BOISE, Idaho — Friday Special…August 30, 2024.
I was waiting to see if the fullback position would be on Boise State’s depth chart. It is not. But hopefully we will see it Saturday when the season opens at Georgia Southern. Tyler Crowe hopes so, too. A real fullback, not a cameo from a tight end. The Skyview High product has had his sights set on fullback since last winter when offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan floated the idea out there. There’s been no indication that Dirk Koetter doesn’t like it. In that spot, Crowe would provide lead blocking for Ashton Jeanty, an extra protector for Maddux Madsen, and an ambush ball carrier. “We have to give him the ball,” said coach Spencer Danielson during fall camp. “We have to get him in these situations because he's earned it.” Crowe’s career stats since 2020: 274 rushing yards and 5.4 yards per carry with one touchdown.
DEPTH CHART DETAILS
The depth chart for Saturday’s game was finally released Thursday. Here are some takeaways. Defensively, Marco Notarainni must be ready to go if he held off the charge of Jake Ripp at weakside linebacker. Same for Jayden Virgin-Morgan edging out Ball State transfer Tavion Woodard at EDGE. The Broncos fit Seyi Oladipo and Rodney Robinson, often listed as safeties, by naming them co-starters at the nickel spot. On offense, transfers Chris Marshall and Cam Camper get the “or” designation as co-starters with wide receivers Prince Strachan and Austin Bolt, respectively. And true freshman Cameron Bates is backing up Latrell Caples at the other wideout spot. On the line, Hall Schmidt gets the expected nod at right tackle, the only spot up front that doesn’t have a returning starter.
SPENCER DANIELSON IS SETTLED IN
Saturday is the first day of the rest of Danielson’ life, as in, his first season opener as a head football coach. It’s been a wild nine months for Danielson. And one thing that strikes me is that he wears his faith on his sleeve—and it works. So often it rubs fans and the media and even players the wrong way. But Danielson is so authentic about it and so earnest and positive. He even baptized Jeanty this summer. He is a supremely grounded coach. Just read B.J. Rains’ story on Chris Marshall at Bronco Nation News. Marshall seems like a changed guy, thanks to Danielson.
WILL THE SWEATBOX PAY OFF?
Boise State’s notorious “inferno” practices in the Caven-Williams indoor facility this month are about to reap benefits—or so the Broncos hope. The high Saturday in Statesboro, GA, is expected to be 93 degrees, with humidity of over 50 percent piled on top of it. Georgia Southern sees it as an advantage, and Boise State wants to make it one itself. The Broncos have opened on the road in the South five times in the past two decades, and it’s typically been in the upper 80s, and humid. The exception was three years ago at UCF, when a lightning storm delay cooled things down to 73.
THE DREADED ‘T’ WORD – REAL OR IMAGINED?
The term “trap game” always brings groans. So I hesitate to bring it up. But is there one awaiting the Broncos at Georgia Southern? The Eagles have been hearing the Boise State/Ashton Jeanty hype all summer—the team that most prognosticators see as the favorite to represent the Group of 5 in the College Football Playoff, featuring “the best running back in the country.” Georgia Southern is going to fill up its 25,000-seat stadium for this one—it averaged 21,465 fans per game last season. And coach Clay Helton is kind of backed into a corner. After going 46-24 at USC (and getting fired), Helton has posted back-to-back 6-7 seasons with the Eagles. This is his “prove it” season.
MW: WEEK 0 + WEEK 1
The Mountain West season is underway—it actually has been since last weekend, when New Mexico blew a 31-14 lead over Montana State to lose 35-31, Nevada gave SMU an unexpected scare before falling 29-24, and Hawaii eased past Delaware State 35-14. Week 1 is underway, too, with San Jose State pulling away from Sacramento State in the second half 42-24 on Thursday night. Three MW teams are on the road Saturday against ranked foes: Colorado State at No. 4 Texas, Fresno State at No. 9 Michigan and the Lobos at No. 21 Arizona (in Brent Brennan’s first game with the Wildcats). Do you see an upset in there, sports fans? I don’t.
A QB PORTAL REPORT
I don’t plan on doing this often, but Week 1 is a good time to check in on two former Boise State quarterbacks who debuted with new teams Thursday night. At Arkansas, Taylen Green went 16-of-23 for 229 yards and two touchdowns and added 88 yards rushing and two more scores. At Wake Forest, Hank Bachmeier was 18-of-28 for 263 yards and three TDs. Neither threw an interception. Bachmeier didn’t start, but it looks like Wake has its man. There are asterisks for the competition: Arkansas 70, UAPB 0. Wake Forest 45, North Carolina A&T 13.
CUT DAY FOLLOWUP
Former Boise State standouts Brett Rypien and George Holani didn’t make it through NFL cut-down day, with Rypien released by the Chicago Bears and Holani by the Seattle Seahawks. Both will live to see another day, though, as Rypien was signed Thursday by the Minnesota Vikings and Holani was added to the Seahawks practice squad on Wednesday. The pair is on opposite ends of the experience spectrum, as Rypien enters his sixth season in the NFL and Holani his first. Both players had solid preseasons and really earned this second look.
AROUND THE STATE
Idaho gets a shot at the Oregon Ducks a week before Boise State does. It’s a heckuva way for the Vandals to open the season, but it should build a stronger will for what is expected to be a run at the Big Sky championship this season. Also Saturday, College of Idaho Yotes hosts the Simpson University in the second night game in as many weeks at Simplot Stadium. This one is noteworthy as the first-ever football game in Simpson's program history. The Red Hawks from Rocklin, CA, are set to join the Frontier Conference next season. And Cody Hawkins begins his second season as Idaho State coach by taking the Bengals to Corvallis to face Oregon State.
HAWKS TRYING TO HANG ON
The proof is in the pudding right now if the Boise Hawks are to make the 2024 Pioneer League Playoffs. With their second half lead in the standings having evaporated, the Hawks are battling the Yolo High Wheelers for second place, and that’s the team in town this week at Memorial Stadium. Thursday night saw Yolo drop Boise into third place with a 4-1 victory. The Hawks have now lost 10 of their last 12 games. And I want to mention a former Boise Hawk here. Rich Hill has—for the fifth straight year—become the oldest player in the majors, having been signed this week by the Boston Red Sox at the age of 44. The lefthander played for the Hawks way back in 2002 and 2003.
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August 30, 2002: For the first time in nine tries, major league players and owners reach a collective bargaining agreement without a work stoppage. The deal was announced just hours before the deadline for a players strike, which would likely had wiped out the 2002 World Series (at least). There was a sense of desperation this time, because a majority fans across the country were prepared to abandon big league baseball forever had the players walked.
(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment during the football season on KTVB’s Sunday Sports Extra and anchors four sports segments each weekday on 95.3 FM KTIK. He also served as color commentator on KTVB’s telecasts of Boise State football for 14 seasons.)
