A look at OSU's next opponent: Boise State

We all know by now that Boise St. got pounded by Georgia. The first half was a disaster for their offense and the second half was probably just as bad for their defense. BSU fumbled twice and were intercepted four(!) times directly leading to at least three, if not four touchdowns. In the second half the BSU 'D' let the Bulldogs drive down the field and score on their first four possessions of the half. Not sure there is much we can learn from this game. We can hope for a similar collapse in Corvallis, but it's not likely. They know they can beat us because they did it last year. So the Beavs had better get up for this one because it will be a battle.

The 2005 Broncos

This year's BSU team is a young team. There are only 9 seniors out of the 105 players on the team. However, many of these young guys have been starters and have experience. They lost a few key players, but there should be guys who can step up and take over. These guys are 36-3 over the last three years with the highest scoring offense in the nation since 2000. Wow. I think they have arrived and have learned how to reload.

The Offense

At quarterback you have Jared Zabransky. He had a major breakout year last season as he threw for almost 3000 yards and 16 TDs. He also ran for 13 TDs, good for 2nd on the team. That's a lot of points that he created. The only question for Zabransky is: can he bounce back for the Georgia meltdown? That will be a big question for BSU on Saturday as well.

Zabransky won't have last year’s top receiver, T.J. Acree, to throw to this year because he has graduated. Other than that loss, the receiving crew looks to be decent with Drisan James (who was out for the UGA game) leading the way. As a side note former OSU receiver, Cole Classen, will be returning to Reser Stadium for the first time since he transferred last season. He will probably get some playing time. The tight end, Derek Schouman, had a pretty good fall camp so he will be a threat as well. Overall, I expect the receivers to be good.

The running game looks solid with a committee of backs: Lee Marks (nearly 1000 yards in 2004), Antwaun Carter, and freshman Lee Johnson. Marks had a tough day against Georgia, but Johnson did pretty well with 48 yards including a 28 yard run. Carter also had a decent day against Georgia racking up 47 yards on 7 carries. Considering their offensive line is expected to be pretty good this season, the running attack should be good.

The Defense

The defense looks OK on paper. They only allowed 100 ypg on the ground last season. However, they allowed 250 ypg in the air. In the Georgia game they allowed 394 yards passing and 180 rushing. That sounds bad on both ends but Georgia only averaged 3.4 yards per carry on the ground. [*NOTE: the actual average was 5.5 ypc. So maybe they can't stop the run all that great. Then again 180 yards isn't bad against a Georgia team with the game in hand.]

Linebacker Korey Hall is a stud and has been named to multiple defense and linebacker award watch lists. The linebackers look strong with another senior, Chris Barrios, having a good 10 tackle day against Georgia.

The secondary is very young and took a hit when junior starting cornerback Quinton Jones was hurt early in the Georgia game. That meant true freshman Orlando Scandrick got to play. Their rover and free safety are both sophomores as well. This secondary could be giving up a lot of passing yards to the Beavers as they try to outscore the Broncos.

I don't know much about the defensive line other than they look experienced (1 So, 2 Jrs, 1 Sr) and maybe a bit light. The tackles roll in at 293 and 274 pounds. The ends are 261 and 244 pounds. No sacks against UGA and no tackles for loss for the big guys up front. However, they must be doing something right to stop the run.


Summary

Overall, it's going to be a tough game for the Beavs. They had a fairly easy game against PSU that didn't really test them. It did give confidence to Matt Moore and many of the new players on both sides of the ball. But we still have many of the same questions we had at the beginning of camp. I think this game will come down to turnovers how well each defense plays. Both offenses should be effective against the other defense even without the Beavers having a great running game. All in all, I say the Beavs win in a close game. Maybe something like 31-27. It will be a battle though.

I can’t wait for Saturday! It’s time to see how LOUD Reser stadium can get!


Articles on this Weekend's Game:

The Oregonian - Coaches in 'rivalry' have plenty to prove

Corvallis Gazette-Times - Ready for revenge

Portland Tribune - Collision course

The Idaho Statesman - BSU focused on the future

The Idaho Statesman - Broncos work to avoid more travel woes

The Idaho Statesman - Speed not an issue for OSU's Hass

Corvallis Gazette-Times - SCOUTING BOISE STATE

Portland Tribune - Boise State at Oregon State

BeaverFootball.com - Oregon State, Boise State ready to rumble

Yahoo.com - Boise State Bronco Two Deeps


Boise State's Loss to Georgia:

The Idaho Statesman - Southern fried: Georgia hounds BSU

The Arbiter (school newspaper) - Broncos cash in reality check

The Oregonian - Broncos, Zabransky told to 'flush' loss to Georgia