Boise State’s rush defense, one of the tops in the country, will face its stiffest test of the season Saturday at Air Force.
Air Force leads the nation in rushing offense at 359.86 yards per game.
“It’s going to be difficult – they are great at what they do,” Boise State cornerbacks coach Demario Warren said. “They do it better than anyone else in the country, so it’s our job to do our best and be in the right place at the right time and work together. Everybody has to do their part on every play.”
The Falcons’ triple option offense has been causing problems for opposing defenses for years, and 2022 is no different. Air Force has rushed for at least 400 yards in four of seven games this season, including 406 yards last week at UNLV.
Air Force rushed for 582 yards in the season opener against Northern Iowa, 435 yards against Colorado and 461 yards against Nevada. In their two losses the Falcons rushed for just 171 yards at Wyoming and 264 yards at Utah State.
“It’s definitely going to be a challenge with eye discipline, and who the toughest team on the field is going to be,” safety Seyi Oladipo said. “Thats what we’ve been preparing for this week.”
Added corner Caleb Biggers, “It’s a difficult scheme. … Everybody has to do their one-eleventh.”
Running back Brad Roberts ranks No. 4 nationally with 853 rushing yards. He’s tied for No. 2 nationally with 12 rushing touchdowns.
Roberts rushed for 138 yards and two touchdowns in the Falcons’ 24-17 upset win over the Broncos last year in Boise.
“He’s just an absolute tough guy to get down,” Boise State defensive coordinator Spencer Danielson said. “Very tough guy to get down. He’s extremely physical, and he does a great job with his pad level and he’s always driving his knees.
“He’s been tough for guys to get down, especially one-on-one and two-on-one. He’s going to find ways to get yards. It’s very impressive. He can make plays even when guys have him Dead to Rights, he’s going to get two, three, four yards if not break it for longer, which keeps them on schedule which is what they want to do.”
A big key for the Broncos on Saturday? Tackling. Air Force typically gets the ball carrier in one-on-one tackling situations with the defender, and missed tackles can lead to big gains.
“It’s imperative,” Warren said of needing strong tackling against Air Force. “Not only to keep a 3-yard gain from going to 13, but a 3-yard gain from going to five. That’s a big difference, second-and-5 vs. second-and-7 is huge. Tackling is imperative. You have to tackle them where you hit them. If you don’t and they start to squeak out some dirty runs and get to second-and-4 or second-and-5, it’s going to be a long day.”
OLADIPO HEADED BACK HOME TO COLORADO
Saturday’s game at Air Force will be a homecoming of sorts for Oladipo, who hails from nearby Centennial, Colorado. It’s less than an hour drive from his home in the suburbs of Denver to Falcon Stadium, and he figures to have at least 15 family members and friends in attendance.
“It will be cool,” Oladipo said. “A lot of family will be there. It’s going to be a fun time. I’ll be playing some guys I went to high school with also, and I’ll see some high school coaches that have guys up there. It will be a fun time.”
Oladipo said he had a lot of family and friends make the trip to Fort Collins to see him play last season as a true freshman. With another big crowd expected, he had to bum tickets off some of his teammates.
“I definitely did,” Oladipo said. “I did my lobbying early and made some trades for some home games. But it’s OK. It’s worth it. My family comes out here but flying out is a hard thing to do so the hour drive for them is simple.”
Oladipo has nine tackles and two pass break-ups through six games while rotating with Rodney Robinson at safety. He had two interceptions as a freshman in 2021.
Asked if playing back in Colorado and having his family in the stands was a big deal, Oladipo said, “It’s always a great thing. … It’s always a blessing. Being Nigerian, they love to see their children succeed in whatever they want to do so whenever I put the jersey on with my last name they are proud because they get to see their last name on the screen and it’s like ‘wow, it’s one of us doing something.’
TICKET BUNDLE ON SALE
Boise State announced Wednesday that a ‘bundle’ of tickets to both the BYU football game on Nov. 5 and the South Dakota State season opening men’s basketball game can be purchased for just $84. ‘Bundle’ tickets are on sale now at BroncoSports.com and the Albertsons Stadium box office.
