Never fear: Boise State's number of returning starters isn't as bad as it looks
by Kevan Lee on Feb 13, 2012 8:00 AM PST
in Boise State football
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PrintThe number of Boise State returning starters in 2012 isn't that bad really. It's just a flesh wound!
Preview magazines and Internet stories are going to proclaim that the Boise State football team will return the fewest starters in the country next season: six. Boise State reporters and Bronco Nation will say that BSU returns 11. Who's right? Bronco fans, duh! (And the other guys, I guess.)
Turns out, there is more than one way to interpret Boise State's number of returning starters in 2012. First, let's take a look at the widely reported six-person total. Those six are:
- OG Joe Kellogg
- OT Charles Leno
- WR Matt MIller
- WR Mitch Burroughs
- CB Jamar Taylor
- K Michael Frisina
Now before you start losing sleep over that list, things aren't that bad. Boise State has loads more experience coming back, and depending on how you define "returning starter," the number six is really more like an 11. Here's how I would count things:
- Offense: OG Joe Kellogg, OT Charles Leno, WR Matt MIller, WR Mitch Burroughs, RG Jake Broyles, C Cory Yriarte, FB Dan Paul
- Defense: CB Jamar Taylor, CB Jerrell Gavins, S Lee Hightower
On top of that, the Broncos will have a sixth-year running back who started early in his career (D.J. Harper), a No. 1 tight end who has been No. 2 for two years, and a pair of linebackers who were co-starters for much of the past two seasons.
Sure, it's no 2010 offseason when Boise State returned 20 starters, but it's not the end of the world, either ... no matter what you may read.
Your turn
How are you feeling about Boise State's returning starters? Is that stat blown out of proportion? Is 11 enough for you to sleep at night? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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no sleep lost...
Coach Pete is a master at reloading. Even if we had NO starters returning, Coach Pete can find ways to capitalize on the potential of anyone who plays for him.
This.
I consider Linehan to be a returning starter and Brown, Bell and Simmons all return at Nickel where each of them played last year.
Atkinson & Tjong-a-Tjoe
These guys haven’t started to my knowledge, but played a significant amount of time last year as well.
We’ll be fine!
by scrappymcfiesty on Feb 13, 2012 8:47 AM PST reply actions
Like I have said...
This teams will be better then most think. The most important thing to look at is the O-Line. That is BIG knowing that we are going to have a knew Quarterback. Defensive wise, we are going to have solid Corners with Hightower. With Hightower able to play the slot. Linebacker position is experienced also. Our Defense should hold up until our offense gets flowing.
'If you see me bleeding blue, you know I'm Ok.'
fantastic monday read.
I always go full retard
ಠ_ಠ
by sczmbz on Feb 13, 2012 8:55 AM PST via mobile reply actions
Coach Pete is returning
and Coach K, etc. Breathing easy here. I like the inch deep types out there saying we are doomed – its fun sneaking up on the great uneducated.
Really how im[portant is a “Starter”, isn’t it an indication of “experianced player”, and at BSU when they would do a whole line change on Defense, that player had no problem stepping in. I feel that that are plenty of players with experiance playing in a high leverage situation that it will not impact us that much. that being said, the lack of that experiance at the QB position has me at least a little bit worried. Every other position saw multiple players, and aside from a few wildcat plays and mop up duty in the 4th quarter, we didn’t see anyone other than #11 behind center in a high leverage type of situation (Nor we would have wanted to!)
by AdaminFL on Feb 13, 2012 9:15 AM PST reply actions 3 recs
It gives me hope knowing...
That as a (RS) Freshman, Moore stepped in and delivered with no problems. His numbers didn’t change much from his freshman to his senior year and as good as he was as a freshman starter, he understood and played the game even better this last year. It helps knowing he was underrecruited at D1A and had it not been for Boise, he’d have been playing for a D1AA school. Now he’s going to the draft as the best QB BSU has ever seen. That speaks volumes for coaching.
Knowing that we have a stable of capable QBs all with different styles and the same great coaching, I’m not too terribly concerned. Sure, Kellen is a one in a million but we’ve also got Nick Patti who had many more D1A offers than Moore ever did. So the potential is there with him. Even if he Redshirts this year, I’m not concerned about who we have at QB and who they’re being coached by.
The same goes for the entire team.
"Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man." -The Dude
"If you're always worried that something could blow up on you, you're not going to push the envelope and not going to try new things. Some of the stuff does blow up on us, but the tradeoff is the problems we're creating for defenses when it works." -Chris Petersen
by BroncoInDuckLand on Feb 13, 2012 4:58 PM PST up reply actions
Thank Pete for 'garbage time'
Coach Pete knew what he would be losing at the end of last season. I suspect that is why he substituted his starters when he could have run up the score. As far as the QB scene, I have less apprehension about our QB talent next season than I did in the off season between Z and Moore. Hedrick and Patti bring back a dimension to our offense we hadn’t utilized with Moore. I think we will miss our stifling D line the most during our first three games.
by NanookRider on Feb 13, 2012 9:58 AM PST reply actions 2 recs
Coach Pete
couldn’t care less about the returning starters when ‘garbage time’ comes around. He did the same exact thing the previous years when they were returning a bunch of starters. He puts in back-ups for ‘garbage time’ because he has CLASS something a lot of coaches out there do not have.
by East Coast Broncos Fan on Feb 13, 2012 11:10 AM PST up reply actions
I think you are both correct.
Coach Pete is not one dimensiional. I believe he has multiple reasons for everything he does. Class and forethought are not mutually exclusive.
"Grateful to the friends and the circumstances that enabled me to be a Bronco. I'm just glad I lived to see these days." SeniorChief
Yes
Coach Pete is an educator. Everyone needs to remember that. He is responsible for the education of all his charges, not just the “starters.” He was hired by the administration to teach, and he has never seemed to ignore or slight any members of his team (or “class”).
Pete is like a master gardener. He selects his seed stock carefully (not many professors get to choose their students), applies proper amounts of water, fertilizer, and sunshine depending on the strength/weakness of each, and nutures them into amazingly capable “products.” Starters, shmarters, I say. That, to my mind, is an arbitrary designation, and has little to do with capability. Cream always seems to rise.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they, too, have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexations to the spirit.
offseason between Z and Moore also included a year of Tharp....
I try not to remember it too.
Wasn't THAT bad
We should have beaten UW that year but it sure looked like the entire football program was on vacation in Hawai’i for the bowl.
Time is the great equalizer.
by kcam on Feb 14, 2012 9:34 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
I'm a little worried
But only because the holes that are there are pretty big holes. I do think we’ll be okay, but I don’t have a very good feeling about the opener.
And that white/white/blue combo is awesome.
Not too concerned...
could possibly be due to the hubris that comes with wearing a BSU shirt. But really, with such a loose framework of returning starters and new QB options, we could see the look/feel/style of our team change dramatically from what it’s been in the past few years. What won’t change is the blue collar winning tradition and that Pete is a master strategist. What’s unknown to us is also unknown to Sparty, and watching tape will probably do absolutely nothing for their game plan.
haters gonna hate, potatoes gonna potate.
*Chris Petersen For President*
by mc.hammertime on Feb 13, 2012 10:37 AM PST reply actions 3 recs
Agree and rec!
My hubris is only a distant shadow tagging along with my Perfectly Appropriate Degree of Confidence. :)
"Grateful to the friends and the circumstances that enabled me to be a Bronco. I'm just glad I lived to see these days." SeniorChief
only one worry: QB
The Broncos have experienced “co-starters” at almost every position, except for the most important position, QB. Just as it was four years ago, I think we’ll be more than pleasantly surprised at the production from the QB position. They won’t be Kellen Moore, but if the starter is Patti, he could become a Kellen Moore sooner than later. Heck, even 5 years ago, Taylor Tharp had a great year as a 1-year starter! Coach Pete doesn’t recruit (or start) dogs at that position (or any [position), and I’m looking for a great (and possibly) BCS year from the Broncos. This will be especially so if they move to the Big East in 2012.
The returning starters numbers are way off
Anyone who wouldn’t qualify DJ Harper as a starter after the great year he had last year is full of it. Drew Wright got a fair bit of play time as well. Also I am surprised that Corey Bell didn’t qualify. He saw quite a bit of action last year and made some crucial plays (ie helping to set up that fumble 6 against Air Force and teaming up with Hightower and another defender to level the punt kick returner for SDSU, causing a fumble and short field for BSU to get an easy score).
Ugh
everything was going swimmingly until you reminded me about Drew Wright’s playing time. I need one of those Men In Black devices to wipe that from my memory . . . like when we went undefeated in 2010.
Scary that...
our running back crew may have more ACL tears than official starts.
by ce'sped azul on Feb 13, 2012 1:50 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Leadership is the key!
Who is going to step up and lead the charge. A very nice recruiting class is coming in and some seasoned and very good players remain sprinkled through out the roster. Who is going to lead the charge, carry the hammer, calmly eliminate the opposition? That is the real question I believe coach Petersen is looking to answer.
The only thing the BCS has to fear, is fear itself, and Blue is the color of fear.
By my count we return 28 starters...
That is…28 guys on the roster have started at least a game for the Broncos…
The empty spots where we have no starts…Iloka’s vacated SS spot, both DE’s, one DT, and QB.
10 offensive lineman return who’ve started games.
Joe Kellogg (21)
Charles Leno (13)
Chuck Hayes (10)
Michael Ames (8)
Cory Yriarte (8)
Brenel Myers (4)
Faraji Wright (3)
Spencer Gerke (3)
Jake Broyles (3)
Matt Paradis (1)
Chuck Hayes
graduated, other than that great list.
"Moore took a knee. It was an act of mercy. Boise State didn't need style points. It had proven itself the superior program long before." - Andy Staples, SI.com
by Moto2.5 on Feb 13, 2012 1:48 PM PST via Android app up reply actions
Oops, my bad...
9 out of ten ain’t bad, right?
by ce'sped azul on Feb 13, 2012 1:51 PM PST up reply actions
Not bad at all...
and most of em have experience in big game situations as well.
"Moore took a knee. It was an act of mercy. Boise State didn't need style points. It had proven itself the superior program long before." - Andy Staples, SI.com
by Moto2.5 on Feb 13, 2012 7:03 PM PST via Android app up reply actions
starters
Coach Pete definition: a player with their name on the top of the weekly depth list. You could be a starter on offense and not see the field the first few series depending on the plays called. Same on defense depending on how the opponent lines up to start the game. 2011 was the year for the injury bug at BSU and allot of players received playing time. How/Why? The coaches find a role for every player on the team. A player goes down and 2-3 players’ roles expand. This is what makes BSU and the staff so great.
Maybe OBNUG should monitor each week for how many different players play each week. I bet we would be pleasantly surprised. Let the media & oppponents focus on the (Irreverent) number.
defense
gonna be thin on both sides.
by BSU Alumni stranded in Portland on Feb 13, 2012 5:22 PM PST reply actions
Watchin guys move on, and seeing new guys step up and excel
is one of the best and the worst things about college football at the same time.
I’m really looking forward to seeing the new D. It’ll be a good mix of some guys with experience (Taylor, Atkinson, T. Smith, Percy, Gavins), some upstarts (Hightower, TAT, Horn, C. Bell, Renaud, etc) and a few unknowns like Lawerence.
Reps.
It all comes down to who’s gettin the reps. (when an A player gets to line up against another A player) A lot of the the players that were getting the reps last year are gone. That in turn leaves opportunities for another player of equal talent to move in and improve their game to the same level as the graduated player. This is college ball, and the art of reloading positions each year is also a talent. Some teams create circumstances which afford them ample opportunities to rotate for more depth. Some teams don’t. Not only does Coach Pete do this extremely well, the MWC gave us many opportunities to do some rotating.
The Coaches will figure out who the A guys are, and the same competitive cycle will continue.
Football is really a sport of execution against a certain level of competition. The higher level of competition a player regularly practices execution against, the more efficient, & confident a player will be.
If you ever wanted to see Boise St play...may be a good chance. Love em or Hate em, they are always interesting; and now, no matter where you live, "They're Coming To Your City"
All of the guys mentioned above have plenty of starts or playing time
but how can they handle the pressure with not having a Kellen Moore on the field.
Who can be the leader?
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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 |
