View From the Stands: Colorado State @ Boise State

Boise State hosted Colorado State for a game under some Friday night lights. The Broncos were without some valuable starters, but Rypien led the Broncos to a convincing 56-28 victory in Boise. Let’s revisit some key points from my preview and talk about the atmosphere at Albertsons Stadium:

Is early season Rypien back?

Rypien played as well as he has all year. Rypien completed 22 of 26 pass attempts for 308 yards and four touchdowns. All four touchdowns passes were difficult passes that were perfectly thrown. If the offensive line can continue to give Rypien time, the Broncos are going to be difficult to beat.

Were the changes to the offensive line permanent? Will they make a difference?

It sure looks like it. Andres Preciado was replaced by freshman John Ojukwu at right tackle. Injured Eric Quevado was replaced by Donte Harrington. The offensive line was not great, but they were significantly improved. The Bronco offensive line will be important to watch next week as Boise State travels to face Air Force and has one more opportunity to prove themselves before they play BYU and Fresno State.

Can special teams continue to stay out of their own way?

Special teams may have had their best performance of the year, and they did it without their kickoff specialist, Joel Velazquez. The Broncos scored two touchdowns on special teams, albeit both were quite unconventional. Avery Williams scored on an onside kickoff return and Kekaula Kaniho scored on an Avery Williams fumble on a punt return.

Will the defense be able to overcome injuries?

The defense struggled to prevent the Rams from moving the ball down the field. The absence of David Moa and Sonatane Lui was noticeable in the run game, as the Rams ran the ball effectively. The Broncos also missed an uncharacteristic amount of tackles; Deandre Pierce was missed in this game. However, the Bronco defense was able to get some huge turnovers in some key spots, and solid play from the offense and special teams were more than enough to overcome the struggles of the defense.

Can the Broncos establish the run game?

Not really. The Broncos were effective in running the ball with their wide receivers, but they struggled to break off any huge runs. Alexander Mattison had 20 carries for 85 yards; the Broncos need to find a way to get him going with huge conference match-ups against Fresno State and Utah State looming.

Vegas Line:

Broncos -24

The Broncos won by 28. I was wondering if they would be able to beat the spread again in a game this season.

My Prediction:

Boise State 35, Colorado State 24. The final score was 56-28. The Bronco offense performed better than expected, and two special teams touchdowns resulted in any easy Bronco victory.

The Bronco offense responded on Friday night, and they will need to continue to impress with the defense facing serious injuries. Next week, the Broncos travel to Colorado to take on an unpredictable Air Force squad. This is a crucial game for the Broncos before they face a difficult stretch against BYU, Fresno State, New Mexico, and Utah State.