With injuries on line, Boise State defensive players ‘step in,’ overwhelm Colorado State

Filling in for arguably the most important player on the Boise State defense, Divine Obichere didn’t miss a beat Saturday.

And neither did his teammates.

With a defensive line recently decimated by injuries, the Boise State football team used a slew of backups to hold Colorado State to just 3 rushing yards in a 49-10 victory at Albertsons Stadium.

Obichere, who was filling in for captain Scott Matlock at defensive tackle, led the Boise State defense with seven total tackles, including 4.5 tackles for loss — with two sacks — in his first start since 2020. Obichere is one of just five players at the FBS level to have at least seven tackles, 4.5 TFL and two sacks in the same game this season.

The Broncos were also without starting nose tackle Jackson Cravens, and edge rusher George Tarlas was lost for the season after an injury against Air Force.

Their absence meant more playing time for young defensive linemen Herbert Gums and Ahmed Hassanein, and veterans Obichere and Michael Callahan.

“It was a lot of work this week. ... These guys are an awesome group to be around. A lot of those guys that stepped in tonight stepped in and played a lot more snaps than they normally get to play,” Boise State coach Andy Avalos said. “And that’s part of football. Obviously, there’s only 11 guys that get to go on the field at one time, but the way they prepared, the way they trained.”

With Boise State in command throughout, the Broncos went deep into their bench against the Rams and still managed nine tackles for loss, including five sacks. In addition to Obichere’s two sacks, reserve linebacker Andrew Simpson had a sack, as did starting linebacker Ezekiel Noa.

Linebacker DJ Schramm and Hassanein combined on a sack.

The Boise State defense limited Colorado State to 170 total yards — 3 on the ground and 167 through the air. And 76 of the air yards came on the Rams’ lone touchdown play. It marked the fourth time this season the Broncos have held an opponent to less than 100 yards rushing and was the fewest allowed by the Bronco defense since Northern Illinois was held to negative-5 yards in the 2015 Poinsettia Bowl.

“It’s the way we practice, you know,” Obichere said. “Practice is extremely hard, so when you come into the game, it’s always lesser than that. Practice always prepares us for these type of moments. I was just playing my role for the team. Being humble and be patient, and when your number’s called, execute.”

Saturday also marked the season debut for defensive end Cortez Hogans, who finished second on the team with six tackles, including 1.5 for loss, and one QB hurry.

But perhaps the biggest cheers of the night came for reserve edge Gabe Hunter, who thwarted a potential Colorado State touchdown pass with an interception late in the fourth quarter.

“Oh my God, just imagine a Coke bottle being shaken up with Mentos in it,” Obichere said. “It was crazy. We were just happy for him that he got to make that play.”

Edge rusher announces plan to transfer

Boise State lost its second pass rusher of the week just ahead of kickoff Saturday.

Redshirt sophomore Isaiah Bagnah announced that he was transferring less than an hour before the Mountain West contest was scheduled to begin. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

Bagnah joined the Broncos in 2019 as a three-star recruit. He finished second on the team with six sacks last season, and he left Boise State with 10 in his career.

BSU passing game evolves

The Boise State passing game took a step forward Saturday against Colorado State as the Broncos racked up a season-best 514 total yards, including 305 through the air.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Taylen Green went 24-for-30 passing for 305 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Green completed passes to nine different players, with five hauling in four receptions each.

“I feel like we have a huge swing of momentum,” Boise State receiver Billy Bowens said. “Everyone feels it. The vibe, the energy is amazing around here. We just keep building, and the confidence is the biggest thing.”

Bowens was one of four receivers to record a season high for receiving yards against the Rams. The Redlands, Calif., native had four receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown, while Stefan Cobbs led all receivers with four catches for 91 yards. Redshirt freshman Eric McAlister added two receptions for a career-best 48 yards, including a 33-yard grab, and sixth-year senior Davis Koetter caught two passes for 28 yards.

Quick hits

The Broncos wore orange jerseys, orange pants and orange helmets. ... Team captains Scott Matlock and John Ojukwu were joined by linebacker Ezekiel Noah and wide receiver Stefan Cobbs as game captains. ... Boise State won the coin toss and elected to defer. ... Boise State was led onto the field by linebacker Brandon Hawkins, who carried the Dan Paul Hammer. ... Offensive lineman Mason Randolph carried the American flag and cornerback Kaonohi Kaniho carried the Bleed Blue flag. ... Offensive lineman Ben Dooley was out for the eighth straight game, and kicker Will Ferrin was also out with an undisclosed injury. ... Boise State improved to 12-0 all-time against Colorado State. ... The Broncos are now bowl eligible for the 25th consecutive season. ... Left guard Garrett Curran was injured in the first quarter and replaced by reshirt senior Dallas Holliday. ... Freshman offensive lineman Kage Casey and redshirt freshman quarterback Colt Fulton each made their Boise State debut against Colorado State.