Boise State University (+3.5) at University of Memphis

Date: Saturday, September 30, 2023

Time: 2:00pm MT

Stadium: Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (Capacity 58,325)

TV: ESPN2

TV Commentators: Beth Mowins, Kirk Morrison, Stormy Buonantony

Radio: KBOI 670 AM

Commentators: Bob Behler and Pete Cavender

Know Thy Enemy

Memphis, the birthplace of the blues, will play host to Buster Bronco, who’s got his mojo working, sporting a two-game win streak. But it will be Pouncer and the Memphis Tigers who hope to send the Broncos away singing the blues on Saturday.

Memphis comes into this one after losing a hard-fought game to Missouri 34-27 which snapped their three-game win streak to open the season. The Tigers opened up the season by whoopin’ up on Bethune-Cookman and Arkansas State before having to sweat it out a little bit in their 28-24 win over Navy, but the first four games of the season for Memphis have told two tales. In their first four games they dominated both sides of the football. Against Bethune-Cookman and Arkansas State the defense gave up an average of 160 yards of offense and the offense averaged over 470 yards and 46.5 points in the two games. The last two games have been a bit of a different story. Against Navy and Missouri the defense has given up a combined 974 yards, including 500 yards on the ground. Offensively their scoring has almost been cut in half, scoring 27.5 points per game and 403 yards in those two games.

Many around the program are looking for reliable offense. Seth Henigan, their quarterback said they are looking for consistency. Henigan is returning for his third season as the starting quarterback, but so far his play has been inconsistent. Henigan has thrown at least one interception in three of the four games and he threw two interceptions in their last game as well as their season opener. On paper it looks like Memphis will spread the ball around with seven different guys catching a touchdown so far this season, but in reality they have one receiver who is solid week in and week out in Roc Taylor and then a bunch of other guys who will emerge every once in a while. But the biggest constants for this team though,is their running back, Blake Watson. Watson has been productive in all four games this season and currently ranks 12th in the nation in all purpose yards. Walston is averaging over 20 “touches” per game. According to fans, their offensive line leaves something to be desired. On paper they have given up 8 sacks this year the opponent have had a combined 25 tackles for loss. It will be interesting which offense shows up against Boise State’s defense on Saturday.

Defensively the Tigers have had two good games and two not so good games. In the season opener they held Bethune-Cookman to just 91 yards of total offense. In their last game against Missouri they gave up almost 550 yards. Up front they’ve got at least six different guys that will play and be productive. Their defense will rally to the football and Boise State better be ready to hold on to the football as the Tigers have forced seven fumbles on season and have recovered six of them. In the back end they feature a veteran-ladien secondary including Arkansas transfer Simeon Blair at safety. Coach Avalos mentioned in his press conference that they will see a lot of cover four from their defense. The goal of the coverage is to prevent the deep ball while still having safeties close enough to the line of scrimmage to contribute in the run game and help to bracket receivers.

Memphis is coached by Ryan Silverfield. Coach Silverfield has spent most of his coaching career, which began during his senior year of high school, as either a line coach or a member of the offensive staff. He was hired at Memphis by then-head coach Mike Norvell prior to the 2016 season. After Norvell's departure to Florida State on December 8, 2019, Silverfield served as the interim head coach before being promoted to head coach on December 28, 2019. Silverfield is one of the few college coaches that never played college football. Silverfield is 24-17 at his time at Memphis.

These two schools have never faced each other in football. Saturday is the first of four game series that includes matchups in 2026 ,2030, and 2031.

What Happened Last Time

Saturday is the first matchup between these two teams. Boise State is 12-5 all-time against teams that currently make up the American Athletic Conference.

Players to Watch

MEMPHIS

FIFTH YEAR., Blake Watson, RB #4

Blake Watson is doing his best impression of Ashton Jeanty. The fifth year senior from Queens, N.Y., is in his first season at Memphis after transferring from Old Dominion. Watson has been a workhorse for the Tigers averaging over 20 touches per game and is 12th in the nation in all purpose yards. Watson is a typical three-down back and the Tigers will try to get him the ball any way possible. Last week against Missouri, Watson had 18 rushes to go along with 9 catches. Boise State will have to keep tabs on #4 on every play.

JR., ROC TAYLOR, WR #3

Boise State’s secondary better keep their eye on #3 this weekend if they want any chance to win. Roc Taylor is the top wide receiver for this Memphis team and is getting better each week. Last week against Missouri he hauled in seven catches for 143 yards and had a long of 33 yards. All three of those were season high’s for Taylor. Boise State has struggled mightily against the pass this year which could mean Taylor and company might be in for a big day against the Broncos.

Rs.SO., CHANDLER MARTIN, LB #11

Martin is also part of the “revamped” roster for the Tigers and has really made a splash for his new team. Martin leads the team with his 26 tackles. He’s also made at least one tackle for loss in three straight games. Martin is still looking for his first sack of the season, but has, like many others on this Memphis defense, forced a fumble.

BOISE STATE

SO., ASHTON JEANTY, RB #2

Ashton Jeanty is on another planet right now. We all saw what he could be capable of when he saw plenty of playing time last season as a Freshman, but to say we saw what he’s done through four games coming would be a lie. Jeanty currently leads the country in all-purpose yards and last week against SDSU, Jeanty had another phenomenal performance that earned him Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week honors. His 205 rushing yards last week was the most by a Boise State running back since Alexander Mattison did it in 2017. Jeanty is quickly entering in the “Jay Ajayi-type-good” conversation and each week #2 suits up for the Broncos he is “must-watch” material.

Rs.SO., MASON RANDOLPH, OL #63

Boise State had their best rushing output of the season last Saturday. Mason Randolph was in the starting line up. Coincidence? I think not. Mason Randolph is the missing key that makes an offensively that was already good go to great. Randolph was slated to be the team’s starting center but after an injury that had kept him out the first three weeks of the year he made his season debut not at center, but at left guard. When you watch on tv you mostly notice the end result of the play, but it’s the work up front that allowed that play to end like it did. Look for Randolph to have another big night for the Broncos.

SIXTH YEAR, DEMITRI WASHINGTON, DE #38

Demitri Washington is quietly having probably his best season as a Bronco. In a career that has been up and down with injuries and inconsistent play, the fact that Washington has been available every game this year has been huge especially along a defensive line that is looking for a leader. Washington has been upping his production every week with last week against SDSU being his most productive yet. On the night Washington totaled seven tackles, half a tackle for loss and half a sack. Washington needs to continue this progression and be even better this week for the Broncos.

Focus Position Group: Offensive Line

It’s not very often where you focus on the offensive line because of how well they are playing. But this year, the big boys up front for the Broncos have been balling out. Currently the Broncos are 2nd in the conference and 29th in the nation in sacks allowed and are allowing their running backs to average 4.78 yards per attempt on the ground. You don’t just average close to five yards per carry without having major holes to run through. Coach Avalos had plenty of good things to say about this o-line including mentioning that they have seven or eight guys they feel comfortable playing and since the beginning of the year there has been an identity and standard from that position room. He added later that these guys probably watch the most films of any group on the team and that they are leaders on this team with how they prepare, practice and produce.

Rev's Route to a Bronco Win

Let ‘em Run

Boise State has found their offensive identity and it’s not carving up the defense through the air. It’s playing to their strength and running the football. They have an offensive line that loves to run block, they have a quarterback who’s most effective weapon right now is his legs, and they have an all-american type running back who can just about do it all in Jeanty. Howie Long said, “When the other team knows what you’re doing, you better be awfully good at what you do.” Memphis knows Boise State is going to run the ball, but I think the Broncos are good enough to do it anyway.

Money Down

Third down is the most crucial down in all of football. It’s a razors edge between extending a drive or getting off the field. Boise State’s defense has not been good this year in stopping their opponent on third down. Currently the Broncos rank 82nd in the nation and allow their opponent to convert on third down 41% of the time. Memphis is 3rd in that same category, only letting their opponent convert on third down 22.6% of the time. The exact opposite is true for the offenses. Boise State is converting on third down over 46% of the time and the Tigers are struggling to convert and only convert on 34% of the time. This week the “money down” will play a huge factor in the outcome. Boise State needs to extend drives on offense and has to end drives on defense.

Defensive Touchdown

Boise State’s defense hasn’t been great this season. They have had moments where they’ve played better, but they haven’t been great. This week they go against a quarterback who is a bit of a gunslinger and will throw the ball in harm's way a time or two. Through four games has thrown five interceptions this year including two against Bethune-Cookman in the season opener. If Boise State is going to steal one on the road they have to create a turnover and they need to do what their coach did in the very same stadium in 2004 and take it to the house.

Revs Rant and Prediction:

Boise State captured my heart the moment my family moved here in November of 2000. I can remember my first time seeing a game in person. I can remember experiencing my first Idaho game and how amazing that atmosphere was. I couldn’t wait for the “Bronco Game Day” preview to come in the paper. I clipped out the pictures and made a collage poster. I remember telling myself “It’ just a game” as I tried not to become emotional when Zabransky threw the pick-six in the Fiesta Bowl. I remember where I was when Kellen Moore shocked the college football world by carving up Oregon. I remember when games weren’t on ESPN, but on KTVB with Mark Johnson on the call. Like many of you all I’ve ever known is the “Decade of Dominance” and hanging 50 on anybody and everybody. Boise State football are some of my core memories and I get all the warm fuzzies thinking about the golden years of Bronco football. But it’s not fair to judge the last few years of the program to those. It’s not apples to apples. Yes, do I miss the days when the question was not if we were going to win but by how much? Of course. Do I want the boys to win every game and win with style? You bet. But right now, in 2023 I just want them to win. I’m done being frustrated if they didn’t win how I expected them to. Is there a “1” in the win column? If yes, then I’m happy. Getting back to the culture of just winning is the first step to getting back to being dominant. Everything in college sports as in life is cyclical. I believe we are at the bottom of our cycle. I for one am glad that the bottom of our cycle is 8-4 and not 4-8.

With that said, this team has its warts, sure, but if you really look at it, the guys making all the plays are sophomores. This team has a ton of upside and it’s our job as Bronco Nation to stand behind these boys and give them the utmost support.

Anyways, back to this game. On paper I think these teams are evenly matched and it will come down to which team can make the in-game adjustments and which players can make the most plays. I think Boise State has gained the confidence it needed to start winning on a consistent basis.

Boise State 34, Memphis 30

Rev's Rundown

CFB: BOISE STATE (2-2,1-0) AT UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS (3-1,1-0) (-3.5)