Unity games to off-the-wall contests, Boise State is creating competition this spring
Spring practice is all about creating competition, Boise State football coach Andy Avalos said, and his staff is finding creative ways to do just that.
Boise State has taken time out of every practice this spring for competitions that go beyond position drills and 11-on-11 installs.
Offensive linemen have tried their hand at fielding punts. Defensive linemen tried to throw the perfect spiral, and kickers raced to find a football buried in piles of tackling dummies and be first to make a field goal.
On Monday, players took shots at a soccer goal defended by one of their teammates. It was offense vs. defense, and the losing side had to do extra conditioning drills — coaches included.
“We have to mix it up sometimes,” Avalos said. “We’ve got to find different ways to compete. We’ve been doing that for a long time here.”
Avalos said he has a whole play sheet of team-building contests to choose from this spring, but his staff has been thinking outside of the box to find ways to create competition since before spring practice began.
The Broncos unveiled what Avalos called “unity games” during their four-week winter conditioning session. The players were split into 10 teams, with a full-time coach leading each unit.
The teams gathered at 6 a.m. every Friday morning to compete in physical and mental exercises. They played red light, green light — with Avalos signaling when to move with a chirp of his whistle. They pushed sleds and pulled out wrestling mats to crown the team’s best grappler — all in the name of competition.
The winner was team No. 9, which was led by new running backs coach and special teams coordinator Keith Bhonapha.
“We could have been flipping quarters for all I care,” Bhonapha said. “It’s about competing and getting these guys to work together.”
The competition was ratcheted up a notch in spring practice this week. Boise State has completed seven of its 15 allotted practices, and the team held its first scrimmage of the year on Wednesday.
The Broncos have next week off because of spring break, but they’ll be back on campus by March 28 and the team is scheduled to scrimmage again April 2. The spring game is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. April 9.
Here are some observations from Avalos on the scrimmage, which was not open to the public or media.
▪ The defense held the offense in check most of the day, but that was to be expected because of how many starters the offense is missing because of injuries. The offensive line is without left tackle John Ojukwu and guards Garrett Curran and Ben Dooley. Tight end Riley Smith and wide receiver Latrell Caples have also been on the shelf.
▪ The offense and defense were on the field for about 25 plays before the coaches turned their attention to punt return, where wide receiver Stefan Cobbs — one of the team’s top returners last season — has seen a lot of reps again this spring.
▪ The team also worked on red zone and third-down situations before ending the scrimmage with a two-minute drill. Avalos said the only game situation the team hasn’t worked on this spring is operating when backed up near its own goal line, but that’s on top of the agenda when the team returns from spring break.
▪ Avalos complimented former Oregon State quarterback Sam Vidlak on how quickly he has picked up the playbook since joining the team in January. He was also impressed with redshirt freshman quarterback Taylen Green’s improved mechanics as a passer. Green’s sidearm delivery was reminiscent of former Texas quarterback Vince Young’s last year, but he’s bringing the ball more over his shoulder in a traditional throwing motion this spring.
▪ Avalos said former Borah standout Austin Bolt looked strong while working with the wide receivers early this spring, but he suffered an injury and hasn’t been able to do much in the past four practices. Bolt is not expected to be out long.
This story was originally published March 19, 2022 at 4:00 AM.
