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BSU position preview: Is the 2009 Boise State secondary the WAC's best ever?

(via www.broncosports.com)

As difficult as it was to pass on the Broncos last season, it will be even tougher to do so this year. With four out of five starters returning and an All-American candidate holding down one corner, Boise State has one of the best secondaries in the West and one of the best WAC secondaries of all-time. How does the 2009 Bronco secondary stack up to the all-time greats? And how will their legacy be written this year? Let's find out.

Star-divide

(You've stumbled upon a series of Boise State position previews leading up to the Oregon game. Previously: The new breed of 4-2-5 linebacker. Next up: OREGON PREVIEWS!!!.)

Bronco secondary depth chart

Player Yr Pos Ht Wt
Kyle Wilson Sr CB 5'10" 186
Brandyn Thompson So CB 5'10" 180
Jeron Johnson Jr S 5'11" 194
George Iloka So S 6'3" 207
Winston Venable Jr S/LB 5'11" 223
Jamar Taylor So CB 5'11" 193
Doug Martin So S/LB 5'9" 201
Jason Robinson Jr S/LB 5'11" 194
Jerrell Gavins Jr CB 5'9" 171
Cedric Febis So S 6'3" 197
Travis Stanaway So S 5'11" 188
Garcia Day Sr S/CB 6'1" 204

 

The starting five in the Boise State secondary are pretty much set in stone. Kyle Wilson and Brandyn Thompson on the corners, Jeron Johnson and George Iloka at safety, and Winston Venable at the safetylinebacker. Out of those five positions, I would expect Venable to switch off most often, probably with Doug Martin. The other four positions will probably stay on the field for every defensive snap.

The exciting part of the Bronco secondary is its depth. Behind Wilson and Thompson are Jamar Taylor and Jerrell Gavins, two players who would be starters on several other WAC teams. Jason Robinson was a former Bronco starter, so you know he has talent. Cedric Febis looked solid in fall practices. Every single player on the Broncos' two-deep secondary depth chart could come in and do a stellar job. It says a lot about the depth of the Broncos, but it also speaks volumes to the talent of the players in the starting lineup.

A season to remember in 2008

340x_medium

via cache.daylife.com

There were so many bright spots in the Boise State defense last fall that I'd hate to single just one of them out. But, man, did you see the Bronco secondary last season?

Boise State was in the Top 20 in several national pass defense statistics, holding opponents to a 50 percent completion rate and less than 200 yards per game. Take out the second half of the Oregon game, and those numbers would look even better. Also, the BSU secondary was a big play mecca, nabbing 22 INTs. Of those 22, 17 came from the starting five of Powers, Wilson, Thompson, Johnson, and Iloka.

Boise State was rewarded for its stellar play when the postseason award circuit made its rounds. Wilson and Powers landed on the All-WAC first team; Johnson made the second team. True freshman Iloka found himself on national freshman all-American teams. It was almost enough to make you forget about Marty Tadman. Almost.

(Aside: The rise of lock-down corners like Wilson has allowed the Boise State defense an amazing level of freedom to run more risky blitzes and exotic schemes. Players like Wilson change everything. Just ask Chase Holbrook's NFL draft stock.)

Hype for this fall

The most wonderful part of last year's breakout season was the fact that four out of the five secondary studs would be returning in 2009. Powers was the only one to graduate, and although he leaves a big hole to fill, having the other four positions set in stone is enough to have the Bronco secondary as one of the most hyped units in the WAC this season.

For starters, Kyle Wilson is the WAC's preseason DPOY. And if that's not enough, he is also projected as a first- or second-round draft pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. He has found his name on several preseason watch lists, including the Thorpe and the Bednarik, and he is a consensus preseason WAC first-teamer.

D.O.C. [Death of Cornerback] #1 Kyle Wilson Pro Day Highlights from justfndoit on Vimeo.

 

The other players in the secondary have also had their names bandied about this offseason. The most complimentary place for the Broncos has been Phil Steele's season preview magazine, where three of the four starters in the secondary were named to his All-WAC team. The only one not on the first team is Iloka, who winds up third behind two Idaho safeties, one of whom left the program.

Another popular preseason All-WAC team (the WAC does not release an official team) is hosted at the CBS Sports website. Naturally, Kyle Wilson makes the team, but he is the only Bronco. CBS puts LaTech's Antonio Baker, SJSU's Duke Ihenacho, and Nevada's Jonathon Amaya on the All-WAC team. CBS obviously does not get Nevada games on its satellite.

Previous WAC secondaries

With so much preseason hype going into the year, the question becomes: Will Boise State's 2009 secondary be the WAC's best ever? To find out, here are some of the best ones from the past decade (the WAC became the WAC as we mostly know it back in 1999).

  • 2000 TCU: First team: Curtis Fuller, Greg Walls; Second team: Russell Gary
  • 2001 Fresno State: Two-time First team: Vernon Fox; Second team: Devon Banks
  • 2002 Boise State: Two-time First team: Quintin Mikell; Second team: Gabe Franklin
  • 2003 Hawaii: First team: Hyrum Peters (two-time), Kelvin Millhouse
  • 2005 Fresno State: Second team: Richard Marshall, Marcus McCauley (both juniors)
  • 2007 San Jose State: First team: Dwight Lowery; Second team: Christopher Owens

As you can see, there has rarely been a consensus, dominant secondary in the WAC over the past 10 years. The two teams that came the closest were: 

  • 2000 TCU
  • 2007 San Jose State

The 2000 TCU secondary was part of the Horned Frogs' back-to-back WAC champions. They pulled the same stunt that the Broncos pulled last year by placing two starters on the first team (Boise State also had Ellis Powers, albeit listed as a LB) and one on the second team.

San Jose State's 2007 secondary would be the only other WAC secondary to get consideration for an all-time best, but that distinction is based more on the talent of two individual players and not the secondary as a whole. Both Lowery and Owens were picked up by NFL teams and were considered to be some of the most NFL-ready WAC defensive players to come out of the conference in recent years.

Are there any other secondaries that spring to your mind as some of the WAC's all-time best? Should 2007 San Jose State even be considered with only two solid players? Anyone remember that TCU team?

The WAC's best secondary players in 2009

One obstacle that could keep the 2009 Broncos from going down in the WAC's record books as the conference's all-time best is the competition from fellow conference DBs and safeties.

An initial look at the conference shows that LaTech's Antonio Baker and SJSU's Duke Ihenacho are the two players who could most easily slip onto the WAC's first or second team. Idaho's Shiloh Keo is a media favorite because he is one of the few Idaho players the media knows by name. Fresno State's A.J. Jefferson and Moses Harris are darkhorse candidates, and Nevada's Jonathon Amaya could make some noise.

Of course, is ending the season on the All-WAC team the best way of determining all-time best? Are there other factors to consider that would make the debate fair?

Just for fun: Want to switch for past Bronco stars?

This part of the discussion has little to do with the overall question of the legacy for the 2009 Bronco secondary. But I thought it would be fun.

Would you trade any of the current players in the Bronco secondary for any past Bronco stars?

Here are some of the most obvious candidates:

  • Two-time all-WAC safety Quintin Mikell (and member of CBS' WAC team of the decade)
  • CBs Gabe Franklin and Wes Nurse
  • Three-time all-WAC safety Marty Tadman

*all-WAC refers to WAC first- or second-team

Another interesting angle on this question: Would any of these four players be able to crack the starting lineup on this year's team? What do you think?

Conclusions

The answers to the secondary question are obvious. Either,

  1. Yes, the 2009 Broncos have the WAC's best secondary ever.
  2. No, the 2009 Broncos are not the WAC's best secondary ever.

I suppose you could find yourself somewhere in the middle of the debate by taking a stance of "We'll have to wait and see" or "There's really no way to measure this." I tend to think toward the latter with most questions like this.

However, I am completely blown away by the talent level of the Boise State secondary in 2009, and I feel that it will go down in history as the best WAC secondary to ever take the field. Top to bottom, at all five positions, and well into the two-deep roster, these guys are great.

I have a feeling that all five (or four, if you consider Venable a LB) won't make the final All-WAC first team, due in part to politics and the peer pressure of not voting for an entire team at one position. But seeing them on the field should tell you all you need to know.

Where would you put the Bronco secondary in the all-time rankings? Would you trade any current Bronco stars for past ones? Will the secondary improve on their 17 INTs this season?

Let's discuss.

Comment 38 comments  |  3 recs  | 

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The Blue Man Group

"You know where i'm from, a little suspicion about one's true identity and motives is considered good manners."
-- Nale

by Loque on Aug 27, 2009 10:56 AM PDT up reply actions  

The Four Horseman

… If you doesn’t count Winston Venable as linebacker/safety.

 Man I’m confused about the nickel position, I mean what is it!?!

by Magnanimous M@tt on Aug 27, 2009 12:43 PM PDT up reply actions  

Big Blue Wrecking Crew

Tribute to the New York Giants defensive team during their 1986 championship season.

by Magnanimous M@tt on Aug 27, 2009 12:45 PM PDT up reply actions  

One Week

Only 7 days left until the broncos dream of another Pointsetta bowl are crushed. Things are really starting to click with our team, Kelly closed practice to everyone except uncle Phil and Doc Brown to unvail his new time machine(with a delux flux capacitor, 1.21 Jigowatts!!), and Masoli is focused on returning the favor of last years home loss. You better hope your secondary is ‘best ever’ because we know you can’t stop our rushing attack and if they can’t slow down our air attack, it will be a very long night for you Junior Vandals. Perdiction: Ducks 55 – Broncos 24. React!!

I can get you a toe by three o'clock this afternoon.

by KyleC on Aug 27, 2009 8:42 AM PDT reply actions  

So, how do we “know” that the Broncos can’t stop the Duck rushing attack?

by Drew Roberts on Aug 27, 2009 8:46 AM PDT up reply actions  

Reacting.

You’re full of hypotheses.

..That was easy.

"You know where i'm from, a little suspicion about one's true identity and motives is considered good manners."
-- Nale

by Loque on Aug 27, 2009 8:56 AM PDT up reply actions  

React?...ok.
Perdiction:
  • chuckle *

How’s that?

Boise State - The best in all the land (The "land" being Idaho, and large parts of California, Oregon, and Nevada.)

by Mikrino on Aug 28, 2009 7:32 AM PDT up reply actions   1 recs

rec'd

for failing at bold and preview button.

"You know where i'm from, a little suspicion about one's true identity and motives is considered good manners."
-- Nale

by Loque on Aug 28, 2009 7:57 AM PDT up reply actions   1 recs

rec'd for assuming, you know what happens when you ass=u+me.

chuckle was not my intent

But, * chuckle * was

Boise State - The best in all the land (The "land" being Idaho, and large parts of California, Oregon, and Nevada.)

by Mikrino on Sep 3, 2009 1:05 PM PDT up reply actions   1 recs

rec'd for calling me out on assuming i knew what your commenting intentions were

"You know where i'm from, a little suspicion about one's true identity and motives is considered good manners."
-- Nale

by Loque on Sep 5, 2009 11:13 AM PDT up reply actions  

Wilson is the first CB for the Broncos where, as a fan, there is complete confidence. He is put on an island so often that he will occassionally get beat, but unlike previous star CB’s there is little worry of a missed assignment or let down on a big play.

Thompson is really good and is overshadowed by Wilson. I wouldn’t trade Brandyn Thompson for any CB except for the possibility of Orlando Scandrick. Scandrick brings a physicality at CB that would be a great fit for the 4-2-5. Gabe Franklin and Dempsey Dees were good too, but didn’t have the combination of physical toughness and speed that Wilson and Scandrick bring to the table.

I get a little giddy thinking about what Quintin Mikell would have been like as the Safety/Linebacker. He was always around the ball and was more than adequate in pass coverage. The nickname we came up for Quentin was Visa, because he was “everywhere you want[ed] him to be.”

Add the smarts/savvy of Tadman at one safety and a combination of Shaunard Harts/Chris Carr/Wes Nurse/Gerald Alexander at the other and you have a pretty formidable backfield.

"...he could have run for 500 yards if only the end zone hadn't kept getting in the way"

by MKingery on Aug 27, 2009 8:44 AM PDT reply actions   1 recs

The only player missing from your list was the one-armed guy

I really think Scandrick could have had one of BSU’s all-time best seasons if he had stayed around, especially so if the WAC would have let him play with his shirt off.

Mikell as a safety/linebacker would have been sweet. Do you think he would fit better there or at Jeron Johnson’s safety spot?

"Never let anyone sign your checks!" - Harvey Bushkin

by Kevan Lee on Aug 27, 2009 11:41 AM PDT up reply actions  

Yes, DaWuan Miller was talented but he wasn’t even the best DB on that 1994 team. I think Rashid Gayle had a cup of coffee with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

"...he could have run for 500 yards if only the end zone hadn't kept getting in the way"

by MKingery on Aug 27, 2009 12:27 PM PDT up reply actions  

But, Rashid Gayle never had a one-armed pick 6 like dawaun did! Still one of the best bronco memories I have!

Someday I hope to look in a mirror and see something special... something like a coach pete protoge'.

by BigBaloo on Aug 27, 2009 11:00 PM PDT up reply actions   2 recs

Rec'd because I remember that.

That was AWESOME!

Proverbial ... ... ... Indeed!

by OBNUG Intern on Aug 28, 2009 8:10 AM PDT up reply actions  

I don't think I'd trade a single member of the secondary

the only ones close would be Mikell. It would suck to lose Jeron Johnson, but if you remember when Mikell was roaming the secondary…he hit probably just as hard as Johnson, but was a bit bigger. Loved Tadman…but I think that Iloka could surpass his accomplishments, and that is saying something.

by Drew Roberts on Aug 27, 2009 8:44 AM PDT reply actions   1 recs

I Love Marty Tadman too much

I would trade Tadman for Iloka right now BUT if you’re looking big picture Iloka being a sophomore and having the possibility of becoming WAY better (which is scary if you’re any other team in the WAC… who were already scared in the first place) then I don’t know if I would, but if this were the last season for the rest of eternity I would take Tadman

by J-Stat on Aug 27, 2009 8:48 AM PDT up reply actions   1 recs

I agree

I wouldn’t trade anybody in our current secondary for a former player. They all fly to the ball, understand their assignments, are solid tacklers, and 80% of the starters have already played together for a full year. These guys have something I haven’t seen from our secondary (or the defense as a whole) – SWAGGER – they’re good & they know it. This swagger is going to be infectious, our Defense is going to be a monster this year.

by Drofdarb23 on Aug 27, 2009 9:40 AM PDT up reply actions  

This post.

While reading this post, I got so excited I almost Lizzed a little. Rec’d.

"You know where i'm from, a little suspicion about one's true identity and motives is considered good manners."
-- Nale

by Loque on Aug 27, 2009 8:58 AM PDT reply actions  

although that music was a little…. yeah.

"You know where i'm from, a little suspicion about one's true identity and motives is considered good manners."
-- Nale

by Loque on Aug 27, 2009 8:58 AM PDT up reply actions  

Sure...

"You know where i'm from, a little suspicion about one's true identity and motives is considered good manners."
-- Nale

by Loque on Aug 29, 2009 10:21 AM PDT up reply actions  

Come on guys

We’re getting side tracked here.
More nicknames!

Yes we will

by echris on Aug 27, 2009 9:26 AM PDT reply actions  

If I was a Duck fan, I might suggest “Head Hunters”, but I was never good at whining, so, as a Bronco fan, I’d go with “Blue Blockade”. My favorite would be “the Bronco secondary”, though.
 The trouble with a flattering nickname is it just makes opponents try harder to prove it wrong.

by TitoRay on Aug 27, 2009 12:43 PM PDT up reply actions  

Oregon's Secondary Had a Nickname Last Year

…and they got torched by a freshman!

all I heard prior to the U of Zero game last year was “The D-Boyz. this, the D-Boyz that…blahblahblahblah.”

afterwards it was ‘’…our D sucked…the D-boyz sucked…we got trashed by a 1-AA team..Chip Kelly sucks…Massoli’s a wuss…blahblahblahblah…"

Don’t do it!

BSU is not about stupid nicknames.

Shut up and play ball!

by MiketheTransplant on Aug 27, 2009 11:44 AM PDT reply actions  

Oregon's Secondary

Here’s an interesting tidbit on the Oregon Secondary I saw on the OregonLive/Oregonian blog:

“Kelly said he basically has Walter Thurmond at corner and T.J. Ward at free safety, then a group of four others – Marvin Johnson, Javes Lewis, Talmadge Jackson and Willie Glasper – for the other two spots.
Look for Jackson to shift back to cornerback and Johnson to emerge at rover, although Lewis did have a 35-yard interception return Tuesday night, according to the stat-keepers.”

http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindducksbeat/2009/08/uo_football_chip_kellys_postsc.html

I could not be more happy to see something like that. (For the most part, everything has been good from Duck camp – other than a few dinged up O-linemen and WRs). They only know who 2 of their starters are in the secondary!?!? After last year; Kellen, the TEs, and WRs should all be grinning from ear to ear.

by Drofdarb23 on Aug 27, 2009 1:00 PM PDT reply actions  

All-Wac teams

Measuring anything by an “all-wac” team is never going to be accurate! The current year bronco team would almost always beat the all-wac team! meaning they would be better off just choosing the entire bronco team, and trade out the occasional other-team-all-star.

Someday I hope to look in a mirror and see something special... something like a coach pete protoge'.

by BigBaloo on Aug 27, 2009 11:03 PM PDT reply actions   1 recs

While it was not the WAC, the 2000 Bronco secondary had three 1st team All Big West recipients (Quintin Mikell, Dempsey Dees, Dee Ross) and Shaunard Harts was 2nd team at safety.

"...he could have run for 500 yards if only the end zone hadn't kept getting in the way"

by MKingery on Aug 28, 2009 7:08 AM PDT up reply actions   1 recs

Well played. You think that secondary was better than this year’s? It would certainly need to be considered alongside some of the Broncos’ best.

"Never let anyone sign your checks!" - Harvey Bushkin

by Kevan Lee on Aug 28, 2009 11:47 AM PDT up reply actions  

Pick-6.

This is one thing I missed last year. I don’t think the Boise State defense had one (not that I can remember). There has been Kyle Wilson punts returns, and Ellis Powers thanking Nathan Enderle for the rock and running it in for 6. But did the Brocolli, Cheese and Chicken (run with it) secondary score any pick-6’s last year?

"You know where i'm from, a little suspicion about one's true identity and motives is considered good manners."
-- Nale

by Loque on Aug 28, 2009 7:03 AM PDT reply actions  

Zero pick-sixes

Hout came pretty close in the P-Bowl. On the contrary, opponents returned four BSU picks for scores (SJSU, Nevada twice, and Fresno).

"Never let anyone sign your checks!" - Harvey Bushkin

by Kevan Lee on Aug 28, 2009 11:48 AM PDT up reply actions  

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