn Misa and Jayden Virgin — and a pair of three-star recruits in Jake Ripp and Gavin Hambrick, whom the coaches spoke glowingly about in December.
Boise State also could elevate a pair of veteran backups to starting roles. Brandon Hawkins has been Whimpey’s primary backup the past couple of seasons, and DJ Schramm backed up Noa. Both saw their playing time increase in 2021, both recorded a sack, and Hawkins finished the year with a forced fumble and a blocked punt.
Season Awards
MVP — S JL Skinner: Skinner led the Broncos with a career-high 92 tackles. He tied for second on the team with five pass breakups, seven tackles for loss and two interceptions. He was hit with three targeting penalties — one of which was overturned — but he improved as a tackler in the latter half of the season, and his willingness to deliver big hits was obvious.
Breakout POY — DL Scott Matlock: Matlock’s fourth year at Boise State was his most productive. After seeing his responsibilities expand because of Igiehon’s absence, he led the team with seven sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss — both career highs. He also finished the season with a career-best 41 tackles and blocked a field goal, and Matlock landed a role on offense in the Broncos’ jumbo package. He lined up as an extra blocker when Boise State was inside an opponent’s 10-yard line, and he caught the first touchdown pass of his career in the Broncos’ 27-3 win at Utah State, which went on to win the Mountain West championship.
Comeback POY — Edge Demitri Washington: Washington suffered a knee injury in the second game of the 2020 season and missed the rest of that year. He was held out of spring ball in 2021 while still recovering, and Washington admitted he wasn’t fully healthy until the final month of the regular season. But he made the most of those last few games. His only two sacks came on the road at Fresno State and San Diego State, and he sealed Boise State’s home win over Wyoming with a late interception. Washington finished the season tied for sixth on the team with 41 tackles.
This story was originally published January 12, 2022 at 4:00 AM.
