Boise State Interior Defensive And O-Line are Solid: Broncos Have Depth

Season in and season out sports writer Brian Murphy of the Idaho Statesman never cease to undercut the Broncos. ESPN’s Herbstreit made a comment recently that the Broncos would go undefeated and straight to the BCS bowl.

Idaho Statesman reporter Murphy said nothing to that remark but countered Craig James' assessment saying he felt the problems for Boise State were deeper than just filling the shoes of the graduated Ian Johnson at running back.

He went on to argue the Boise State problem “is offensive line play, followed by interior defensive line play." Yes Murph, the Broncos young O line of last season has graduated one year older in experience and all the while going undefeated. Man that sounds awful?

Kellen Moore’s O Line did so well last year that Kellen felt obligated to buy those guys all dinner. Indeed this unit has its own identity; for whatever reason they are not overly swift at opening holes for the backs. Whoops! But what they do well is pass block.

These guys protected Kellen almost perfectly, all the while gaining experience. This seasons O Line will be just as good at pass blocking and with Titus Young, Austin Pettis, and Tyler Shoemaker as the first string wide out they will be more than enough for the extremely accurate quarterback.

Kellen’s offensive line will keep the majority of the bad guys off his back while he manipulates his foe to many Bronco scores. Well fans that covers only one half of the Bronco problems according to Murphy.

Murphy apparently believes the Boise State defensive interior line is not to swift, maybe even inferior. OK? Many of the interior line guys are unproven that is true, but not all. For example, Billy Winn and Chase Baker are two very sound DT’s.

In their relief at present due to recent injury are Sophomore J.P. Nisby and former defensive end Darren Koontz. Personally, Koontz has the presence and ability to start. He is a monster and looks the part at 6’3 and 262 pounds. Koontz presence in the Broncos first scrimmage was undeniable he looked good.

Another transplant at DT is Chuck Hayes who is 6’2" and 262-pound sophomore. Hayes could not play for the O-line because there is too much depth for that little guy? Oops! Hayes and Koontz will get better and better as the season goes on.

Albeit mid season the injured and disciplined Michael Atkinson (Canadian Bacon) as well as Greg Grimes will be back to give further depth at the DT position.

If the Broncos were desperate at DT they could easily start 6’5" true freshman Justin Jungblut who also looked good in the scrimmage with a quarterback sack.

Most sports writers and analyst might have guessed the weakness being linebacker not DT, as there were two of three linebacker spots to fill due to graduation. But Acrey and Mackey would seem to have the middle covered with Hunter White in relief of them.

The weak side backers are Aaron Tevis and J.C. Percy with redshirt freshman Tommy Smith in reserve. The middle will be very productive with Acrey and Mackey. As for the weak side Aaron Tevis would have been expected to own that position but J. C. Percy has shown the aggression to possibly be named starter.

Either of those kids will be just fine. Well, that leaves only the secondary to despair over.

And to douse those flames the Broncos have one of the best secondary in all college football with senior Kyle Wilson and junior Brandon Thompson at the corners, leaving another junior Jeron Johnson and sophomore George Iloka completing the secondary.

Kyle and Jeron are the notable stars there, but the Bronco secondary has depth. No they do not all hit as hard and play as physical as Jeron but some do come close.

The most surprising and welcome Bronco at the safety position is junior college transfer Winston Venable. Venable will see a lot of play this season from the nickel position because he plays physical and hits hard.

Jeron Johnson said, "Coach Choate, he's done something to them....I'm not sure who has the edge on the starting spots, but whoever ends up starting I feel comfortable with them out there."

The linebacker coach Choate says he will name his starters at the end of Fridays scrimmage and they will be the starters whether they have a bad game or not.

Call me silly, call me bias, you can call me whatever, but the Broncos are BCS bound this season. Boise State is deep enough at all positions to whether any storm. Go Broncos

Article originally posted by Lace Banachek on Aug. 18, 2009 at http://broncobluereview.blogspot.com/