Spencer Danielson knows what the numbers say, but he wants no part of the conversation.
At least not yet.
Danielson, Boise State’s second-year defensive coordinator, has statistically one of the best defenses in the country and one of the best in program history through seven games.
So just how good is this defense?
“We’ll talk at the end of the season,” Danielson said.
Boise State (5-2, 4-0 MW) has the No. 3 ranked total defense in the country, allowing just 240.7 yards per game overall. The Broncos are 19th in scoring defense at 18.4 points allowed per game.
The Broncos are No. 1 nationally in pass defense at 128.9 passing yards allowed per game – ranking ahead of Ohio State, Georgia and Michigan in the top 5.
And they are pretty good against the run too, ranking No. 22 in the country at just 111.86 rushing yards allowed per game. And that comes after Air Force, which led the nation coming in at 360 rushing yards per game, totaled less than half of that (175) against the Broncos last week.
If those averages and rankings hold they’d be among the best in school history. The 240.7 total yards allowed would be the second-best in program history, with the only lower total coming way back in 1969.
“To this point, we can be proud of how hard the guys are playing,” Danielson said. “But I’m trying from the players and the coaches, to not look at (the stats) because at the end of the day you could have one or two bad games on defense and those stats are out the window. That’s the nature of playing elite defense.
“You live on that razor’s edge where the difference between being elite and being average isn’t a whole lot sometimes. The stats and all those things which we look at, we’re going to wait and look at those things until after the season. Right now it’s week in and week out, what are some things we did well, let’s make sure we do that again, and what are some things showing up we need to grow in? Let’s fix those.”
Boise State ranks near or at the top in several other defensive categories. The Broncos are No. 2 in first downs allowed at 12.3 per game and first nationally with just 32 first downs coming against them through the air.
In addition to leading the nation in fewest passing yards allowed per game, the Broncos rank second nationally with opponents completing just 48.6 percent of their passes. Boise State’s defense has also allowed just five passing touchdowns all season, which is No. 5 nationally.
Opposing quarterbacks have an efficiency rating of just 106.5, which ranks No. 7 in the country. Teams are now becoming scared to even try passing against the Broncos, with the 20.3 passing attempts per game average currently the fewest in the country.
But the Broncos have been good against the run as well, which has led to the overall dominant numbers. Boise State has allowed just seven rushing touchdowns through seven games, a total which is No. 20 nationally.
Boise State’s defense has also held opponents to just 30.2 percent on third down, which ranks 17th.
“At times this year the defense has been really stout,” head coach Andy Avalos said. “We’ve been able to develop some p-layers and the guys we do have as people are very intelligent and very relentless. And we do have an older group right now and that always helps with the experience that comes along with that.”
He then maybe summed up the reasons for their success best.
“And we’ve got some talented players,” Avalos said.
As for the experience factor, Boise State has 10 seniors listed as starters on the death chart, and only one of them (true senior JL Skinner) is not in his fifth or sixth year with the program.
Boise State lists 25 players on the defensive two-deep depth chart, and 16 of them are in at least their fourth year of college football.
“Talent is talent,” Avalos said. “Having experience is one thing but using it is another.”
Air Force coach Troy Calhoun noted the experience on Boise State’s defense last week prior to playing the Broncos. He pointed to all four starting defensive linemen being at least fifth-year seniors.
“There are more than a couple (redshirts) on there,” Calhoun said of the depth chart. “When you are a RS with a junior after it, that doesn’t mean you are still 20. They are playing with different people than pretty much anybody they face.
“This isn’t the first year or the second year or the third year these guys have been there. They are extremely stout. They know exactly which gap they are supposed to be in. They just play with different guys.”
Boise State defensive line coach Frank Maile said this was “absolutely” one of the best defenses he’s ever been around.
Avalos credited the defensive line as a big reason by the Broncos have been so good against both the run and pass.
“It starts up front,” Avalos said. “To be good against the run it starts with the defensive front. You have to win at the line of scrimmage, and then in the passing game, you have to be able to get pressure on the quarterback.”
But like Danielson, Avalos is not ready to rest on their laurels just yet.
“We’ve seen in college football you can be one defense and be another the next week if not handled properly,” Avalos said. “We have to find ways that we can get better because teams will adjust and have answers. The teams we play in this conference have really good coaches, and good players, and they will see things we do to be successful and work to take those things away.”
Avalos praised Danielson for his work with the defense, saying, “He’s done a really good job.”
Danielson said the Broncos review the stats after the game as a team and focus on the following categories: stopping the run, eliminating explosive plays, third down and red zone.
The Broncos have been stellar in all four areas this season. Boise State leads the nation in fewest explosive plays allowed by a large margin, giving up just 43 plays of at least 10 yards this season (Ohio State is second at 54).
Maybe the scariest part of it all? Danielson and the defensive coaches think the group can be a lot better.
“We still have a long ways to go,” Danielson said. “I really believe we haven’t played our best football yet. You watch the film and the details of it and there’s still a lot to clean up. There’s still steps we need to make. But the way they are playing and how hard they are playing and playing for each other, I am really proud of that.”
Added Maile, “There’s more still in the tank for us. We feel like we haven’t played four quarters at a high level yet. It’s been solid but there’s still more in the tank and the kids understand that and they are still hungry to finish a game with four quarters.”
Boise State should be in for another big day defensively on Saturday. Colorado State comes to town with one of the worst offenses in the country, ranking No. 127 of 131 teams in total offense at just 267.1 yards per game.
So where does this defense rank among some of the best defenses in program history? The Broncos have something special going, but eight games still remain to solidify their legacy.
“From an overall defense perspective in regards to how elite this defense is, I love this group,” Danielson said. “And we’ll see exactly where we’re at at the end of the season.”
Kick off Saturday is set for 5 p.m. from Albertsons Stadium and the game will air nationally on FOX Sports 1.
