When a team fires an offensive coordinator before the midway point of the season, it can usually mean one of two things – (1) the offense was lousy, or (2) it was a desperate move looking to shake things up.
For Boise State, it appears both reasons were at play.
A day after last week’s dispirited 27-10 loss at UTEP, second-year coach Andy Avalos, a former linebacker at Boise State, announced that he had fired offensive coordinator Tim Plough and replaced him with Dirk Koetter, whose resume suggests that he just may be qualified for the job.
Not only are the Broncos changing on the fly with the offensive coordinator, but they are apparently doing the same at quarterback.
According to Bronconationnews.com, starting quarterback Hank Bachmeier is entering the transfer portal. He completed 51 of 94 (54.3%) passes for 497 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions as the starter in all four games for the 2-2 Broncos.
Redshirt freshman Taylen Green (6-6, 220) is next in line. Green has completed 19 of 28 passes for 155 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception this year.
Plough just never got the offense going in his one-plus-year tenure. This season the Broncos are averaging 22 points per game, which is tied for 93rd among FBS teams.
(Editor’s note: There are only 131 FBS teams).
The Broncos are 106th in completion percentage (.574) and tied for 121st in total offense (288.3 yards per game).
There are other not-so-flattering stats that show the offense’s struggles, but you get the picture.
Koetter, 63, was serving as an offensive analyst at Boise State. His resume includes being a former head coach at Boise State, Arizona State, and the Tampa Buccaneers, and was an NFL offensive coordinator with Atlanta (for two different stints), Jacksonville, and Tampa Bay.
So Koetter knows how to call plays and some that actually will work.
The bad news is that he doesn’t have Matt Ryan at quarterback or Julio Jones at receiver. Still, it should give the Broncos some hope, and Boise State sure could use some. They weren’t going to improve staying status quo.
For so long, this was known as one of the best Group of Five programs in the country. Boise State moved up to the FBS level in 1996 and began with two consecutive losing seasons.
Since 1998, there hasn’t been a losing season.
Koetter, Dan Hawkins, Chris Peterson, and current Auburn coach Bryan Harsin all had impressive coaching tenures with the Broncos, combining for 17 seasons of 10 or more wins.
The Broncos went 7-5 in Avalos’ first season last year, so after all the previous success, he has to be feeling the heat. What had to sting and what likely led to the replacement of the offensive coordinator is that UTEP (2-3) was a 16.5-point underdog. Even after allowing just 10 points against Boise State, UTEP is still just 70th nationally in scoring defense, allowing 25.2 points per game.
So it’s not as if Boise State was going up against Alabama’s defense.
The positive aspect from Boise State’s perspective is that the Broncos are 1-0 in the Mountain West. There is still much to achieve. The Broncos were picked for the 10th consecutive year as the preseason favorite in the Mountain West Mountain Division.
San Diego State (2-2, 0-0) has lost to two P5 schools, falling to Arizona 38-20 and Pac-12 favorite Utah 35-7. The Aztecs are coming off a 17-14 win over Toledo, a team that the previous week lost a game that wasn’t as close, falling 77-21 to Ohio State. San Diego State is a team that has high expectations, being selected second behind Fresno State in the preseason Mountain West West Division.
Against Toledo, running back Jordan Byrd finally broke out after a slow start, with 115 yards rushing and two touchdowns.
One thing is for sure – this should not be an aerial circus. Boise State is seventh in the Mountain West in passing yards (163 per game), while San Diego State is 12th and last (73.8).
The Aztecs are averaging fewer points per game than Boise State (20.5).
So the defenses will command plenty of attention, but how the new offensive coordinator and quarterback fare during all this unexpected midseason upheaval will determine whether the Broncos can turn things around.
