The Boise State football team is 9-1, leading the Mountain West Conference and on a path to reach the 12-team College Football Playoff for the first time in school history.
But Boise State coach Spencer Danielson made one thing clear Monday: the winning won’t continue if the play on special teams doesn’t improve.
The Broncos rank amongst the worst in the country in several different special teams units and their one loss – a 37-34 loss at Oregon – can directly be attributed to special teams. The Broncos outgained the Ducks but gave up both a kick and punt return for a touchdown.
Special teams were an issue last year – which is why Demario Warren was demoted and the Broncos convinced Stacy Collins to leave Penn State to return to Boise State and take over as special teams coordinator.
It hasn’t improved yet.
“I believe coach Collins is one of the best special teams coordinators in the country,” Danielson said. “I believed that when we hired him and I believe that now through 10 games. We have played very inconsistent on special teams and it’s not to the standard. It’s not just me saying that. I know coach Collins would say that as well.
“We’ve got to find guys on all four of our units. They have to make the plays they should make. … That’s on us as coaches though, too. Me, coach Collins – it’s not on the young men. We have to find guys who can get it done. We’ve been very inconsistent. I’m not trying to run from it. We have to be better because how we’ve played on special teams will cost us football games if we don’t get it fixed.”
Boise State stretched the budget to get Collins to leave Penn State and gave him a deal worth $350,000 annually – the largest commitment ever for a non-offensive or defensive coordinator. It was a seen as an overly positive move at the time – and probably will still prove to be so.
But to this point, the move hasn’t paid off.
“I’m unwavering in how much I believe in coach Collins, our special teams units, our players, and our specialists,” Danielson said. “We’ve got more than enough in regards to our specialists, but we need to kick the ball better. There’s some times in the game where we wanted to kick it left and we didn’t kick it that way so I have to work to get it fixed.
“Just because we won the game, you don’t ever leave a game ‘oh its great we won the game.’ No there’s a lot of stuff on that tape that we have to get fixed in all three phases, but especially on special teams.”
A big problem has started on kick off, where Boise State has tried three different kickers with less than desired results. Boise State ranks 119th out of 134 FBS teams at 59.27 yards per kick off. The Broncos also rank 99th in touchback percentage at just 42.3 percent.
Boise State has also had four kickoffs go out of bounds, which is tied for third-most in the country.
“We’ve had consistent issues kicking the ball where we need to on kick off,” Danielson said. “Kicking it to create touchbacks is obviously the goal, but even in regards to location. Every week in practice it’s a competition. Even during a game if it’s not what it should be we’re going to make moves.
“I believe in our specialists, I know we have more than enough. We have to find guys who can consistently kick the ball where it needs to and create more touchbacks. It hasn’t been consistent enough.”
Jarrett Reeser has statistically been Boise State’s best kickoff man, but for some reason hasn’t been used the most. Reeser is averaging 64.9 yards per kick off and has 13 touchbacks in 24 chances (54.1 percent).
Taren Schive has double the chances and is averaging less yards per kick (61.2) and has a worse touchback percentage (20 of 49, 40.8 percent).
Both got chances during Saturday’s game at San Jose State, and both struggled. Danielson said Boise State’s goal is a touchback on every kick off. The Broncos had just one in seven attempts against the Spartans.
“Every time – I want it every single time if we can get it done, and we haven’t been able to get it done,” Danielson said. “We have to find ways. Nobody is going to feel sorry for us. That’s the reality of what we’ve got. We’re going to find ways every week to kick it out of the end zone, and if we can’t, we have to be intentional to make sure we can cover these kicks.”
Asked if that meant simply trying to find someone with a stronger leg to kick it deeper, Danielson said, “Absolutely. And I promise you we will work to get that fixed.”
Danielson also referenced an issue being kicks going to the wrong side of the field, causing Boise State’s coverage team to be out of position.
“It’s pretty much as simple as that,” Danielson said. “We also have 11 guys who have to have some awareness where the return is going and make plays.”
Another problem? Tackling. According to Pro Football Focus Boise State has missed 18 tackles on special teams, which ranks 11th in the Mountain West.
“On one of the big returns Saturday we missed him three times in regards to a tackle,” Danielson said. “(Kaonohi Kaniho) made a big-time tackle on the sideline or else that thing had a shot to go the distance.
“We have to be better and once again, I don’t put that on the players. That’s on us as coaches, that’s on men first and foremost as the head coach and on Stacy Collins as the special teams coordinator, but we have to get it fixed.”
Boise State ranks 99th in opponents kick return yards at 22.1 per return. It’s been even worse when Boise State punts – the Broncos rank 131st at 17.89 yards per punt return. The Broncos are one of just four teams in the country to give up both a kick and punt return for touchdowns – and they came in the same game at Oregon.
According to Pro Football Focus, Boise State’s defensive starting field position the Broncos’ own 28 yard line, which ranks 87th nationally.
“We have to be more consistent and we can’t lose the field position battle like we have,” Danielson said. “And we for sure can’t give the ball away like we did.”
Ball security has also been an issue of late. Boise State muffed a punt and a kick against Nevada, and Cameron Bates’ fumble on a kick off Saturday at San Jose State nearly put the Broncos in a 21-0 hole.
“Can’t happen,” Danielson said. “It’s a huge play in the game. We have to play with way better ball security. Yes he was hit a little bit but that ball dang near just falls out. Can’t happen.”
Even Boise State’s preseason All-American candidates at kicker and punter have struggled this year. Punter James Ferguson-Reynolds, who led the nation in punting last season at 49.73 yards per punt, is down to just 43.20 yards this season in 25 punts – which would be 36th nationally if he hadn’t missed games due to injury and had enough attempts to qualify.
“I believe in James and James is a big-time punter, but we have to get some of the hang time and some of the location better there too,” Danielson said.
Kicker Jonah Dalmas, who is approaching the NCAA record for made field goals, missed a short 34-yard attempt on Saturday. He’s 10 for 12 on field goals this season after going 24 of 27 last season.
The miss was a crucial one on Saturday as it kept Boise State’s lead at 28-21 early in the fourth quarter.
“Jonah has to make that field goal,” Danielson said. “I believe in him. Games on the line we’re putting Jonah Dalmas out there to kick it, but he needs to make those kicks and there’s no one more excited to make sure he does that than himself. That’s what you love about Jonah. He’s a leader of our team.”
Boise State has won games in previous years due to special teams. This year it’s already cost them one.
The Broncos have struggled across the board on special teams. They are hoping things improve soon.
“In all parts of our special teams we have to be better,” Danielson said. “Starting with me, starting with how we coach it, guys on all those units, from the specialists to the guys who are covering or blocking because it’s been way too inconsistent. You lose football games in November and December if we don’t play better on special teams.”
