‘They can’t play’: Boise State’s Danielson demands more effort after loss
CORRECTION: This story has been updated with the correct day and time for Boise State’s game against Eastern Washington.
Coach Spencer Danielson walked out for his start-of-week press conference on Monday afternoon in an unfamiliar position — following up on an unacceptable loss.
Before last Thursday’s 34-7 blowout at South Florida, Danielson had lost just three games as Boise State’s head coach: the 2023 LA Bowl vs. UCLA, in just his fourth game in charge, when the team had no real starting quarterback; a last-second loss by a field goal to then-No. 7 Oregon last fall, part of the Ducks’ unbeaten regular season; and the loss to top-five team Penn State in last year’s College Football Playoff.
With nothing but losses as an underdog, there’s not much of a sample size for determining Danielson’s ability to switch from good cop to bad cop. But everyone got an idea Monday, when he had to discuss a game in which the Broncos gave up 34 unanswered points and lost to a team that was a touchdown underdog.
The second-year head coach slammed the effort levels of the Broncos, saying what he saw was “not the standard” for Boise State. And he wasn’t afraid to let that be known to his players.
“Going forward, if someone doesn’t play the way we need them to, from an effort and mentality standpoint, they can’t play,” Danielson said.
Redshirt senior cornerback Davon Banks felt the brunt of much fan frustration over the weekend. A clip of Banks jogging during the play that led to South Florida’s third touchdown went viral, but Danielson was sure to note that the lack of effort extended beyond what went online.
“There are a lot of plays on film that were not the standard in regard to our effort,” Danielson said. “I know the play that everybody sees. There’s a lot more on that tape than just that one play.”
Banks also was at the center of another big play that went against the Broncos. With Boise State leading 7-3 and having just seemingly forced a 4th-and-long deep in South Florida territory, Banks threw down USF quarterback Byrum Brown at the end of a sack, resulting in an unnecessary roughness penalty and new set of downs. The Bulls drove for a touchdown and turned the tide.
Danielson said Banks should have sat out for a play after the incident, but he couldn’t see who had drawn the flag amid the scrum. Defensive coordinator Erik Chinander had similar reasoning but offered little sympathy moving forward for players who earn penalties after the flag.
“Post-whistle penalties cannot happen and will not be accepted,” Chinander said. “And from here on out, it will just be emotionless. If you have a post-whistle penalty, you will come out of the football game. Not to say that you’re going to be done for the game, but you’re going to come out.”
While fingers can be pointed a lot of directions for the loss — from an unexpectedly average night from the offensive line to a weak rushing attack to wide receivers being unable to get open — it was the secondary that drew the bulk of criticism.
Tackling had been a big point of emphasis over the summer for the Broncos. The tackling looked better at the line of scrimmage, but once USF’s quarterback or receivers got into the open field, the secondary struggled, often aiming high rather than wrapping around the waist or legs.
Brown finished the night with 43 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. He also had a 39-yard touchdown in which he broke or dodged six tackles, but it was called back for holding. The tackling was alarming enough that the Broncos were practicing on Monday with live tackles, something that’s not seen too often once the season starts.
And if players still aren’t up to par, there are those waiting in the wings.
Redshirt junior Jaden Mickey, a transfer from Notre Dame, played just one down against South Florida but could be in the running to start at nickel against Eastern Washington on Friday in the home opener.
Chinander acknowledged Mickey didn’t get enough snaps, and with Danielson admitting Banks “didn’t do what we needed him to do” in some plays against South Florida, it’s one position to keep an eye on.
“We found out the breaking point of a lot of our players, and that is on me as a coach to make sure that breaking point gets pushed or they can’t play here,” Danielson said.
“And (if) we’re going to play with a kid less talented,” he continued, “but he is going to do what he’s supposed to do with a high level of effort, that is what we are going to do here.”
Boise State vs. Eastern Washington
- When: 7 p.m. Friday
- Where: Albertsons Stadium (33,000, turf)
- TV: FS1
- Radio: KBOI 670 AM/KTIK 93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)
- Records: Boise State 0-1; Eastern Washington 0-1
- Series: Boise State leads 13-6.
- Weather: 94 degrees, partly cloudy, 12% chance of rain
This story was originally published September 1, 2025 at 5:45 PM.
