Boise State vs Florida State Week 1

Boise State (+5) Vs. Florida State University

Date: Saturday August 31, 2019

Time: 10:00am MT

Stadium: Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, FL (Capacity 79,560)

TV: ESPN NEWS

Know Thy Enemy

Osceola and Renegade will lead the charge and the Marching Chiefs will play War Chant as the Florida State Seminoles take the field on Saturday afternoon in the season opener against Boise State. Florida State became one of the most competitive programs in college football in the ‘90s under then coach Bobby Bowden. From 1993 to 2000, FSU played in five national championship games, claiming the title twice. Bowden retired in 2009, handing over the reins to the offensive coordinator and head-coach-in-waiting Jimbo Fisher. Fisher led the Seminoles from 2010 to 2017 and won one national title in 2014. The ‘Noles are now led by Willie Taggart, who is in his second season as head coach. Taggart took the FSU head job in December of 2017 and led the 2018 Seminoles to a losing record (5-7) for the first time since 1976. Last year marked the first time Florida State had not gone to a bowl game in thirty-six years.

However, This FSU team is not all doom and gloom. The people surrounding the FSU program have high hopes for this year’s team and expect them to do well. The Seminoles are projected to finish third in the Atlantic side of the ACC, with a projected win total of 8. FSU plays in the same division as Clemson, so baring a total collapse from the defending National Champions, the ‘Noles chance at a conference championship isn’t likely.

Like Boise State, Florida State had some major questions marks on the offensive side of the ball coming into the 2019 season. Two of the major question marks were: (1) Who was going to play quarterback and  (2) would the offensive line play any better? Starting with the latter question, the jury is still out if they will perform better than the quad from last year. Reports are that the line has improved and that there is some hope for change. Florida State hired a new offensive coordinator in Kendal Briles, who brought with him a new O-line coach. The ‘Noles have high hopes for freshman Right Guard Donte Lucas, who was a 4-start recruit out of Overtown, FL. They also have seen vast improvement, quite literally, from Junior Left Tackle Jauan Williams, who went from a slight 275 last season to a beefy 310 this season.

As for who these men will try to protect is a different question. Florida State acquired Senior Quarterback Alex Hornibrook via graduate transfer from the University of Wisconsin this off-season and he was projected to take over the signal calling duties. However, Rs. Sophomore James Blackman will begin the 2019 season as the Seminoles’ starting quarterback. Offensive Coordinator Kendal Briles is excited for what his quarterback will bring to how he wants to run his offense.

Florida State’s offense will feature a no-huddle spread attack that will showcase their deep Wide Receiver Corps. Briles is known for his ability to have his offense working quickly, which leads to the opposing defense playing tired and confused.

The Seminole Defense will also have some changes this season, mainly with the scheme that it will present. Historically, Florida State has always, I mean ALWAYS been a 4-3 school, meaning four down linemen and three stand up linebackers. This season however, in hopes to get more of their play makers on the field at the same time they will be switching to a 3-4 defense, having three down linemen and four stand up linebackers. A 3-4 defense is great for disguising where the pressure will come from as well as utilizing talent at the linebacker position.  Florida State’s defensive line will consist of two defensive tackles and one nose tackle that will line up right over the football. The Seminole D-Line is big and scary. All three of their starting linemen weigh over 300lbs. Nose Tackle Robert Cooper weighs in at over 340lbs. and that is 40 lbs lighter than last season. Cory Durden will be moving into a starting role this season, but he was a spark plug off the bench last year. Finally, Marvin Wilson, the leader on the D-Line, has a ton of NFL potential and may be ready to make the jump to the league at seasons end. The back end of the Seminole defense is just as good, as the secondary will return four starters, including both defensive backs Asante Samuel Jr. and Stanford Samuels III.

What Happened Last Year

This is the first meeting between the two schools. This is the first meeting of a home-and-home series. Florida State will come to Boise next September. Boise State and Florida State had one common opponent last season in Boston College. The ‘Noles beat the Eagles 22-21 on a late fourth quarter drive. Boise State played Boston College in the “Bowl Game that Never Was” err... the First Responders Bowl. The Bowl game was cancelled due to weather during the first quarter. Boston College was leading in the game 7-0 at the time of cancellation.  

Players to Watch

Florida State

Rs.So., Robert Cooper, NT #91

Robert Cooper or “Trench Monster” as his teammates call him, is a force to be reckoned with in the middle of the Seminole defensive line. Cooper, a Georgia native, was a four-star recruit coming out of high school. Also coming out of high school Cooper weighed in at almost 400lbs. Cooper has slimmed down this season and is in the best shape of his playing career. When asked about his role this season he said, “I’m going to do what I was recruited to do, hold down the middle.” Look for Cooper to try and disrupt the running game as well as force the pocket to collapse on passing downs.

FR., Dontae Lucas, Right Guard #55

It has been well documented on how poorly the offensive line played last season for the Seminoles. Hopes are high this season that this year’s squad will be much improved over last year’s unit. One of their keys to success might be the play of true freshman Dontae Lucas. Lucas was a consensus four-star recruit out of high school as well as an Under-Armor All-American. Before committing to Florida State, Lucas received offers from Alabama, Florida, and Miami. Although Lucas is a highly touted recruit, it will be interesting to see how he handles the talent of Broncos D-Line.

JR., Cam Akers, RB #3

Akers, a former high school quarterback and no. 3 ranked player in the nation, is out to write a redemption story this season. During his freshman campaign, Akers rushed for 1,024 yards and broke the freshman rushing record set by NFL running back Dalvin Cook. Last season, Akers took a hit in the production department, somewhat due to the poor O-Line play, rushing for just over 700 yards. Akers is looking to get back on track this season and help balance out the Seminoles offensive attack.

Boise State

 Grad Student, David Moa, DT #55

Moa has had a solid career at Boise State and it started off with a bang, but has since sizzled. However, Moa has been granted one more year of eligibility to go out on a high note. As a sophomore, Moa made a major impact on the defensive line. During that season Moa recorded 8.5 sacks and had 30 tackles. During his junior season his production took a hit, but most speculate that was due to the amount of game planning when against him. Last season was supposed to be another stellar year for the man in the middle, but due to a nagging calf injury, Moa only saw the field one time. This will be Moa’s final season with the Broncos and looks to be at full strength. Boise State will greatly benefit from having Moa on the field as a tested leader.   

Rs.JR., Jalen Walker, CB #15

Jalen Walker, or “Jaywalk” as his friends call him, will be stepping into a starting role this coming season. Walker is one of those guys that has seen playing time in almost every game the past two season but you really wouldn’t know it. Walker doesn’t seem to be ultra-flashy, but also doesn’t make a copious amount of mistakes, which is a good trait to have for his position. His predecessor, Tyler Horton said, “He’s a guys to remember, I’ll tell you that right now.” And that folks is why he is in the Players to Watch week 1. Walker has been quoted in saying that he is ready and focused to step into this starting role.

FR., Hank Bachmeier, QB #19

It’s a bit of an oxymoron when the quarterback is in the Players to Watch section because let’s be honest. The quarterback is watched every play, especially when the quarterback is making his collegiate debut. So Let’s take a look at how Hank got to Boise State.  Bachmeier hails from Murrieta, CA, where he attended Murrieta Valley High School. Bachmeier was a four-year starter and as a senior threw for over 3,000 yards with 32 TDs and nine interceptions. Bachmeier also rushed for over 500 yards and 11 scores. Boise State has had freshmen start for them in the past and we know how well that ended up. 

Focus Position Group:  Offensive Line

Outside of the deep receiver corps that the Broncos have, the Offensive Line seems to be the only other “sure thing” that Boise State has going into the 2019 season. The unit is returning all five starters from last season. Unity and cohesiveness is a big part of playing offensive line because one of your main jobs is to block the defenders from your quarterback. From left to right, this is how the O-Line looks in 2019: At left tackle is Ezra Cleveland, who has major NFL potential. At left guard is John Molchon, who is the offensive captain this season. At center is Garret Larson, the Fruitland native who has played in at least 4 games every year and has started 20 games in the last two years.. At right guard is Eric Quevedo. Quevedo has started 21 games in the last two season for the Broncos. At right tackle is Boise High alum John Ojukwu (ooo-JOO-KOO). Ojukwu is only a sophomore, but took over the starting role at right tackle midway through last season. Once he solidified his starting role, the O-line played much better as a unit overall. Ojukwu has a ton of promise and is looking to build on a great freshman year.

With new a brand new quarterback and some unproven players at running back, the offense will lean heavily on the big boys up front to open running lanes for our backs and create a clean pocket for Bachmeier. It will be paramount that they give Bachmeier time to survey the field and make sound decisions. If they can give him some extra time we all think that Hank has the talent to make good decisions and carve up opposing defenses.

Florida States defense is no slouch so it will be up to this group of big boys to lead the charge on Saturday. 

Rev's Route to a Bronco Win

1.   Attack the Tempo

It is well documented that up tempo, no huddle, is a key feature in a Kendal Briles offense. This will certainly be the case against the Broncos on Saturday. Thankfully the Broncos have faced a Briles offense a couple of years ago when he was with Baylor in the Cactus Bowl. The Broncos didn’t win that game, but they know what they are up against at least in scheme. The goal of a fast paced offense is to cause confusion and chaos for the defense and strike when they are on their heels. It will be important for the Boise State defense to get back and be in position when the ball is ready for play. Some of the ways to help that is to cause incompletions and to cause negative yardage in the rushing game.

2.   Kings of Chaos Reign Supreme

When you play on the road, you need to create your own momentum. One of the ways to do that is with turnovers. Boise State will need to create a couple of turnovers to give their offense a few extra possessions. Boise State’s defense has plenty of play makers on the back end, and when you combine that with an erratic quarterback on the other team, the opportunities for turnovers will present themselves. It will be up to the defense to capitalize.

3.   A little Trickeration

Momentum will be the key to success on Saturday. With a quarterback making his collegiate debut in a hostile environment, Boise State will need to find ways to make Bachmeier feel comfortable. Historically, Boise State is known for their “Trick” plays, especially in these marquee match ups like the one on Saturday. If Boise State is able to “pull a rabbit out of their hat” with one of those trick plays, it might go a long way in settling the nerves of a young QB.

Editorial Note:

Last year’s Florida State team was really bad, last year’s Boise State team was one or two plays away from winning back-to-back Mountain West titles. I find it hard to believe that this years’ Florida State team will be as bad as last year’s team. But, how much have they improved? I think it’s too early to tell. Have they fixed ALL of their offensive line issues? I don’t think so. Will Boise State’s offensive line be the rock-solid unit we need them to be? I sure hope so. I for one am going to enjoy watching what could be a legendary quarterback make his debut. I do think Boise State will come out prepared and better focused for this Power 5 match up.

Even with all the changes to the location and time, Boise State still comes out on top.

Broncos cause two turnovers and Bachmeier throws for a touchdown and runs for one.

Boise State 21, Florida State 17