Fixing the kicking: Boise State might ‘need to rely on those guys’
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Boise State lacks a reliable place-kicker ahead of key game vs. Air Force.
- Both Boomer and Moore missed field goals in win over Eastern Washington.
- Inconsistent kicking forces Boise State to gamble on fourth downs more often.
Boise State coach Spencer Danielson wants his team to be a championship contender in the Mountain West and beyond, and he knows it can be a struggle to get there without consistent placekicking.
He was clear about that after the Broncos’ 51-14 victory over Eastern Washington, saying that his team needs to “find a way to be more consistent kicking field goals.”
In that 51-14 win, Boise State kickers Colton Boomer and Canaan Moore each missed a field goal, and Boomer also missed an extra point.
Heading into week 4 of the season, the Broncos will head to Air Force for their Mountain West Mountain West Conference opener without having the kicking job solidified.
“We’re going to go out there on Tuesday practice, compete and chart,” Danielson said Monday. “Last week, they all did a good job. I think Boomer is still in the lead and is our starter, but we’re going to continue to compete in Tuesday and Wednesday practice.”
Having an unreliable kicking unit is an odd spot for the Broncos. Five-year starter Jonah Dalmas had the position on lockdown en route to scoring the most points (508) in Boise State and Mountain West history. He did that despite having his worst season in 2024, when he made just 13-of-18 field goal attempts.
Dalmas’ departure left the Broncos deciding between two newcomers: redshirt junior Boomer, a transfer from UCF, and true freshman Moore, who joined the team a few days before fall camp.
Special teams coordinator Stacy Collins admitted there was inconsistency in the kicking game throughout fall camp, with Boomer suffering an injury that kept him out for about a week. Boomer also suffered a big injury in 2024, when he saw action in just four games for UCF before missing the rest of the season with a bad ankle.
In the victory over Eastern Washington, Danielson wasted no time subbing Moore in for Boomer after Boomer missed two kicks in the opening 20 minutes of the game.
“When I’ve got opportunities in the game to give guys a look, especially when we missed a couple — missed a PAT and missed a field goal — I’m going to give some other guys a situation to compete,” Danielson said.
Moore made a kick from 35 yards but also missed a 24-yarder against the Eagles, leaving the coaching staff without a clear answer.
It’s not just a case of the Broncos potentially missing kicks here and there. In the opening loss to South Florida, Danielson opted to go for it on several fourth downs rather than sending out the field goal unit. One of those moments came early in the second half, when a field goal would have made it a one-score game.
The Broncos went just 2-for-6 on fourth down against South Florida and 0-for-1 against Eastern Washington, putting them at 2-for-7 (28.6%). That differs from last year, when Boise State was a robust 15-for-22 (66.2%).
“I feel like our offense is pretty aggressive when it comes to fourth down, and so I don’t think it’s going to be anything drastically different,” redshirt junior quarterback Maddux Madsen said Tuesday. “But there are going to be games where it’s tough and tight, and when we kick field goals, we need to rely on those guys to do that.”
Boise State at Air Force
- When: 5 p.m. Saturday
- Where: Falcon Stadium (39,441, turf), Colorado Springs, Colorado
- TV: FS1 (Jason Knapp, Robert Turbin)
- Radio: KBOI 670 AM/KTIK 93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)
- Records: Boise State 1-1; Air Force 1-1
- Series: Boise State leads 8-4
- Vegas betting line: Boise State by 10.5
- Weather: 79 degrees, mostly sunny, 4% chance of rain
