Two of the best playmakers in all of college football will be on the field Saturday night when Boise State visits Utah State at Maverik Stadium in Logan.
Boise State has Avery Williams, a freshman cornerback and special teams whiz, while Utah State counters with senior cornerback Jalen Davis. Combined, they have six interceptions, five touchdowns and very bright NFL futures.
But to heck with those guys.
Let’s talk about the Boise State kicker.
Meet Haden Hoggarth, a former youth soccer player from Florida who discovered Boise State last year through a Google search … and now he’s the Broncos’ leading scorer.
Hoggarth started playing football at Seabreeze High School outside Daytona Beach, Florida, then began his college career in 2014 at Bethune-Cookman, also in Florida.
Today, Hoggarth admits that his first attempt at college football was a “rough experience’’ and he didn’t play in 2015 or 16. He took online community college classes, trained, and spent a summer as a camp counselor in Maine.
Hoggarth never gave up his football dream, and one day Googled “college football programs with culture.’’ Boise State popped up, and when Hoggarth noticed only one kicker on the roster, he started pestering Boise State special teams coach Kent Riddle.
In January, Hoggarth enrolled at Boise State, paid for his own way, and made the Dean’s List.
In spring camp, he returned to football and tried out for a spot on the Boise State roster.
And in August, a week before the season began, he won the starting job.
Hoggarth showed his moxey September 9 when he made two overtime field goals during a national TV game against Washington State. Back home in Florida, where family and friends still live, Hurricane Irma was pounding the East Coast and providing a massive distraction.
For the season, Hoggarth leads the team with 46 points, has made all 25 points after touchdown, and has made 7-of-8 field goal attempts, making him the 14th ranked kicker out of 105 in major college football.
For at least one Boise State fan on social media this week, that isn’t enough work for one of the top players on the team: “He should have upwards of 15 attempts but our coaches would rather go for it on 4th down than give him chances. We are going to lose a game because they won’t get him practice, mark my words.”
I don’t know if I believe all that … but it’s something to keep an eye on as a 198-pound kicker evolves into one of the most important players on the Boise State football team.
Mike Prater, editor of The Opinionator, co-hosts Idaho Sports Talk with Caves & Prater weekdays from 3-6 p.m. on KTIK 93.1 FM The Ticket and can be heard on Bronco GameNights after BSU football games on KBOI 670 AM and KTIK 93.1 FM. He can be reached at [email protected], and found @CavesandPrater(Facebook) and @MikeFPrater (Twitter).
