Hooray! No season-ending injuries this week (that we know about). The Boise State depth chart for the Colorado State game (Saturday, 4:00 p.m. MT, The Mtn.) looks a lot like it did last week against Fresno State. So good luck with that, Rams. If Pat Hill gives you any advice, do the opposite.
Join me after the jump for a breakdown of this week's depth chart, some discussion topics, some humor, some photos, and more. 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 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Kellen Moore | Doug Martin | Dan Paul | ||
| Joe Southwick OR | D.J. Harper | Chandler Koch | ||
| Grant Hedrick | ||||
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| Mitch Burroughs | Matt Miller | Tyler Shoemaker | Kyle Efaw OR | |
| Kirby Moore | Geraldo Boldewijn | Chris Potter | Gabe Linehan | |
| Aaron Burks | Dallas Burroughs | Kyle Sosnowski | ||
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| Nate Potter | Joe Kellogg | Cory Yriarte | Chuck Hayes | Charles Leno |
| Faraji Wright | Spencer Gerke | Matt Paradis | Brenel Myers | Michael Ames |
| *** | ||||
| DEFENSE | ||||
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| Tyrone Crawford | Billy Winn | Chase Baker | Shea McClellin | |
| Tyler Horn | Darren Koontz | Mike Atkinson | Jarrell Root | |
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| Byron Hout OR | Aaron Tevis OR | |||
| Tommy Smith | J.C. Percy | |||
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| Jamar Taylor | Hunter White OR | Cedric Febis | George Iloka | Quaylon Ewing-Burton |
| Bryan Douglas | Jonathan Brown | Jeremy Ioane | Travis Stanaway | Ebo Makinde |
| Dextrell Simmons | ||||
| *** | ||||
| SPECIAL TEAMS | ||||
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| Dan Goodale OR | Trevor Harman | Hunter White | Brad Elkin | Chris Roberson |
| Michael Frisina | Dan Goodale | Trevor Harman | ||
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| 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! Geraldo Boldewijn is this generation's Michael Crabtree!
Boldewijn and Miller are the next Young and Pettis. So what does that make Shoemaker?
Tyler Shoemaker began the season with six touchdown catches in his first three games. Since then, he has four catches for 46 yards and zero touchdowns. He was targeted on five of Kellen Moore's 11 incompletions on Friday night, and he was overshadowed by up-and-comers Matt Miller and Geraldo Boldewijn.
So what do you make of Tyler Shoemaker? It could be that teams have been keying on him as Boise State's No. 1 receiver, which would explain his lower numbers. It could be that the inflated touchdowns early in the season gave us all the wrong impression of him. He is a smart, sound receiver who is excellent in the slot. I'm not sure he's anything more than that, and I'm not sure the Broncos need him to be anything more than that.
Your thoughts?
Dan Paul to return bigger, faster, stronger, manlier next season
Boise State fullback and ab cheese grater Dan Paul will redshirt this season and return with renewed vigor and six-packs next fall. Paul has missed the Broncos' first five games with Achilles' groin, and now he'll miss the rest. He joins D.J. Harper, Cory Yriarte, and Jerrell Gavins as seniors who will return to the team next year.
The good news: Paul will return to an offense that will probably depend a lot more on the run next year, sans Kellen More. The bad news: Boise State has struggled in the running game without him this season.
Chase Baker is questionable with "undisclosed"
Surprise! Practice injuries may have claimed another Bronco starter. USA Today's injury report and the OBNUG comments point out that Chase Baker's status for the Colorado State game, nay, the season is up in the air. Take it away, surreptitious injury report.
Baker is dealing with an undisclosed injury and is considered questionable for Saturday's game against Colorado State.
Citizen journalists / fellow students have spotted him with a cast and crutches around campus, which is either bad news or an elaborate long con of a Halloween costume.
Sure would be nice to have Ricky Tjong-A-Tjoe back right about now.
Jamar Taylor is OK, as far as anyone knows
"Anyone" is rarely the first to know, though. Coach Pete says he expects Taylor to be good to go on Saturday, and I have no reason to think otherwise - save for the flash nightmares I had of Taylor and Gavins rehabbing knee injuries on Lake Lowell beaches.
Thomas Byrd remains old and questionable for Saturday's game
In Byrd's absence, the Broncos have played well on offense, which can be interpreted any number of different ways. One interpretation is that Boise State's backup centers are really good. Another interpretation is that the Bronco offense could be playing even more spectacularly with Byrd back in the lineup. Either interpretation is a positive one, and I'm just happy we're not weeping and gnashing our teeth at fumbled snaps or blown assignments.
Record watch
As is their wont, several Boise State players are on the precipice of records. Here is the latest update on their pursuit of greatness:
- Kellen Moore needs three wins to pass Colt McCoy as college football's all-time winningest quarterback. After beating Fresno, he now holds the second place spot.
- Moore and Case Keenum are in a two-way TD battle for the career TD record. Both are chasing Texas Tech's Graham Harrell and his record of 134. Keenum has 124 and Moore has 116.
- With 171 more passing yards, Moore will pass Texas Tech's Kliff Kingsbury for 15th on college football's all-time passing yardage list.
- Only six Broncos have recorded 20 career sacks (since 1987 when sacks became a thing). With three more, Shea McClellin joins the club.
- Doug Martin is 400 yards away from passing Jeremy Avery for sixth on Boise State's all-time rushing list. Not bad for a guy who played defense for awhile.
Boise State likes these players, so I like these players
Boise State's internal players of the week against Fresno State were wide receiver Matt Miller (offense), defensive tackle Billy Winn (defense), safety Travis Stanaway (special teams), right tackle Charles Leno (lineman), and linebacker J.C. Percy (Hammer).
Miscellaneous
- Kellen Moore has won three Mountain West Player of the Week awards in the five games he has played. One of the weeks he didn't win, Moore threw for 279 yards and four TDs against Tulsa. The OPOW that week was Colorado State running back Chris Nwoke who had 85 yards rushing.
- Chris Potter is expected to return this week after missing two games.
- Penalties improved dramatically last week against Fresno. The Broncos had two for 15 yards, the fewest penalties in a game since a 2009 matchup with San Jose State.
Your turn
What is your take on Tyler Shoemaker? How do you feel about Dan Paul redshirting? What is the deal with practice injuries? Share your thoughts in the comments.