BOISE, Idaho — Boise State quarterbacks Hank Bachmeier and Jack Sears are locked in a tight battle for the starting position with just two weeks to go until the Bronco's season opener on Sept. 2 at University of Central Florida.
Sears has missed some practices due to a lower leg injury but was back at practice on Tuesday morning.
"You know, we've had to sort of re-adjust how we were doing things to allow Jack to have time to really take part in the competition, and it's something that he's been dealing with and working through," Boise State offensive coordinator Tim Plough said.
Plough added that it isn't a long-term issue.
"Switched up a little bit of the timetable so that we could give him the chance to compete, because he's been doing some good things when he's been out there and we wanted to make sure it's been fair and everybody got a shot," he said.
Both Bachmeier and Sears have played well in Fall Camp.
Boise State head coach Andy Avalos said on Sunday that both Sears and Bachmeier had similar completion percentages and touchdown to interception ratios so far in camp, and Plough echoed those thoughts on Tuesday.
"Both guys came out hot early in camp and were playing well, and then when he (Jack) went down for a little bit, we were like, man, we are just going to take our time and make sure that he's healthy, so that it's a fair competition and he has the chance to really show what he can do, because he has been playing well when he's been out there and so has Hank, he's had some really good days. It's been good, both guys have raised their games, I know we feel really good about where we're at with the entirety of the position group," Plough said.
Another thing Plough has been pleased with is the bond his quarterbacks have despite it being a fierce competition.
"I'm really proud of the guys for being competitive, not combative. I think Jack and Hank really exemplify what our program is about, that's about caring about people and those two guys care about each other, but they do compete," Plough said. "They both want this really bad, they're both working really hard, and I think they've brought out the best in each other. I think Hank has learned a lot from Jack, Jack's learned a lot from Hank. They're both operating the offense at a really high level."
With Sears missing some practices in Fall Camp due to his lower leg injury, one guy that has taken advantage of those additional reps has been true freshman quarterback Taylen Green.
"There may not be a guy on the team I'm more proud of than him. He's going to be a very, very special player. If we had to play him, he'd be ready to roll, too. That's probably the biggest bonus of this situation (Jack banged up) is that he got a lot of reps," Plough said.
Plough added that there were some good and bad moments, which is to be expected, in the Broncos' first fall camp scrimmage last weekend. He largely thanked it to a veteran Boise State defense they have to go against.
"They're just talented in all three levels, and it makes it really hard," said Plough. "It is a daily struggle to move the ball against Coach Danielson's crew.
On Sunday, coach Avalos mentioned decision-making, accuracy and leadership as key traits in determining who starts under center for Boise State in two weeks.
Offensive coordinator Plough also provided thoughts on what he wants to see in naming a starter before the UCF opener.
"I think it comes down to operating, who can consistently move the offense, in all of the facets, in all of the situations. Who can do it consistently? Whoever can do it more consistently and move our team and lead our team, that's going to be the guy," Plough explained.
Staying in the Boise State backfield, one guy earning a lot of praise from players and coaches has been Oregon running back transfer Cyrus Habibi-Likio.
The former Duck arrives in Boise with 21 career rushing scores from his three seasons in Eugene, and adds a ton of experience and depth to help ease the workload of running back George Holani.
Players and coaches alike have raved about Habibi-Likio’s ability to immerse himself in the blue-collar culture at Boise State. Plough said he isn't surprised how well Habibi-Likio has played at Fall Camp so far and that he has special leadership quality.
"Just the type of leadership he brings to our team. He's lost a lot of weight, when he was at Oregon, they were using him as a short-yardage back, and he's done to a comfortable weight now. He's way more explosive, he's one of the fastest guys on the team, he was over 21 mph, which is, for you guys, that's flying," Plough said.
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