Who will Boise State’s QB be? Plough says ‘probably the (other) players’ will decide

Boise State offensive coordinator Tim Plough has a list of chores to get done in his new house before his family joins him from California, but football is never far from his mind.

The defense got the better of Plough’s offense on April 10 in the annual spring game, but the architect of UC Davis’ potent passing attack saw enough from his new team to head into the summer feeling optimistic.

Struggles are to be expected as the Broncos try to master a scheme full of new terminology, which Plough said Wednesday contains more than 200 signals that players have to memorize.

“The operation of what we’re doing offensively is such a departure from what they’ve done in the past,” Plough told reporters on Wednesday. “In the spring game, which was a tough day for us, a lot of it had to do with the operation before the snap even started.”

Boise State’s defense racked up seven sacks and three interceptions on the way to a convincing win in the spring game. Here’s a look at what Plough feels like his unit did well and where it still needs work.

Who will start at QB?

The question on everyone’s mind is who will be the starting quarterback in the season opener Sept. 4 at UCF. The answer probably won’t be known until a couple of weeks into fall camp, which is scheduled to begin in early August, according to Plough.

The coach said Wednesday that the starter should be announced by then to ensure that he gets adequate reps in practice. He also said returning starter Hank Bachmeier and USC transfer Jack Sears are still neck and neck.

Bachmeier took the opening snaps with the starters in the spring game, and he went on to complete 15-of-26 passes for 158 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Sears finished 11-of-20 for 146 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.

“Obviously, we didn’t perform the way we wanted to in the spring game,” Plough said. “I thought both guys had some glimpses, but they were obviously both really pressing. Two of the interceptions were not really good decisions, and they were both forcing some things trying to make some plays.”

Plough wasn’t surprised at their struggles. He said they’re both learning a new system that demands more from the quarterback than they’re used to.

“They’ve got to handle the protections, they’ve got to handle all the presnap communication, they have to audible a lot at the line of scrimmage,” he said. “We demand a lot out of them because we train them in an NFL style. That’s all new for them.”

Like their teammates, Bachmeier and Sears will have most of May off to head home, visit family and work out on their own. They’ll be back on campus for voluntary workouts and player-run practices June 1.

Plough and his staff taught the players many of the drills they’ll use during player-run practices, but NCAA rules don’t allow coaches to take part. So leadership from the quarterback on the field will be more important than ever.

“The guys who are going to decide who the starting quarterback is, is probably the players,” Plough said. “The guy that they gravitate towards, and the guy they want to be led by.”

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Wide receivers

Plough said the position group he was most impressed with this spring was the wide receivers, and the best part is that he didn’t get to see its most talented member, Khalil Shakir, do much of anything while he rehabbed from offseason surgery.

“Those guys are a talented group,” he said. “Some of them haven’t gotten much run in the past, but with how we use the receivers now, I think a lot of guys are going to get the opportunity to make plays, other than just Shaq.”

As has become a theme this spring, Plough mentioned redshirt junior Stef Cobbs as a candidate to have a breakout year. He caught two passes for 53 yards in the spring game, and he got behind the defense several times on passes that fell incomplete because they were just a bit off the mark.

“I would be shocked if Stef Cobbs doesn’t have a really good year,” Plough said.

McClaine Griffin led the receivers in the spring game with four catches for 58 yards, while fellow redshirt junior Billy Bowens added three grabs for 56 yards and a touchdown, and redshirt sophomore Shea Whiting had three catches for 33 yards.

“I’m really excited about (the wide receiver) group as a whole,” Plough said. “There’s not much drop-off if you lose a guy, and we have a lot of guys who can make plays for us.”

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Dependable depth needed

Plough mentioned some position groups where the Broncos need to continue building depth, and he began with running back.

The spring game was returning starter George Holani’s first extended action since he suffered a leg injury last October at Air Force, and Plough said the staff wanted to give him a heavy workload.

That mission was accomplished. Holani was still in the game late in the fourth quarter, and he finished with 11 carries for 56 yards — including a 24-yard burst — and also caught one pass.

Plough said Holani wasn’t on the field for the first few practices this spring, but one day he showed up and was impossible to miss.

“Physically, he’s extremely elusive, he’s a tough runner and he makes the first guy miss most of the time,” Plough said. “George is a special player.”

The problem is the Broncos didn’t get much out of the rest of the backfield in the spring game.

Andrew Van Buren, who carried the load while Holani was out last season, ran the ball just four times for 12 yards. Walk-on Tyler Crowe was the Broncos’ second-leading rusher with 29 yards on six carries, and junior college transfer Taequan Tyler didn’t even play.

“Andrew Van Buren is a guy who’s really dependable in our opinion, but we need to get a third and a fourth guy at that position,” Plough said.

He’s hoping Oregon transfer Cyrus Habibi-Likio will step up. The 6-foot-1, 215-pounder was used primarily as a short-yardage back by the Ducks, but Plough said he has more to offer.

“He’s a super explosive kid and a downhill runner,” Plough said. “I don’t think he’s gotten enough credit for some of the other stuff he does well, like catching the ball out of the backfield.”

Plough said the Broncos also need to continue to develop depth at tight end behind Riley Smith and on the offensive line, where he said redshirt sophomore Ben Dooley shined at right tackle in the spring game.

“He hasn’t played a whole bunch, but man is he talented, and the more reps he gets, he has a chance to be a good player for us,” Plough said.

What’s next?

The next big date coming up on every coach’s calendar is June 1. That’s not only the day players can begin returning to campus for workouts, but it also marks the end of the NCAA’s recruiting dead period.

Coaches haven’t been able to evaluate or meet with recruits in person for more than a year, but in June, players can begin taking visits and coaches can hit the road for camps and meetings across the country.

One big change this year, according to Plough, is that players can actually work out for coaches for one hour during an unofficial visit.

“We want to get as many guys on campus as possible,” Plough said. “This is a wonderful place, and you can’t really explain it on Zoom.”

Leno Jr. signs with Washington

Former Boise State offensive lineman Charles Leno Jr. wasn’t a free agent for long. Leno was released by the Bears on May 3, and he signed with Washington on Wednesday.

The 29-year-old played left tackle for the Bears, started 93 consecutive games and made the Pro Bowl as an alternate in 2018. He signed a four-year, $37 million contract extension in 2017.

The former seventh-round pick will likely start at left tackle for Washington, which cycled three different players at the position last season.