The Boise State Broncos open the home portion of their 2005 campaign this Wednesday when they welcome the Bowling Green Falcons to town for a non-conference showdown. The Broncos have been one of the more successful teams in college football over the past few seasons, including last year when they finished 11-1 overall. The team, however, has yet to get things going this fall, dropping its first two games. BSU opened the season with a 48-13 pounding at the hands of nationally-ranked Georgia, which was followed by a heartbreaking 30-27 setback at Oregon State on September 10th. Both losses took place on the road, but the Broncos are now home where they have won a national-best 25 consecutive games. As for Bowling Green, it has also had a tremendous amount of success the past few years and has won eight games or more in each of the last four seasons. The Falcons, much like the Broncos, opened this season on a down note, as they were beaten by Wisconsin, 56-42. However, unlike their counterpart in this one, the Falcons were able to rebound in their next game, a 40-31 triumph over Ball State in the Mid- American Conference opener for both on September 10th. This will be BGSU's third straight game on the road before heading home for a pair of bouts. This contest marks the first-ever meeting between these two schools on the gridiron.
Bowling Green ranked second in the nation in total offense a year ago and after two games the Falcons don't appear to have lost a step. BGSU is currently averaging a healthy 41.0 ppg behind 542.5 total ypg. However, there has been one area the offense has struggled in thus far and that is running the ball, averaging just under 100.0 ypg. Last time out, a win over MAC rival Ball State, Bowling Green accumulated 126 yards on the ground, but it took it 36 carries to do so. B.J. Lane led the way with 74 yards on 23 totes, which was actually a step up from his 47-yard effort against Wisconsin in the season opener. While the ground attack has struggled, the same can't be said about the passing game which is averaging an impressive 443.0 ypg. Omar Jacobs was one of the top signal callers in the nation in '04 and he has done everything he can in the first two games this season to prove last year wasn't a fluke. Jacobs has thrown for over 400 yards and five touchdowns in each of the first two games while completing 60.6 percent of his tosses. He has spread the ball around, most specifically to Charles Sharon and Steve Sanders, who have combined for 30 catches, 482 yards and seven scores. In the win over Ball State, Sharon caught nine balls for 121 yards and two TDs while Sanders added seven receptions for 118 yards and a pair of scores.
On the defensive side of the ball is where the Falcons need to show significant improvement, as they are giving up a whopping 43.5 ppg behind an equally as poor 479.0 total ypg. The unit has really struggled against the run, yielding 274.0 ypg. Against Ball State, the Falcons gave up 454 total yards, but made up that lackluster showing by creating two turnovers and recording a pair of sacks. The unit also did a solid job in limiting Ball State to 14 first downs, although the defense did surrender two touchdown passes of 40 yards or more. Terrel White paced BGSU in the win with nine tackles and currently leads the team with 20 stops on the year. Deaudre Perry is hot on his heel with 19 stops while also adding an interception.
Much like Bowling Green, Boise State owned one of the most prolific offensive units in the nation last season, but unlike the Falcons, the Broncos have yet to carry over that success into the '05 campaign. After two games, the Broncos are averaging a mere 20.0 ppg behind a modest 337.0 total ypg. The biggest problem for the offense so far has been avoiding mistakes, as they have committed eight turnovers thus far. However, six of those miscues came in the team's opening loss at Georgia, while just two came in the club's slim defeat to Oregon State. Against the Beavers, the Broncos racked up 382 yards, but were outscored 10-0 in the fourth quarter of what became a three-point loss. Jared Zabransky paced BSU in defeat, throwing for 233 yards and three scores on 19-of-36 tosses. It was quite an improvement from his season-opening performance in which he threw for just 70 yards with four interceptions. After two games, Jarard Rabb appears to be the team's top target down the field and he leads the Broncos with seven receptions for 83 yards and two scores. As for the BSU ground attack, there are several players who have touched the ball, but it's Ian Johnson's 120 yards on 16 attempts that leads the way.
Defensively, Boise State hasn't had all that much success slowing down opponents thus far, and as a result the Broncos are giving up 39.0 points and 468.0 yards per outing. The unit has also given up 43 first downs through two games and has failed to come up with an interception. On a positive note, the BSU defense has forced three fumbles and registered a respectable four sacks. Two of those fumbles and all four sacks came in the team's last game against Oregon State, which was held to a modest 362 total yards, only 83 of which came on the ground. Alex Guerrero highlighted the Bronco defense against OSU, posting seven tackles including a pair of sacks. Korey Hall led the way with 12 stops and now has a team-high 20 tackles on the year.
The Broncos haven't lost at home in a long, long time and that is a recipe for a Boise State cover.
I love that blue carpet...
BET ID=122370144
Straight Wager 09/20/05 10:20 ET
100.00/90.91 Result: Pending
BowlingGreen
BoiseSt 09/21/05 (20:05 ET)
BoiseSt -7.5
Bowling Green ranked second in the nation in total offense a year ago and after two games the Falcons don't appear to have lost a step. BGSU is currently averaging a healthy 41.0 ppg behind 542.5 total ypg. However, there has been one area the offense has struggled in thus far and that is running the ball, averaging just under 100.0 ypg. Last time out, a win over MAC rival Ball State, Bowling Green accumulated 126 yards on the ground, but it took it 36 carries to do so. B.J. Lane led the way with 74 yards on 23 totes, which was actually a step up from his 47-yard effort against Wisconsin in the season opener. While the ground attack has struggled, the same can't be said about the passing game which is averaging an impressive 443.0 ypg. Omar Jacobs was one of the top signal callers in the nation in '04 and he has done everything he can in the first two games this season to prove last year wasn't a fluke. Jacobs has thrown for over 400 yards and five touchdowns in each of the first two games while completing 60.6 percent of his tosses. He has spread the ball around, most specifically to Charles Sharon and Steve Sanders, who have combined for 30 catches, 482 yards and seven scores. In the win over Ball State, Sharon caught nine balls for 121 yards and two TDs while Sanders added seven receptions for 118 yards and a pair of scores.
On the defensive side of the ball is where the Falcons need to show significant improvement, as they are giving up a whopping 43.5 ppg behind an equally as poor 479.0 total ypg. The unit has really struggled against the run, yielding 274.0 ypg. Against Ball State, the Falcons gave up 454 total yards, but made up that lackluster showing by creating two turnovers and recording a pair of sacks. The unit also did a solid job in limiting Ball State to 14 first downs, although the defense did surrender two touchdown passes of 40 yards or more. Terrel White paced BGSU in the win with nine tackles and currently leads the team with 20 stops on the year. Deaudre Perry is hot on his heel with 19 stops while also adding an interception.
Much like Bowling Green, Boise State owned one of the most prolific offensive units in the nation last season, but unlike the Falcons, the Broncos have yet to carry over that success into the '05 campaign. After two games, the Broncos are averaging a mere 20.0 ppg behind a modest 337.0 total ypg. The biggest problem for the offense so far has been avoiding mistakes, as they have committed eight turnovers thus far. However, six of those miscues came in the team's opening loss at Georgia, while just two came in the club's slim defeat to Oregon State. Against the Beavers, the Broncos racked up 382 yards, but were outscored 10-0 in the fourth quarter of what became a three-point loss. Jared Zabransky paced BSU in defeat, throwing for 233 yards and three scores on 19-of-36 tosses. It was quite an improvement from his season-opening performance in which he threw for just 70 yards with four interceptions. After two games, Jarard Rabb appears to be the team's top target down the field and he leads the Broncos with seven receptions for 83 yards and two scores. As for the BSU ground attack, there are several players who have touched the ball, but it's Ian Johnson's 120 yards on 16 attempts that leads the way.
Defensively, Boise State hasn't had all that much success slowing down opponents thus far, and as a result the Broncos are giving up 39.0 points and 468.0 yards per outing. The unit has also given up 43 first downs through two games and has failed to come up with an interception. On a positive note, the BSU defense has forced three fumbles and registered a respectable four sacks. Two of those fumbles and all four sacks came in the team's last game against Oregon State, which was held to a modest 362 total yards, only 83 of which came on the ground. Alex Guerrero highlighted the Bronco defense against OSU, posting seven tackles including a pair of sacks. Korey Hall led the way with 12 stops and now has a team-high 20 tackles on the year.
The Broncos haven't lost at home in a long, long time and that is a recipe for a Boise State cover.
I love that blue carpet...
BET ID=122370144
Straight Wager 09/20/05 10:20 ET
100.00/90.91 Result: Pending
BowlingGreen
BoiseSt 09/21/05 (20:05 ET)
BoiseSt -7.5
