The Broncos looked good in defeating Hawaii last week. But like with any BSU win, there is room for improvement. Does the SJSU depth chart reflect that?
After the jump, discuss why Thomas Byrd kept his job, where J.P. Nisby got off to, and whether or not Kirby Moore is gaining on Tyler Shoemaker. See you in the comments.
Boise State offense |
Boise State defense |
Z - 2 Austin Pettis 6-3 201 Jr. X - 4 Titus Young 5-11 170 Jr. H - 89 Tyler Shoemaker 6-1 207 So. LT - 73 Nate Potter 6-6 293 So. LG - 59 Will Lawrence 6-2 293 Jr. C - 66 Thomas Byrd 5-11 284 So. RG - 62 Kevin Sapien 6-4 286 Jr. RT - 57 Garrett Pendergast 6-4 271 So. TE - 85 Tommy Gallarda 6-5 249 Jr. QB - 11 Kellen Moore 6-0 187 So. RB - 27 Jeremy Avery 5-9 173 Jr. FB - 40 Richie Brockel 6-2 240 Sr. |
E - 98 Ryan Winterswyk 6-4 263 Jr.
94 Byron Hout 6-0 241 So. T - 90 Billy Winn 6-4 288 So. N - 97 Chase Baker 6-1 296 So. SE - 92 Shea McClellin 6-3 262 So. MIKE- 45 Daron Mackey 5-11 233 Jr. WILL- 36 Aaron Tevis 6-3 228 So. S 23 Jeron Johnson 5-11 194 Jr. S 8 George Iloka 6-3 207 So. N 17 Winston Venable 5-11 223 Jr. CB 1 Kyle Wilson 5-10 186 Sr. CB 13 Brandyn Thompson 5-10 180 Jr. |
Kickers |
Returners |
PK - 35 Kyle Brotzman 5-10 201 Jr.
84 Jimmy Pavel 5-9 212 Fr. KO - 35 Kyle Brotzman 5-10 201 Jr. HD - 2 Austin Pettis 6-3 201 Jr. P - 35 Kyle Brotzman 5-10 201 Jr. SNP - 44 Chris Roberson 6-0 222 Fr. |
KR - 4 Titus Young 5-11 170 Jr. PR - 1 Kyle Wilson 5-10 186 Sr. |
Disclaimer: Depth charts mean as much as you want them to mean. Keep in mind that things change over the course of a game week and that game situations, injuries, and performance will render some of this depth chart moot. Still, it's fun to speculate ... with hyperbole! Aaron Burks could totally transfer!
Fly free, Aaron Burks. Fly free and live
The Aaron Burks depth chart hostage crisis has finally come to an end. Burks, a presumably redshirted freshman receiver, had been a fixture on the team's depth chart all season long, hovering below Titus Young and Chris Potter as third string. But this week, he's free. Viva Aaron Burks.
No more J.P. Nisby?
The defensive line depth chart saw the biggest overhaul this week as the back-ups at DT went all Extreme Home Makeover and completely changed from the week prior. At the end of the figurative musical chairs, J.P. Nisby was the one left holding bag, for some reason.
Nisby is nowhere to be found on the San Jose week depth chart, which is surprising to say the least. Is he in Coach Pete's doghouse? Is he injured? Is he a Wiccan and refuses to play football on Halloween? With the addition of injured/suspended newbies Michael Atkinson and Greg Grimes, you figured something would have to give along that defensive front. I just never expected it would be Nisby.
(Note: Has anyone else been super impressed by the play of Darren Koontz this season? That kid has a motor. I really like what I'm seeing.)
QB depth apparently only an issue to those of us who are paranoid beyond all reason
When Michael Coughlin got his bell run against Hawaii last week, Kellen Moore was pressed into mop-up duty that was most certainly below him. Head injuries, especially the ones that have plagued the Broncos this season, are never to be taken lightly, so I have to hope that Coughlin can resume his spot duty this week should the game get out of hand or the offense require a read option play for four yards.
If not, we'll be seeing much more of Moore than we're probably comfortable with. And should anything happen to him, are we fully prepared for Joe Southwick time? I'm probably just being paranoid and Coughlin is probably fine, but these are the things that keep me up at night. I know. I need help.
Great game, Matt Kaiserman. Now get back to third- or fourth-string!
BIFFF don't lie. Matt Kaiserman's performance against Hawaii was the best performance by a Bronco running back all season. Here are the advanced stats:
Kaiserman: 23 carries, 122 yards, 1 TD, 10 broken tackles, 78 yards after contact,
10 first downs, 15 successful rushes, 65 percent success rate
To clarify, successes are determined by 50 percent of needed yards on first down, 75 on second, and 100 on third and fourth. To clarify even further, Kaiserman was really good against the Warriors. The second-best performance was Doug Martin's tour de force against Bowling Green, where Martin broke eight tackles, had 66 yards after contact, and was successful on 61 percent of his carries.
And what does Kaiserman get for his efforts? Absolutely no mention at all on the depth chart.
Safe to say, Martin is still the Broncos' No. 2 running back, and with Jarvis Hodge back in the fold (he missed last week's game due to a family death), Kaiserman could conceivably be all the way back to No. 4. Where do you think Kaiserman sits? The Broncos promised they would find a way to use him, and I believe them. Does the depth chart lie? Will the local boy have another big game on Saturday? It remains to be seen.
Derrell Acrey's fall from grace
Lost amid the Bronco hoopla this season has been the slow decline of Derrell Acrey. Make no mistake: Acrey is healthy. He is just not having the impact that he had earlier in the year or that fans expected him to have at this point in his Bronco career.
Acrey lost his starting spot to Daron Mackey, who by the way is playing very well recently. He missed the Tulsa game due to the flu, and he was a non-factor against Hawaii. Hunter White, the early season's biggest Mr. Irrelevant, has even bounced back to put his mark on some recent games (a pick against Hawaii, for instance).
What's eating Derrell Acrey? I'm open to ideas.
Thomas Byrd remains at center, Bronson Durrant loads up on TheraFlu just in case
The Great Snapping Catastrophe of '09 claimed no victims on this week's depth chart. Thomas Byrd is still the starting center, Garrett Pendergast is still the starting right tackle, and if anyone asks, everything is fine thanks.
But everything is not fine. Those center snaps were ridiculous, bordering on impossible. It needs to be fixed, and judging from the depth chart, it looks like the Broncos are confident that Byrd can figure out what's wrong on his own. One man not responsible for last week's debacle is Bronson Durrant, the backup center who was at home in Idaho with the flu. If he's ready to play on Saturday, it will be interesting to see how quickly Coach Pete makes the call should Byrd slip up again.
Where has J.C. Percy been? Hanging out with Jason Haberman, I'd imagine
Another quiet linebacker in recent weeks has been J.C. Percy, everyone's favorite underdog whom OBNUG reader Jason Haberman clairvoyantly crowned in preseason. He kind of forced a fumble against Hawaii, but he was making plays on a regular basis in earlier weeks and he has been much quieter since. Who's playing better at this point: Percy or Aaron Tevis?
Has Kirby Moore caught up with Tyler Shoemaker?
Li'l Moore saw lots of early playing time against Hawaii, even catching a pass on the team's first drive. Has Kirby closed the gap between himself and starter Tyler Shoemaker?
Shoemaker has the strange ability to disappear for long stretches of games and then pop up every so often just to remind people that he's incredibly talented. However, Moore is talented, too, and he's had several weeks to get back to playing shape and learn the playbook. Against Hawaii, both players were targeted the same number of times on passing plays. Am I crazy or is Kirby becoming a bigger part of the offense? And should Shoemaker be worried?
Handicapping the Halloween mask giveaway
Tom Scott let the secret out that Boise State player masks will be the giveaway for Saturday's Halloween game against the Spartans. Scott said there would be six players memorialized in cardboard cutouts. Which six do you think it will be?
You'd have to think that Richie Brockel, Kyle Wilson, and Kellen Moore would be three of the six. What about Coach Pete? Would he make the cut? Billy Winn and Jeron Johnson? Austin Pettis? I'd just like to put this out there: Joe Kellogg mask. Make it happen, Bronco marketers.