Boise State depth chart versus TCU: Billy Winn, Jamar Taylor, and Doug Martin injury watch

The Boise State Broncos have a fairly important game this weekend against TCU (1:30 p.m. MT, Versus), and it sure would be nice if the Broncos had as many healthy bodies as possible - particularly the bodies that will be playing in the NFL some day. How will injuries play a role on Saturday? What other depth chart intricacies are worth noting? Join me after the jump for an analysis of the Broncos' two-deep, and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

Visit the BroncoSports website for the full pdf of the depth chart. You can also find a detailed roster and, if you're really wanting to kill an hour, the team's weekly notes.

Bold = Starter

Italics = Depth chart change

Wingdings = Secret Mayan decoder message

OFFENSE
Kellen Moore	Doug Martin	Chandler Koch
Joe Southwick OR	D.J. Harper	Tommy Smith
Grant Hedrick
Mitch Burroughs	Matt Miller	Tyler Shoemaker	Kyle Efaw OR
Kirby Moore	Geraldo Boldewijn	Chris Potter	Gabe Linehan
Aaron Burks	Dallas Burroughs		Kyle Sosnowski
Nate Potter	Joe Kellogg	Cory Yriarte	Chuck Hayes	Charles Leno
Faraji Wright	Spencer Gerke	Thomas Byrd	Brenel Myers	Michael Ames
		Matt Paradis
***
DEFENSE
Tyrone Crawford	Billy Winn	Chase Baker	Shea McClellin
Tyler Horn	Darren Koontz	Mike Atkinson	Jarrell Root
Byron Hout OR	Aaron Tevis OR
Tommy Smith	J.C. Percy
Jamar Taylor	Hunter White OR	Cedric Febis	George Iloka	Ebo Makinde
Antwon Murray	Jonathan Brown	Travis Stanaway	Lee Hightower	Quaylon Ewing-Burton
	Dextrell Simmons
***
SPECIAL TEAMS
Dan Goodale OR	Trevor Harman	Hunter White	Brad Elkin	Chris Roberson
Michael Frisina	Dan Goodale		Trevor Harman
Doug Martin OR	Mitch Burroughs
Mitch Burroughs	Chris Potter
Chris Potter OR
D.J. Harper

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! Jeremy Ioane no longer exists!

Billy Winn is questionable with a knee injury. Overreact.

Boise State defensive tackle beat Billy Winn exited Saturday's UNLV game at halftime with a knee injury and returned in street clothes to the sidelines. The diagnosis of Winn's injury is "not serious" with a side of "expected to play." 

But how many times have we heard that one only to wake up on Saturday morning and have Chadd Cripe tell us that Player X is sitting this one out? I'd like to believe that Winn's injury is not that serious and that he'll be just fine for Saturday's game against TCU. The Broncos will certainly need him since the Horned Frogs love to power run right at the teeth of the defense. But then there's this: Without Winn in the second half, Boise State held the UNLV offense to a single first down prior to garbage time. So can the Bronco D survive and thrive without Winn? I know I sure don't care to find out.

Jamar Taylor is day-to-day. Whatever that means.

Taylor missed the UNLV game completely and his absence was noticeable. Quaylon Ewing-Burton and Ebo Makinde let completion after completion happen in front of them, and Quaylon did so to the point where he was pulled for Lee Hightower. What difference would Taylor make in Saturday's game? A huge one. TCU has a game-changing receiver in Josh Boyce, and it sure would be nice to stick Taylor on Boyce in man-to-man coverage all day. Games like Saturday's are the type that don't come around every week (New Mexico week, for instance), so I would expect Taylor to do everything he can do to be healthy and on the field. 

Doug Martin's injury is not serious. Sure hope not.

Martin left the UNLV game in the second quarter with a leg injury, and according to Bronco coaches, he could have come back in the game if needed. Well, I'm pretty sure BSU will need him on Saturday, so here's hoping that leg injury stays non-serious.

Kellen Moore is great. All hail Kellen Moore.

Moore passed Colt McCoy last week for the top spot on the NCAA's all-time wins list, a record that would have been a lot more noticeable had it not occurred after the LSU - Alabama game and at 2:00 a.m. ET. No matter. Here are some other NCAA records that Moore is threatening.

In other Kellen Moore record news ...

• While the all-time TD mark is out of reach due to Case Keenum, Moore can still do something that all Bronco fans would appreciate: Move ahead of Colt Brennan. Moore needs four TD passes to pass Brennan for third on the all-time list. 
• Moore is No. 8 on the all-time passing yards list, and he will pass Colt McCoy this week if Moore throws for 157 yards. McCoy must be wondering why Moore is picking on him at this point..
• The NCAA record for highest single-season completion percentage is 76.6 percent by Colt McCoy. Moore is at 74.1. He was at 76.3 percent going into the UNLV game, and then the Bronco wideouts didn't do him many favors. 
• The NCAA record for highest career completion percentage is 70.4 percent by Colt Brennan. Moore is at 69.35 percent. 

Lee Hightower is everyone's new favorite player

The true freshman corner-safety-whatever-you-want-him-to-be turned in another stellar game on Saturday, makign some big special teams tackles and filling in for a struggling Boise State secondary. Is there anything he can't do? Though he's listed as the backup to George Iloka at safety, I wouldn't be surprised if Hightower is the team's third corner at this point, behind Taylor and Makinde. We may find out on Saturday.

George Iloka interception watch hits Week Eight

This week would be a good time to get off the schnide. 

21 days without an ACL tear

This is assuming that Billy Winn doesn't have a torn ACL. 

Bronco coaches like these guys, so I like these guys

Boise State's internal players of the week against UNLV were running back D.J. Harper (offense), safety George Iloka (defense), linebacker Byron Hout (special teams), center Cory Yriarte (lineman), and nickel Hunter White (Hammer).

White earned the Hammer for laying out a UNLV player on a punt return. White's block was penalized, negating a touchdown, but everyone and their mother confirmed after the game that it was indeed a clean hit. The block in the back that wasn't called earlier in the return? Now that should have been a penalty.

Your turn

What is your read on the injury situation for Billy Winn, Jamar Taylor, and Doug Martin? How would Boise State do without those players? Think Kellen Moore can catch Colt McCoy's single-season completion percentage mark? Share your thoughts in the comments.