Where does D.J. Harper's injury leave the Broncos?
by Kevan Lee on Sep 21, 2009 4:08 PM PDT
in Boise State football
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PrintGodspeed, D.J. Harper. Bronco Nation wishes you nothing but the best. We'll see you next season.
Harper's injury is a blow to the offense and an obstacle to the rest of the Broncos' season. He was having a stellar season, and he'll be missed in a lot of ways. Join me after the jump for a look at what the Broncos do now and what they'll be faced with in the future.
How it happened
On Harper's 12th carry of the night at the start of the fourth quarter, he took a handoff from inside the Fresno 10-yard line and got stuffed behind the line of scrimmage by Fresno LB Kyle Knox for a two-yard loss. Live, the play looked simply to be a hard hit from a blitzing linebacker. If he had injured anything, it made sense to think it was a shoulder or an ego.
But when Harper was hit, his left leg was planted in the ground and his body was perpendicular to the line of scrimmage. The momentum from Knox carried him through Harper, bending the Bronco running back sideways, and torquing his left knee at a weird angle. If the leg hadn't been planted (as mentioned by reader Drofdarb), he might be okay, and I might be able to turn my guest bedroom from a vigil back into a bedroom.
Anyone see the hit and think ACL right away? I sensed it was more serious than oblivious Joe Tessitore and Rod Gilmore made it out to be, especially when trainers were massaging Harper's knee like it was a fabrege egg.
Bonus points to anyone who can answer this question: What Bronco players have suffered ACL injuries before?
What it means for Harper
via image.cdnl3.xosnetwork.com
Coach Pete is confident that Harper will be able to redshirt. If Yonus Davis can play seven years for San Jose State due to an ankle sprain, then Harper's medical redshirt should be a foregone conclusion. The NCAA requires the following:
In order to be eligible for a medical hardship waiver, a student-athlete must have competed in at least one contest in the first half of the season, but no more than three contests or 30%, whichever is greater.
Readers PeaDiddy and BSUDrew were already all over this. Citizen journalism at its finest. Harper meets these requirements easily.
The bigger question for Harper is how he will bounce back from the injury.
Knee injuries are serious, and there's no guarantee that Harper is going to be the back that we saw this season. Some experts estimate that it takes two years for a player to recover fully from an ACL tear. Even then, a full recovery is often not achieved.
Harper will have his work cut out for him. Running backs value the lateral movement and quick, precise cuts in either direction off their knees, which is why ACL tears can be so debilitating. When he does return, he'll most likely have to wear a brace on the knee. It could be 2011 before we see him back at full speed. If it's sooner, then we should be grateful. If it's later, we shouldn't be trying to hurry him back.
What it means for Boise State
This season
Boise State has already announced how Harper's injury will affect the offense in the short term.
- Jeremy Avery is the No. 1 running back.
- Doug Martin is No. 2.
We all spent some time this summer bemoaning the fact that the Broncos were awfully thin behind Avery and Harper, once Martin was moved to defense. Obviously, the coaches agree.
With Matt Kaiserman out with an undisclosed injury and Jarvis Hodge only effective in late-game, special Jarvis Hodge packages, the clear solution was to bring back Martin. He looked great in fall scrimmage, and he has impressed in spot duty so far this season.
But is he ready to carry more of the workload? Specifically, how do his skills compare to those of Harper?
Well, as it sits now, the Broncos have more of a true Thunder and Lightning than they did when it was Avery and Harper in the backfield. Harper's skills were very similar to Avery's skills - make people miss, use speed to break away from defenders, twist and turn for the tough yards. Martin runs angry, downhill, and with a vengeance. Neither Harper nor Avery run like that.
I think the addition of Martin will be a plus for the Broncos. Is he ready? We'll see. I am happy that he gets games against Bowling Green and UC Davis to get his offensive legs back under him. I hope that the Bronco coaches put him in good positions to succeed, whether that means with a fullback, in formations under center, or in space with the passing game.
And then there's this: What happens if Avery or Martin go down with an injury?
/awkward silence
Seriously, where do the Broncos turn? Would that be the impetus needed to burn Malcolm Johnson's redshirt? Would Jarvis Hodge take over at No. 2? How seriously is Matt Kaiserman hurt? I don't have any answers to these questions, and hopefully I won't need any.
Who will replace Harper's production?
Let's not gloss over this fact: When D.J. Harper went down with his injury, he was Boise State's best running back. Anyone disagree with that? Harper had more yards and more TDs than Jeremy Avery, and he had flashed the home run threat that used to be Avery's calling card last season. You can argue that Avery didn't have as many opportunities or as much open real estate to operate in, and you might be right. But the fact is that Harper was running the ball better than anyone else on the Boise State roster when he went down.
Obviously, his loss after Avery's breakout game against the Bulldogs seems less damaging, and there may be some truth to that. I felt that Avery stepped up his game after Harper went down, and I think that he will be up to the task of replacing some of Harper's production now that he's out. In the Broncos' first two games, I suggested that Avery was becoming last year's Ian Johson - the plodding, tough yards back to Harper's Avery-esque change of pace. Perhaps the analogy will hold true, albeit with Doug Martin taking on the change of pace role.
I think Avery is capable of stepping up his play to be an every down, go-to running back. I think he can handle 20 carries a game and five to eight catches. I don't think Boise State coaches will let him get those numbers if they can help it, but I don't doubt that Avery is up to the task. Plus, with Avery missing time of his own all fall camp, he might just now be getting healthy and hitting his stride. In that case, watch out.
Next season and beyond
The Broncos have been stacked at running back since the days of David Mikell and Lee Marks, so there are plenty of running backs with plans to contribute over the next several seasons. Here's a breakdown of the year-by-year RB roster:
2010
- Jeremy Avery, senior
- Jarvis Hodge, senior
- D.J. Harper, junior
- Doug Martin, junior
- Matt Kaiserman, sophomore
- Carlo Audagnotti, freshman (RS)
- Malcolm Johnson, freshman (RS)
2011
- D.J. Harper, senior
- Doug Martin, senior
- Matt Kaiserman, junior
- Carlo Audagnotti, sophomore
- Malcolm Johnson, sophomore
2012
- Matt Kaiserman, senior
- Carlo Audagnotti, junior
- Malcolm Johnson, junior
2013
- Carlo Audagnotti, senior
- Malcolm Johnson, senior
Next year, coaches will have the same dilemma that they had this year: What to do with three uber-talented tailbacks. Will they move Martin back to defense? Will they work Harper back slowly as the No. 3?
In 2011, a tailback duo of Harper and Martin looks like a safe bet, and it will give stud Malcolm Johnson some more time to develop. By 2012, Johnson could very well be the feature back, more in a role of Ian Johnson circa 2006. It could be the earliest that the Broncos return to being a one-back team.
Conclusion
Harper will be missed. There's no doubt about that. But one of the benefits of having such a stacked, deep program is that his loss is not the end of the world. There are a couple important points to consider:
- How will this change affect Boise State's chances of winning the WAC, finishing undefeated, or making a BCS bowl?
- Will Doug Martin be able to step in right away and fill the void left by Harper? Will Avery need to shoulder more of the load?
- What happens if someone else goes down injured?
Boise State has been blessed to not have too many major injuries to major players over the years. Some Bronco fans might not have considered Harper to be a major player, but those people weren't watching right. He was hugely important to the success of the offense to this point in the season. He will be missed. But such is life in big-time college football.
What are your thoughts on Harper's injury? Got a take on any of the above questions? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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Terry Hutt had torn ACL, redshirted, and returned to set records. Paul Lucarrello had torn ACL, redshirted, but never returned. I think Mackey tore his, and Lambert is out with one now but no medical because he already redshirted. I think if you’ve already redshirted you can’t get a medical although none of the blogs have reported this so I could be wrong. It’s a loss;no denying it. But as we all know it’s part of football(the very very worst part IMO). But good teams respond, and this is a good team. We have the very near example of Oregon. They lose a key player in a tough, program-challenging loss with season long implications. And what happens-2 very different style running backs step in and, at least for now, carry the load. If any coaching staff in the country can respond effectively to this it is ours. Indeed, it can be plausibly argued that they have already done so. i was at the last public scrimmage and was perplexed to see Martin take so many snaps. I even thought they’d given his number to Johnson and were just testing the freshman prior to redhsirting him. But no, Johnson too was getting a lot of snaps(and getting his head handed to him). We are ready. The O-line, Kellen, RB"s Avery and Martin know what is at stake here. As has been noted , we claim to be elite and this is precisley what separates the elites from the rest-depth.Depth and a coaching staff that appreciates where, when and how to use it. When Bacon was suspended and Grimes got hurt Wilcox shifted back Hayes from the o-line and got Koontz ready to play.The "fourth and everything " stop against Oregon was delivered by Nisby(2nd string), Hayes(3rd) and Koontz(first game freshman) In similar fashion,Harsin will shift Martin from the d-back and, if necessary, have Johnson ready. I can attest that Johnson is both eager to play and appropriately humbled after the stern introduction to Div1 he received by our defense this summer.I will also tell you this-in 2 years when you say Johnson you’ll think Malcolm not Ian. My brother Broncos relax; our finest hour has arrived.
by tmunson on Sep 21, 2009 4:46 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
I think this will hurt us the worst
in a BCS/high level bowl game. That is the situation where we would most need someone to spell/alternate with Avery, and frankly while Martin is ubertalented he hasn’t shown he can consistently be a go-to guy. If he can’t develop over the rest of the season, I’m going to be super nervous against a quality opponent, particularly because a) Moore’s seeming inability to throw the deep ball and b) BSU’s “no spread for us” philosophy means a team with decent corners can easily afford to put 8 people in the box against us on almost every play. I’m not sure Avery/Martin/our O-line will be able to get anything done on the ground in that situation.
about that o-line
I think one of Harper’s greatest assets was his vision. It’s not like the offensive line only opened holes when Harper was in the game. Harper found those holes, be it on cut backs or whatever. If Martin shares some of Harper’s vision, I think it will help a lot.
"I eat success for breakfast - with skim milk!" - Tony Perkis
my 2 cents
It sure is nice to have depth! The fact that Martin will be the number 2 guy here out makes me sleep well at night. This is a big deal, but it’s nothing like if it were Ian in 2006! As Chip Kelly said when Oregon lost Blount (anyone remember that?) ‘All this does is give another player the opportunity to step up’. (paraphrased) That’s why we’re a top 10 team.
Someday I hope to look in a mirror and see something special... something like a coach pete protoge'.
so many questions
Having a crowded backfield is a good problem to have. None of us are really sure what Doug Martin is capable of yet since he has only seen spotty playing time at running back so far. We DO know that what we HAVE seen out of Martin makes us frickin’ excited to see him step in as the number 2 back.
I’m really interested to see how the coaches use Martin. Will Avery get 20+ carries per game? Will Martin and Avery split offensive series like they did with Harper? We can speculate all we want but know one really knows. It’s possible the coaches haven’t figured that out yet. It will probably take a couple games to figure out exactly how big Doug Martin’s role is. Or how they will plug him in.
This sentence blew my mind:
And then there’s this: What happens if Avery or Martin go down with an injury?
Kevan, please don’t say things like that. It’s really scary. On the other hand, if that did happen, Canadian Bacon will be back soon. Okay, just kidding…mostly
There’s so many questions and so little answers. Patience will pay off. Too bad I don’t have any.
Watch out BCS...one day Boise State will be National Champs.
by JRig on Sep 21, 2009 8:54 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Will Avery get 20+ carries per game? Will Martin and Avery split offensive series like they did with Harper?
I’m interested to see how this shakes out as well. I don’t think we’ll know for sure until the Tulsa game, since the Bronco coaching staff might use the next couple weeks to experiment and find what works.
"I eat success for breakfast - with skim milk!" - Tony Perkis
The Inevitable Mr. Bacon
The scrimmage run of 25 yards is indelibly etched in the minds of many. What may not be so widely known is that he has good hands; there is film of him making a nice over-the -shoulder catch coming out of the backfield. Some poor DB gets a hold of him somewhat the way Captain Ahab got a hold of Moby Dick. His skills as a blocking back are self-evident.
I just saw Harper at my work
and thats when I discovered the terrible news. That sucks.
Also, I sit next to Matt Kaiserman every Mon, Wed and Friday and he looks fine, not sure what his deal is. On the bright side, Glad Doug is back on offense, hes got the stocky speed and power that Harper possesses. There’s enough depth and talent and RB that the running game shouldn’t even miss a beat
"Gandhi didn't take a knee, Martin Luther King didn't take a knee, Thomas Edison didn't take a knee, and I sure as hell am not going to take a knee." - Dan Hawkins
Lapray ...
… said Kaiserman has a head injury. Does he wear a lot of hats in class?
"I eat success for breakfast - with skim milk!" - Tony Perkis
Dudes
it’s Doug Martin. I will miss Harper, but Martin will do very well and Avery showed he’s still got that spark.
Boi Blue
by BoiBlue on Sep 21, 2009 9:23 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
not too worried
I think we’ll be ok this season as long as Avery and Martin stay healthy. Martin is a good back, but i think Harper showed he has something special this season. Yes, i think Harper is the best back on the team, so now is Martin’s chance to step it up. I have great faith in our coaching staff to make it happen.
Question: As a Boise State coach, would you now start to recruit runningbacks during this season in light of this injury? If so, what kind of runningback would be the best kind to recruit for the Boise State style of offense?
I am sure that there is always a focus on RB’s and other skill positions in the recruiting effort. I doubt that this injury will have much impact on how they recruit from here forward.
However, I would love to see a big, strong, back that can carry the ball multiple times and grind out 4 y/c with power running. That type of back, which Doug Martin may turn out to be, pays huge dividends late in games when trying to maintain possession and burn the clock to keep an opponent’s offense on the sidelines.
I would like to see a “Ryan Mathews” type back a Boise State. I can’t ever remember having a 220 lb+ back in the blue and orange. Someone who can run you over and break the long run. I think it would add a diffrent dimension to the offence.
by forseyfan36 on Sep 22, 2009 9:11 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
That would be amazing
It seems that those players tend to be gobbled up pretty fast by the bigger schools, but I think Boise State has done enough to earn consideration along with some of the bigger schools in the region. Time will tell.
"I eat success for breakfast - with skim milk!" - Tony Perkis
Personally, I think Avery is more than capable of stepping up and becoming the fulltime back, with Martin spelling him from time to time. I think it’s a good 1-2 punch.
Also I think the difference will be Kellen Moore. Bubble screens, quick outs, and a barrage of run-style passes will probably find their way into the gameplan to compensate for any perceived lack in the running game. It was effective last year and it can be this year too.
I have already fantasized about the double reverse with Avery and Titus Young. And then you get into all kinds of options from there. Like the spread option. We may see a little more no huddle, spread the field and make you defend type plays.
I wouldn’t be so naive as to think the Bronco Offense hinges on the health of one player. I bid D.J Harper a quick and full recovery and can’t wait to see him back on the field. Until then, I think the Broncos just keep rolling.
Boise State - The best in all the land (The "land" being Idaho, and large parts of California, Oregon, and Nevada.)
by Mikrino on Sep 22, 2009 6:11 AM PDT reply actions 3 recs
I hope.........
I really hope that Avery dosn’t get a case of Lee Marks where all he dose is dance around in the backfield instead of just hitting the hole. Last year he seemed more explosive when he got the rock. This year he seems passive at times. Just my observation.
"I think I know what you guys are trying to say.....We need to build a space helicopter." Nathan Explosion
a la Ian Johnson 2008?
Wait. Who said that?
"I eat success for breakfast - with skim milk!" - Tony Perkis
remember brock
I didnt see much of Matt Kaiserman but what I did see reminded me of Forsey in his ability to hit the hole quickly. Not sure about top speed, moves etc. but it seemed he did that particularly well. Aslo seemed to have some of Carpenter’s handyman sense of how to contribute.
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2012 Boise State Football Schedule
@ Michigan State  |
Fri 08/31 | 6:00 p.m. MT |
| Miami (OH) | Sat 09/15 | 2:00 p.m. MT |
| BYU |
Thu 09/20 | TBA |
| @ New Mexico | Sat 09/29 | TBA |
| @ Southern Miss | Sat 10/06 | TBA |
| Fresno State | Sat 10/13 | 1:30 p.m. MT |
| UNLV | Sat 10/20 | 1:30 p.m. MT |
| @ Wyoming |
Sat 10/27 | 1:30 p.m. MT |
| San Diego State | Sat 11/03 | 8:30 p.m. MT |
| @ Hawaii | Sat 11/10 | 5:00 p.m. MT |
| Colorado St. | Sat 11/17 | 1:30 p.m. MT |
| @ Nevada | Sat 12/1 | TBA |
