Bye week bloviating: Boise State roundtable

The Bronco football team gets a much-needed break this week and the OBNUG writing staff takes a bit of a breather as well. I compiled a few questions for the staff to mull over and wouldn't you know it...they responded. Then I stole their answers...it pays to go last.

Damien

What's been the best surprise thus far?
Has to be Rypien. Just what he's done in the short amount of time. Sucks it came about the way it did, but him being a breakout stud is just incredible.  To be playing as well as he is, in the short amount of time goes to show the upswing the coaching staff is having in terms of recruiting.

What's been the biggest disappointment thus far?
USU game. The complete meltdown there is just such a shocker. The sheer magnitude of it. Close second: Bronco's ability to defend a Hail Mary.

How would you rate Eliah Drinkwitz's first season at OC so far?
B-. When Finley was in, the offense was floundering. Or at least struggling. Rypien seemed to revitalize and bring about more options. However without McNichols the running game never seemed to get to the next level. There seems to be some lack of imagination with shifts and movement. More of that please.

How would you rate Marcel Yates 2nd season at DC?
B. He's probably going to leave after next year. He's due for a HC somewhere and he's got the defensive chops to back it up. He helped dial up a defense that kept Hill (of Wyo) in check with under 100 yards rushing. USU couldn't even do that (what with their SEC front line). The Broncos have yet to allow a 100 yard rusher and he Broncos lead the conference in plenty of defensive statistics. Now if only they could stop teams on third and long.

What unit has overperformed?
Defensive line. The Broncos lead the league in rush defense and have allowed 751 rush yards all year. (The offense rolled up 705 total yards against UNLV.) And nationally the rush defense is still number four. Behind names such as Boston College, Michigan, and Alabama. When other teams try to rush, it is like going into a brick wall.

What unit has underperformed?
Secondary. Though the Broncos are ball hawks, tied for first with 16 and two of them for TDs, opponents always seem to find that one weak spot. Especially on third down. But maybe "underperformed" is a bit harsh. Maybe I would use the word "underwhelmed." It is interesting because while it seems as though opposing offenses do really well on third down, statistically speaking, they only convert about a third of those attempts. Which puts the Broncos at 34th in the nation. As it stands, the Broncos are 9th in the MWC in regards to pass defense. Allowing an average of 206.7 yards/game. But the bend, don’t break, attitude seems to hold up. they only allow a 52.2 completion percentage (tied for second with Air Force) with San Jose a league best 50%. 

Absolutely favorite play of the year so far?
Probably Rypien fake fumble. SWR touchdown pass a close second.

Russ

What's been the best surprise thus far?
Definitely Brett Rypien. I expected him to redshirt this year with all the talent we had at QB. Finley seemed like the smart choice (and by all means is still a great quarterback), but his injury forced the coaching staff to play all the backups to find his successor. As impressed with Stuart as I was marching the ball down the field, Rypien seemed otherworldly. Truly talented beyond his years. Finley was doing well enough with a 117.2 passer rating, but Rypien currently stands at 152.8 (which would be higher if not for the tipped interceptions in the game we don't speak of). I don't envy Harsin when Finley becomes healthy again, but to me, I don't think there's any question who the starter should be:

Shane Williams Rhodes, with his incredible 875.2 passer rating.

What's been the biggest disappointment thus far?
Maybe the number of sacks we've had? We average 2.22 sacks-per-game and currently sit at 20, but I was hoping for somewhere near a googol by now. That being said, we still are putting the pressure on and stopping most runs at or behind the line of scrimmage, so I'm not disappointed much. 

How would you rate Eliah Drinkwitz's first season at OC so far?
If Sanford was the mad scientist of Boise State's offense, Drinkwitz is the Incredible Hulk/Doctor Horrible (Mad-der scientist?). I love seeing the offense take the field, not being able to guess what play will be run next! Gone are the days of "run, run, pass, punt". *coughRobertPrincecough. There is some true creativity being shown on offense, and Drink seems to know the strengths of each player and utilize them in creative, effective ways. Before last week, would you have predicted a Sperbeck wildcat formation? Not me! But it absolutely worked!

(When do we get the "eligible Yakoo" package?)

How would you rate Marcel Yates 2nd season at DC?
He has this defense dialed in. I'm pleased that he has the next level of players ready to step up and play at a high level, since we've lost some key players to injury. I remember in a press conference one player talking about "11 hats to the ball," and I'm seeing that. They all close on the ball-carrier and don't stop until the play is blown dead. Yet to be seen, though, is how Yates' gameplan has adjusted to the triple option.

What unit has overperformed?
With the exception of a few Hail Marys and Utah Stateses, I think our secondary has performed pretty well. I thought when DSG, and Deayon went out with injuries, we were going to be long-bombed back to the stone ages. Given, we haven't faced any Casey Pachalls and pumpfakery, but they've shut down the pass game for many teams.

What unit has underperformed?
I can't list me missing writing WUBN, but that would be up there. Instead, I'll have to say the O-line has been letting Rypien get banged up too much for my comfort. (Don't tell Mario Yakoo I said this. He could eat me like a potato chip.) I don't know if UNLV's sack-less performance was due to the right change-up in personnel or a sad pass rush by UNLV, but I was pleased, nonetheless. Yakoo for President!

Absolutely favorite play of the year so far?
Rypien's fumblerooskie. The defense was positive he was chasing a loose ball and were climbing all over one another to get into the backfield. Wide open TD! I also liked the play-action pass in the last game where Rypien calmly hid the ball behind his back and even pointed at the runner with an empty hand. It's all about that sell with the body language.

Casey

What's been the best surprise thus far?
I'll tip my hat to Rypien. BUT, I'm going with Sperbeck here, and I'll explain. Rypien has been stellar and I'm just as surprised as everyone else. But, for the sake of mixing it up, Sperbeck has been amazing. Did we expect him to be? Yeah, I think so. Did anyone expect him to be what he is when he arrived at Boise State? Not a chance. Heck, I thought he was going to be a safety. An unassuming guy that looks like he is a grocery store clerk and in reality, he's the leading receiver in the MW. If he isn't first team MW I'd be shocked honestly.

What's been the biggest disappointment thus far?
I agree with Damien's point about the USU game. I think the OL has been disappointing honestly. Not to be scathing, but I expected them to be just as dominant, if not more dominant, than our DL. Yes, our DL has a TON of talent and depth, but we lost no players on the OL, so that should have been a big highlight for this team. McNichols has done well despite the struggles there, but to think of what he could have done with better work there... Also Rypien has been hurried more than I think he has needed to be. Again, I don't mean to be scathing as there is a ton of talent on the line, there has just been a drop off in production that I didn't expect.

How would you rate Eliah Drinkwitz's first season at OC so far?
I think Drink has done fine. He is still learning. I think he has a great mind for the game and will continue to improve. Have I always been happy with the playcalls? Negative. Do I think he is doing a better job than Prince did? Absolutely. Our true freshman QB just broke some records set by a guy that was a pretty good football player.

How would you rate Marcel Yates 2nd season at DC?
Yates has done well. A little bit inconsistent, but I'm pleased. The UNLV game was frustrating because of how much they were passing, but when I think about who we were missing, you have to cut some slack there. Next season will be interesting and more telling of Yates skill as a DC after we lose all of the seniors that we will.

What unit has overperformed?
I would agree with the DL overperforming. I think everyone anticipated our DL to be good, so it's not overly surprising. Another unit, or player rather, that has overperformed is the kickers, Rausa specifically. After multiple years of uncertainty, Rausa has been nearly automatic from everywhere. Goodale was great, but to be accurate from outside 50 yards is a lot to expect. I think he will start hitting those soon and we will miss him dearly after next season.

What unit has underperformed?
I already pummeled on the OL. I think I expected a little more out of our other running backs. There is talent there, but Kelsey's best game was against UNLV. He played great, but I was hoping to have more of a RB by committee setup this year, not McNichols getting 30+ touches a game. McNichols has done great in that respect, but I feel like the talent is there, we just need the production to increase.

Absolutely favorite play of the year so far?
Justin Taimatuia's pick six against Virginia. It set the tone for the game AND, of course, fat guy touchdown.

Drew

What's been the best surprise thus far?
I'd like to say I'm not overly surprised at Rypien's play, but like most—I didn't think we'd see him for at least another year. Ultimately, I think the best surprise so far has been the play of Jeremy McNichols...or at least his production. The O-line hasn't been the best run blocking group and McNichols definitely has faced a bit more adversity at the line of scrimmage than RBs in recent history, but the dude just knows how to score and that's not even an innuendo in the slightest. McNichols is just someone that teams have to account for, and that opens up opportunities for everyone on the offense. The guy has missed a full game (with a concussion) and is still just one TD behind the national lead in scoring. We've had guys that were better, faster, more explosive, etc...but McNichols—just a soph—is one of the more prolific scorers we've had lately and that's just as important, right?

What's been the biggest disappointment thus far?
Probably just consistency. The Broncos' defense came screaming out of the gate, holding UW to just 179 total yards of offense, while the Bronco offense limped through the first 2 games. Then the offense took off under Rypien, but the defense slipped...and so they danced. Then Utah State happened and both units sort of stayed on the bus. Of course, injuries have mounted and opponents have varied...but we now know just how consistently "on" a team has to be to win 'em all...and with their first bye week pushed all the way till week 10, luck plays into that equation a bit too.

How would you rate Eliah Drinkwitz's first season at OC so far?
I feel like Drinkwitz has sort of hit his stride, but is at the mercy of offensive execution from week to week. The execution was atrocious—across the board—in Logan, and the first two games of the season weren't the "Bronco football" we've grown accustomed to, but all the games in-between have been pretty solid. I like that Drinkwitz stays aggressive, even when games have gotten out of hand...and frankly, even during the surreal meltdown in Logan, he kept swinging. Drinkwitz plays to win and I think he's finally starting to fully realize the offensive arsenal at his fingertips. Now we just need to find that consistency that I mentioned a moment ago and the world is our oyster—hopefully Drink doesn't have a shellfish allergy.

How would you rate Marcel Yates 2nd season at DC?
With the start the Bronco defense had, it seemed inevitable that things would go downhill, but still...the loss to BYU felt awfully fluky. The Broncos defense still seemed like heads and shoulders the best unit in the conference (if not the country), but then injuries started to pile up and so did the points. The Broncos have still had a pretty stingy defense, even if you count the Utah State debacle, where they only gave up 334 total yards...but obviously the points per game haven't stayed exactly where we want them. Hey, you can't play Hawaii and Idaho State every week. Overall, not a bad effort by Yates or his position coaches so far, but we have not one, but two triple-option teams looming, so that will be the real test of maturation.

What unit has overperformed?
That's a tough question, Drew. Sorry Drew, but thems the breaks. Alright, I'll give it a shot.

I'd say the unit that's overperformed has been the defensive secondary. I think everyone expected the D-line and linebacking units to be solid, but the secondary looked thin in spots, and outside the two superstars—Deayon and Thompson—no one knew what to expect. But Jonathan Moxey, overall, has been a pleasant surprise this year and Tyler Horton and Raymond Ford have shown there isn't a colossal dropoff when the starters are out. At safety, Dylan Sumner-Gardner was hitting his stride when he was felled by injury, but Kam Miles came in and capably filled in. Chanceller James and Mercy Maston have also looked solid at nickel and James' versatility has provided Yates with some great options.

What unit has underperformed?
The O-line, and I don't think it's even close. The offensive line returned virtually every starter from a season ago and looked like they'd be easily one of the best units on the team. Instead, the Broncos have given up too many sacks, too many QB hurries, and WAY too many negative plays on the year. To top it off, they lost Eli McCullough to medical retirement, Troy Bacon to...other endeavors, and most recently Rees Odhiambo to a broken ankle. Ugh.

Absolutely favorite play of the year so far?
Brett Rypien's "why is he still in?" 4th quarter TD bomb to Thomas Sperbeck against UVA was not only pretty and largely unnecessary, but it showed that Rypien was reading defenses at at least a junior reading level and that Drinkwitz wasn't going to call off the Broncos if defenses weren't going to respect the passing game.