Boise State protects The Blue with dominant D. But not all the home cheers were welcome

Fans of the Boise State football team had plenty to cheer about during the Broncos’ 30-7 win over UT Martin on Saturday, but they cheered the loudest at an inopportune time.

Starting quarterback Hank Bachmeier exited the game with an injury late in the fourth quarter after a sack. The crowd got loud when backup QB Taylen Green entered the game, and the sentiment rubbed some Boise State players the wrong way — even though the fans were not necessarily applauding an injury.

“I never want to hear someone cheer when a brother goes down, regardless of who is going in next,” Boise State safety Seyi Oladipo said. “As a brotherhood, we have to band together and protect our own.”

Bachmeier wasn’t perfect on Saturday. He lost an early fumble while trying to scramble out of a busted play and almost lost another late in the game. He also completed passes to nine different players and threw a pair of touchdown passes, which moved him into No. 8 all-time at Boise State with 40 career TD throws.

Bachmeier completed 18-of-25 passes for 207 yards before leaving with what looked like a possible head injury. Coach Andy Avalos wouldn’t comment on the four-year starter’s status after the game, but he said he was mostly pleased with his quarterback’s performance.

“He executed the plan, especially early on,” Avalos said. “I think there were some plays he could have managed better. We have to do a better job knowing when a play is going south, minimize the damage and take care of the football.”

Bachmeier had the offense humming in the first half. The Broncos posted 251 yards in the first two quarters and went into halftime with a 20-7 lead.

The second half was a different story.

Boise State managed just 76 yards of offense in the final two quarters, and didn’t find the end zone until running back George Holani scored on a 8-yard run with about 6 minutes remaining. That was the end of what was only a 23-yard drive, set up when UT Martin fumbled a kickoff return.

“We were productive in the second half,” Avalos said. “We were able to run the ball and handle the line of scrimmage in the run game, but we weren’t able to protect the quarterback.”

Welcome back, Mr. Holani

Holani carried the offense on Saturday, and his performance was a long time in the making.

The 208-pound redshirt junior led the team with 110 rushing yards, added four catches for 47 yards and a touchdown, and returned five punts for 69 yards.

It was Holani’s first game with more than 100 rushing yards since Boise State’s win over New Mexico on Nov. 20, 2021. He also scored his first rushing touchdown since the Broncos’ home opener last season against UTEP.

“I’ve got to give props to all of my O-linemen and the receivers for blocking on the perimeter,” Holani said. “Just seeing the difference between last game and this game, I know what we’re capable of as an offense.”

Holani got off to a hot start. He posted 50 rushing yards and his longest run of the day, which covered 34 yards, on the Broncos’ first drive. It ended with Bachmeier finding wide receiver Stefan Cobbs on a 4-yard touchdown pass.

“We’ve got to get him as many touches as we can,” Avalos said of Holani. “That’s going to open up the pass game. We did hit some explosive pass plays today, but there were more out there that we’re capable of executing.”

Cobbs finished the game with three catches for 33 yards, while Latrell Caples led the Broncos’ receivers with five grabs for 48 yards.

Boise State also got three field goals from kicker Jonah Dalmas, including one that covered 48 yards.

Defense dominates again

Boise State’s offense didn’t look dominant at times on Saturday, but its defense stole the show for the second week in a row.

After limiting New Mexico to 25 rushing yards last week, Boise State held UT Martin (1-2) to 26 yards on the ground Saturday.

“It’s pursuit and tackling, which we emphasize every day in practice,” Oladipo said. “We knew these backs were going to be good, so we were flying to the ball and didn’t stop until they were on the ground.”

The Broncos gave up just 152 total yards against the Skyhawks, allowed them to convert only 1-of-11 third down attempts and yielded just nine first downs. UT Martin’s only touchdown of the day was on a 37-yard pass from quarterback Dresser Winn to wide receiver Colton Dowell on a roll-the-dice fourth-down play in the first quarter.

Boise State went with six defensive backs on the field for much of the day, which was a new look the defense had to adjust to this week, Avalos said.

“It was a group effort,” Avalos said. “It was really exciting to see the amount of work the defense put in through the course of this week because this is the first time we’ve played that much dime. We’re really excited how the defense handled themselves and how consistent we were.”

After going 3-3 at home last season, Boise State’s players said they were looking forward to defending their blue turf on Saturday. They were all smiles while walking around the stadium high-fiving fans after the win.

“Last year, we definitely didn’t do our job and protect The Blue,” Oladipo said. “We want to dominate each week this year. This was our first opportunity, and we’re going to keep it rolling.”

Boise State hits the road next week to face UTEP (1-2) on Friday (7 p.m., CBS Sports Network). The Miners lost to New Mexico on Saturday.