Battle on blue turf beckons
Lining up against a team with a balanced offensive attack is starting to become a theme for the Utah State University football team.
It will be no different when the Aggies (1-3) travel to Boise, Idaho to take on former Big West Conference rival Boise State University Saturday. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Bronco Stadium.
“I think Boise State is an outstanding football team,” said USU Head Coach Mick Dennehy. “They have a balanced offense that’s very explosive and productive not only with their passing game, but also their running game. They force you to play the pass and run on every down, and that’s a challenge for our defensive guys.”
Like the Iowa Hawkeyes, USU’s opponent from a week ago, Boise State averages more than 150 yards per game both in the air and on the ground. Known for their aerial attack, the Broncos have passed for an average of 268 yards per game, but have also enjoyed a strong rushing attack (162.3 yards per game).
The Broncos (2-1 on the season) need look no further than their returning experience at the skill positions to trace their early season offensive balance, Dennehy said.
Among those returning from last year’s 8-4 Bronco squad are three-year starters Jay Swillie and Lou Fanucchi at wide receiver, and three-year starter Brock Forsey at tailback.
All three players rank in the top 10 in school history in several statistical categories, and Forsey is a preseason candidate for the Doak Walker Award – given to the nation’s top collegiate running back.
However, BSU is hardly a one-man show at tailback. Forsey paces the Bronco running attack as he averages 99.7 yards a game, but backup David Mikell gives the Broncos another 50 yards a game. Both Forsey and Mikell average more than five yards per carry.
“They return a strong nucleus of players who have been amongst as productive of players who have ever played there,” Dennehy said.
On the flip side, the Broncos are fairly inexperienced at quarterback as they lost starter Ryan Dinwiddie (broken ankle) in their game against the University of Arkansas.
Senior B.J. Rhode has since stepped in for Dinwiddie and will make his third career start against USU. While Rhode has been solid so far – he completed 20-of-29 passes for 201 yards in BSU’s last game against Wyoming – Aggie defensive tackle Jorge Tapia said he feels Rhode’s inexperience can play into USU’s hands.
“If you bring pressure to a young quarterback, he’ll get nervous and make awful decisions,” he said. “That’s usually the case with inexperienced quarterbacks. So, what we’re going to try to do is just try to get to him as fast as possible.”
In addition to mounting a consistent pass rush against Rhode, Tapia said it is imperative the Aggie D holds its own on third down situations. In USU’s game against Iowa, the Hawkeyes went an eye-popping 12-of-19 on third down
conversions.
“We had a lot of problems on third downs against Iowa, so we’re trying to work at that every practice,” he said.
On the offensive side of the ball, Dennehy said the Aggies will face a much-improved Bronco defense from the one they faced Nov. 11, 2000 in Boise. In that game, the Broncos prevailed 66-38 in a game that featured an astounding 1,236 yards of total offense between the two schools.
“Defensively, they return the heart of their defense,” he said. “With the guts of their defensive backs and the quality of their corners, I think they are an outstanding defensive football team.”
Not only do the Broncos return all four starters in the secondary, they return what Dennehy calls one of the best safeties in the country, Quintin Mikell.
“Quintin Mikell is about as good of a player as we will play against at the safety spot,” he said.
With the strength of the Boise State defense being in the secondary, Aggie wideout Gary Coleman said it is essential the Aggies establish their running game.
“Their corners play far back, so we’re going to hit them with the short throws, the short slants,” he said. “But what we need to do the most is get that running game going. If we get the running game going, then maybe that will take a lot of pressure off the pass.”
Another thing Coleman said the Aggie offense must do is re-establish its big play capability. With the exception of its game against Idaho State University, the Aggies haven’t been able to put together plays of 30 yards or more.
“Obviously, it [the lack of big yardage plays] shows,” he said. We can’t win without it. If we don’t get it going, we’re going to continue to get losses.
“It’s very critical for this team,” he said.
USU will return to action Oct. 4 against BYU in Romney Stadium.
– jasonwturner@cc.usu.edu