BOISE, Idaho — Wednesday Weekly…April 17, 2024.
Maddux Madsen, Boise State’s injured quarterback who is in the midst of a rapid recovery, had a goal of being back in time to appear the Broncos Spring Game. He tore his MCL and PCL just over five months ago. While Madsen is not ready for 270-pound defensive ends chasing him around, he’s participated in enough drills in spring football that he deserves a couple snaps Saturday on the Blue. There is a precedent for this. On Senior Night in 2013, coach Chris Petersen started QB Joe Southwick and had him make some short, safe throws just six weeks after breaking his ankle. (One of them turned into a 64-yard screen to Jay Ajayi.) Surely the Broncos could let Madsen take a few snaps—maybe hand off twice and throw a quick out. He’s fully invested in the team. Why not?
QUARTERBACK EXPECTATIONS
There should be a sizeable crowd Saturday at Albertsons Stadium, and the biggest drawing card is USC transfer quarterback Malachi Nelson. Despite the buzz around the one-time five-star recruit, he’s still a work in progress, so don’t be alarmed if Nelson’s stats aren’t lights out. But, as offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter said, “He can spin the ball.” Picking up the Broncos’ terminology has been like drinkin’ out of a fire hose for Nelson. “From Spanish to French,” according to Koetter. With C.J. Tiller, it’s just consistency. “He sometimes makes the hard plays but misses on the easy plays,” Koetter said. The O.C. admired Madsen from the stands last year and wishes he could see him out there live on the Blue. “He’s proven he can play at this level,” added Koetter. That guy should know.
ASHTON JEANTY, AND THEN SOME
Boise State’s running game took a quantum leap last season, and it happened with a running backs room that went three-deep. Ashton Jeanty became a national sensation while George Holani was still able to finish his career on a high note. And behind them, Breezy Dubar saw significant action with 335 yards, 5.4 yards per carry and two touchdowns. Now he moves up a chair to back up Jeanty, and Dubar’s spot definitely has a taker. “Sire Gaines is going to be a really good football player for us this year," said coach Spencer Danielson after Saturday’s scrimmage. Key word: “this.” Gaines graduated early from high school in order to enroll at Boise State in January, and spring football has provided a lot of reps for him. Rushing yards can be tough to come by in spring, but Gaines averaged 4.2 per carry in last week’s scrimmage.
LAUTER RULES THE TIGHT ENDS ROOM
The consensus star of Boise State spring football so far has been tight end Matt Lauter (when healthy). Expectations are sky high for the junior from San Diego. That may be curious for a guy with a total of 13 career catches. But it’s what Lauter has done with them that make you think the floodgates might open. He can stretch the field. Lauter’s breakout game came at Memphis last year, where he made three grabs for 76 yards, including a 59-yard gain. Then he caught two touchdowns at Utah State on beautiful play calls by then-offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan. Can Lauter become a target in the mold of a Derek Schouman or a Jake Roh? Don’t bet against it. Lauter’s most cited quote from his media session this week: “I think this year is going to be a whole different year for me.” We’ll be lookin’ for No. 85.
OPTIMISM IN THE SECONDARY
You never want to put too much stock into spring football stats, because we don’t know the intricacies of individual plays in closed scrimmages. But we keep hearing Jeremiah Earby’s name. There were two interceptions in the second spring scrimmage last Saturday, both by Earby. And the most talked-about play of scrimmage No. 1 was a big pass breakup by the junior transfer from Cal. Let’s not forget that Earby is no greenhorn out there. He played in 24 games and started 10 for the Bears the past two seasons, with 19 pass breakups, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries, one for a touchdown. Currently you can imagine Earby and A’Marion McCoy starting at cornerback, with Kaonohi Kaniho and Markel Reed as the backups. That’s a pretty solid two-deep.
GOOD FOR TAYLEN GREEN
Who’d a thunk Taylen Green’s performance in the Arkansas Spring Game would cause such consternation in Bronco Nation? Sometimes you’ve gotta take spring stats with a grain of salt, but Green was really good for the Razorbacks, going 17-of-22 for 243 yards and two touchdowns. He had nice touch and was fitting throws into tight windows. Those were things he didn’t always do in his two-plus seasons at Boise State, and some want to blame former coach Andy Avalos and former offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan for not bringing him along—and messing him up by splitting time with Madsen last year. I’ve always looked at it as: the Broncos had to win games in the moment, and Madsen was, at the time, the better passer when the team was down. Green would have been better this year no matter where he was.
THE HYPE TRAIN IS UNDERWAY
I refer to Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury-News often in this space. He’s a great resource for West Coast college sports. Wilner’s first Best of the West college hoops rankings for 2024-25 have Boise State at No. 5 behind Gonzaga, BYU, Saint Mary’s and Arizona. Writes Wilner: “The best roster in the Mountain West resides in Boise, at least right now. High-scoring forward Tyson Degenhart is scheduled to return, along with forward O’Mar Stanley. If guard Chibuzo Agbo uses his final season of eligibility, the Broncos will have three impact players as their core. Coach Leon Rice quietly does a first-rate job, year after year.” And that was written before the Broncos picked up transfer point guard Alvaro Cardenas from San Jose State.
BRONCOS HOOPS ROSTER REMINDERS
With all the hubbub over where Cardenas fits in the Boise State lineup—competing with Roddie Anderson III at point guard and/or filling Max Rice’s spot, for example—we tend to forget about some other names. Chris Lockett, the Louisiana Player of the Year a season ago, is coming off what is said to be a solid redshirt year. And then there’s incoming true freshmen Julian Bowie of Century High in Pocatello and Pearson Carmichael of Summit High in McMinnville, OR. Carmichael, nicknamed “Peanut,” has been named Oregon 5A Player of the Year for the second straight season after leading Summit to its first-ever state championship. Carmichael had also been tabbed Player of the Year by MaxPreps, the Oregonian, the Oregon Coaches Association and Oregon Sports Awards. Peanut Carmichael, ladies and gentlemen.
TRANSFER PORTAL PLACEMENTS
Former Boise State guard Jace Whiting wants more playing time, but he doesn’t want to drop a level to do it. Last night Whiting announced that he is transferring to UNLV, a program trying to rebound from some sleepy years in what has become a sleepy Thomas & Mack Center. Hopefully he has a chance to start in Vegas. That would make it all worthwhile. Whiting averaged 15.1 minutes and 3.2 points per game in his two seasons as a Bronco. Also, former Owyhee High star Jack Payne, who just left Colorado State via the transfer portal, has settled on Idaho as his landing spot. Payne played sparingly for the Rams, but we’ll be hearing his name a lot as a Vandal.
THE LONG WAIT FOR PLAYOFF HOCKEY
When the Idaho Steelheads finally take the ice for the Kelly Cup Playoffs next week, they’ll be showing off the ECHL Defenseman of the Year, Patrick Kudla. Already a first-team All-ECHL pick, Kudla was named for that top honor Tuesday. He ranked third among ECHL defensemen with 60 points and 50 assists in 60 games. Kudla was one of just two defensemen in the league to average at least one point per game this season. Because of a gymnastics meet in Idaho Central Arena this weekend, the Steelheads first-round playoff series against the Allen Americans won’t begin until next Monday on home ice. The Steelies finished second in the Mountain Division and Allen third, although there was a big gap in points between the two. No matter. It’s the playoffs, and every team is 0-0-0.
EMMA BATES STRIKES AGAIN
Boise State Athletic Hall of Famer Emma Bates conquered Heartbreak Hill again Monday, finishing as the top American woman in the Boston Marathon. Bates, who was the NCAA 10,000-meters champion for the Broncos in 2014, ran a 2:27:14, five seconds off her personal best, and came in 12th overall in the women’s division. Unfortunately, she will not be in the Paris Olympics this summer. Bates was injured when she stepped in a pothole while running the Chicago Marathon last fall and was unable to race in the U.S.Olympic Trials in February. Which reminds me, the 46th Race To Robie Creek is coming up Saturday, going from Fort Boise all the way over the top of Aldape Summit and down to the Robie Creek finish line. Good luck to all.
MORE, MORE, MORE
What was that? A home match for Boise State men’s golf? Against Idaho, no less? The Broncos and Vandals faced off in the Battle of Idaho dual meet at Hillcrest Country Club Monday and Tuesday, hosted by Boise State. It was the first home event against any opponent for Broncos men’s golf in 10 years. Let’s hope this rubs off on track and field. How about a home meet at Dona Larsen Park? On the course, Idaho beat Boise State by 10 strokes, with the Vandals’ Joe Sykes and the Broncos’ Cole Rueck tying for medalist honors. In the two tournaments that Boise State and Idaho had played together earlier this season, the Broncos topped the Vandals by four strokes each time.
THIS DAY IN SPORTS…April 17, 1969:
In only his fourth major league start, former Idaho Vandal Bill Stoneman throws a no-hitter as the Montreal Expos beat the Philadelphia Phils, 7-0. Stoneman would go 54-85 in eight big league seasons, but he threw two no-hitters. As general manager of the then-Anaheim Angels in 2000, he would play a role in the separation of the Angels from the Boise Hawks organization in what the new Hawks owners termed a dispute over guaranteeing long-time manager Tom Kotchman’s return to the club.
(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.)
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