2009 Boise State Football Predictions
The Boise State Broncos came up just two points shy of a perfect 2008 campaign, losing 16-17 to TCU in the Poinsettia Bowl, following a 12-0 regular season which included an 8-0 sweep in the WAC. Still, with a 12-1 record, the Broncos managed to crack the top 16 in the final AP poll for the 5th time in the last seven years. Expectations are always high for the cream of the crop in the WAC, and I’m not sure another WAC title will be enough to satisfy head coach Chris Petersen, who own a 35-4 record at Boise State. He has his sights on getting back to a BCS bowl. Boise State is listed at +10000 to win the 2009 BCS Championship.
Offense – Southpaw quarterback Kellen Moore lived up the hype in his rookie season under center, taking home WAC Freshman of the Year honors after throwing for 3,486 yards and 25 touchdowns. And he did it while being extremely efficient, setting a school record by completing 69.4 percent of his pass attempts. A couple weapons are gone in running back Ian Johnson and wideout Jeremy Childs, but plenty of talented playmakers remain for the Broncos to boast one of the better offenses in the nation. Wide receiver Austin Pettis, who had 49 grabs for 567 yards and 9 touchdowns last fall, will easily make the transition to being the teams No. 1 receiving option. Junior Titus Young, who averaged 14.9 yards per catch in 2008, gives Moore another big play option. Johnson has been a staple in the backfield, but Jeremy Avery, who rushed for 614 yards and averaged 6.0 yards per carry, is ready to shine. The offensive line returns three starters and a total of six players with starting experience. Center Thomas Byrd is a shoe-in as an All-WAC pick. This unit was good enough to help the Broncos average 37.6 points per game and 440.9 yards per game, but the coaching staff feels it is capable of playing much better this season. Get a 20% sign up bonus at Bookmaker!
Defense – While the offense seems to get most of the attention in Boise, the defense stole the show in my opinion last season as it allowed only 12.6 points per game (3rd nationally). On top of that, it was able to force 33 turnovers. In a league lacking many phenomenal players in the secondary, the Broncos have plenty of talent. It all starts with lock down corner Kyle Wilson, who passed on the NFL to improve his draft position. Cornerback Brandyn Thompson and safeties Jeron Johnson and George Iloka also return to form an elite unit which came up with 16 picks in 2008. The defensive line is led by a pair of bookend defensive ends in all-conference pick Ryan Winterswyk and Byron Hout. Defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox looks to do things a little bit differently with his linebacker unit, moving to a two-linebacker, three-safety look full time. While their are not any proven stars in this group, the coaching staff likes the personnel available and feels intense competition will bring out the best in this unit.
Prediction: 1st WAC – While games against Oregon, Nevada, and Louisiana Tech could trip the Broncos up, this team certainly looks capable of threatening for a BCS bowl if it takes care of business. Take advantage of a special $500 match bonus at BetUS this season!
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