Boise State's Blue-Orange Game preview: Five players to watch in Saturday's spring game
by Kevan Lee on Apr 15, 2010 8:03 AM PDT
in Boise State football
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PrintSaturday's Blue-Orange Game will be an opportunity for backup players to make a name for themselves and for fans to get a glimpse of Boise State's future. With that in mind, what players are worth keeping an eye on this weekend?
After the jump, I give my five top players, and you are invited to leave your own list of candidates in the comments. Which players will you be watching? Let's discuss.
Spring game scoring system
Via Loque via Chadd Cripe via a press release, Boise State's Blue-Orange spring game scoring system looks like this:
Offense
- Normal scoring (6 points for TD, 3 for FG, 2 for 2-point conversion, 1 for PAT)
Defense
- 6 points for a touchdown
- 4 points for a turnover
- 4 points for a fourth-down stop
- 2 points for a sack
- 1 point for a three-and-out
Given the Boise State defense's spring propensity for havoc, I would have to say that the D is the odds-on favorite for the Blue-Orange Game. I would put the defense as a four-point favorite. Given that spread, would you take offense or defense?
New spring game details
In addition to the details I divulged in my initial spring game info post, Boise State has come up with some more. There will be four eight-minute quarters and an eight-minute halftime. Stretching and drills take place at 3:00, and the scrimmage kickoff is closer to 3:40. Rather than opening both east and west bleachers as previously promised, it appears that only the west side will be in use. Other than that, the big bits of info remain the same.
- Saturday, Bronco Stadium, 3:00 p.m.
- $7.00 to get in, unless you are a season ticket holder from last season
- Free parking in the east and south lots.
- Football Fan Fest at noon in the north grass
Five Boise State football players to watch
RB Malcolm Johnson - No. 24
Johnson is a special football player - or so I'm told. He missed out on the first spring scrimmage for reasons no one cared to explain, and what most Bronco fans have to go off of is his thrilling high school highlights and some slick moves from 2009's Fall Camp. Will Saturday be a breakout performance from Johnson?
NB Hunter White - No. 25
White has transitioned to nickel this spring, and with the suspension of Jason Robinson, he is suddenly a candidate for a No. 2 job at the position. His battle with fellow NB Jonathan Brown could come down to late in Fall Camp, and the ultimate winner could be the one who flashes the better cover skills (a Robinson specialty). How wil White and Brown look against the pass on Saturday?
WR Preston Minter - No. 19
Minter was mentioned by Coach Pete in a presser last week, and that is never a bad thing. He was the second-leading receiver in the first spring scrimmage, and he seems to be pushing Chris Potter and Mitch Burroughs for BSU's Vinny Perretta-type role. He flies under the radar compared to fellow freshmen Aaron Burks and Geraldo Hiwat. Can he impress again on Saturday?
CB Jerrell Gavins - No. 4
This one's an obvious one but an important one nonetheless. Gavins missed out on the team's first scrimmage, so it will be interesting to see how his playing time compares to that of fellow CBs Jamar Taylor and Brandyn Thompson. Does Gavins play with the ones? Does he ever pull coverage on Titus Young?
OT Charles Leno - No. 78
The future of Boise State's tackle position, Leno received high praise at the start of camp but not much noise since. Facing some of the toughest DEs he would probably see all year through the WAC schedule, Leno can show a lot about how soon he'll be ready to step into the starting lineup.
Five more players because I'm bad at setting boundaries for myself
LB Derrell Acrey - No. 52 - Has he really turned the corner and become full-time starter material?
DE Kharyee Marshall - No. 41 - A speed rusher extraordinaire, Marshall could score 10 points alone in sacks on Saturday.
QB Joe Southwick - No. 15 - In the battle of backup quarterbacks, it would appear that Southwick is the People's Champion and Michael Coughlin is Bush Hamdan. Agree or disagree?
RB Raphiel Lambert - No. 38 - If Johnson doesn't go, Lambert could turn in another starring role as he did in the first scrimmage.
DT Ricky Tjong-A-Tjoe - No. 43 - The big man has caused problems for offensive linemen this spring. Plus, someone has to be this year's Michael Atkinson.
Your turn
What players will you be watching for in Boise State's spring game on Saturday? If you're unable to come, what players can I watch for you? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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Him and Sen. Sphincter-not a lot of reasons to be up on Pennsylvania.
oops sorry! Didn’t mean to compare Specter to sphincters-sphincters have integrity, at least structural.
tvmunson
So, Gavins switched to #4 from #10?
That open up the door for a final Taylor Tharp showing in the Spring game. Nice!
Obviously you're not a golfer...
by ty_ol on Apr 15, 2010 8:35 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
I like Coughlin, I really do...
But part of me wonders if the ship has sailed. He is a senior and Southwick is a freshman. If it’s really that close between the two, Southwick should probably get the majority of the snaps. Obviously, having two more years of the Kellen show tells me that even this year, the backup will be largely riding pine, but if Southwick (or Hedrick or Tamburo) are the “future of the program”—let the grooming begin.
by Drew Roberts on Apr 15, 2010 8:58 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
I agree
Coughlin makes a better coordinator. And he has better sideline vision at 6’5".
by pretendhuman on Apr 15, 2010 9:08 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
But...
I’m sure athletes aren’t attracted to a coordinator with a creepy mustache…..
Be Perfect Waterbug!!
He is a senior and Southwick is a freshman. If it’s really that close between the two, Southwick should probably get the majority of the snaps.
Good comment, Drew. If I remember right, this was some of the same rationale used by fans for Moore vs. Hamdan.
"Lunch has been canceled today due to lack of hustle." - Tony Perkis
People were saying that for Moore vs Hamdan...
…but I am still not sure I agree with it. Moore got the job because he was better and put the team in the best position to win. It’s not like the coaches said, “we will throw away 2008 to prep for 2009.” If Hamdan was better, he would have started. (see Tharp vs Hamdan, 2007)
If Coughlin is the most game ready, then I hope he is the backup. We still have two more years of Moore and Southwick can still be groomed whether he is #2 or #3. If something were to happen to Moore, I want his replacement to be the best available QB. If Southwick is the 2nd best quarterback that is great, but he shouldn’t be #2 just so he can be ready for 2012.
How different would the 2002 season have been after Dinwiddie broke his ankle if coaches had tossed B.J. Rhode aside for sophomore Mike Sanford?
"...east and west is the problem, north and south the solution."
by MKingery on Apr 15, 2010 10:47 AM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
MK-I'm leaning a little more toward Drew's side of this thing but you got me thinkin'(no mean feat that)
I’m still agnostic. Maybe we can split the baby. If (Allah forfend!) KM went down early, and we had to go to #2, and performance was real close, Coughlin might get the nod bc of overall knowledge. Now the other(and hoped for) scenario-backup comes in in cleanup position(not all that likely in our first 3 games). As the season progresses, that becomes South’s domain as he represents the future and Cough(unfortunate abbreviation) becomes, increasingly, the past.Walking between raindrops? Probably. But ti makes intuitive sense. All bets are off if South separates in either direction-Pete plays best guys period.
tvmunson
Munson, I agree...
From what the public has seen, which is mainly snaps during garbage time, Coughlin has not been overly impressive. Southwick seems to have more upside and was the scout team POY. It seems plausible he may earn the backup job outright by fall. I am just saying he shouldn’t be the backup solely because Kellen’s potential replacement needs to be groomed. (FWIW, I don’t think this is what Drew was saying either)
They will probably get equal reps in practice unless Southwick distances himself as the clear #2. The other wildcard in the two-year grooming scenario is Hedrick. He seems to be a left-handed clone of Southwick and may prove to be the best of the bunch. The 2012 QB race will be interesting. Is it possible to have too many horses in the stable?
"...east and west is the problem, north and south the solution."
MKing
Can you shoot me an e-mail mike.haddox+obnug@gmail.com?
"Everyone counted us out. I don't know why they keep doing that." -- Kyle Wilson
The difference here is that neither are likely to get any real playing time...
Moore v. Hamdan was for the starting spot…in which case you take the best guy even if he’s 80. Since they’re both going to be holding clipboards this year (and, let’s be honest…it would take a true catastrophe for either to play this year…rendering the “2” spot somewhat moot). I say let Southie take the snaps when the games are out of reach.
by Drew Roberts on Apr 15, 2010 8:26 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Good choices, Kevan
I want to see:
*Winston Venable: ranks up there with Peretta in personality, and he has rare talent that makes him fun to watch.
*Malcom Johnson: His highlight tape burned his name into my mind, so I have to watch him.
*Kellen Moore: “The beautiful mind” -without the schizophrenia part.I wonder if his girlfriend is jealous with all the touch he puts on the ball…
- Byron Hout: Ever since the interception and spin move against TCU, I am his fan. Even through punchgate….
*Brandon Thompson: redeem himself. He is a legend for the 3 pick game in 2008, and probably still doubted subconsciously for his looks and not being Kyle Wilson. And the TCU pick 6 he pulled ought to have made up for the heart attacks he caused the rest of that game…
*
Joe Southwick: I like his swagger, smarts, speed, and the fact that he has been described as having “mastery”, being a “coach on the field,” and was compared to Joe Montana by his high school coach…….:awesome!
by pretendhuman on Apr 15, 2010 9:05 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
good list
I want to see more of Venable, too. The first-team defense was on the field so little in the first scrimmage (three-and-outs don’t take long); if you blinked, you missed it.
"Lunch has been canceled today due to lack of hustle." - Tony Perkis
- Ha-ha
Catch me on the BroncoNation Podcast!
by OBNUG Intern on Apr 15, 2010 10:59 AM PDT up reply actions
KL excellent post-comprehensive, condign.
After meditating in the garden OBNUG I had an epiphany-the #2 QB position for Boise State in 2010 was the 4th revelation made on the mountaintop in Portugal by Our Lady of Fatima. So I guess as a lapsed Catholic its my solemn duty to inform the readership that we will not be able to discern this, unless the Pope grants us an audience and gives it up(His Holiness is a little busy right now) However, in recompense I was informed that one of the keys the staff will be looking at on the offensive side was where Farij(sp?) Wright fits in the overall mix and what is shaping up much more of a competitive situation all along the O-line. Mutterings about Lawrence, movement of Potter, Durrant at center have all factored. I ate meat last Friday so that was all I got. Oh, and forget reading anything into what happens on D; all that awaits fall camp.
Yours In Ecumenical Bliss
Reverend T.V. Munson
tvmunson
munson'd "in what is shaping up to be much more of a competitive situation"
Bless me Father for I have sinned.
tvmunson
Players
Every player Kevan mentioned I’m intrigued by. I also want to see:
Mike Coughlin. The coaches have said this has been Coughlin’s best spring. He also did well in the first scrimmage. I want to see how Coughlin does battling for that number 2 spot.
Hiwat and Burks. These guys should really go without mentioning but I can’t help it. Both of them are tall and fast with good hands.
Byron Hout. For some reason at the first scrimmage I didn’t notice him much. I’ll keep my on him this time for sure.
Winston Venable. This guy is just fun to watch. Plus, he’s lighter and faster now. I keep the youtube superman tackle on my bookmarks for whenever I need an adrenaline rush.
I should probably stop there because if I think about it too much I’ll end up naming the entire roster. I especially like watching the new guys at the scrimmages. We all know what Billy Winn, Pettis, Kellen Moore, etc can do. I love watching the new talent. Is it freakin’ Saturday yet or what??
"Hell, I can get you a toe by 3 o'clock this afternoon... with nail polish."
Byron Hout
…keep my *eye on him….
"Hell, I can get you a toe by 3 o'clock this afternoon... with nail polish."
"You're just too good to be true, Can't take my eyes offa' you"
couldn’t resist ref “Jersey Boys” whcih I haven’t seen but assume this is in bc great 4 Seasons number; nice guitar chords too
tvmunson
not Yriarte
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