Presented by TURN RIGHT SERVICES.
Wednesday Weekly…January 7, 2026.
UCLA transfer Dylan Andrews replaced Alvaro Cardenas at point guard at Boise State this season. No one expected Andrews to keep pace with Cardenas’ assists—Cardenas is the school single-season record-holder in that category. But the Broncos need Andrews to make shots tonight against Grand Canyon. The jumper Andrews missed at the end of regulation at San Diego State could happen to anybody. It was in-and-out at an extremely high-drama moment. But over the past five games he is 7-for-39 from the field. Andrews shot 38 percent last season for the Bruins, and 39 and 43 percent the two seasons before that. Not stellar, but right now Boise State would take it. Andrews has been a plus defensively, and he’s still aggressive at the other end. Hopefully the ball will start falling for him.
NOW YOU SEE ‘EM, THEN YOU WON’T
Who is this Grand Canyon team Boise State will see tonight in ExtraMile Arena? The two programs have only played twice—a home-and-home series in 2017 and 2018 that saw each team win at home. And just like that, the Broncos and Antelopes are playing a conference game. The Mountain West added GCU seemingly spur of the moment six months ago, effectively sticking it to the five schools that were leaving the MW for the Pac-12. So here the Lopes are, squeezed into everybody’s schedule. Men’s basketball has long been Grand Canyon’s calling card. The ‘Lopes have something the Broncos don’t: a win in the NCAA Tournament (that came just two years ago over Saint Mary’s). GCU is 8-5 and 1-1 in conference. Its best win is a 10-point victory over Utah.
VIEJAS ARENA AFTERMATH
When you look at the Mountain West standings in men’s hoops, you see Boise State in a tie for seventh at 1-2. That’s the bottom line, unfortunately. But that doesn’t tell the tale of what we saw last Saturday at San Diego State. When the Broncos went comatose during a 28-3 Aztecs run in the first half and fell behind by 24 points, there were two ways this team had gone. They could have played for pride, or they could still play to win. It was the latter we saw, of course, in the epic 110-107 triple-overtime loss that may have been the best Mountain West game ever played. And Boise State actually coulda and shoulda won. You can question some tactics, especially in the OTs, but you can’t question the culture or character of the Broncos’ program. A lot of teams would have mailed it in.
WHY I LIKE BRIAN DUTCHER
Here’s what the San Diego State coach had to say at SI.com after his team’s tense win Saturday night. “Boise State versus San Diego State is an instant classic,” Dutcher said. “I’ve been through enough of them in 20-some years, and Coach (Leon) Rice has been there for 16. You should never expect anything less than tonight’s game. Both programs are super competitive and super tough-minded. When we were ahead at halftime, I told the guys that if we were down 21, I would still feel we were in the game, and trust me, they do too. They’re a good team, and it’s a game of runs, so they’re going to go on a run. I didn’t want them to go on a run all the way back and tie the game, but that’s what happened.” He’s always been class. Now on to Grand Canyon tomorrow night.
MARSHALL & HIS MIXED BAG
There’s still a little bit of movement into the transfer portal as guys start coming out. Going in Tuesday it was Boise State’s Chris Marshall, who was going to be the Broncos’ top returning pass-catcher. And oh is that a topic of conversation. Marshall made some dazzling catches, but he was plagued by egregious drops (and, occasionally, alligator arms). The one-time five-star recruit had 30 grabs for 574 yards and two touchdowns this past season, and as he departs, out of the portal comes 6-2 wideout Darren Morris from Southern University. Morris’s numbers were very similar: 27 receptions for 508 yards and four touchdowns for the Jaguars. A lot of newness in the wide receivers room, as a new coach will take over for Matt Miller. Still awaiting an official announcement—Bronco Nation News reports that it’s Alvis Whitted.
The first portal person to come aboard at Boise State was Logan Brantley, a linebacker from Kansas. Brantley, a 6-2, 225-pounder, was a sophomore for the Jayhawks last season, so he has two years of eligibility remaining. Also aboard are Caden Kellow, a long snapper from Weber State, and Mikaio Edward, a defensive tackle from Central Washington. Edward logged seven sacks this past season. Central Washington, you ask? You never know when and where the next Trinidad Chambliss will materialize.
THE STAFF DEPARTURES
Churn among assistant coaches in college football is natural, especially at the Group of 6 level. So the sky is certainly not falling at Boise State with Miller long gone to Washington State and Tyler Stockton now off to Michigan. As respected a Bronco as Miller is (he is, after all, the team’s career receptions leader), something new in the beleaguered wide receivers room isn’t all bad. And Stockton to Michigan as safeties coach? Good for him. That’s massive upward mobility. And it validates the hiring of Stockton at Boise State in the first place.
GROSS BACK TO FAMILIAR GROUND
One prominent Idaho high school football coach kind of went in the portal last weekend. And Fruitland High’s Jordan Gross has left one alma mater for another. Gross, who capped four seasons at Fruitland by taking the 10-1 Grizzlies to the 4A semifinals last fall, will be joining Morgan Scalley’s staff at Utah as offensive line coach. As a Ute a quarter century ago, Gross was a consensus All-American tackle and an Outland Trophy finalist in 2002. He was the No. 8 overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft and played 11 seasons for the Carolina Panthers, with one trip to the Super Bowl. Gross was named to the Pro Bowl three times in his career. Treasure Valley high school football will miss that guy.
‘TANK’ CAN TASTE THE SUPER BOWL
There was one former Boise State Bronco named to the Pro Bowl this year. And it was the most veteran of guys, DeMarcus Lawrence, who’s been rejuvenated in Seattle. After 11 seasons in Dallas, Lawrence joined the Seahawks as a free agent and was a pivotal add, providing leadership to what is probably the NFL’s best defense. Lawrence recorded six sacks during the regular season and scored two touchdowns—both scoop-and-scores against the Arizona Cardinals. Meanwhile, Boise State great Ashton Jeanty, through it all with the moribund Raiders, did break the franchise record for yards from scrimmage by a rookie last Sunday, ending with 1,321. Jeanty was 25 yards short of a 1,000-yard rushing season.
GREENSBORO GARGOYLES, ANYONE?
The Idaho Steelheads had to get through their first two games of the new year without goaltender Ben Kraws, who was reassigned to the AHL’s Texas Stars last Friday. They got out of it with a split against Rapid City in Idaho Central Arena. Kraws is back with the Steelies now as they wrap up their homestand with a three-game series against the Greensboro Gargoyles beginning tonight. Kraws’ record with the Steelheads is 5-2-0, but the five wins all came in a row between November 28 and December 19. Kraws recorded a season-high 42 saves in a win over Wichita on December 14.
BODILY’S A BOISE GUY AGAIN
Athletic Club Boise has signed its first player as it preps for its USL League One debut two months from today. And it’s a notable local, Blake Bodily, originally from Eagle. Bodily, now 27, has nine years of pro experience. AC Boise coach Nate Miller calls Bodily one of his all-time favorites. He made news in 2021 when he made his MLS debut for the Portland Timbers, for whom he played parts of two seasons. He contributed an assist in a 2-1 win over Houston Dynamo FC, and it was the quickest assist in a player’s debut in Timbers franchise history. Bodily, who signed a three-year contract with AC Boise, spent the past two seasons with the Tampa Bay Rowdies of USL Championship (one pro level above Boise).
This Day In Sports…brought to you by BACON BOISE…fresh breakfast and brunch every day!
January 7, 2019: Two eminently familiar names in Idaho, Jake Plummer and Dennis Erickson, are announced as new inductees into the College Football Hall of Fame. Plummer, who grew up on Boise’s Hill Road and led Capital High to the 1991 state championship, was honored for his four years at Arizona State, capped by 1996 Pac-10 Player of the Year honors, an undefeated regular season and an appearance in the Rose Bowl. Erickson, who started his head coaching career at Idaho in 1982, went on to Wyoming, Washington State and Miami, where he won two national championships. He also coached college ball at Oregon State and Arizona State (with a one-year return to the Vandals in between).
(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment during the football season on KTVB’s Sunday Sports Extra and anchors four sports segments each weekday on 95.3 FM KTIK. He also served as color commentator on KTVB’s telecasts of Boise State football for 14 seasons.)
