BOISE, Idaho — Friday, September 17, 2021.
Start with the line. The latest odds from USA Today show Boise State by four points over Oklahoma State Saturday night on the blue turf. So the Broncos are favored over a team that beat them by 23 points three years ago in Stillwater? If that’s going to hold up, Boise State’s offensive and defensive lines will have to collectively play their best game, and then some. It’s not lost on any rabid fan that Brett Rypien was sacked seven times—seven—in 2018 at OSU despite throwing for 380 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. The running game suffered, too, as the Broncos rushed for only 31 yards on 34 carries (the sacks affected that, of course). That was with Alexander Mattison. George Holani needs to help flip that script, but he needs his compadres up front.
On the other side, the Cowboys racked up a healthy 176 yards and three TDs at Boone Pickens Stadium. The Broncos D-line has to come as close it it can to replicating last week’s performance against UTEP, or the betting line could be corrupted. Boise State faces a true running quarterback for the first time this season in Oklahoma State’s Spencer Sanders. UCF’s Dillon Gabriel has capable legs but is not known for that, yet he scrambled for 64 yards and 5.3 yards per carry in the Knights’ season-opening win over the Broncos. The lines will determine if the line is realistic Saturday night.
BRONCOS WHO HAVE BEEN THERE
More current Broncos than you probably thought were active in that 44-21 decision in 2018. The most significant two were on offense. Three games into his Boise State career, Khalil Shakir made one catch for 19 yards while adding one rushing attempt for three yards—and one nice punt return for 16 yards. There’s a chance that the latter could be part of his role against the Cowboys. CT Thomas had a busy day with eight catches for 52 yards, which brings up his numbers this year. Thomas has had just one reception in each of the first two games. Also in the box score that day were Andrew Van Buren, Riley Whimpey, Kekaula Kaniho and Joel Velzquez
WHAT DOES FELDMAN SAY?
Bruce Feldman’s Boise State-Oklahoma State pick at The Athletic: “The Cowboys have had two really shaky close wins at home over teams not as talented as Boise. I think it could be a rough night for them, although the Broncos really need to find their running game fast. Boise State 28, Oklahoma State 20.” (That’s a relevant asterisk Feldman throws in.) And as an “oh by the way,” what about former Broncos coach Bryan Harsin and Auburn at Penn State? Writes Feldman: “I’m not picking against the Nittany Lions in a home night game. The Tigers haven’t faced anyone yet, and this setting I think may be too much for them. Bo Nix is a dramatically different QB on the road, with a 13-12 TD-INT ratio in his first two seasons, compared to 15-1 at home. Penn State 27, Auburn 17.
VANNINI HAS IT PRETTY WELL NAILED
Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports stirred the pot Thursday by writing that the American Athletic Conference is in attack mode after being pilfered by the Big 12. “Boise State and UAB have been discussed most prominently among five expansion candidates,” Dodd writes. But Chris Vannini of The Athletic is the voice of reason. “Boise State remains a college football brand, but the athletic department has dealt with a number of cuts amid the pandemic financial strain. Could it be a football-only AAC member, and would the West Coast Conference consider holding Boise State’s other sports like it did with BYU? It’s not exactly a cultural fit with the WCC’s private schools.” Do you think? Meanwhile, Vannini writes that, as it stands now, the Mountain West could surpass the AAC in football “if some of its rising teams continue to improve.”
YOTES ARE GOOD WHEN THEY GET THEIR REST
College of Idaho should be fresh Saturday as they host Southern Oregon at Simplot Stadium. Since the Coyotes brought football back in 2014, the Yotes are a perfect 6-0 in games following a bye-week, including a 49-38 road win at Eastern Oregon during the spring season. Elsewhere, Idaho visits Oregon State in Corvallis, and this one might not be pretty. The Beavers are better than they get credit for. I was looking at their final three games of last season—they lost to Utah, Stanford and Arizona State by seven, three and seven points, respectively. Vandals All-Big Sky linebacker Tre Walker was busy last week at Indiana, logging 16 tackles. Walker should be industrious Saturday as well, as Oregon State’s running game is averaging 167 yards per game.
MERRITT NEAR THE TOP
If Troy Merritt could bottle up his first round of the new PGA Tour season and sprinkle it over every course he plays through next August, it’d be all good. Merritt is tied for fourth after the first round of the Fontinet Championship in Napa, CA, two shots off the lead with a five-under 67. The former Boise State star, who teed off on No. 10, was actually five-under at the turn at Silverado. Merritt endured bogeys on two of the first four holes on his second nine but promptly birdied the next two holes to even it out.
HAWKS BURIED IN CHAMPIONSHIP FINALE
Well, it was an accomplishment to get that far, but a Pioneer League title was not meant to be for the Boise Hawks. And the Hawks found that out early and often in a 14-1 loss to Missoula in the deciding Game 3 of the championship series. The Paddleheads plated 11 unanswered runs over the first three innings and never looked back. The Hawks, who won the second half title in the Southern Division, finished with a 49-46 overall record (not including the playoffs). Remember, this team started 4-15 back in late May and early June. Props to manager Gary Van Tol.
THIS DAY IN SPORTS…September 17, 1961, 60 years ago today:
The expansion Minnesota Vikings make a spectacular entry into the NFL with a 37-13 rout of the Chicago Bears at the old Met in Bloomington. Rookie quarterback Fran Tarkenton made an immediate impact with four touchdown passes and another on the ground. The Vikings would go 3-11 in their first season, but Tarkenton’s scrambling style caught on quickly with fans. He would lead Minnesota to three Super Bowls in his second stint with the team from 1972-78, none of them victories, however.
(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment during the football season on KTVB’s Sunday Sports Extra and anchors five sports segments each weekday on 93.1 FM KTIK. He also served as color commentator on KTVB’s telecasts of Boise State football for 14 seasons.)
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