2011 Boise State Football Predictions


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2011 will mark the inaugural season for Boise State in the Mountain West Conference. The Broncos have spent the last 10 seasons beating up on the Western Athletic Conference. When the move was made it looked like Boise State would finally be in a conference that would challenge them, but Utah left for the PAC-12, BYU became independent, and TCU is leaving to join the Big East in 2012.

In 2010 the Broncos put together another incredible season. Their only loss in the regular season came against Nevada in overtime, a game in which they should have won. The Broncos still won the WAC with a 7-1 record, and went on to beat Utah 26-3 in the Las Vegas Bowl to finish the season 12-1.

Looking ahead to the 2011 season the Boise State returns 14 starts and should not only be the favorite in the MWC, but a legit National Title contender as well. Here is a quick breakdown of what the Broncos will send to the field on both sides of the ball.

Offense:

The Broncos offense should remain one of the best in the country with the return of senior quarterback Kellen Moore, who threw for 3,845 yards with 35 touchdowns to just eight interceptions. Moore needs just eight wins to pass Colt McCoy to become the all-time winningest quarterback in NCAA History, and will be one of the front-runners for the Heisman Trophy.

We will find out just how good Moore is in 2011, as the Broncos must replace wide outs Titus Young and Austin Pettis. Moore and Pettis  finished their careers at Boise State as the top two in receiving yards in school history. The two combined for 142 catches for 2,166 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2010. The top receiver back for 2011 is senior Tyler Shoemaker, who had 32 catches for 582 yards and five touchdowns. Added to starting mix will be junior Chris Potter and sophomore Geraldo Hiwat.

While the Broncos lose their two biggest weapons on the outside, running back Doug Martin returns for his senior season. In 2010 Martin led the Broncos with 1,250 yards and 12 touchdowns. Fellow senior D.J. Harper finished fourth on the team with 160 yards and two scores, and will be the primary backup to Martin in 2011.

The Broncos should remain strong up front on the offensive line, but will have to replace both starters on the right side. Senior left tackle Nate Potter is considered one of the best offensive tackles in the country. Potter and junior left guard Joe Kellogg should create some monster holes on the left side. Heading into the fall it looks like sophomore Jake Broyles will take over at right guard, while sophomore Charles Leno figures to step in at right tackle.

Defense:

The Broncos held opposing teams to just 12.8 ppg and with the talent they have coming back in 2011, I don’t see any reason why they won’t continue to dominate on this side of the ball. On the defensive line they bring back three starters. Seniors Billy Winn and Chase Baker provide a very good duo on the inside at the two defensive tackle spots, while senior defensive end Shea McClellin looks to improve on his 9.5 sacks in 2010.

At linebacker the Broncos don’t have quite the talent that TCU will send to the middle of the field, but seniors Bryon Hout, Aaron Tevis, and Hunter White are all very solid players. This unit can really fly to the football, and should be just as good as it was a year ago.

In the secondary the Broncos lose a very talented player in safety Jeron Johnson, but bring back senior free safety George Iloka and add a talented freshman in Jeremy Ioane. Junior Jamar Taylor returns at one corner spot, while sophomore Ebenezer Makinde looks to take over the other starting spot. Overall this unit isn’t quite as good as it was in 2010, but should still be one of the top units in the MWC.

2011 Prediction: 1st MWC – The Broncos come into the MWC at an ideal time with Utah and BYU leaving and TCU returning just eight starters from their perfect season last year. Boise State was originally suppose to play TCU on the road, but they have recently changed that to a home game for the Broncos. Boise State has won 32 straight at home and are 58-1 over the last nine seasons. If they can beat Georgia in the season opener, I will call for an undefeated season in 2011.

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