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Coach Pete leaves many questions about Bronco football in 2009 unanswered
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Spring ball is at its halfway point for the Boise State football team and now is the time for the players to separate themselves to see who will be playing come fall time.
Head coach Chris Petersen had only 15 practices to determine who is making strides and who isn’t so far this spring, but according to him that doesn’t necessarily determine who will start for the Broncos in 2009.
“To make some decisions we need some guys to make a move,” Petersen said. “Find a way to separate yourself from the pack and come fall you have a good shot to be on that field.”
Petersen will be the first to tell you that you don’t lose a starting job during the spring, but you don’t win one either. What you do get is more reps, which in turn gives you more of a chance to impress the coaches.
“You don’t win your job in spring ball, what you do is set a pecking order more or less in your favor,” Petersen said. “You have to make a statement and earn your reps now because there is only so long we can hang with you.”
Perhaps the one group in particular that has the most questions around it this spring is the offensive line, who as of right now only has one player that seems to be a lock in center Thomas Byrd.
As for the rest of the offensive line your guess is as good as Chris Petersen’s.
“A huge theme around here is trying to find a way to separate yourself,” Petersen said. “The first group that comes to mind is the o-line. There are about fifteen or sixteen guys who are all kind of the same which is good for them but hard on the coaches.”
Getting a solid group together on the offensive line will be crucial for running game which at times last year was non-existent. None more than when the Broncos were only able to accumulate 38 yards on 35 carries last year against Oregon who the Broncos will face again the first game of the 2009 season.
Junior running backs Jeremy Avery and D.J. Harper, along with freshmen Matt Kaiserman, will provide the running attack with different looks and consistent fresh legs which should be a huge step in propelling the Bronco offense to where it needs to be pending the offensive line.
“I’m very convinced as of now that we’re going to be a much better running team next year because of the focus of emphasis we’re putting on it,” Petersen said. “But that’s the beauty of spring ball it’s all a work in progress.”
The players will look to get the separation that the coaches are looking for when they take to the field again next Wednesday at 2:30 for their second of three scrimmages at Bronco Stadium.
TRENT LOOTENS
Arbiter Journalist
