The Boise State Broncos hosted the Air Force Falcons on Friday night in front of the sixth largest crowd in Albertsons Stadium. The Broncos offense struggled early on, but a disciplined defense kept them in the game until the offense started clicking. The Broncos came away with a 30-19 victory, let’s revisit how they got it done.
Will the defense come out strong?
The answer to this question is finally yes. The Boise State defense did a terrific job keeping the Falcons in front of them and limiting their big plays. Schmedding had a heck of a game plan, and Sonatane Lui (16 tackles) and Khafari Buffalo (11 tackles) had a huge game.
Will the triple option once again haunt the Broncos?
It appears they have. The Broncos have shown far more discipline the last few years against Air Force. They haven’t been fooled by the deep passes and have improved significantly in defending the pitch. Linebacker play was crucial in this one, and the trio of Khafari Buffalo, Riley Whimpey, and Zeke Noa got it done.
Can a revamped offensive line protect Bachmeier?
The Falcons blitzed Bachmeier on nearly every play, and early on they had a ton of success. But, as the game progressed, the offensive line settled in and gave Bachmeier time to throw. Once that happened, the Broncos started to control the game, and they were able to keep their defense off the field. With success in the passing game came success in the running game. Robert Mahone controlled the clock in the fourth quarter and tacked on two rushing touchdowns.
Will Chase Cord continue to see the field?
Cord saw the field on three plays and threw the ball once. He narrowly missed a deep ball to John Hightower. It looks like the coaches will occasionally use him as a change of pace. If he is a threat to throw the ball, it could be effective.
How limited are the Broncos?
Ezra Cleveland surprised Bronco fans by returning to the lineup. His return was huge for a Bronco offensive line that has struggled mightily in pass protection. DeAndre Pierce and John Ojukwu were both out, but looked closer to returning. It would not surprise me if both players returned after the coming bye week.
Are the Broncos for real?
It is starting to look like it. They have plenty of issues that they need to address on special teams, especially the struggles of punter Joel Velazquez.
My Prediction: I predicted a 34-28 victory for the Broncos. The defense played better than I expected which led to a Bronco win. They covered the 7.5 point spread.
That is it for this edition of “Bronco Blitz.” Boise State is on a bye this week and will return to action in two weeks when they travel to Las Vegas to take on UNLV.