Boise State’s Offense Is Sputtering, And Coaches Want Change, But Don’t Expect Anything Major

Posted on September 29, 2017

BY MIKE PRATER
@KTIK.COM

Boise State football coach Bryan Harsin promised changes to his team after last week’s sobering loss to Virginia. The issue is a confusing and inefficient offense, which is on pace to score 42 touchdowns this season. In 2014, Jay Ajayi had 32 by himself.

Harsin has been mostly quiet this week, with the Broncos taking a break for their only bye of the season, but fans have thrown out a few ideas for change. The range of opinions on our 93.1 KTIK The Ticket Facebook page has been wide, as expected …

  • “How about a new play book! Not sure what’s going on with who’s calling plays but someone else needs to call the plays. Stick with one qb! Something!” – Michael Gregg
  • “When the o line can’t block it’s not (Zak) Hill’s playcalling. (Quarterback Montell) Cozart is the answer (sic) we only have him one year. Use him. Sorry Brett (Rypien), he has a better deep ball.” – Nate Taylor
  • “Probably too optimistic to think (Harsin) will resign…” – Scott Swanby
  • “Hopefully, he is trying to fix the inability to run the football. That ability changes EVERYTHING!” – Kevin Beard
  • “I think…they will probably do a color coded scheme for the national anthem…everyone in orange kneel…everyone in blue stand…” – Ben Bieri

Good stuff, mostly, but here’s what I think WILL happen: Nothing, other than a few routine depth chart changes and possibly a few tweaks to a rushing game that’s producing 3.2 yards a carry and 117 a game.

Here’s what I think SHOULD happen before the BYU game:

  • Replace offensive coordinator Zak Hill with Eric Kiesau, pictured, the wide receivers coach who got his break into full-time coaching after taking a random phone call from Chris Petersen in 1999. Hill is two years removed from FCS, hasn’t developed Rypien into a star, has his hands full with playcalling and is obviously struggling with this offense. He should remain on staff, but a spark is needed and Kiesau has an intriguing resume: Former interim head coach at Fresno State, offensive consultant at Alabama during its 2015 national championship season, and coordinating experience at Washington, Colorado, Kansas, Fresno State and Cal. Hill was hired in January 2016, Kiesau in January 2017. If the dates were flipped, and Harsin tried to hire Kiesau as OC the year before, Kiesau would be the coordinator now. Timing shouldn’t be a reason to avoid change.
  • “Maybe Kiesau will start calling plays. He has a lot of experience doing that. He is who Harsin reached out to, to be his new OC before he eventually hired Hill. Then again if we can’t block, play calling will be irrelevant” – Dean Bunn
  • The biggest issue is the run game, and coaches need to identify a lead back and stick with him. It’s Robert Mahone’s turn, after lackluster starts from Alexander Mattison and Ryan Wolpin. If that doesn’t work against BYU next week, burn the redshirt of true freshman Drake Beasley and let’s see what he can do. Coaches and players raved about him in fall camp. And recent history says this strategy can work: In 2014, after five games, coaches burned the redshirt season of Jeremy McNichols (now in the NFL).
  • “Make Rypien a permanent backup, so they can get the running game going” – Ken Darby
  • The Broncos might want to rethink their halftime strategy, because third quarters have been abysmal. Boise State has seven points in the third quarter this season, the only score a 14-yard run by Cozart against Washington State (and that drive started in Cougars’ territory). The Broncos have scored 44 points in the fourth quarter.
  • Rypien should continue to start because of his consistency and vertical passing game (as long as he’s protected by the OL), but that doesn’t mean Cozart should be on the sideline. He might be the Broncos’ best runner, and he needs to be on the field for at least 20 snaps. Line him up at QB, in the backfield, or slot. Just put him somewhere and let him do his thing, and that will help the OL. Also, give defensive playmaker Avery Williams three to five snaps on offense, and in theory, that could open up more space along the offensive line.
  • “I will say this about the play book … it’s not very exciting” – John Mulhern
  • As for the offensive line, keep it as is. Boise State has started four combinations in four games, and with all the tinkering, the group is slowly getting better. The combination of Ezra Cleveland (LT), John Molchon (LG), Mason Hampton (C), Eric Quevedo (RG) and Archie Lewis (RT) isn’t the problem. Backs aren’t being aggressive, and they aren’t attacking holes. The line is finally getting some physical surge and building chemistry/communication skills.
  • “Stick with Cozart at QB and run the read option. That’s the only way we have successfully run the ball with this ‘o-line’ (if you can call it that.)” – Nathan Bushard
  • For the same reason you want Cozart and/or Williams on the field, the Broncos need to work true freshmen wide receivers CT Thomas and Octavius Evans into the game plan as much as possible. The Broncos have run 276 plays this season, and those two playmakers have combined to touch the ball eight times. Coaches must have liked what they saw in training camp, or they wouldn’t be playing as teenagers. With the way this offense has looked, why wouldn’t you want more flash on the field?
  • “Swap out some veteran receivers with butterfingers for some younger ones who can catch the rock.” – Bob Martin
  • NEXT GAME: Boise State at BYU, Friday, Oct. 6, 8:15 p.m., Provo, Utah, ESPN, KBOI 670 AM and KTIK 93.1 FM The Ticket. The Broncos’ next three games are against BYU, San Diego State and Wyoming.

 

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).

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