Boise State Broncos @ Georgia Bulldogs Football Preview

College football is at a stage that is different from what it has ever known. The conference long thought to be particularly static and traditional (the Pac-10, which clung to its Rose Bowl lock-in with the Big Ten instead of embracing a playoff) has led the sport into what could become a series of seismic shifts. In such a strange world, the coach of an SEC team has stated that his team needs to play a small school from Idaho to raise its profile and get the program back to where it wants to be. Georgia coach Mark Richt is convinced that a game against Boise State University will get his team back in the national discussion. What’s remarkable about Richt’s statement is not (just) that he uttered it in the first place; it’s that his statement isn’t that far-fetched at all. It just might be entirely accurate.

After many changes in the college football landscape since its original commitment to the league in June of 2010, Boise State will finally be taking the field as a member of the Mountain West Conference.   Led by coach Chris Petersen, whose career record at Boise State is 61-5, the Broncos are the class of non-AQ football alongside TCU. (The Horned Frogs, of course, will cease to be a non-AQ team next year when they join the Big East.) Boise State is led by senior signal caller Kellen Moore, who has quietly crafted one of the best careers in the history of the sport. In three seasons, Moore has posted a 38-2 record, a 68 percent completion rate, almost 11,000 passing yards, and a 99-to-19 touchdown-to-interception rate. Joining Moore will be Doug Martin, the wrecking ball nicknamed the “Muscle Hamster,” who rushed for 1,260 yards and 12 touchdowns a year ago. The biggest question for the Boise State offense will be if Moore can find replacements for (now-)NFL receivers Titus Young and Austin Pettis. While eyes are on Geraldo Goldewijn to step up, one should also expect Boise State to distribute the ball to backs and tight ends more than it did last season.

Boise State ’s defense has been a largely unheralded part of its success; this is a defense that ranked second in both yards and points allowed. A defense that has become a proven commodity will face a Georgia offense that was average in 2010. Despite that so-so offense, Georgia was still a tough out against most teams due to a defense that finished 23rd in yards allowed and helped the Bulldogs attain the 19th-best turnover margin in the nation. Georgia’s offensive woes may continue this year, at least early in the season. Despite the return of quarterback Aaron Murray from a 3,000-plus-yard passing season, Georgia has lost much on offense. Both star receiver A.J. Green and second-leading receiver Kris Durham have gone to the NFL, and the running back position is a revolving door. Last year’s leading rushers are gone: Washaun Ealey was given release to transfer after his second suspension, and Caleb King is academically ineligible to play this season. It’s not unreasonable to think the Georgia offense could struggle. The Bulldogs will need Kwame Geathers and the defensive line to clog Boise’s run game and force receivers to step up for Moore and the passing game. If they can, this should be a four-quarter-long battle in the Georgia Dome. If not, Boise State will make another opening-week statement against a big-name opponent.

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By: Brett Hein
DFN Sports Staff Writer