Weather could pose challenge for Boise State. Team’s star pass rusher is ready for it
When Boise State kicks off its season against Georgia Southern this weekend in the humid, 90-degree Southeast air, don’t be surprised to see plenty of rotations among the players.
First, that kind of weather can have an effect on the game. Second, it’s not uncommon to manage snaps at certain positions, especially on defense. And third, the Broncos’ depth chart has positions that essentially list two starters.
But if there’s one guy Bronco Nation can expect to see on nearly every defensive play, it’s team captain Ahmed Hassanein.
The senior defensive end emerged as a force for the Broncos last year, recording 12.5 sacks in 14 starts, including a streak of nine games with at least half a sack, the longest streak in college football since 2015. His sack total ranked sixth in the country and sixth in program history for a single season.
He also recorded 16.5 tackles for loss, which was 19th in FBS.
The Broncos brought in reinforcements to help Hassanein this season, including veteran defensive end Tavion Woodard, who transferred from Ball State for his final season. Woodard recorded 11.5 sacks in five seasons at Ball State.
Redshirt junior linebacker Andrew Simpson — who finished last season with 6.5 sacks — and promising redshirt sophomore edge rusher Jayden Virgin-Morgan also strengthen the Broncos’ attack.
Despite that, Boise State defensive coordinator Erik Chinander doesn’t see Hassanein coming out of the game unless it’s absolutely necessary.
“A guy at almost any position where they’re an impact player, I don’t think there’s a set rotation,” Chinander said earlier this week. “It’s going to be more about the number of reps where they can play concurrently, and then we have to give them a break.”
Hassanein isn’t daunted by the challenge, especially as Boise State seeks its first season-opening win since 2020, the year that the pandemic shortened the schedule and games were played with no fans.
“If I play 100 plays, then I play 100 plays. It doesn’t matter,” Hassanein said Wednesday. “If my team needs me, I’m going to be out there no matter what. It doesn’t matter with the heat; it doesn’t matter with the humidity. If my team needs me, I’ll be right there.”
Chinander said that Hassanein can “find a way to keep going,” but it depends on the game’s flow. If the Boise State defense can force three-and-outs, then Hassanein will keep playing. Longer drives and Chinander will face a decision regarding his premier pass rusher.
This weekend’s opener will give Hassanein a chance to stamp his mark on the season early. Georgia Southern will start the game with redshirt sophomore quarterback JC French. The dual-threat QB has played just 48 snaps at the collegiate level, so putting him under pressure could be crucial.
“Very talented team. The O-line is very talented, very elite team, very efficient,” Hassanein said. “We have to just get after the quarterback, and we have to win our one-on-one. And then that’s all that matters in the day; it comes if you can execute a job at a high level.”
Boise State at Georgia Southern
When: 2 p.m. Mountain time Saturday
Where: Paulson Stadium (25,000, Turf), Statesboro, Georgia
TV: ESPNU (Mike Corey, Rene Ingoglia)
Radio: KBOI 670 AM/KTIK 93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)
Records: Boise State was 8-6 last year; Georgia Southern was 6-7.
Series: This is the first meeting between the two schools.
Vegas line: Boise State by 13
Weather: 93 degrees, humidity 62%, partly cloudy skies, 9% chance of rain
