Tag: Boise State

Sep 23, 2022; El Paso, Texas, USA; Boise State quarterback Hank Bachmeier (19) against the UTEP Miners defense in the first half at Sun Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Boise St. QB Hank Bachmeier transferring to La. Tech

Posted on | by Field Level Media

After starting at quarterback for four years at Boise State, Hank Bachmeier is transferring to Louisiana Tech, ESPN reported Wednesday.

Bachmeier appeared in just four games in 2022, leaving the team ahead of the Broncos’ game against San Diego State on Sept. 30. Due to his shortened season, Bachmeier will have two full years of eligibility remaining.

The Bulldogs feature a pass-oriented offense under coach Sonny Cumbie, something that led Bachmeier to Louisiana Tech.

“I wanted to play in the Air Raid and in a pass-friendly offense,” Bachmeier told ESPN. “I think Coach Cumbie and his track record are a great fit. It’s an offense that any quarterback would want to play in.”

In 29 career games at Boise State, Bachmeier completed 61.6 percent of his passes for 6,605 yards and 41 touchdowns against 19 interceptions. He threw just 94 passes during the 2022 season, completing 51 for 497 yards, six TDs and three interceptions.

Bachmeier will enroll in the spring and be in the running for the 2023 starting job for the Bulldogs, who went 3-9 last season with a 2-6 mark in Conference USA play.

–Field Level Media

Dec 17, 2022; Frisco, Texas, USA; North Texas Mean Green wide receiver Jordan Smart (15) catches a pass against the Boise State Broncos in the first half at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Big second half carries Boise State past North Texas in Frisco Bowl

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Freshman running back Ashton Jeanty rushed for a career-high 178 yards and the eventual game-winning touchdown Saturday night as Boise State exploded for 29 points in the second half for a 35-32 Frisco Bowl win over North Texas in Frisco, Texas.

Jeanty’s 1-yard scoring plunge with 12:05 left in the game gave the Broncos (10-4) a 35-24 lead. The Mean Green (7-7) pulled within three points at the 8:17 mark on Ikaika Ragsdale’s 5-yard touchdown run and a 2-point conversion.

North Texas had a final chance to tie or win the game when it got possession at its 15 with 1:20 left and no timeouts. But Austin Aune’s fourth-down pass from his 16 with 52 seconds left fell incomplete, securing the outcome.

Aune completed 17 of 32 passes for 238 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Boise State quarterback Taylen Green finished with 256 total yards, hitting 13 of 22 passes for 137 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 119 yards and two scores on 12 carries.

Green gave the Broncos the lead for good with a 19-yard touchdown run with 25 seconds left in the third quarter. It capped a period where the teams combined for 36 points after scoring only 16 points in the first half.

Playing under interim coach Phil Bennett after Seth Littrell was fired on Dec. 4, North Texas’ defense held up well in the first half, neutralizing Boise State’s running game and limiting the Broncos to 24- and 37-yard field goals from Jonah Dalmas.

Meanwhile, the Mean Green did just enough on offense to earn a 10-6 lead at halftime. They ate up 5 1/2 minutes on the game’s opening drive, going 60 yards to set up a 27-yard field goal from Ethan Mooney.

North Texas took advantage of a short field for the half’s only touchdown, driving 65 yards and scoring on Ragsdale’s 1-yard run with 7:38 remaining in the second quarter.

The Mean Green earned a 195-133 advantage in total offense in the half, allowing just two third-down conversions by Boise State in seven tries.

–Field Level Media

Dec 23, 2021; Frisco, TX, USA; North Texas Mean Green quarterback Austin Aune (2) celebrates a touchdown in the second quarter against the Miami (Oh) Redhawks at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Boise State ‘grateful’ entering Frisco Bowl vs. North Texas

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Some might see the Frisco Bowl as a comedown for Boise State, considering it lost out on a Mountain West Conference title and a chance to play a Power 5 program in a bowl game.

However, Broncos coach Andy Avalos says the team’s appearance in Saturday night’s Frisco Bowl in Frisco, Texas, against North Texas isn’t the letdown many believe it is.

“It’s a big deal. For us, we’re grateful to be in this bowl game,” he said Monday.

Whether it’s because it’s the Broncos’ first bowl game since 2019 because of COVID-19 or because the Dallas Cowboys are allowing the team to practice at their facility, Boise State sounds like a team ready to play in a pre-Christmas bowl game.

The Broncos (9-4) could have played Washington State in the LA Jimmy Kimmel Bowl, but instead fell 28-16 to Fresno State in the MWC championship game. That knocked them down the league’s pecking order for bowl bids.

Instead of playing in SoFi Stadium, the home of two NFL teams that’s already hosted a Super Bowl, Boise State instead plays in a soccer-specific stadium outside of Dallas. But Avalos said early practices have been intense.

The Broncos’ leaders are running back George Holani, who’s rushed for 1,133 yards and 10 touchdowns, and linebacker DJ Schramm, whose team-high 99 tackles are 34 more than any other teammate.

Meanwhile, North Texas (7-6) also had a chance at a more prestigious bowl game, but fell 48-27 Dec. 2 at UTSA in the Conference USA title game. Then it fired coach Seth Littrell, who went 44-44 in seven years, shortly after accepting a bid to the Frisco Bowl.

Former SMU coach Phil Bennett, who’s served as the program’s defensive coordinator the last two years, is the interim coach for the bowl game. The Mean Green expect to name a new coach before the bowl game.

Quarterback Austin Aune has thrown for 3,309 yards and 32 touchdowns for North Texas, while middle linebacker KD Davis notched a whopping 132 tackles. It was his second straight year with at least 120 stops.

This will be the first meeting of the programs since 2000, when Boise State routed the Mean Green 59-0 in Boise. The series is tied at 3-3.

For North Texas, this is the third consecutive bowl game the Mean Green have played in, but they haven’t won during bowl season since 2013, when it beat UNLV in the Heart of Dallas Bowl. North Texas is 2-9 all-time in bowl games, while Boise State is 12-7.

–Field Level Media

Sep 23, 2022; El Paso, Texas, USA; Boise State quarterback Hank Bachmeier (19) against the UTEP Miners defense in the first half at Sun Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre-USA TODAY Sports

Reports: Boise State QB to transfer after OC’s dismissal

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Boise State quarterback Hank Bachmeier plans to enter the transfer portal after the Broncos fired their offensive coordinator, multiple outlets reported Monday.

Head coach Andy Avalos dismissed Tim Plough on Saturday and replaced him with former NFL and college head coach Dirk Koetter for the remainder of the season.

The Broncos (2-2, 1-0 Mountain West) lost 27-10 at UTEP on Friday night, with Bachmeier completing just 13 of 34 passes for 93 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.

Bachmeier has completed 54.3 percent of his passes for 497 yards this season, with six TDs and three picks in four games.

He has started 29 games over the past four seasons, throwing for 6,605 yards and 41 scores against 19 interceptions.

Redshirt freshman Taylen Green is the No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart. Boise State hosts San Diego State (2-2, 0-0) on Friday night.

–Field Level Media

Sep 17, 2022; Boise, Idaho, USA; Boise State Broncos quarterback Taylen Green (10) confers with Boise State offensive coordinator Tim Plough during the second half of action at Albertsons Stadium versus Tennessee Martin Skyhawks . Boise State defeats Tennessee Martin 30-7. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports

Boise State fires OC Tim Plough, tabs Dirk Koetter as replacement

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Boise State fired offensive coordinator Tim Plough on Saturday, one day after the team’s disheartening 27-10 road loss to UTEP.

Former Broncos coach Dirk Koetter was named to replace Plough. Koetter has been serving as an offensive analyst for the school.

Boise State had just 177 yards of total offense against UTEP. The heavily favored Broncos had 84 rushing yards and 93 passing and quarterback Hank Bachmeier completed just 13 of 34 passes.

Boise State routed UTEP 54-13 last season.

“This was a difficult decision, but I believe it is in the best interest of our program,” Boise State head coach Andy Avalos said in a statement. “Our team goals are still in front of us and we are focused on working to accomplish them. Tim is a good football coach, and I have no doubt he will continue to positively impact the young men he works with in the future.”

Boise State is just 2-2 through four games. The Broncos also lost to Oregon State this season before beating New Mexico and UT Martin and are averaging 22 points per game.

Plough, 37, was in his second season with the Broncos. Plough was hired to run the offense after Avalos became head coach following the 2020 season.

Koetter, 63, went 26-10 as Boise State’s coach from 1998-2000 before leaving to coach Arizona State. Koetter went 40-34 in six seasons with the Sun Devils.

Koetter also spent three seasons (2016-18) as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He went 19-29 and was fired after his second straight 5-11 campaign.

Koetter’s son, Davis, is a receiver at Boise State.

The Broncos host San Diego State (1-2 entering Saturday) in Mountain West play on Friday night.

–Field Level Media

Sep 3, 2022; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Oregon State Beavers running back Trey Lowe (21) is grabbed by Boise State Broncos defensive tackle Scott Matlock (99) during the first half at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Oregon St. forces 5 turnovers in win over Boise St.

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Chance Nolan passed for 251 yards and two touchdowns as Oregon State cruised to an easy 34-17 victory over Boise State on Saturday night in the season opener for both teams at Corvallis, Ore.

Team captain Jack Colletto rushed for a long touchdown on offense and recovered a fumble on defense for Oregon State while Jaydon Grant recorded an interception and also had a strip-sack for the Beavers.

Luke Musgrave and Tyjon Lindsey caught touchdown passes, and Deshaun Fenwick rushed for a score for Oregon State. Rejzohn Wright and Alex Austin also had interceptions for a defense that forced five turnovers.

Nolan completed 14 of 23 passes and was intercepted twice for the Beavers, who scored the game’s first 24 points and won their seventh consecutive home contest.

Boise State quarterback Hank Bachmeier was pulled after throwing two interceptions and losing a fumble in the first 18 minutes. He completed 4 of 8 passes for 30 yards. Replacement Taylen Green was 19-of-28 passing for 155 yards and one interception but rushed for 102 yards and two touchdowns.

The Broncos recovered to pull within 27-17 early in the fourth quarter after Green’s touchdown runs of 74 and 4 yards. Colletto then lined up at fullback and broke loose on a 41-yard touchdown run with 10:39 left to turn the momentum back to the Beavers.

Grant’s interception set up Oregon State’s first touchdown. Nolan immediately hit Tre’Shaun Harrison for 26 yards and followed up with a 27-yard touchdown to Musgrave with 5:24 left in the first quarter.

Just over four minutes later, Nolan tossed a 47-yard scoring pass to Lindsey to make it 14-0.

Early in the second quarter, Grant sacked Bachmeier and forced the fumble with Colletto recovering at the Broncos’ 6-yard line. That set up Everett Hayes’ 20-yard field goal with 10:28 left in the half.

Boise State threatened to get on the board but Ashton Jeanty fumbled with Grant recovering at the Oregon State 4 with 4:44 left.

The Beavers cashed in with a four-play, 98-yard drive. Nolan’s 74-yard pass connection with Anthony Gould set up the touchdown and Fenwick scored from the 12 to make it 24-0 with 3:11 left.

Jonah Dalmas’ 41-yard field goal with 12:11 left in the third quarter put the Broncos on the board. Hayes kicked a 23-yard field goal to restore the 24-point advantage with 2:57 remaining in the stanza.

–Field Level Media

Dec 18, 2021; Inglewood, CA, USA; Oregon State Beavers quarterback Chance Nolan (10) gestures against the Utah State Aggies in the first half of the 2021 LA Bowl at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Oregon State leans on home cooking with Boise State in town

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Oregon State looks to build on the homefield advantage that worked wonders last season when Boise State visits on Saturday night in the season opener for both teams at Corvallis, Ore.

The Beavers were 6-0 on their home turf in 2021 while going 7-5 overall and playing in their first bowl game since 2013. Oregon State beat Rose Bowl participant Utah and whipped Stanford by 21 points as part of the home success.

Oregon State hasn’t put together back-to-back winning seasons since 2012-13 when Mike Riley was head coach. But this season, the Beavers are shooting to shed their pushover labels.

“We’re tired of the narratives. We’re tired of everybody overlooking Oregon State,” Beavers linebacker Kyrei Fisher told reporters. “We’re tired of them just saying, ‘Oh, that’s just another Oregon State team.’ We want to be that dominant team that we know we can be.”

Boise State would like to make it a disappointing start for the Beavers. The Broncos hope to be better after being a substandard (for them) 7-5 last season, their fewest wins in a full-length campaign since 1998.

Boise State was crushed 38-7 by Washington in the 2019 Las Vegas Bowl in its most recent meeting with a Pac-12 school.

Second-year Broncos coach Andy Avalos said he doesn’t pay attention to league affiliations of opponents.

“We don’t go a lot into the conference this team is in,” Avalos said of Oregon State. “We have a huge challenge in front of us, specifically the team we are playing.”

Avalos and Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith were on the same Boise State coaching staff in 2012-13. Avalos was defensive line coach and Smith was quarterbacks coach.

“It will be a real challenge,” Smith said. “I have a lot of respect for the program at Boise State. I spent two years there, and know the tradition, history and effort they play with.”

Hank Bachmeier is the Boise State quarterback and he passed for 3,079 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions last season. The top defenders are safety JL Skinner (92 tackles) and defensive tackle Scott Matlock (seven sacks).

Smith named Chance Nolan as the starting quarterback on Monday. Nolan passed for 2,677 yards, 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2021. Linebacker Omar Speights (89 tackles) is the star defender.

Oregon State holds a 5-4 lead in the series, but Boise State won the last meeting 38-24 in 2016.

–Field Level Media

Boise State Broncos head coach Andy Avalos was the position coach of Greg Grimes in 2012.

Former Boise State DL Greg Grimes shot to death

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Former Boise State defensive lineman Greg Grimes was shot to death early Monday morning in a shooting outside a Sacramento nightclub. Grimes was 31.

Four other people were wounded in the shooting. Sacramento police chief Kathy Lester said calls about the shooting began at 1:51 a.m.

Grimes redshirted in 2008 and played for Boise State from 2009-12.

“I, and the entire Boise State football family, are saddened to learn about the passing of Greg Grimes,” Broncos coach Andy Avalos said on Twitter. “I was fortunate to coach him during his senior season. He was a member of the brotherhood who is gone way too soon. He will be missed.”

Avalos was defensive line coach in 2012 when Grimes posted a career-high 27 tackles. Boise State went 49-4 in Grimes’ four on-field seasons during an era when now-Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore was the star quarterback for the first three of those seasons.

According to the Sacramento Bee, Grimes started a staffing company last year. He also was coaching at Inderkum High in Sacramento, his alma mater.

Deborah Grimes told the newspaper her son was leaving the Mix nightclub in Sacramento when he was shot. She said Greg Grimes was going to celebrate the Fourth of July with his 4-year-old son.

“He’s never been in the streets or anything, he doesn’t have that kind of background,” Deborah Grimes told the Bee. “You just would never think that someone like him would be murdered. He just doesn’t fit a profile of a troublemaker or anything like that.”

The Natomas Unified School District — which Inderkum is part — released a statement on Monday.

“We are saddened by the news of the passing of Greg Grimes,” the district said. “Our heartfelt thoughts are with his family and friends, and all the individuals he connected with through his work at Inderkum High School.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 29, 2018; Laramie, WY, USA; A general view of the Boise State Broncos helmet against the Wyoming Cowboys at Jonah Field War Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY Sports

Boise State backs out of Arizona Bowl

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Boise State announced Monday it was backing out of this week’s Arizona Bowl at Tucson after COVID-19 issues within the program.

The Broncos were set to face Central Michigan in Friday’s game, which was still scheduled to be played Monday when Boise State withdrew.

Arizona Bowl options to replace the Broncos include finding another opponent to face Central Michigan or to have the Chippewas face Washington State, who are in limbo after Miami backed out of the Sun Bowl.

Tucson and El Paso, Texas — site of the Sun Bowl — are about 300 miles apart, making it feasible for one team to travel by bus to face the other.

Boise State began COVID-19 testing procedures Sunday, according to the Arizona Daily Star, with some positive cases. Testing continued into Monday before the team announced it would not make its scheduled Tuesday trip to the desert.

Central Michigan arrived at Tucson on Sunday.

Three bowl games already have been canceled: Fenway Bowl, Military Bowl, Hawaii Bowl. The Gator Bowl was in limbo after Texas A&M backed out, with Rutgers added as a replacement to face Wake Forest.

–Field Level Media

Sep 4, 2021; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Central Michigan Chippewas running back Lew Nichols III (7) runs the ball against the Missouri Tigers during the first half at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Boise State hopes to slow CMU’s Lew Nichols III in Arizona Bowl

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The Arizona Bowl won’t be found on ESPN or any other networks that typically air college football bowl games.

Instead, the Dec. 31 Boise State-Central Michigan matchup at Arizona Stadium in Tucson, home the Pac-12’s Arizona Wildcats, will be seen on the controversial Barstool Sports, the title sponsor of the game this year.

According to USA Today, it will be the first major college football bowl game in at least 40 years that will not be shown on traditional television, cable or satellite TV channels.

People with ties to both schools have expressed concern over the website’s involvement, but at this point, the only thing that could stop the game from being played is an abundance of the positive COVID-19 tests that are all over sports at present.

Central Michigan (8-4) won four straight games to end the regular season, but the Chippewas are only 3-9 all-time in bowl games. They are led by running back Lew Nichols III, who was named the MAC Offensive Player of the Year after leading the nation in rushing yards (1,710), carries (311) and yards per-game average (142.5). Nichols also leads the nation in all-purpose yards with 2,010.

The Chippewas leaned hard on Nichols down the stretch of their season. He rushed 43 times for 215 yards and four touchdowns against Kent State, then had 32 carries for 219 yards and three touchdowns at Ball State before ending the year with 194 yards and a score on 44 attempts against Eastern Michigan.

“I kind of just pulled him aside and said, ‘Look, here we go, let’s jump on your back and ride,’” Central Michigan coach Jim McElwain said, according to the Detroit News. “I’ve been at some pretty good places, had a Heisman Trophy winner (Mark Ingram Jr. in 2009, when he was an assistant at Alabama), and had some other things.

“But to lead the nation in rushing, that’s a heck of a feat.”

Boise State (7-5) is a perennial contender in the Mountain West with a fan base that typically travels well, especially to games in the western United States. First-year head coach Andy Avalos, a former star linebacker for the Broncos, guided them to a bowl game despite a tough schedule.

Boise State defeated eventual Mountain West champion Utah State and Top 25 teams BYU and Fresno State this season.

The Broncos are making their 19th appearance in a bowl game in the past 20 years, after players voted not to play in a bowl game last season.

“I think that was a learning experience for a lot of the people that were here,” Avalos said, according to the Idaho Statesman. “That goes back to living in grace and being thankful for the opportunity to continue to be around each other.”

Boise State hopes to get back quarterback Hank Bachmeier from an injury sustained in the final game of the regular season. Bachmeier threw for 3,079 yards and 20 touchdowns with eight interceptions in 12 games this season, averaging 256.6 passing yards per game.

–Field Level Media