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Broncos face first real test of the season
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If there is one thing that the Boise State University coaching staff does well, it’s having their team prepared for each opponent they face. Boise State Head Coach Chris Petersen knows what it takes to have his team prepared week in and week out, and he fully understands the task the Broncos face this Saturday with Bowling Green.
“We’re playing a heck of a team,” Petersen said. “This is a much different test and a much different style of team than the first team we played.”
Bowling Green started the year off on the road getting a huge victory against Big East favorite Pittsburgh. Then last week in their home opener against Minnesota, they were plagued by turnovers leading to a blowout loss at home. Now the question is what team will show this Saturday on the blue.
“That score is no indication of what happened in that game,” Petersen said. “When you turn the ball over that much you’re not going to win and I know Bowling Green is saying the same thing.”
In the game against Minnesota, Bowling Green turned the ball over five times while Minnesota did not commit one turnover. That statistic alone changed the game, and eventually led to Minnesota scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter and winning the game 42-17.
Coach Petersen believes that this is a much better team than the one Boise State faced in 2005, which featured star quarterback Omar Jacobs.
“They were a bowl team last year, they are returning 18 starters, and they already proved that they can win on the road,” Petersen said.
Bowling Green features junior quarterback Tyler Sheehan who is mobile just like Jacobs was when Boise State faced them in 2005. He’s hard to take down, weighing in at 227 pounds and standing 6 feet 4 inches tall.
“Mobile quarterbacks give every defense problems,” Petersen said. “We have to know our responsibilities, keep pressure on him and stay in our rushing lanes.”
Bowling Green likes to spread the ball out. They feature a different style of offense that Florida Gator Coach Urban Meyer implemented when he coached Bowling Green back in 2001-02.
Boise State will be up against a very experienced Bowling Green defense that is loaded with talent and experienced leaders.
“I think that they play very hard,” Petersen said. “Their entire secondary is back and they have the leading sacker in the country.”
That leading sacker is senior defensive lineman Diyral Briggs who, in two games, has already accounted for five sacks. He is by far the leader of Bowling Green’s defense and will pose a serious challenge for the Broncos’ inexperienced offensive line.
“He just goes hard and is so athletic, if you hold the ball on him you’re going to get sacked,” Petersen said.
The Broncos, coming off a bye week, sound fully prepared to stand up to the physical Bowling Green defense and to take on the versatile offense that Bowling Green will bring to the blue on Saturday night.
TRENT LOOTENS/Sports Journalist