PREVIEW | CFB: BOISE STATE (6-5,5-2) (-6.5) VS AIR FORCE ACADAMEY (8-3,5-2)

 

Boise State University (-6.5) vs Air Force Academy

Date: Friday November 24, 2023

Time: 2:00pm MT

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

TV:FS1

TV Commentators: Dan Hellie and Petros Papadakis

Radio: KBOI 670 AM

Commentators: Bob Behler and Pete Cavender

 Know Thy Enemy

The Bolt Brotherhood descends on “The Blue” to take on the resurgent Boise State Broncos in a clash of Mountain West foes. Both these teams are trending in opposite directions as Air Force has lost three in a row and Boise State is on a two-game hot streak! Both teams are battling it out on ‘Black Friday’ with championship game implications on the line! 

After starting the season 6-0 the Falcons were looking at running away with the Mountain West title and had aspirations of getting the automatic bid into a New Year’s Six bowl, but even after losing their starting quarterback they managed to get to 8-0 before playing Army at the home of the Denver Broncos. It was in that game the season took a turn for the worst. They lost that game 23-3, then looked to rebound at Hawaii, but failed that test 27-13. Then came last week's game against UNLV. After a back and forth contest the Falcons had a chance to win on a fourth-and-goal from the eight yard-line. Air Force brought in their “passing quarterback” but his pass sailed over the head of the intended target which sealed the game for UNLV. 

As per usual, Air Force features the triple option attack on offense. The triple option is a fast moving, run-focused attack that relies on deception and speed to move the ball down the field. Triple in its name because on any given play the quarterback can hand it to the fullback on the “dive,” “pitch” the ball to the running back, or “keep” the ball himself.  The father of the triple option, Emory Bellard, would be proud of what the Falcons have accomplished so far this season, ranking #2 in the country in rushing offense. The Falcons have needed to use a lot of different players this  year to account for injuries, but reinforcements could be on the way and could get some of “their guys back” as coach Danielson said on Monday. 

This Air Force defense is ranked #1 in the Mountain West across the board. The Falcons have playmakers at every level of the defense. Up front they are lead by a pair of defensive ends, PJ Ramsey and Bo Richtner who rank #3 and #4 in the Mountain West in sacks. In the middle is linebacker Alec Mock who leads the team and is #8 in the conference in tackles. Then in the secondary is Trey Taylor who is tied for 5th in the conference with his three interceptions.  However, the Falcons have not been playing their best the last three weeks and it’s shown on the scoreboard. The last three weeks have been three of the four highest points allowed so far this season. The 31 points that they gave up against UNLV last week was the most they’ve given up all season. 

Air Force is coached by Troy Calhoun. The former AFA quarterback is in his 17th season as head coach of the Falcons. Coach Calhoun is the winningest coach in program history and is only one of four coaches to have an above .500 career record at the Academy. 

Boise State has been playing the defenders of the air since 2011. This series with the Falcons has been one of the more competitive series that the Broncos have had over the years. Boise State leads the all-time series 7-4. The Broncos are also 4-2 at home in this series. 

What Happened Last Time

 With its back against the wall, Boise State made the play when it mattered the most. Holding onto a five-point lead, the Broncos defense stopped Air Force on fourth down in the red zone thanks to a pass deflection from linebacker Ezekiel Noa to hold onto the 19-14 win at Falcon Stadium. Junior kicker Jonah Dalmas connected on four field goals, including a 51 yarder, and accounted for 13 of the Broncos' 19 points, as Boise State defeated Air Force.  Ashton Jeanty, who finished the game with 53 yards on 15 rushing attempts had the only touchdown for the Broncos on the evening. 

Players to Watch 

AIR FORCE

SR., PJ RAMSEY, DE #13

PJ Ramsey is one bookend of a monster defensive line for the Falcons. On the season Ramsey has 10.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. Ramsey out of Phenix City, AL has had a sack in four of last six games and has had at least half of a tackle for loss in five of the last six games. 

SR., BO RICHTER, DE #8

The other bookend is Bo Richter. The pride of Naperville, IL has lived in the opposing backfield all season long. His 15 tackles for loss on the season is good for #2 in the Mountain West and the golf enthusiast has also chipped in 7 sacks for the Falcons. Boise State has done a really good job at protecting the quarterback this season and they will have a big test this week in both Ramsey and Richter this week. 

SO., DYLAN CARSON, RB #20

Dylan Carson is coming off a career day last week against UNLV. His 104 yards on the ground led the team and was also his season high. Carson has seen an uptick in usage the last two weeks and over the last two games has totaled 191 yards and a touchdown for the Falcons. If AFA can’t get their big rushers back, look for Carson to again carry the load for the Falcons. 

BOISE STATE - SENIOR DAY EDITION 

SR., DJ SCHRAMM, MLB #52

DJ Schramm is really the epitome of being a Bronco. His selfless, team-first attitude and play has been on display all season. Schramm has been banged up on and off this season and you know he’s not playing at %100 right now, but his presence and leadership on the field is what the Broncos need right now, especially for a linebacker corps that is thin at the moment. Last week Schramm had six tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack against Utah State. This is the last time Schramm is guaranteed to step foot on the Blue and you know he will leave it all on the field. 

Rs.SR., GEORGE HOLANI, RB #24

Holani’s 74-yard touchdown run last week sparked a comeback that included scoring 45 unanswered points. Since his return from injury Holani has been his dominant self. In the four games he’s played since coming back from injury, Holani is averaging over 100 yards per game and has scored 5 touchdowns in the last three games, including two touchdowns in each of the last two games. Boise State’s ability to lean on Holani to carry the rock and the team will be evident on Friday. 

SR., JONAH DALMAS, K #35

Technically Dalmas has another year of eligibility if he so chooses but I have a feeling he will participate in the Senior Day festivities. The product of Rock Mountain High School in Meridian broke the record for career field goals and has a total of 72 (and counting). Dalmas also had a career-long 56-yard field goal against UCF earlier this season. Last year against Air Force Dalmas carried the team and with how stingy this Falcon defense can be, his services may be needed this week to get the win. 

Rev's Route to a Bronco Win

1. Dive Bomber 

Stopping the “Dive” play up the middle is the number one key to stopping the triple option. The whole philosophy for this offense is to run the ball up the middle play after play and keep moving forward. The Broncos have to do a good job of clogging up the middle and force the Falcons to gain their yards on the outside.

2. Eyes on the Prize

It’s not a lock, but a win on Friday all but punches a ticket into the conference championship game for the Broncos. In this rollercoaster of a season, the chance to play for a championship is nothing short of a miracle. But before they can play for the title, they have one more game at home to win. Coach Danielson has said over and over again these last two weeks are for the players and to send these Seniors out with a win on Saturday. In order to do that they have to focus on one play at a time and not get too caught up in thinking of what could be. 

3. On the Attack

Coach Danielson said this week that he wants his players playing fast and being on the attack. He also mentioned he doesn’t want them to be afraid to make a mistake. You could tell his team was playing fast and free last week against Utah State. This week they have to continue to be on the attack. Attack on offense and make Air Force pay from behind, something they aren’t really suited for. Be on the attack on defense and force the Falcons into down and distances that they are not comfortable with.  

Editorial Note: 

As the players mobbed Spencer Danielson after his first career win as interim head coach, you could hear players saying that he “gave us life.” I think I can speak for all of us when I say Spencer Danielson gave us all new life and sent a jolt of positive energy through this program and fan base like we haven’t seen all season. It’s crazy to think that at 6-5 we have a chance to play for a championship with a win. And to think that just a few weeks ago there was no way I thought we could beat Air Force let alone play for a title. Fast forward a few weeks and dare I say it, but “WE’RE BACK!” Boise State continues to ball out and play fast and free in a romp of the Academy. 

Broncos 42, Falcons 20