BOISE, Idaho — Before Bronco Nation can feel the cold breeze come off the Boise River and chant the opening notes of "Seven Nation Army" in a packed Albertsons Stadium, the Boise State football team is nearing the end of Fall Camp and preparing for their season opener against the University of Central Florida Golden Knights in Orlando on Sept. 2.
With less than two weeks until the season opener, first-year head coach Andy Avalos held a press conference on Friday at 4 p.m. MT. The press conference will be found below in this article and on KTVB's YouTube Channel. Scroll down to find the video player.
KTVB Sports Director Jay Tust live-tweeted everything Bronco Nation needed to know from it. Scroll to the end of this article to find KTVB's live blog of Avalos' press conference.
On Friday afternoon, Avalos was refreshingly clear about who his starting quarterback would be. When Tust asked if Hank Bachmeier was the starter, Avalos said, "He's running with the ones [First Team offense]. Yes, he is."
Avalos explained that one of the factors that played into the decision to start Bachmeier was who could best operate the offense before the ball snapped, with defensive reads, pre-snap adjustments and execution.
With a brand new offense under new offensive coordinator Tim Plough and in a new year, what players did in the past didn't weigh as heavily as what they are doing now in Fall Camp.
"We made that very clear that this competition is based off people are performing right now in all the areas," Avalos said of how he approached the quarterback battle in his first year as head coach for the Broncos.
He added that he and the coaching staff watched how Bachmeier and Sears performed in identical in-game scenarios.
"How did they perform in situations, whether it be field situations, clock situations, down-in-distance situations?" Avalos said. "How are they responding to what the defense is giving them? Are they making the same mistake twice, or are we making new ones?"
According to Avalos, the Broncos have five running backs ready to gallop out of the stables when needed. He said, "We got five guys that run the rock now."
"It is all about running behind those pads and that is the main emphasis, along with ball security with those running backs," he explained on Friday.
With one of their strongest schedules in recent memory, the Broncos are starting the 2021 campaign on the road on Sept. 2 against Central Florida, which, just like Boise State, landed just outside of the preseason AP Top 25 Poll.
It may feel as if it has been 84 years since the 2020 football season, but in the last eight months, the Boise State football team has totally rebuilt its coaching staff following former head coach Bryan Harsin's sudden departure for the Auburn Tigers of the SEC.
On the defensive side of the ball, Avalos promoted Spencer Danielson to defensive coordinator. Danielson was the defensive line coach on former head coach Bryan Harsin's staff.
Avalos then brought in Kane Ioane from Montana State University to coach safeties and act as co-defensive coordinator. A name that many in Bronco Nation may recognize, Jeron Johnson was hired in January as an assistant coach, overseeing cornerbacks.
As coaches' focus turns from player development to preparing for their game in Central Florida, one of the figuratively and literally biggest players on defense that has shone so far in camp is 6’4, 220-pound safety JL Skinner. He credits the team's new coaching staff for building his confidence to new highs.
"The thing that I love about JL is that he has the desire, and that's such a big piece of that thing. He's not just resting on his laurels, he's not just physically gifted and I'm going to go out here and do my thing, he understands that it takes hard work," Ioane said of the junior safety.
Avalos mentioned on Friday that behind Skinner and fellow safety Tyreque Jones are some younger players who they're helping mentor.
"The older guys are doing a really good job helping the coaches lead these guys and develop them as well," Avalos said.
Avalos brought in new offensive coordinator Tim Plough from UC Davis. Plough has spoken highly of both quarterbacks Hank Bachmeier and Jack Sears, who are in the midst of a battle for the starting job under center. Plough has been vocal about his goal of reaching "half-a-hundred" points on offense.
With Oregon Ducks transfer running back Cyrus Habibi-Likio joining the team during the off-season, running back George Holani ready to become a leader on offense in 2021 and a veteran offensive line returning, it will be interesting to see how aggressive Plough's offense is when they take the field at 5 p.m. MT on Sept. 2 in Orlando.
On Friday, Avalos talked about how well the offensive played during fall scrimmage, saying that they've focused on communication between the linemen.
"We really asked them to really hone in on certain things that are going to help them improve," Avalos explained. "Number one, by working together in the pre-snap and making sure we're on the same page and, you know, we get multiple looks from the defense and so we've got to be able to communicate and identify what we're doing."
From there, he explained that the offensive linemen also worked on specific techniques and being consistent with them.
After taking on the recent leader of the Group of 5 on Sept. 2, the Broncos return to the safe confines of The Blue when they host the University of Texas-El Paso on Sept. 10.
Boise State will then host the biggest Power 5 team to travel to Albertsons Stadium since the Virginia Cavaliers embarrassed the Broncos on The Blue in 2017. On Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. MT, Boise State will play the Oklahoma State Cowboys of the Big 12 at Albertsons Stadium. The Cowboys were also ranked just outside of the preseason AP Top 25 Poll.
The Broncos' schedule then includes back-to-back Mountain West Conference matchups with the Utah State Aggies and the Nevada Wolfpack before they travel to Provo, Utah to take on rival Bringham Young University.
Last year, the Cougars thrashed a helpless Boise State offense, which was depending on third and fourth-string quarterbacks for a come-back victory. BYU beat Boise State 51-17 on The Blue.
With a difficult schedule and a whole new coaching staff, Bronco Nation shouldn't expect Boise State to be in the hunt for the Group of Five's bid for a New Years' 6 bowl in 2021.
However, first-year Boise State head coaches have proven they can win Fiesta Bowl games using inherited rosters. Chris Peterson launched Boise State onto the national stage in 2006 and Bryan Harsin won the Group of Five's first NY6 bowl game of the College Football Playoff era in 2014.
On Friday, Avalos explained that it's important to remind players of what made Boise State football what it is now. He said that traditions "helped make who we are, its helped make this university who it is, this city. Its helped make countless people who they are."
For Avalos and company, to reach the heights of their predecessors in their first year together, they'll need to find the magic of Boise State teams of yore, with a punishing defense and an offense that isn't afraid to run up the score and make sure everyone in the stadium knows that they're having fun doing it.
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