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The Coach’s Office
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The end of the season is drawing near and the Boise State Broncos are coming closer to yet another undefeated season. But two of their toughest games lay just ahead of them.
The biggest surprise this year is who Boise State’s toughest competition would be. The cards have been dealt as they go. First was the juggernaut Oregon. Chalk one down.
Next was San Jose State’s powerhouse defense. Another one please.
The Nevada Wolf Pack was expected to be a formidable foe. But not to the level they have achieved over the past few weeks.
Nevada head coach Chris Ault has faced a complicated early schedule, dropping games to both Missouri (17-69) and Texas Tech (19-35) in two of their first three games of the season.
Nobody can say Nevada hasn’t faced extreme talent this season. They will be ready for Boise State.
“Any time you get a chance to play against a nationally ranked team it’s a signature game, no question,” Ault said.
The Broncos will be the third nationally ranked opponent the Wolf Pack will face this season.
The one difference is Nevada is finally clicking the way they want to.
“Huge game,” Boise State head coach Chris Petersen said. “Nevada is the hottest team in our league. Right now they’re just getting better and better. Nobody has figured out how to slow them down yet. We’ve got a tremendous challenge.”
The challenge will be similar to the one faced at Bronco Stadium in the 69-67 quadruple overtime Boise State victory. Stopping the nation’s No. 1 rushing offense, averaging 325 yards per game, will give fans a full view of the Broncos’ defense at work, answering the question,
“How good are they, really?”
Only the top five passing offenses in the nation throw for more yards than the Wolf Pack rushes for each week. Much of this can be attributed to Nevada’s sophomore quarterback Colin Kaepernick who has rushed for 1,017 yards and passed for 1,841 yards. He was named Western Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the week for his performance against San Jose State (147 rushing yards, 192 passing, 3 TD).
Kaepernick had his first start against the Broncos last year.
“[Kaepernick] was a freshman last year and was throwing into the fire,” Ault said “He gets better as we go as far as being a manager of the game.”
And manage he can.
The team can attribute 30 of its 49 touchdowns this season directly to Kaepernick.
He is the highest-scoring quarterback in the nation entering this weekend.
“When the quarterback can carry the ball and do some things, all of the sudden you’re a man short on defense when he’s a viable runner,” Petersen said. “The type of runner he is, you can have the numbers you want and he can outrun them and just make plays. It’s a combination of those things that make them so hard to defend.”
Nevada’s rushing defense isn’t too shabby either. They are ranked second in the nation.
“We have done a nice job against the rush,” Ault said. “Part of that is because we have played fairly consistent up front. The other part is that people have been lucky to throw against us. We have been vulnerable there.”
In fact it is Nevada’s Achilles heel. They are the worst-ranked pass defense in the nation.
BSU will have to find a good way to keep the Nevada offense at bay while producing yards in the “balanced” fashion Petersen would like to week in and week out.
Their strength rests with their consistency in all areas of the game.
“They’re just terrific,” Ault said. “I see a weakness in any phase of their game on offense, defense or special teams. They’re certainly well deserving of their ranking. It’s going to be one heck of a ball game.”I think you just try to play to your strengths,” Petersen said. “We never know any given game what that’s going to be.”
The Broncos’ defense will be key. They can put up numbers. But can the Boise State defense control Nevada’s high octane offense?
“I think they’re playing hard,” Petersen said. “Playing well as a group. We really don’t have any super stars out there. Again, we haven’t seen anybody that runs the ball like Nevada either."
KIRK BELL
Sports Coordinator
