Boise State Football’s Next Big Challenge

Boise State football has completed its second spring practice under Coach Andy Avalos. Last week's spring game reviews echo what we saw last season: the offense struggled, and the defense excelled. Avalos will stick with the previous year's two coordinators.

Will we see the same results as last year? The new coaching staff has more experience than the previous one. Fans will expect the Broncos to win the Mountain West. The more the team wins, the more money flows into the university.

Boise State University needs the football team to qualify and win a New Year's Six Bowl Game. Not only are those games highly lucrative, but the added exposure would lead to more students enrolling at Boise State. More students mean more money for the university.

The Broncos begin the season with a dangerous Oregon State team at Corvallis. However, the Beavers' offensive line is in transition, which should help the Bronco's defense control the game's tempo. The Broncos do not have a lot of big-name show-stealing opponents that bring national media attention.

Boise State's season of success or failure will be how well the team performs in October. The Broncos face four familiar foes that have beaten the team in the last few years. October begins with home games against San Diego State and Fresno State. A road trip to Air Force and a home game against Colorado end the month. The BYU match up is in the first week of November. The last game is at home with Utah State.