The noise leading up to this game wasn’t necessarily ideal. Former OC Tim Plough was fired and three-year starting QB Hank Bachmeier entered the transfer portal. Enter San Diego State, a Mountain West team with a winning record against Boise State (3-4), and it is a perfect storm for a rough game.
No one was expecting any sort of offensive fireworks between the two teams. If there were another team that was indicative of “bad offense” Aztecs is a great example. Though they (and their fans) are used to poor producing offenses.
While the first half was almost “meets standards” regarding San Diego State, the Boise State offense really tried their level best to match it. The second half, a run game renewed and 35 straight points, helped fuel a comeback and give the Broncos some confidence.
The first series for the Broncos started well enough with the Broncos picking up a couple of first downs,the first one a beautiful pass from Taylen Green to Davis Koetter. Unfortunately the series ended on a tipped pass that was intercepted.
The Aztec’s first series was a strange one. Two false starts (yes!), two time outs used (kinda weird but cool). SDSU moved the ball well enough (netting only one first down) but couldn’t punch the ball into the endzone. The Aztecs did settle for a field goal and had the early lead 3-0.
After a three-and-out for the Broncos the Aztecs proceeded to grind down to the goal line. Luckily–for the Broncos–the Aztecs aren’t really that great on offense either so they had to settle for another FG, SDSU up 6-0.
Sam Vidlak did come in for a series for the Broncos but didn’t really do anything of note and the Broncos had to punt away the ball.
Of course, SDSU blocked the punt, recovered it, and returned it for a touchdown and went up 13-0. Essentially an insurmountable lead.
The rest of the half was essentially back and forth terrible offenses. The Boise State crowd did assist the defense with creating five false start penalties for SDSU. You have to hand it to the crowd, they did their part.
To start the second half, the Broncos secondary had an interception off SDSU’s Burmeister’s first throw. This did lead to a two-play touchdown series where Green largely ran unscathed into the endzone to close the gap, 13-7 SDSU.
After a series that put the Broncos behind the chain with a false start penalty, the defense helped Bronco momentum by getting the SDSU QB relentlessly. Agent Zero, JL Skinner, hit Aztec QB Burmeister so hard it knocked Burmeister out of the game and was reviewed for a targeting call. No foul though.
That defensive momentum created some opportunities for the offense to find its groove. Broncos took seven plays to go 67 yards and score to actually pull ahead of SDSU 14-13.
After a listless SDSU offensive series, and seven sacks later for the Broncos’ defense, the offense took control again with the running game and Ashton Jeanty peeled off a 32-yard run for another score putting the Broncos up 21-13.
Another SDSU series saw aggressive play by the Broncos defense and knocked out another QB Lui Aumavae. The Aztecs were on their third stringer, Kyle Crum, to start trying to move the ball.
Up to this point the Aztecs only completed two passes. That’s not great.
The first-half Broncos weren’t… great. But the second half, something in the team flipped.
The Broncos had two 100-yard rushers: George Holani with 131 and Taylen Green with 105. They almost had a third 100-yard rusher with Jeanty at 82 yards, but the coaching staff called off the dogs.
The Broncos had 450 of total offense, the ground game counting for 316.
Once the Broncos hit their momentum and figured out their pieces, they rolled over a, usually, strong San Diego State defense. The feeling of happiness is somewhat foreign this season but an awesome one. Dirk Koetter made some awesome play calls/adjustments for this game and really took the top off.
The Broncos next face off against Fresno State at Albertson’s Stadium.
GO BRONCOS!
The second half was classic Bronco football. I hope Green becomes more adept at the passing game and Koetter gives him the plays within his ability.
Big hats off the D. and O line. We almost had three runners with 100 yards. Koetter called plays that opened things up.
For one of the first times, Andy showed some emotion on the sidelines.
So I have to comment through facebook now? Dang, I liked being anonymous. Now I can’t be a jerk anymore.
Any who, probably my favorite second half of football I’ve seen Boise in a long time, The 316 total rushing yards was the most since they got 400 against UCON four years ago
I did it through Google and it let me pick my “name” that’s displayed.
Not sure if it’s because my first comment (on another article) was just me posting without creating an account (I put my “name” and email) and then I created my WordPress account when it asked me if I wanted to.
And now suddenly it’s showing my real name…..lol
It was awesome to see actual 2nd half adjustments to the offense. At this point, Koetter was a huge asset. His knowledge of the game shined through. Here’s hoping he can keep it going.
The defense was stellar. Don’t know what else to say about them. They were great!
My hunch… Koetter only had time to install enough plays for one half of football. The first half consisted of plays from the old system. The second half consisted of his own offense. If that’s true, we have a lot of good offense in store for the rest of the season. Combine that with an excellent defense, and we have a good shot at a conference championship.
Only time will tell.
Also,thank you to the OBNUG staff for your efforts to bring The First Kick Was Good to life. Speaking for myself, you never know what you’ve got until you’ve lost it. Your efforts don’t go unnoticed.
Very kind of you! It was a mad scramble to try and get something running in time for this game, but now that it’s there we’re going to polish things up and get some plug-ins going to make this something we can all be proud to be a part of. Thank you for your support!
We’re Back Baby!!!
Oh, any chance there will be game threads on this new site? Those of us that live thousands of miles away miss them.
That is something I would like to see as well. As soon as we can, we’ll get something like that going again. Also, hopefully, a way to restore your anonymity for you with options for logins to comment, specific to our site!
Likely you’ve had a good look at all the plug-ins offered by WordPress. I don’t know which package or template you are using but if I may offer some advice; give yourself some time before locking in on anything. Also, from time to time, WordPress will sponsor seminars locally. There is a WordPress community willing to offer suggestions. I used it for years but found out for what they wanted in money, I was not willing to pay and thus I used Blogger. It seemed to offer more flexibility. Also, an “About” page would be good with a brief bio… Read more »
‘‘Twas a tale of two halves. It was also the first time that my wife, kids and I jumped for joy during a Bois State game. Hooray! Did a good amount of push-ups that second half. Good day to be a Bronco. Avalos looks like a genius now.
The Avalos thing; let’s not go that far, yet.
Agree. He still has a lot to prove. He has overseen a massive decline in all 3 phases so far. Just because Dirk happened to be around to bail out the offense doesn’t mean Avalos is off the hook.
If I was the AD that would be the first thing I said to him after “congratulations on the great win”.
That was an awesome second half. We played with the kind of mojo I haven’t seen in a very long time. Huge kudos to OC Koetter, Green and Holani and Jeanty, the revived offensive line. And to Coach Avalos and the entire defense. What a joy to see Bronco football that is fun again! There’s a lot of twists and turns that lie ahead this season, but at least for now, happy days are here again!
And yes, much gratitude to the First Kick Was Good team. Just like the Broncos, you responded to difficult circumstances, changed it up, and didn’t miss a beat!
Thank you! It’s far from perfect so far but we’re going to keep working on getting this thing built out over the next couple weeks and, in the meantime, we just really appreciate your support! It means a lot how much people have rallied with us.
It was soooo great to see the energized sideline in the second half! Go Broncos!!!!
I hate to say when I’m right, but I said weeks ago we had to go full Lamar Jackson with TG and let the chips fall where they may. Couldn’t believe that it took till the second half to try it though! Better late than never I guess. Don’t know if it’s sustainable but TG is a different animal with his legs, Jeanty too (he’s gonna be a stud for us), and I was happy to see Holani smiling again after the couple seasons he’s had to endure. That was such a fun half of football, and an even more… Read more »
If this works it seems to be anonymous.
Ha it did! I just used the comment option at the bottom and used my totally real name to comment. It does take your email address but you can create an anonymous one if that scares you l.
Tale of two halves.
Loved the adjustments and the Broncos finding their identity. It was seeing them grow up in real time.
BTW, glad to be back in the comments. My OBNUG sign in required dual verification on a device I no longer owned. No more lurking!!!
And hopefully no more ads of a cartoon guy lying on his back and spreading his legs!
Go Broncos!
-Russ Wood
Also, while I’ll miss OBNUG, the acronym was a little easier to say and explain than FKWG. When you make shirts, I’m just gonna tell people I really hate Warren G.
Ah, the rapper.
I’ve been cursed with this moniker for over 20 years now…sigh.
Will Miss OBNUG too. Thanks for stepping up!
Nice new digs here, guys. Infrequent commenter – daily reader. That second half was like a fresh cool breeze blowing in – refreshing to watch and bringing hope along with it. I gotta ask though – because I’m just not advanced enough to spot it myself: what was the real difference versus what we were seeing the first 4 games (and most of last year+)? – Our running game finally got going and it looked like the O Line was getting real push and opening actual lanes. I saw less running up the gut – so that helps, but how… Read more »
An OC who was evaluating the defense as the game progressed and called plays that took advantage of the looks they were giving. That’s what I think. It took Dirk a half a game to figure out what he had and what SDSU was doing. Also confidence. Once things got rolling I think these guys gained confidence and realized that they can execute the offense and be successful. The previous play caller had them beating their heads against a wall. Dirk still has his work cut out for him getting the passing game going. Those are my thoughts anyways. I’m… Read more »
I was just settling in to get ready for a lackluster second half. When they scored the first touchdown I was excited, but tried to remain calm,. After that, when things started going in the favor of the Broncos, I knew we were going to win the game. I’m going to rewatch the second half because it was just so awesome.
Great game. This is what a legitimate offensive coordinator does. Still not completely sold on Green. Would have liked to have seen a couple more possessions from Vidlak at the end. Teams are going to sell out to stop the run and we are going to have to pass. But good OC’s find a way. I believe that’s what Dirk did last night.
That Vidlak deep ball was a thing of beauty!
Great game, finally. Aztecs didn’t know what happened. That was fun to see.
Great second half. It’s good having a mobile QB. Opens up the defense.
Go Broncos
Nobody will ever convince me that first kick wasn’t good. We cheered, ESPN updated the score 34-31 BSU, and it was a judgement call by the referees which is utterly ridiculous. Damn UNR and their old unregulated goalposts. Cost us a once in a lifetime trip to the Rose Bowl. Anyways, it’s good to see you guys building a new site. I’m feeling kind of nostalgic for the old OBNUG. When you guys first joined SB Nation during the Kellen Moore golden era OBNUG was the PLACE to be on the Boise State internet community. Dozens of articles a week,… Read more »
1. One of the Aztec FGs looked exactly like the aforementioned first kick which was good. Only the refs raised their arms this time. 2. At the end of the first half, Koetter and another coach looked really happy heading into the locker room. I was grumpy and didn’t like how happy they looked. What I didn’t know was, something had just clicked and they knew the second half would be incredible. 3. At some point one of the commentators referred to Hank as “Hack Bachmeier.” I chuckled in spite of myself. 4. I kept a counter going, making tally… Read more »
Shovel is back, baby!
hehehehe.. so Soros management team gave you the boot after all these well lets see if you all can improve
I too, am digging FKWG! It feels exciting and seems to be paralleling the optimism the Broncos created in the second half. I wish both entities the best!
Interesting. Did you all notice that the logo on the helmets was the old BSU logo from Koetter’s time as head coach? Also, Brady Hoke fired his offensive coordinator after the loss to the Broncos.
OBNUG is back baby!!! I felt my life slipping away in the brief absence. What a game! I live four blocks from the stadium so I get a lot of action around my house. The cars. The people. The craziness. I noticed a mass exodus at halftime. I feel bad for those people. They missed one of the best half’s of BSU football in a long time. Kudos to those that stayed. The noise up the street was still amazingly loud even though so many had left. Bronco Nation is truly a 12th man for home games! We may be… Read more »
The offense was reborn in the second half and OBNUG has been reborn as Eff Warren G. It’s a great day to be a Bronco. Can we get a cameo article from Kevan Lee to Get That Ol’ Thing Back?
ToBasqueO said something that really touched me. There are a lot of folks who would like to have the college football experience with their kids but the price (as in ToBasqueO’s situation) is a little out of reach. For instance, in his situation, it would cost over $130 for the Fresno game. That’s a tank of gas. Anyway, the stands aren’t filled anyway. Why not put a few more crazed Bronco fans in those seats? Could BSU or the commercial supporters come up with some clever way of making those empty seats available? There are not a lot of seats… Read more »