‘He’s the X-factor.’ Boise State’s new starting quarterback specializes in improvisation
Boise State quarterback Taylen Green is used to improvising.
Green started his high school career at Allen High, one of the largest schools in Texas, but he transferred to Lewisville just a week before his junior year was set to begin.
He barely knew the playbook at Lewisville and he was playing behind a completely rebuilt offensive line. Green still threw for 2,217 yards and 25 touchdowns, and added 445 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground, to lead the school to a 7-4 record and a berth in the state playoffs.
Green found success right away because of his ability to make something out of nothing when plays broke down, Lewisville coach Michael Odle said.
“He makes you a pretty good coach,” Odle told the Idaho Statesman. “Seeing how much ground he’s covering effortlessly while still being able to deliver the ball down the field is impressive, but he can do that because he understands what defenses are trying to do.”
Green will be thrown into the fire again this week. Boise State coach Andy Avalos confirmed Tuesday that the 6-foot-6, 220-pound redshirt freshman will make the first start of his college career on Friday when the Broncos host San Diego State (6 p.m., FS1).
“He brings another element to the field,” Avalos told reporters earlier this month. “There are not a lot of quarterbacks, especially on our roster, that have the ability to extend plays with their legs the way he does.”
Green’s improvisational skills will be put to the test as he takes over an offense that has undergone major changes since posting just 177 yards in a loss to 15-point underdog UTEP last Friday.
Offensive coordinator Tim Plough was fired less than 24 hours after the loss to the Miners. He was replaced by former Boise State and Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter, a longtime NFL coordinator who returned to Boise State as an analyst last spring.
Boise State’s four-year starting quarterback, Hank Bachmeier, who struggled in that loss, left the team this week. He told ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Tuesday that he has initiated the transfer process.
Boise State’s players have had to wade through plenty of distractions the past few days, but center Will Farrar said they’re just focused on getting better, regardless of who is at quarterback.
“Whoever’s in there, we’re going to have all the confidence in the world in, because we’ve all been through the same training and preparation together,” Farrar said. “I believe in all the guys in that room, and I’m excited to see Taylen play.”
Green’s ability to make something out of nothing was on display in Boise State’s season opener against Oregon State. He replaced Bachmeier after the QB had two interceptions and a fumble in the first half, and the native of Texas stole the show after scrambling for a 74-yard touchdown.
Odle said he watched Green’s TD run from his home in Texas and thought back to the quarterback’s first practice at Lewisville, when he covered so much ground with a single stride that Odle said it looked as if Green was running in slow motion.
“He’s just kind of drifting and you don’t realize how fast he’s moving,” Odle said. “Then you blink and he’s 80 yards down the field. When he decides to put it into overdrive, it will wow you.”
Green has been the best athlete on the field since he was 7 years old and playing youth football in the suburbs of Allen, Texas, according to his father, Quinton. League rules limited how many times he could touch the ball, and Green still found a way to score just about every time he carried it.
That was still the case when Green got to high school. He posted more than 2,431 passing yards and 29 total touchdowns during his senior season at Lewisville. Green scored 66 touchdowns in two seasons with the Fighting Farmers.
“When he gets comfortable with things like I think he is now, you’re going to see a totally different player,” Quinton Green told the Statesman. “He works his butt off at everything he does, and now that he’s really growing into his body, he’s going to be even more explosive.”
Green’s success wasn’t limited to the football field. When he was 11, he broke a Texas Amateur Athletic Federation long jump record that stood for 30 years with a leap of 18 feet, 5.5 inches.
He competed in just three high school track meets in 2020 because of COVID-19 and still managed to break the Lewisville long jump record with a leap of more than 20 feet. Green also excelled on the AAU basketball circuit as a youngster, even though his father said he found every possible excuse to get out of practice.
That athleticism is what Odle said makes Green such a nightmare for defenses to deal with.
“He’s the X-factor,” Odle said. “There’s nothing more heartbreaking than for a defense to get an offense in third-and-long, but he breaks out of the pocket and gets a first down. That’s just demoralizing.”
Quinton Green said he was surprised when his son took the field against Oregon State. He’ll be in Albertsons Stadium on Friday for Taylen’s first start on the blue turf, and he expects the Aztecs to be the ones who are surprised this time.
“I knew he hadn’t had any reps with the starters before the Oregon State game and the chemistry wasn’t going to be there on offense,” Quinton Green said. “I also knew he would perform because he’s a gamer.”
SAN DIEGO STATE AT BOISE STATE
When: 6 p.m. Friday
Where: Albertsons Stadium
TV: FS1 (Alex Faust, Petros Papadakis)
Radio: KBOI 670 AM/93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)
Records: Boise State 2-2, 1-0 MW; San Diego State 2-2, 0-0
Series: San Diego State leads Boise State 4-3 in the all-time series, which dates back to 2011. The Aztecs have won two in a row.
Vegas line: Boise State by 6
Weather: High of 73 degrees, 15% chance of rain, 13 mph winds
This story was originally published September 28, 2022 at 4:00 AM.
