Boise State QBs competing to start vs. New Mexico; former Borah star done for season

Boise State offensive coordinator Tim Plough said words like shocking and excruciating come to mind when he thinks about the Broncos’ performance in the season opener Saturday at Oregon State.

Boise State’s coaches raved about the positive steps the offense took during fall camp, but it didn’t translate into success on the field. The Broncos turned the ball over five times, managed just 126 rushing yards — 102 of which came from quarterback Taylen Green, 74 of those on a scramble for a TD — and lost their second straight season opener.

Boise State lost at UCF last year.

Particularly baffling to Plough was the play of four-year starting quarterback Hank Bachmeier, who was benched after turning the ball over three times in the first quarter.

Plough told reporters on Monday that he could tell something was off with Bachmeier after the first six plays of the game.

“That was not the Hank we saw in fall camp,” Plough said. “It’s not so much that maybe you make a bad play here and there, but when you’re turning the ball over and clearly not seeing the defense in the way we’re used to seeing him operate, there was clearly a disconnect there.”

Boise State head coach Andy Avalos said after the game Saturday that there would be a quarterback competition this week as the Broncos prepare to open their Mountain West schedule at New Mexico on Friday (7 p.m., CBS Sports Network).

“The way we operated and executed early in game was no reflection of how the offense practiced throughout the week,” Avalos said. “At the end of the day, we felt like it was the best decision for the team to put Taylen in the game.”

Avalos stuck to his word. Both Bachmeier and Green worked with the starters in practice on Monday, he said. Bachmeier is still listed as the starter on the depth chart, but Plough said whether or not he starts at New Mexico will come down to how he responds this week.

“He has some serious adversity right now, and he’s going to have the opportunity to respond,” Plough said. “If he can respond positively, it might be the greatest lesson he ever learned. If he can’t respond positively, then obviously things will keep moving.”

Green’s performance on Saturday had some holes as well, Plough said. He missed a few open receivers and botched a couple of play calls, but the 6-foot-6 redshirt freshman also looked like the fastest player on the field during his 74-yard touchdown run. In the fourth quarter, he put his shoulder down and powered across the goal line to cut the Beavers’ lead to 10 points.

“As his quarterback coach, I was pleased he got an opportunity to play and got to experience those things,” Plough said. “The mistakes he made were pretty classic first-year quarterback mistakes.”

Green isn’t the most polished quarterback on Boise State’s roster in terms of his throwing mechanics or his ability to go through his progression to find open receivers, but he can make things happen when plays break down, Plough said.

“I think he’s one of those guys who while you’re coaching you’ll be frustrated, because you’ll be like, ‘Dang, why didn’t he do this?’” Plough said. “But while you’re doing that, he’s running for 30 yards and breaking the speed record or whatever here at Boise (State).”

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Depth chart changes

Boise State wide receiver Austin Bolt — a former standout at Borah High School — will miss the rest of the season with a leg injury, Avalos confirmed on Monday.

Bolt was carted off the field in the third quarter of the season opener Saturday with an air cast on his left leg after getting hurt on a special teams play.

Redshirt freshman Eric McAlister or redshirt junior Shea Whiting will replace Bolt as wide receiver Billy Bowen’s primary backup, according to the depth chart Boise State released on Monday.

Cornerback Markel Reed also exited Saturday’s game with a leg injury, and he was in obvious distress as he was taken to the locker room. He returned to the sideline, but wasn’t putting much weight on his left leg as he was helped off the field after the game.

Reed has dealt with more than his fair share of injuries the past couple of years. He missed spring practice in 2021 because of a shoulder injury, and he started five games last season before a knee injury put him on the shelf for good. Both required surgery.

Avalos said Monday that the team will continue to evaluate Reed’s injury and give an update at a later date. The senior from Temple, Texas, is not on the Broncos’ latest depth chart, though.

Redshirt sophomore Kaonohi Kaniho or redshirt senior Tyric LeBeauf will replace him. Who starts on Saturday will be decided this week in practice, Avalos said.

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Freshman DB arrested on suspicion of DUI

Boise State defensive back Isaiah Bradford was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence early Sunday, according to records from the Ada County Sheriff’s Office.

Bradford, a freshman who did not make the trip to Oregon State on Saturday, has been suspended, according to Boise State.

“Boise State is aware of the situation, and Isaiah Bradford has been indefinitely suspended from all team activities as we follow our department policy,” Boise State officials said in a statement.

Bradford became the third Boise State player arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence this year.

Former pass rusher Dylan Herberg was charged with DUI in January after Boise police responded to a crash involving a vehicle hitting a tree. Herberg was the driver of the car, according to police. He was initially suspended, and Avalos confirmed in August that he was no longer on the team.

Offensive lineman Jacob Golden was arrested in June for allegedly driving under the influence. He was suspended from the team before deciding to transfer.

Bradford, 20, who is not of legal drinking age, signed with Boise State in 2021 and took a gray-shirt year before officially joining the program last spring.

BOISE STATE AT NEW MEXICO

When: 7 p.m. Friday

Where: University Stadium, Albuquerque, New Mexico

TV: CBS Sports Network (Chris Lewis, Danny Kannel, Amanda Guerra)

Radio: KBOI 670 AM/KTIK 93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)

Records: Boise State 0-1, 0-0 MW; New Mexico 1-0, 0-0 MW

Series: Boise State is 11-1 all-time against New Mexico. The Broncos’ last loss in the series was at Albertsons Stadium in 2015, but Boise State shut out the Lobos, 37-0, last season.

Vegas line: Boise State by 16.5

Weather: High of 94 degrees, 15% chance of rain, 10 mph winds