The first open scrimmage of the Harsin era at Boise State was different, for a lot of reasons. The practice was open to the BSU faculty and students and the groups were also offered a tour of the new football facility. Harsin also reorganized the day to include Junior Day for recruits and their families to get an in depth look at the program. It paid off as 4 star Qb Brett Rypien and Pocatello LB Kyler Manu both gave a verbal to the school. Harsin will do it again next Saturday. The previous staff had juniors in but didn’t put them on display as much as they did Saturday. Other differences were the students being invited to participate in an on field promotion before the scrimmage began, an enthusiastic welcome to the crowd by Coach Harsin, cheerleaders, concessions, and most noticeably, loud contemporary music during the entire practice. It was a marketing machine type affair.
Most of us though came to see the newest edition of the Boise State team. It is always difficult to evaluate a team scrimmage because for every good play there is a bad one.
I, though, came away with a tremendous feeling about the play making ability of the group.
For me, I don’t care who they beat on a given play. Last season this team lacked explosiveness.
This practice they showed some. Here is a position group look at what stood out to me:
DB: Cleshawn Page and Corey Bell took interceptions to the house; this team desperately needs turnovers for points. Bell also was disruptive in the backfield and had a sack. Freshman Dylan Sumner-Gardner, DSG, was a beast at times with an interception, a few big hits and a few other tackles. He also made an error in the end zone on a pass interference but he is only 18. Dillon Lukehart made a big hit and had a key pass break up.
LB: Freshman Joe Martarano made a few plays at the end of the scrimmage to announce his candidacy for playing time. Wouldn’t that be nice?
DL: Beau Martin and Armand Nance had sacks. Gabe Perez made 2 nice TFLs, one on Jay Ajayi and had a huge goal line stop on Derrick Thomas. Nick Terry showed promise with a sack. On a 2nd down play Tyler Horn got in the backfield to disrupt things and followed that up on 3rd and long with QB pressure beating OT Steven Baggett to kill the drive. DE Sam Mccaskill dominated at times with a TFL on Thomas and a sack on Finley. The group was productive and disruptive not absent like last season at times.
RB: Not a great day but I have way more confidence in Fields and Demas to get the job done in relief of Ajayi. Thomas looks a step slow. Ajayi runs like a bull in a china shop and ripped off some impressive ones.
WR: Miller made an acrobatic 25 yard catch and is solid. I was most impressed by Dallas Burroughs who made a long ball catch proving that he could be the answer this offense desperately needs to stretch the defense. Troy Ware caught balls instead of dropping them when he was open. And Shane Williams- Rhodes proved he can catch the ball in traffic when he tight roped a sideline catch, didn’t drop a punt and had a huge double reverse run.
TE: Were used in short to intermediate routes but didn’t stand out much and will need to improve their blocking skills. They were also the only motion package Harsin really showed.
OL: Not unusual for the O line to be behind the D line this early. I don’t expect much from this group til the opener in August. They will also benefit from a thicker play book to keep the defense honest.
QB: Hedrick had some great runs and throws and showed enough playmaking skills to keep me wanting more from him. Finley looked lost at times and Stuart just doesn’t seem ready at all to me. This group needs much more time but if Hedrick doesn’t turn the ball over he has enough skill to compliment the rest of the offense.
For an early spring scrimmage, it had plenty of fireworks and this team needs it.
