Boise State University (-5) vs Oklahoma State University

Date: Saturday, September 18th, 2021

Time: 7:00pm MT

Stadium: Albertsons “Bronco” Stadium (36,387)

TV:FS1

Radio: KBOI 670 AM

Commentators: Aaron Goldsmith and Mark Helfrich

Know Thy Enemy

It’s the age old debate: Man vs Beast. Will Pistol Pete tame the Broncos or will Buster give the Cowboys a ride they will never forget? We will find out Saturday night as the Cowboys of Oklahoma State travel from Stillwater to the City of Trees to take on the Boise State Broncos.

Oklahoma State is 2-0 on the season with wins over FCS opponent Missouri State in the season opener and then last week against Tulsa. Both games were decided by one possession with last week's game against the Golden Hurricanes hanging in the balance well into the 4th quarter. The Cowboys have had their struggles and issues this season, especially in the run game. Last season OSU averaged 4.1 yards per carry and 187 yards per game. In 2021 the Cowboys running backs are averaging 2.7 yards per carry and only 97 yards per game. Coach Gundy really emphasized the need to run the ball better this week , saying the Cowboys needed to average 4.5 yards per carry and if they aren’t able to do that it will make the whole offense struggle.

Speaking of offense, the Cowboys look a lot like the Broncos. They like to spread out and spread the ball around. They will try to get the ball to a myriad of players including three receivers, Jaden Bray, Tay Martin, and Brennan Presley who all have over 100 yards receiving this season. They also have a tandem of two running backs in LD Brown and Jaylen Warren who both have over 20 carries a piece this year. The key that makes all of this go is quarterback Spencer Sanders, who can sling it all over the field as well as factor into the run game.

On Defense the Cowboys are very unique in how they defend. Ok State returns eight starters this season. They love to put pressure on the quarterback and cause a lot of confusion. The Cowboys defense is led by linebacker Malcolm Rodriquez and safety Kolby Harvell-Peel. Boise State's offensive coordinator Tim Plough had high praise for the OSU defense saying that they will be a handful and will test the Broncos offense.

The Cowboys are coached by Mike Gundy. Coach Gundy played quarterback for Oklahoma State from 1986-1989. Coach Gundy has been the head coach at OSU since 2005.

The Broncos and the Cowboys have squared off one other time back in 2018. Oklahoma State comes to Boise as part of a Home-and-home series that was scheduled all the way back in 2013.

What Happened in 2018

A No.17 ranked Boise State went into Stillwater, OK looking for a top-25 win against a Power Five opponent. Things looked promising for about 15 minutes of game time. Boise State took a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter on a 31-yard touchdown pass from Brett Rypien to John Hightower. Oklahoma State would rattle off 20 unanswered points on touchdown runs from running back Justice Hill and quarterback Taylor Cornelius followed by field goals of 22 and 48 yards.

Midway through the third quarter Boise State would get within six after Brett Rypien connected with AJ Richardson on his second touchdown throw of the afternoon. That was as close as the Broncos would get as the Cowboys would score four more times and win the ball game 44-21. Brett Rypien was the lone bright spot for the Broncos, passing for 380 yards and three touchdowns.

Boise State's offensive line gave up seven sacks and the Broncos special teams unit had two punts blocked on the day.

Players to Watch

OKLAHOMA STATE

Rs.JR., SPENCER SANDERS, QB #3

Spencer Sanders out of Denton, TX came to Stillwater garnering some high accolades. Coming out of high school Sanders was named Mr. Texas Football for the 2017-18 season. After redshirting he was named Big 12 Freshman of the year in 2019. Sanders missed the week 1 game for the Cowboys, but returned last week in their win over Tulsa. Sander is a dual-threat quarterback who will try to beat you with his legs as well as his arm. If there is one pitfall in Sanders' game it's the interceptions. Over the past three seasons Sanders has thrown 20 interceptions to just 32 touchdowns.

Rs.SR., JAYLEN WARREN, RB #7

OLD FRIEND ALERT: Jaylen Warren is probably the only member of the Cowboys that has ever played on “The Blue.” The Senior transfer from Utah State has attracted plenty of attention with his performance in the spring of 2021. This season Warren is one of four running backs that OSU tries to rotate into the game, but it seems like Warren is getting the lion-share of the carries early on this season. Last week Warren had 14 attempts against Tulsa which led the team.

SR., MALCOLM RODRIGUEZ, LB #20

Malcolm Rodriguez is one of seven “super Seniors” on the Oklahoma State defense. He is the most impactful player on the Cowboys defense. He leads the team in tackles with 28, which is two times more than the next leading tackler. Rodriguez will be all over the field on Saturday so don’t be surprised if you hear his name called a lot.

BOISE STATE

SR., John Ojukwu, LT #70

Ojukwu, the Boise High School product has quietly become one of the Broncos best, most consistent players according to offensive coordinator Tim Plough. The Left Tackle anchors a Boise State offensive line that has only given up one sack in two games. Ojukwu has gone face to face with some pretty stout pass rushers and has stood up to the test. The Broncos have had their issues running the football, but when asked if the Broncos would start running behind Ojukwu more, Tim Plough responded, “He is definitely someone we want to steer things towards.”

SR., JOEL VELAZQUEZ, P #46

This is probably the first time in Rev’s Rundown history where the punter is a player to watch, but after the last time the Broncos played the Cowboys there is reason. Velazquez, the sixth year Senior from Mission Viejo, CA has had a really solid start to the season as the BSU punter. In the season opener Velazquez had three punts over 50+ yards. Then last week he downed both of his punts inside the 20-yard line. Being able to “flip the field” or pin OSU deep in their own end could be the difference maker this week.

Rs.JR., BRANDON HAWKINS, WIL #3

For the second week in a row the Broncos will be without one of their leaders on defense in the first half. This week it’s Weakside Linebacker Riley Whimpey. Standing in his place will be Redshirt Junior Brandon Hawkins. Hawkins out of Georgetown, Tx has seen limited time on the field for the Broncos, mostly playing a special teams role. Don’t be fooled though, Hawkins can lay the lumber as seen in the season opener when he absolutely destroyed the UCF punt returner. That hit awarded the privilege of leading the Broncos out on The Blue with the Dan Paul Hammer during the home opener.

Focus Position Group: Quarterback

As far as most people are concerned, the Broncos quarterback has made one huge mistake this season, but after that has played really well through two games. In the season opener against UCF Bachmeier threw for 263 yards and two touchdowns and then the mistake, which ultimately cost the Broncos a win. Last week against UTEP Hank looked outstanding, going 17 of 24 for 340 yards and two more touchdowns.

All Fall practice long the coaching staff said Bachmeier was operating the offense at a high level. They added that they put a lot on the quarterback's plate when it comes to making decisions inside the offense. Hank said this week that Oklahoma State will try to create confusion for the opposing quarterback by disguising their coverage pre-snap. Bachmeier added that it all comes down to executing the offense on Saturday. That's what Saturday will come down to. Can Hank make the right decisions in the moment to not let his team down and keep the offense on the field.

Rev's Route to a Bronco Win

Here’s My Card

Both Teams have had a calling card of big time special teams play over the past few years. Obviously last time these two teams met, special teams play really changed the game. Last week Boise State had a touchdown on a punt return that really flipped the momentum in the Broncos favor. This week the Broncos will have to make sure they are sound with the punt team and will need to create some momentum for themselves on special teams.

Get Off My Lawn

Third down is the money down in football. The Bronco offense is only converting around 34% of their third down attempts coming into this week. That number is way below the national average. The Bronco defense has a third down conversion rate of 50% this season which is 111th nationally. In both games this season the Broncos have allowed their opponent to convert on a 3rd and 5 or more 12 times. Last week alone, UTEP converted three times on 3rd and 15 or more! This week the Broncos will have to complete the defensive stand and not let the Cowboys continue drives by converting third down.

All Gas No Breaks

This week won’t be like last week where the game was in hand by halftime. This week will be a full four quarter battle. Against UCF the Broncos built a comfortable halftime lead and seemed to “pump the breaks” a little in the third quarter and by that time it was too late to catch the Knights. This week you know Oklahoma State is motivated to come and prove they are the better team. If Boise State can build and early lead look for them to keep the pedal on the floor and not let the Cowboys have any hope of a comeback.

Editorial Note:

Last week was exactly what needed to happen to get the bad taste of the season opening loss out of the mouth of Bronco Nation. Boise State’s defense really impressed me last week against UTEP, forcing 6 turnovers! The total for the season is up to eight which is already five more than all of last season. Coach Danielson and the rest of the defensive staff really have stressed the importance of taking the ball away from the other team and it definitely has shown through two games.

I also really like this offense that the Broncos are running. This might be a little bit of a “hot take”, but last time I checked points are better than yards. Sure, the Broncos aren’t as “balanced” with their attack that they have been in the past, but the way they use the RPO and get the ball out of Hank’s hands and into the hands of their playmaker as well as the pressure they put on opposing defenses with the tempo is fun to watch. I would love to see the Broncos get their traditional run game going this week, but if I’m honest all I want is to score points so if that means throwing the ball then so be it.

This week Boise State faces a Big 12 opponent for the fifth time in program history. They are 2-2 against these teams. Saturday will be only the second time that a team from the Big 12 has come to Boise. Oklahoma State might be 2-0, but they look more like a paper tiger than a true juggernaut. There is definitely a path to a victory for the Broncos and I think with 36,000 fans backing the boys in blue Boise State comes out on top.

Boise State 35, Oklahoma State 24

Rev's Rundown

Revs Rundown Week Three: Boise State vs Oklahoma State University