No. 22 Broncos Open Season At Troy

Saturday, September 1

Troy, Ala.

4:00 p.m. MT

Boise State

Troy

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8/27/2018 11:07:00 AM | Football

Game Notes

By: Courtesy: Boise State Athletics

BOISE, Idaho - The Boise State football team, ranked 22nd in both the Associated Press and Coaches Polls, opens its 2018 campaign on the road against Troy, Saturday (Sept. 1). The Broncos and Trojans are slated to kick off at 4 p.m. (MT) at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Troy, Ala., and the game will be nationally televised on ESPNEWS.

THE SERIES: The Broncos and Trojans have met just once previously, last year at Albertsons Stadium in Boise. Boise State recorded a 24-13 victory to open the 2017 season (Sept. 2). Avery Williams, then a redshirt freshman, took his first-career punt return 81 yards for a touchdown, and the Bronco defense held the Trojans' offense out of the end zone. The only touchdown for Troy came via a 53-yard interception return from Blace Brown.

VS THE SUN BELT: Boise State is a perfect 7-0 against the Sun Belt, including road wins against Idaho (2001 and 2003) and Louisiana (2016).

SEASON OPENERS: Boise State is 35-15 all-time in season openers, including a mark of 10-7 when opening in its opponent's stadium. The last season opener on the road also came against a school from the Sun Belt, when the Broncos knocked off Louisiana (45-10), Sept. 3, 2016. The Broncos are opening a season against a Sun Belt team for the third-straight year (Louisiana in 2016, Troy in 2017), following seven-straight season openers against schools from the Autonomous Five. Boise State opened the 2009 season against Oregon, followed by Virginia Tech, Georgia, Michigan State, Washington, Ole Miss and Washington.

10-WIN SEASONS: Boise State has recorded a 10-win season 15 times since joining what is now known as the Football Bowl Subdivision in 1996, a mark that ranks second only to Ohio State (17).

RETURNING STARTERS: Boise State returns 18 starters from last year's team (six on offense, 10 on defense and two specialists), tied for the 11th-most in the country. The 16 returning position starters are the 10th-most entering 2018. The Broncos' 10 returning defensive starters are the most in the country.

#RYPITGOOD: Quarterback Brett Rypien will aim to cement himself among the top quarterbacks in Mountain West history this season, as last year he earned his third-career All-Mountain West honor, being named to the second team, after a strong eight-game stretch to close the season. Over that span, Rypien completed 63.7 percent of his passes (151-for237) for 2,159 yards, 14 touchdowns and just three interceptions. Rypien enters the 2018 campaign as the FBS active career leader in passing yardage at 9,876, and is just 2,815 yards shy of becoming the Mountain West's all-time leader (San Diego State's Ryan Lindley is the all-time leader at 12,690).

MATTISON GOING FOR BACK-TO-BACK 1,000-YARD CAMPAIGNS: Junior running back Alexander Mattison will aim this year to become the sixth Bronco running back since 2001 to record back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. With a 1,000-yard season in 2018, he would join the list that features Brock Forsey (2001-02), Ian Johnson (2006-07), Doug Martin (2010-11), Jay Ajayi (2013-14), and Jeremy McNichols (2015-16). Last year, Mattison, despite various nagging injuries, rushed for 1,086 yards and 12 touchdowns and averaged 5.1 yards a carry, being named All-Mountain West Honorable Mention. His season was highlighted by a career-best 242 rushing yards and three touchdowns, including a 70- yard scoring run, in Boise State's 59-52 overtime win at Colorado State on Nov. 11. He also made his mark in the passing game, catching 28 passes for 284 yards and a score. This year, Mattison was named to the Preseason All-Mountain West Team in addition to the preseason watch list for the Doak Walker Award, given annually to college football's top running back.

PLENTY RETURNING ON DEFENSE: Boise State returns 10 starters and plenty in reserve on a defense which ranked 22nd in the country last season allowing just 332.6 yards per game. A key loss from the defense from a year ago was redshirt junior linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, the team's leading tackler (141) and the 2017 Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year. Vander Esch, who led or shared the team lead with four forced fumbles and three interceptions, chose to forego his fi nal season of eligibility in 2018 and entered the NFL Draft, where he was selected 19th overall by the Dallas Cowboys. Returning the The Blue, however, are 10 starters which includes 2017 All-Mountain West selections STUD Jabril Frazier (33 tackles, 6.0 sacks, 6.5 tackles-for-loss in 2017), and defensive ends David Moa (21 tackles, 2.0 sacks) and Durrant Miles (33 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 6.0 TFL) up front. Adding depth up front is STUD Curtis Weaver (33 tackles, 11.0 sacks, 13.0 TFL), who was named to the All-Mountain West First Team and to the Freshman All-America Teams of USA TODAY and the FWAA. First-team All-Mountain West pick Tyler Horton (two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, 11 pass breakups) teams up with Avery Williams (two interceptions, eight pass breakups) at the corners, while safeties and All-Mountain West picks Kekoa Nawahine (108 tackles, 4.5 TFL, three interceptions) and DeAndre Pierce (83 tackles, 4.0 TFL, one interception) man a young and talented secondary which also features sophomore nickel Kekaula Kaniho (6.5 TFL, two defensive touchdowns). At linebacker, 2017 All-Mountain West Honorable Mention Tyson Maeva (84 tackles, 2.5 TFL) will anchor the group.