Boise State Football 2012 Bowl Capsule


Boise State Broncos
Mountain West

 

Over the last three years Boise State had beaten three straight ranked teams in their season opener. In 2012 that streak ended at the hands of Michigan State. That loss left the Broncos off of the national radar for the most part. Just when Boise State was starting to garner some much deserved attention, they fell at home to San Diego State. Even with the losses, this is talented Boise State team that, as usual, can beat anybody on any given day.

2012 Record: 10-2, 7-1
Coach: Chris Petersen
Coach Bowl Record: 4-2

Big Wins: 9/20 BYU (7-6), 10/13 Fresno State (20-10)
Bad Losses: 8/31 at Michigan State (13-17), 11/3 San Diego State (19-21)

Strengths:
Boise State has had some great offensive players over the years, but the defense deserves the accolades in 2012. Defensive end Demarcus Lawrence is a big hitter who spends a lot of time in the backfield. Lawrence has had a great season after transferring in from the junior college ranks and the sophomore is still improving. Quarterbacks will start having nightmares about him soon. Redshirt freshman Samuel Ukwuachu has not had as much production as Lawrence, but he is a nice complimentary rusher from the other end. The linebackers, led by J.C. Percy, are a talented and versatile group. There are options for Coach Chris Petersen that can get into the backfield or drop back and help out in coverage. And it is in coverage where this team really shines. The Mountain West is full of quality passing teams, but Boise State has shut just about everybody down, allowing about 160 yards per game through the air. That ranks fourth in the nation. Cornerback Jamar Taylor leads a deep secondary and keep an eye out for sophomore strong safety Jeremy Ioane.

Weaknesses:
Boise State’s offense has not been bad, but they certainly have not lived up to their own expectations either. Junior signal caller Joe Southwick has had a solid, albeit unspectacular, season. Southwick has a high completion percentage and will make smart decisions. He is rarely sacked and will not force too many throws. But he is no Kellen Moore. Nor does he have a Tyler Shoemaker to throw the ball to. Matt Miller and Kirby Moore are capable receivers, but the numbers are way down without Kellen Moore. That would leave one to believe that the ground game is doing a bit more. That is not really the case. D.J. Harper has done a good job stepping into the starting role and has put up decent numbers, but he is not making up for the lack of a dynamic passing attack. However, this is a team that can score some points when all is going well. The defense will help with their ability to create turnovers. Thus, the offense does not always need to go 80 yards to find the end zone and that is why the offense can take a significant step back while the team keeps winning.

Statistical Leaders:
Rushing: D.J. Harper, RB, 1,065 yards
Passing: Joe Southwick, QB, 2,466 yards
Receiving: Matt Miller, WR, 679 yards
Tackles: J.C. Percy, LB, 101
Sacks: Demarcus Lawrence, DE, 9.5
Interceptions: Jamar Taylor, CB, 3; Darian Thompson, S, 3

2012 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 169.27 (55th in nation, 5th in conference)
Passing Offense: 216.73 (82, 5)
Total Offense: 386.00 (79, 6)
Scoring Offense: 30.73 (49, 4)
Rushing Defense: 133.45 (29, 1)
Pass Defense: 159.82 (4, 1)
Total Defense: 293.27 (8, 1)
Scoring Defense: 14.36 (5, 1)
Turnover Margin: 1.55 (4, 1)
Sacks: 2.82 (18, 2)
Sacks Allowed: .73 (6, 2)

Recent Bowl Appearances:
2011    Las Vegas Bowl    Arizona State (56-24)
2010    Las Vegas Bowl    Utah (26-3)
2009    Fiesta Bowl        TCU (17-10)
2008    Poinsettia Bowl    TCU (16-17)
2007    Hawaii Bowl        East Carolina (38-41)

*all team stats through 11/24

 

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