Boise State’s sack-happy defense shines like a diamond by ‘putting the pressure’ on UNLV
Pressure over coverage was Boise State’s game plan Friday night against UNLV, and it pretty much worked like a charm.
The No. 17 Broncos (6-1, 3-0 Mountain West) held off the Rebels (6-2, 2-1) for a 29-24 win at Allegiant Stadium in one of this weekend’s biggest college football matchups to take control of the Mountain West — and become bowl-eligible.
One of the catalysts for the victory was a defense that settled on a plan to bring waves of defenders at UNLV dual-threat quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams. The senior accounted for 294 all-purpose yards, but he spent much of the night on the run while trying to figure out why there were more Broncos in his backfield than Rebels.
“There’s something to be said about getting after a quarterback and putting the pressure on them to make quick decisions over the course of the game,” said sixth-year senior safety Alexander Teubner, who had one of the team’s six sacks — the first of his career.
Facing an offense averaging 429.1 yards and 43.6 points per game, Boise State limited UNLV to 367 yards and only 24 points, while pitching a shutout in the fourth quarter.
The six sacks and nine tackles for loss highlighted a herculean defensive effort, considering UNLV entered the game having allowed just 11 sacks all season. Boise State leads the nations with 35 sacks, seven better than second-best South Carolina (28).
“They’re relentless,” Boise State coach Spencer Danielson said. “It’s nontraditional blitzers; it’s the front. They’re relentless, and we probably missed a bunch out there, too.”
One of those nontraditional blitzers? Teubner.
The hard-hitting safety has been around the block, having played his first game in orange and blue in 2019. But he somehow had never recorded a sack.
Early in the first quarter, it took just two plays for UNLV to barrel into the Broncos’ red zone — partly because of a 71-yard run from Williams, one of his few big plays off a scramble. With the Rebels primed to take an early lead, Teubner blitzed out of the defensive backfield untouched and found Williams, dropping him for a seven-yard loss and forcing a field goal that made the score 3-3.
“I got tossed out of the freaking game last time, and Seyi (Oladipi) comes in and gets two (sacks),” Teubner said, referencing his ejection for targeting against Hawaii. “So I figured I probably should get mine while I can.”
Teubner also tied a career high with 14 tackles, including eight solo and two for loss.
“Alexander Teubner is an absolute war daddy. The amount that we put on 34 is second to none,” Danielson said. “I can’t tell you the amount of things that are like, ‘Well, we can put that in because Teubs can figure out.’”
Oladipo, another of those nontraditional blitzers, had 1.5 sacks on Friday night, tying defensive end Jayden Virgin-Morgan for the team high. Safety Rodney Robinson also had a sack, adding to the secondary’s fun game.
Redshirt junior linebacker Andrew Simpson didn’t record a sack, but he had five tackles and perhaps the biggest play of the game for the defense: an interception of Williams late in the first half.
With the Broncos’ defensive line applying pressure, Williams threw down the middle of the field right into Simpson’s territory, where he had dropped into coverage. He made an easy pick and returned it 25 yards to the 7-yard line, just three plays after Boise State had taken a 13-10 lead.
That turnover set up another Broncos TD, allowing them to bolt to a 20-10 edge at the break.
“Drew’s interception was absolutely huge for the whole team,” Teubner said. “I think that third down getting pressure on the quarterback, there’s just guys continuing to step up when we need them to.”
UNLV entered the game as one of the nation’s best teams in ball security, having turned it over just four times, and was tied for the second-best turnover margin in the nation (12). But the only turnover Friday night went Boise State’s way and led to a TD in what wound up being a one-score game.
“We found a way to get one on defense, and our offense did a great job protecting the ball,” Danielson said. “I’m proud of our guys taking it from practice to the meeting room and showing up in these critical moments.”
