‘Helping us big-time’: Another sellout crowd lifts Boise State on emotional Senior Day
Boise State’s game on Friday morning against Oregon State wasn’t the Broncos’ last at Albertsons Stadium this season, but senior defensive end Ahmed Hassanein was pumping up his defense as if it were.
“Hey, man, don’t take these moments for granted,” he told his teammates. “Just think if this was our last home game. What type of effort, what type of passion would you give?”
For 21 players on the field for No. 11 Boise State’s (11-1, 7-0 Mountain West) 34-18 victory over Oregon State (5-7), it was their second-to-last home game.
The Broncos will host the Mountain West championship game at Albertsons Stadium next Friday. But with this being the end of the regular season, it was celebrated as Senior Day.
The 21 graduating Broncos, including Hassanein, were honored in a ceremony before the game. A sold-out crowd of 37,264 packed into Albertsons Stadium as temperatures remained several degrees below freezing. Even the student section was full to the brim, despite it being Thanksgiving break.
“Bronco Nation is helping us big-time,” Hassanein said. “I remember the first couple of drives (Oregon State) was false-starting the whole time. That’s huge. That puts them behind the sticks, and we get a three-and-out.”
The Beavers had two false starts on the very first drive, backing them up to the south end zone in a 3rd-and-19 situation that resulted in a punt. Later in the game, at the same end zone, redshirt sophomore quarterback Maddux Madsen had to wave his hands to silence the crowd as it chanted for junior running back Ashton Jeanty to get the ball.
But for all of the loud noise around the stadium, internally, it was an emotional day for many of the graduating student-athletes.
“This program changed my life,” Hassanein said, admitting that talking about it would make him cry.
“I can’t even start with how much this program gave to me and how much coach (Spencer) Danielson, (edge coach) Jabril (Frazier), coach (Erik) Chinander taught me,” Hassanein continued. “Not just as a football player, but as a man, and how to lead, how to treat people the right way, how to have respect for other people, how to get the job done when the job needs to be done.”
Hassanein enjoyed a productive final regular-season game for the Broncos. He had three tackles, all of which were solo, including a tackle for loss, and one quarterback hurry.
Danielson told reporters earlier this week that he would write individual letters for every senior. He had them prepared and on their seats when the guys arrived at Albertsons Stadium at about 6 a.m.
He didn’t expect multiple players to have written letters to him.
“It was emotional for me to have those on their seat when they showed up this morning, and a couple of seniors wrote me some notes, which threw me off pregame,” Danielson said, admitting that he’d already shed a few tears Friday.
“I just love these kids, man. So proud, and I’m excited for them to be world changers in life.”
This story was originally published November 29, 2024 at 5:35 PM.
