SEATTLE, Wash. – There were no short, condescending answers, no ‘no comments’ or ‘next questions’ and no stare downs of reporters from Andy Avalos after Saturday’s 56-19 loss at No. 10 Washington.
Instead Boise State’s third-year coach sat in a poorly lit, makeshift press conference room and answered questions respectfully, thoroughly and confidently for more than 13 minutes Saturday after his worst margin of victory as head coach.
Last year’s UTEP debacle was more embarrassing but, statistically, the 37-point loss was the worst defeat for Boise State since a 63-23 loss at Louisiana Tech back in 1998. That night 25 years ago was also the last time a Boise State defense gave up more points in regulation than the 56 scored by the Huskies.
But instead of taking out his frustration on reporters (as has happened in the past), Avalos took the questions – including at least one which directly challenged his explanation during a previous answer about why the Broncos didn’t run the ball more – and did his best to convey a sense of calmness and optimism for what’s ahead.
“We’ve got an unbelievable team that is going to be able to grow into a good team,” Avalos said. “Being able to draw from dthese experiences today and this first opportunity is going to be huge for us.”
Avalos was by no means OK with the loss or the manner in which it happened, but he chose to point to several positives and encouraging signs that bode well for the rest of the season – when the Broncos aren’t playing the No. 10 team in the country on the road.
“We got off to a solid start in this game,” Avalos said. “It was nicer to see the guys came out of the locker room both halves, and to start the game, and I was excited with how we were playing at the line of scrimmage.
“I was really exited about how we were competing in all three phases, but when you’re playing the No. 10 team in the country on the road, there’s got to be a level of consistency. And when the sun comes up (Sunday), we’re going to work on building that.”
A few positives Avalos rightfully pointed to? First was the offensive line, which started two freshmen in a hostile road environment but allowed just one sack and didn’t commit any penalties. Left tackle Kage Casey and right guard Roger Carreon looked like they belonged against one of the better defensive lines the Broncos will face all season – a good sign for the future.
“I was excited to see how our offensive line competed,” Avalos said. “We had a couple freshmen playing for us against a very big front that has some experience back. That’s something we can draw from and continue to build forward it.”
Boise State’s new-look defensive line also played well at times. The Broncos got a rare sack on Michael Penix Jr. (he was only sacked five times last year) and allowed just 78 rushing yards on 19 carries.
“I was excited about how the defensive front played in the run game,” Avalos said. “They were very stout in the run game which obviously pushed Washington into the pass game.”
James Ferguson-Reynolds averaged 52 yards on seven punts and showed big improvement from a year ago. He ranks No. 5 nationally in punt yardage through one week, but would have led the nation with a 54.8 average had he not lost 19 yards when a perfect punt was mishandled at the 1 and went into the end zone for a touchback.
I get it, it’s never a good thing when one of the positives was the punter – but its worth nothing and is solid development from last season.
Maybe the biggest positive was Ashton Jeanty. The sophomore had 153 total yards and two touchdowns, pulling in two long receptions on screen plays (including a 50-yard touchdown) and added 44 rushing yards and a score on 10 carries.
Boise State ran the ball pretty effectively as a team – they averaged 4.9 yards per carry on 28 attempts – but the problem was the 28 attempts. The Broncos got away from the run in the second quarter – even as Taylen Green had a stretch of 10 straight incompletions.
“We ran the ball well but we didn’t have as many attempts obviously as we would have liked to,” Avalos said.
The reason, according to Avalos, was the lopsided score and the Broncos needing to pass. But I followed up by telling him the first-half numbers (24 passes to 13 runs) with the game still within reach, and he answered without really answering it.
“I was excited about what we did, we were able to move the ball offensively early on,” Avalos said. “I wouldn’t take anything away from what we were doing through that first quarter and early on in the second quarter.”
I’m still not sure what went on there – Taylen Green had just five rushes and should have ran at least twice that – but we’ll move on. The point is the running game and Jeanty looked good – and that’s a good sign.
As for Green’s struggles – he was just 19 of 39 for 244 yards and a touchdown to go along with two interceptions – Avalos didn’t seem worried one bit.
“Taylen is going to be able to grow and learn from this and Taylen is going to have a good year,” Avalos said.
Another positive Avalos pointed to: The Broncos also got valuable experience for some players moving into bigger roles, particularly on defense, which will pay off against UCF and beyond.
“We knew coming into the season we have some guys who have played a fair amount of football but it is going to take getting some experience and seeing exactly what it takes to be successful when you’re playing elite talent,” Avalos said.
Avalos said the Broncos were close to making a number of plays on both sides of the ball and that when they watch the tape, “we’re going to see that we’re right there.”
Boise State gave up 568 yards to the Huskies – including 490 passing yards – and had no turnovers on defense. It was a less than optimal start for a group trying to overcome the loss of several impact players including NFL Draft picks JL Skinner and Scott Matlock.
But Avalos, again showing poise and a big-picture approach, isn’t overly concerned just yet.
“We’ve had very successful defenses here and this defense will grow into a defense that is very competitive,” Avalos said. “I love these guys. I love the secondary. And that’s why I say I’m excited to get back to it and work on improving things because it’s a group that cares. These are great young men.”
The stats weren’t pretty. The final score was downright ugly and deflating. But the Broncos have 11 regular season games left, all of which are winnable. Heck, the Broncos weren’t even supposed to keep it close Saturday. Boise State entered as a two-touchdown underdog.
Find a way to beat UCF in the home opener on Saturday and the season is back on track. As bad as Saturday was, all hope wasn’t lost. A Mountain West title, a big-time bowl game, a 10-plus win season? All remain right there for the taking.
And Avalos knows it.
“By no means – the end result today is not the standard,” Avalos said. “But the way we ended the first half, the way we started, there’s some things within there we can build off of and build a level consistency in all three phases that will help us in our next opportunity.
“We have a team that will respond. We have team that when the sun comes up tomorrow we’re going to be ready to work and grow and jump in the film room and get those cleats back in the grass and work to create that level of consistency for our next opportunity.”
