Thirty, forty years from now, people will ask the members of the Boise State football Senior Class of 2011 about their time at Boise State. It will go something like this:
Q: “I see your record over four years was something like 48-3. And yet, I can’t find any time over those four years where you were ever #1. You must have played in what, at least a couple of national championships with a record like that, huh?
A: “Back then, before playoffs, it was a corrupt system. It was more like a popularity contest. And we were a threat. People tried to move one and two-loss teams ahead of us, because they were afraid we’d beat ‘em.”
Q: “And now Boise State does, on a regular basis. Since they began deciding it on the field, the Broncos have won more national championships (by far) than any other school in the last 30 or 40 years.”
A: “I’m proud to be an alum. They’ve done amazing.”
Q: “Didn’t you protest the fact that despite victories over Georgia, Virginia Tech, and Oregon twice, despite two undefeated seasons and two others in which you only lost one game, you were never #1?”
To which the Bronco alumnus will likely reply:
“We did our talking on the field.”
Boy did they ever.
With that record of 48-3 going into Senior Day Saturday against New Mexico, the Boise State seniors on this team have been one of the best senior classes in modern history of college football. In fact, the Oklahoma teams of the 1950’s and the Nebraska teams from 1994-1997 were the only senior classes since 1900 to have a better record than this group of Boise State Broncos. So far, no team from a so-called “AQ conference” has beaten them. And they only have, at the most, one more chance.
These senior Broncos responsible for one of history’s best four years will be honored prior to the game with New Mexico. Let’s meet them now.
#11—Quarterback Kellen Moore
No quarterback in the annals of college football history has ever accomplished more than #11. For starters, Moore broke the record held by Colt McCoy of Texas for most victories by a starting quarterback, since he has been the starter for every one of those 51 games. Moore broke it with Boise State’s 46th win against UNLV. The fact that every time this has been mentioned to him, he humbly replies that his entire team achieved the record, not just him, is a great credit to his parents. They brought up a young man that is even a better person than he is a football player.
And Moore's attributes and accolades are merely a reflection of how great this Boise State team has been over the last four years. His success mirrors that of his team. But for him to point that out repeatedly is remarkable. He shares his individual success with every member of his team, for he rightly points out that they are responsible for it.
And that is true for every member of the Boise State senior class. They have not only finished their careers with legendary performances that will be talked about for decades to come, but more importantly, they are all classy individuals—they handled their wins with class and they handled their three losses over four years with dignity.
No question, Moore had tremendous help in achieving the video game-like numbers he put up at Boise State. In addition to holding the record for career wins, Moore also holds NCAA records for the best passing percentage as a freshman (69.4%) and fewest interception percentage in a season ( .69%) and best touchdown-to-interception ratio for a season (39 to 3 or 13-1), both achieved in his sophomore year, 2009).
In setting that freshman passing accuracy record of 69.4%, Moore completed 281 passes (#2 at Boise State) in 405 attempts for 3,486 yards (fourth all-time and the school record for a freshman) and 25 touchdowns (#9 among all single-season performances) against just 10 picks. Moore finished 12th in the nation in passing efficiency (157.12, 10th best in Boise State), was voted Most Valuable Player by his Boise State teammates, was named Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year, second-team All-WAC and was named to the Freshman All-America team by the Football Writers of America. Kellen was also honored as a member of the WAC All-Academic Team.
Moore compiled 409 yards of total offense vs. Nevada, 10th best in the Bronco record book for a single game. His 414 yards of passing in that game rank fifth all-time. In his game at Oregon, the freshman tossed for 386 yards, which ranks 13th. Kellen was 18-of-23 against Bowling Green, a 78.3 completion percentage, which is 14th for a single game. He also completed 33 passes against Hawai'i (2nd all-time) and 30 passes against Southern Mississippi his freshman season, which ranks fifth all-time.
In 2009, Moore accomplished the amazing feat of throwing 39 touchdown passes with just three interceptions. He finished second in the country in efficiency (161.65, seventh-best at Boise State) and second in TD passes with 39, setting a Boise State school record in the process. For the season, Moore completed 277 passes (the third-most in Bronco history) out of 431 attempts for 3,536 yards (third at Boise State). At the conclusion of the season, Moore was named All-WAC, WAC Player of the Year, won the Joe Kearney Award as the WAC’s best athlete, was named to the WAC All-Academic Team, was named All-America by ESPN, Sports Illustrated and CBS Sports and finished seventh in voting for the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore.
The Bronco signal-caller hit 17-of-21 passes against Bowling Green that year, an 80.9% completion percentage which ranks 10th all-time at Boise State. Moore threw five touchdown passes against Hawai’i, Idaho and Nevada that season, which ties him for second all-time for TD passes in a single game.
As a junior,
Moore threw for 3,845 yards (second in
Boise State history) and 35 touchdowns (2
nd at
Boise State) and led the nation in passing efficiency, beating Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton with a 182.63 rating. Kellen completed 273 of 383 passes (71.28%).
Moore’s passing efficiency is second at
Boise State to Ryan Dinwiddie’s 188.18 rating in 2002. He was a Football Writers Association of America All-America selection and one of four finalists for the Heisman Trophy, becoming the first Bronco to be invited to the
New York ceremony.
Moore was a finalist for the Davey O’Brien Award and the Maxwell Award and was named the nation’s top quarterback by the Touchdown Club of Columbus, Ohio. Kellen was honored as the WAC Player of the Year and was All-WAC for the second consecutive year. He was again selected by his teammates as the Broncos’ MVP for 2010 and was a member of the WAC All-Academic Team for the third straight year.
Moore had 507 yards of passing and total offense against
Hawai’i, both marks third-best in school history, and his 30 completions in that game rank fourth. He was 30-37 in that game vs. the Rainbow Warriors (81.1%, which is ninth all-time). Kellen was near-perfect (14-15) against
San Jose State and that completion percentage of 87.5% is the third-best by any quarterback at
Boise State in a single game.
Moore was named to Athlon Sports’ Preseason All-America second team going into 2011. This year, Kellen is #4 in passing efficiency (175.19), completing 272 of 372 passes (73.12%, third in the NCAA) for 3,194 yards and 38 touchdowns against seven interceptions.
Moore is a finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and the Manning Award as the nation’s top quarterback and a finalist for the Maxwell Award as the nation’s best college football player. He was a semifinalist for the Davey O’Brien award (given to the nation’s top quarterback) and the Walter Camp Player of the Year award. His career passer rating leads all active quarterbacks nationally.
Moore graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in communications and is currently pursuing a graduate degree at
Boise State.
Kellen threw for 455 yards earlier this season against
Toledo, the fourth-best single-game performance in school history and 366 against
San Diego State, #24 in the record book.
Moore’s 32 completions against the Rockets are the third-most for a single game. In the record-breaking game at UNLV, Moore again threw for five touchdown passes, marking the fourth time he has accomplished that feat, making him one of only 10 quarterbacks in school history to throw five scoring strikes and the only one to do it more than twice. In his game against
Colorado State,
Moore threaded the needle, hitting 26-of-30 passes for 86.7%, fourth best all-time. He was 28-34 in the game on the road at
Georgia for 82.4%, #8 in school history. Kellen also hit 23-of-29 passes against
Tulsa for 79.3%, which ranks 13
th.
Moore has a chance to break the NCAA record for the lowest interception percentage over a career. Graham Harrell of Texas Tech currently holds the mark with a miniscule 1.69% (34 interceptions divided by 2,010 passing attempts). With two games to go, Moore’s career percentage stands at 1.67%, just 26 interceptions in 1,555 attempts. Heading into the game with New Mexico, Moore is far and away the active leader in career passing efficiency (168.71), five full points ahead of any other senior quarterback. Moore has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 47 of his 51 games and 37 of his last 38. He just missed setting another NCAA mark of consecutive games with a touchdown pass. Moore has done that in all 24 games the last two seasons and he did it in every game in 2009 (14 games) except one (the Fiesta Bowl against TCU). The all-time record is 36.
Moore will finish his career as second in NCAA history in touchdown passes—he has 137 so far. He has thrown for 14,061 career yards, sixth all-time. Yet when you look at the fact that three ahead of him, Hawai’i’s Timmy Chang (2,436 attempts), Texas Tech’s Graham Harrell (2,011) and Houston’s Case Keenum (2,093) had far more attempts than Moore’s 1,591, perhaps a better comparison is yards per attempt and in this category, Moore ranks fourth among the Top 10 career yardage leaders. Moore is also ninth in career completions with 1,103 with a chance to pass Colt Brennan’s 1,115.
Kellen Moore has broken nearly ever career passing record at Boise State, setting marks for career total offense (13,937), passing yards (14,061), passing attempts (1,591), completions (1,103), touchdown passes (37), games over 200 passing yards (43) and games over 300 passing yards (15)and a season record for touchdowns thrown (39—he has 38 this year). Moore is the first Bronco to pass for more than 10,000 yards in his career.
MOORE'S CAREER STATISTICS
YEAR | COMP-ATT | INT | PCT | TD | YDS | RATING |
2008 | 281-405 | 10 | 69.4 | 25 | 3,486 | 157.12 |
2009 | 277-431 | 3 | 64.3 | 39 | 3,536 | 161.65 |
2010 | 273-383 | 6 | 71.3 | 35 | 3,845 | 182.63 |
TOTAL | 831-1,219 | 19 | 68.2 | 99 | 10,867 | 166.74 |
#97—Defensive Tackle Chase Baker
Boise State fans will never forget this disruptive force in the middle of the Bronco defensive line. He was one of the first in this class to join Boise State as he signed his National Letter of Intent in February 2007 and greyshirted his first season. As a freshman in 2008, Chase earned WAC All-Academic honors. Baker played in 10 games and had six tackles (three solo), one pass break-up and a fumble recovery.
Chase became a force as a sophomore, starting in all 14 games. He recorded 37 tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks with two pass break-ups. Last year, Baker started all 13 games and finished the season with 31 tackles (13 solo), including career highs in tackles for loss (6.5) and sacks (4.5). He had fumble recoveries against
Toledo and vs.
Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl and had two pass break-ups.
(photo courtesy of Foto208.com)
This year, Baker has 18 tackles, 2.5 for loss, with an interception, a pass deflection and a blocked kick.
For his career, Chase has 96 tackles (tied for 42
nd among Bronco linemen), 13 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, six pass deflections, an interception and a blocked kick.
BAKER'S CAREER STATISTICS
YEAR | SOLO | ASST | TOTAL | SACKS | TFL | PBU |
2008 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 |
2009 | 18 | 19 | 37 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 2 |
2010 | 13 | 18 | 31 | 4.5 | 6.5 | 2 |
TOTAL | 35 | 43 | 78 | 6.5 | `0.5 | 5 |
#66—Center Thomas Byrd
Thomas started as a freshman for a Boise State offense that averaged 152.3 yards rushing, 288.5 yards passing and gave up the fewest sacks (13) in the WAC. Byrd helped Boise State lead the WAC in scoring (37.6 ppg) and third-down conversions (43.2%). He started all 14 games in 2009, as Boise State led the nation in scoring (42.2 ppg) and averaged 186.1 rushing yards and 450.2 total yards per game. Baker and his crew allowed the fewest quarterback sacks in the nation (five) and they paved the way for four different 100-yard rushers during the season.
Last season, Byrd started all 13 games and led Boise State to 521.31 yards per game (second in the nation). The Broncos were also sixth in passing (321.08), 21st in rushing (200.23) and second in scoring (45.08). Once again, Byrd and the o-line gave up just .62 sacks per game, ranked third in the country. At the conclusion of the season, Byrd was named All-WAC.
Heading into his senior year, Thomas was named to the Rimington Trophy Watch list, an award given each year to the nation’s top collegiate center. This year, Byrd has been a key factor in helping Boise State attain a 200.23 yards-per-game rushing average (#21 nationally), the country’s sixth-best passing attack (321.08 ypg) and the #2 total offense in the nation--521.31 yards per game and the #2 scoring team in the country--45.08 points a game. Once again, Boise State is among the national leaders for the fewest sacks allowed—they are tied for third with eight.
#40—Defensive End Tyrone Crawford
Tyrone began his college career at Bakersfield Community College in California, earning all-conference as a freshman and all-conference, Defensive MVP, all-state and first-team All-American in 2009.
Since coming to Boise State, Tyrone has been one of the most dependable players ever to play the defensive line. He played in all 13 games last season and had 32 tackles (13 solo). Crawford registered 13.5 tackles for lost (tied for the best on the team) and 7 sacks, second-most on the 2010 Broncos. He also forced a fumble, recovered a fumble, broke up a pass and blocked a field goal (vs. #19 Nevada).
Crawford is 36th nationally with 13.5 tackles for loss this season (fifth-best in school history) despite the fact that the defensive lineman play about the equivalent of a half. Crawford is fourth on the Broncos with 42 tackles and leads the team with 6.5 sacks. In addition, Tyrone has three forced fumbles, two recoveries, one of which he returned for a touchdown against TCU, a blocked kick and two quarterback hurries.
In his astounding two-year career, Crawford has 74 tackles, 27 tackles for loss (#18 all-time), 13.5 sacks, a pass break-up, two quarterback hurries, four forced fumbles, three recoveries with one for a touchdown and two blocked kicks (tied for #7 in school history).
CRAWFORD'S CAREER STATISTICS
YEAR | SOLO | ASST | TOTAL | SACKS | TFL | PBU |
2010 | 13 | 19 | 32 | 7.0 | 13.5 | 1 |
#80—Tight End Kyle Efaw
Efaw, defensive back Cedric Febis and tackle Nate Potter were the first members of this class on campus, all signing in February, 2006. He greyshirted that fall and redshirted in 2007. Two years is a long time to wait without playing and when the time came, Kyle took full advantage. He played in all 13 games as a freshman in 2008, finishing the year with 17 catches for 262 yards and averaging 15.4 yards per catch, fifth-best on the Bronco team. Efaw was an instrumental part of Boise State’s landmark 37-32 win over Oregon in Eugene with three catches for 49 yards. He also caught five for 78 yards against New Mexico State that season.
Efaw played in all 14 games as a sophomore and was named Offensive Player of the Game in the 13-10 Fiesta Bowl win over TCU. Late in the game as Boise State went into punt formation with a fourth-and-nine deep in their own territory, Efaw slipped loose and caught a 29-yard pass from punter Kyle Brotzman to lead to the winning touchdown. Efaw finished third on the team with 31 receptions, registered 444 receiving yards and caught his first touchdown pass. Efaw was named to the All-WAC Academic Team.
After the 2009 season, Efaw had 47 catches in two seasons with Boise State, #11 in career catches by a Bronco sophomore.
Last year, Kyle started seven games and caught 24 passes for 299 yards and five scores. He also recovered a fumble in the end zone against Louisiana Tech for a touchdown. Efaw tied his career high with five receptions against Utah State (for 76 yards). Once again, Kyle was named to the WAC All-Academic Team. In 2011, Efaw is fourth on the team with 22 receptions for 208 yards (9.0 avg.) and five touchdowns. Kyle graduated in May of this year with a bachelor’s degree in business and is currently working on his Master’s.
For his four-year career, Efaw has 94 catches (#26 in the history of Boise State) for 1,213 yards (also 26th) and 11 touchdowns. Kyle holds the school record for both catches and yards by a tight end and his 11 touchdowns are tied with former great Derek Schouman for the school mark.
EFAW'S CAREER STATISTICS
YEAR | G | REC | YDS | TD | YPC | YPG |
2008 | 13 | 17 | 262 | 0 | 15.4 | 20.2 |
2009 | 14 | 31 | 444 | 1 | 14.3 | 31.7 |
2010 | 13 | 24 | 299 | 5 | 12.5 | 23.0 |
TOTAL | 40 | 72 | 1,005 | 6 | 14.0 | 25.1 |
#49—Punter Brad Elkin
Elkin was one of five true freshmen to play for Boise State in 2007. He punted 27 times for a 37.5-yard average and eight of those 27 were downed inside the 20 yard-line. As a back-up to Kyle Brotzman in 2008, Brad punted 10 times, averaging 40.2 yards a kick. As a junior, Elkin averaged 35.8 yards a punt on 11 punts, with an amazing seven of those downed inside the 20.
Last year, Brad redshirted so that he could be the #1 punter this year and he has done an amazing job. Elkin is averaging a career-high 41.7 yards per kick and has 23 kicks downed inside the 20 yard-line out of 41 kicks.
For his career, Elkin has 89 punts, with nearly half of those going inside the 20 (40) and a career average of 39.07 yards a kick.
ELKIN'S CAREER STATISTICS
YEAR | G | PUNTS | YDS | AVG | LG | I/20 |
2007 | 9 | 27 | 1,013 | 37.5 | 56 | 8 |
2008 | 4 | 10 | 402 | 40.2 | 48 | 2 |
2009 | 7 | 11 | 394 | 35.8 | 48 | 7 |
TOTAL | 20 | 48 | 1,809 | 37.7 | 56 | 17 |
#16—Safety Cedric Febis
Febis also signed in 2006, greyshirted that fall and redshirted the following season. In 2008, he saw his first action, primarily on special teams, and posted four tackles. In 2009, Cedric played in all 14 games, registering 23 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss. He had a season-high five stops against Hawai’i.
As a junior, Febis played in all 12 regular-season games, totaling 27 tackles (12 solo) with five against #10 Virginia Tech in the season opener. At the conclusion of the season, Cedric received Boise State’s Special Teams Player of the Year Award at the football banquet. This year, Febis moved into the starting lineup and is fifth on the great Bronco defense with 38 tackles. 26 of those are solo stops. He also has three tackles for loss, an interception, a forced fumble, a recovery and two pass break-ups.
Febis now has 67 career tackles, 55 of those solo, five tackles for loss, an interception, five pass break-ups, a forced fumble and a recovery.
FEBIS' CAREER STATISTICS
YEAR | SOLO | ASST | TOTAL | SACKS | TFL | PBU |
2008 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
2009 | 14 | 9 | 23 | 0 | 1.5 | 2 |
2010 | 12 | 15 | 27 | 0 | 0.5 | 0 |
TOTAL | 29 | 25 | 54 | 0 | 2.0 | 3 |
#4—Cornerback Jerrell Gavins
Jerrell began his career at El Camino Junior College in California, but was snapped up by Boise State after one season. At El Camino, Gavins had 35 tackles and two blocked kicks. Upon arriving in Boise as yet another successful walk-on story, Jerrell played in 12 games as a sophomore with two starts including one against #4 TCU. He finished the year with 31 tackles (23 solo), had four pass break-ups and 1.5 tackles for loss. In addition, Gavins had three kickoff returns for an average of 37.3 yards including a long of 49.
Last year, Gavins played in all 13 games and had 30 tackles (15 solo), 1.5 tackles for loss and .5 sacks. In addition, he had three pass break-ups and his first career interception. Gavins was among the national leaders in both interceptions (3) and pass break-ups (6) when he suffered a season-ending injury in the third game of the season. He finished with 11 tackles in those three games.
Jerrell is hoping to get another season of eligibility, since his senior year this year was ended so early and so abruptly.
GAVINS' CAREER STATISTICS
YEAR | SOLO | ASST | TOTAL | SACKS | TFL | PBU |
2009 | 23 | 8 | 31 | 0 | 1.5 | 4 |
2010 | 15 | 15 | 30 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 3 |
TOTAL | 38 | 23 | 61 | 0.5 | 3.0 | 7 |
#7—Running Back D.J. Harper
D.J. enjoyed the sixth-best rushing season by a freshman and fourth-best by a true freshman in school history with 376 yards and five touchdowns despite missing the final two games of the regular season. Against Fresno State, Harper ran for 153 yards and a touchdown, becoming the first true freshman in 19 years to top the 100-yard mark. D.J. also caught three passes for 13 yards.
In 2008, Harper rushed 55 times for 278 yards and four scores and also caught four passes for 37 yards and returned a kickoff for 21 yards. D.J. was off to an amazing start in 2009 with 44 carries for 284 yards (6.5 yards per carry) and three touchdowns in three games before a season-ending injury in the third game of the year against Fresno State. Harper set the bar for recovering from an injury, working himself back to be even better when he arrived for fall camp in 2010. He burst past everyone to score a 71-yard touchdown against #10 Virginia Tech and had 18 carries for 160 yards (8.9 yards per carry) and two TD’s before once again having his season cut short by injury in the third game of the season. Harper also caught four passes for 36 yards in those three games, already showing his tremendous versatility.
A healthy Harper is enjoying his best season to date with 525 yards on 125 carries and eight touchdowns. He has also caught 16 passes for 124 yards and another score and has four kickoff returns for 50 yards.
The great 2011 campaign has put D.J. over 1,500 yards rushing for his career with 1,623 on 329 carries. He has scored 23 rushing touchdowns, which ranks ninth in school history. He also has 27 receptions for 210 yards and a TD.
D.J. also is hoping to be granted a sixth year by the NCAA as his season ended in the third game of the year in two different years.
HARPER'S CAREER STATISTICS
YEAR | G | ATT | YDS | TD | TPC | LG |
2007 | 10 | 87 | 376 | 6 | 4.3 | 49 |
2008 | 13 | 55 | 278 | 4 | 4.8 | 29 |
2009 | 3 | 44 | 284 | 3 | 6.5 | 60 |
2010 | 3 | 18 | 160 | 2 | 8.9 | 71 |
TOTAL | 29 | 204 | 1,098 | 15 | 5.4 | 71 |
#55—Right Guard Chuck Hayes
Hayes is so good that he could probably start on either side of the ball. In fact, he began his career on the defensive line, with six tackles and .5 tackles for loss as a redshirt freshman. He played three games in 2009 with four tackles before suffering a season-ending injury. Chuck moved to the offensive line full-time last season and played in nine games for Boise State.
This year Chuck has been a key factor in helping Boise State attain a 200.23 yards-per-game rushing average (#21 nationally), the country’s sixth-best passing attack (321.08 ypg) and the #2 total offense in the nation--521.31 yards per game and the #2 scoring team in the country--45.08 points a game. Once again, Boise State is among the national leaders for the fewest sacks allowed—they are tied for third with eight.
#94—Linebacker Byron Hout
Byron was a defensive force from the beginning of his Bronco career as a freshman in 2008. He played in 10 games, finishing with 27 tackles (14 solo), including six tackles for loss, four sacks, a forced fumble, a recovery, a quarterback hurry and one pass break-up. His amazing speed and moves in a highlight-reel 62-yard interception return against TCU in the 2008 Poinsettia Bowl. At the conclusion of the season, Byron was named to the WAC All-Academic Team.
In 2009, Byron picked up where he left off, playing in all 14 games as a back-up defensive end. Hout registered 27 tackles (15 solo) with 6.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, two fumbles recovered and one pass break-up. Once again, Byron was named to the All-WAC Academic Team. Last year, Byron moved to linebacker, to take advantage of his great vision, speed and knowledge of the game. He excelled. He started nine games before a season-ending injury at Idaho. Despite this, he was named second-team All-WAC, with 34 tackles (14 solo), 4 for loss and a sack. Hout had a season-high seven tackles in Boise State’s season opening win over #10 Virginia Tech.
Hout has enjoyed a stellar fall that has seen him lead the team with 58 tackles, 29 of them solo. He has two tackles for loss, two pass break-ups, two forced fumbles and a blocked kick.
Hout has 146 career tackles with seven sacks, 18.5 for loss, an interception, three forced fumbles, three recoveries, a blocked kick, a quarterback hurry and four pass break-ups.
HOUT'S CAREER STATISTICS
YEAR | SOLO | ASST | TOTAL | SACKS | TFL | INT |
2008 | 14 | 13 | 27 | 4.0 | 6.0 | 1 |
2009 | 15 | 12 | 27 | 2.0 | 6.5 | 0 |
2010 | 14 | 20 | 34 | 1.0 | 4.0 | 0 |
TOTAL | 43 | 45 | 88 | 7.0 | 16.5 | 1 |
#8—Safety George Iloka
This amazing athlete has been one of the best performers at safety in school history. And you want to talk about dedication? He graduated early from high school so he could enroll at Boise State in January. George played in all 13 games as a true freshman and was the team’s fourth-leading tackler with 63 (45 solo). Iloka totaled 6.5 tackles for loss and his four interceptions were second on the team, tied for fifth in the WAC and 53rd nationally. Iloka had eight tackles against Idaho and seven each against Hawai’i and Nevada. He finished the year with six pass break-ups.
As a sophomore, Iloka continued to get better, starting in all 14 games. He finished with 48 tackles (32 solo), 2.5 behind the line, with an interception and six pass break-ups. Last year, Iloka started in all 13 games, giving him 27 consecutive. He was the third-leading tackle with 63 (49 solo), 3 behind the line, a forced fumble, five pass break-ups and two interceptions. Iloka had a season-high nine stops against Louisiana Tech and was named first-team All-WAC.
One of the surest tacklers to ever play on The Blue, Iloka is second this season with 50 tackles, 40 of them solo. George also has two tackles for loss, a pass break-up and a forced fumble.
In the remarkable career for #8, he has 224 tackles (tied for #31 in school history and the ninth-most by a defensive back), 166 of them solo stops, with 14 tackles for loss, one sack, seven interceptions (tied for 28th), 18 pass break-ups (tied for 22nd all-time) and two forced fumbles.
Iloka will once again start at cornerback this Saturday for Boise State.
ILOKA'S CAREER STATISTICS
YEAR | SOLO | ASST | TOTAL | SACKS | TFL | INT |
2008 | 45 | 18 | 63 | 1.0 | 6.5 | 4 |
2009 | 32 | 16 | 48 | 0 | 2.5 | 1 |
2010 | 49 | 14 | 63 | 0 | 2.0 | 2 |
TOTAL | 126 | 48 | 174 | 1.0 | 12.0 | 7 |
#22—Running Back Doug Martin
Martin was named Boise State’s Outstanding Scout Team Player of the Year as a freshman and had coaches salivating. The question was: where did he fit in best?
Originally, he was set to play nickel on defense. As a redshirt freshman, he played primarily on special teams in 11 games and had 11 tackles. But he also carried the ball, rushing 24 times for 107 yards. Doug also caught two passes for 53 yards and returned 10 kicks for 223 yards. Martin won the Hammer Award for the most physical special teams play.
In 2009, Martin played on the defensive side in the first three games, registering seven tackles and forcing a fumble. But two things, the surprising play of junior college transfer Winston Venable at nickel and the injury to running back D.J. Harper, allowed Martin to switch to running back. In 11 games, Martin led the Broncos with 15 rushing touchdowns (#5 all-time), gaining 765 yards on 129 carries. That’s a 5.93 yards-per-carry average, which ranks 10th in the Boise State record book. Doug finished the season tied for seventh in the WAC in scoring and 10th in rushing. He also caught eight passes for 68 yards and finished the year with 16 tackles. It was Martin’s diving effort for the winning touchdown that helped give Boise State a victory over #4 TCU in the 2010 Fiesta Bowl. At the conclusion of the season, Martin won the Denny Erickson Award for Valor as voted on by the coaches.
Martin scored four rushing touchdowns against both Utah State and New Mexico State in 2009, tied for third all-time for a single game.
Last year, Martin started all 13 games, posting the sixth-highest rushing total at Boise State (1,260 yards—24th nationally). Doug’s 6.26 yards-per-carry average not only ranks fifth all-time but is a testament to his relentless, bruising style of running for which he will always be remembered. You can probably ask any opposing defensive player and they will tell you that #22 is one of the most punishing runners they have ever encountered. Doug scored 12 rushing touchdowns (tied for 10th-most in school history) on a career-high 201 carries. His great talent didn’t end there, though—he also had 28 receptions for 338 yards and two touchdowns. Martin became just the 11th Bronco to go over 1,000 yards in a season, surpassing the mark against #19 Nevada. He topped the 100-yard mark six times, including an amazing 19 carries for 138 yards against #24 Oregon State, 24 carries for a career-high 152 yards and two scores at #19 Nevada, 150 yards and two TD’s against Louisiana Tech and 17 carries for 147 yards in Boise State’s win over Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl. Martin’s 84-yard explosion past the Utes was the second-longest run in school history. Doug finished with 1,598 all-purpose yards in 2010, 11th-best at Boise State. At the conclusion of the season, Martin received the team’s Iron Bronco Award for strength at the season-ending banquet.
This year, Martin is #36 in the country with 1,038 yards rushing (#15 all-time at Boise State). He has averaging 4.94 yards a carry on 210 carries and is approaching his career high of 15 TD’s with 13. Martin has 1,456 yards of all-purpose offense and leads the Broncos and ranks #31 in the nation with 90 points. He is also fifth on the Bronco team with 23 catches for 204 yards and two more scores. Martin also leads the team with a 26.8-yard kickoff return average.
Martin’s 200 yards rushing against
Colorado State earlier this season were the 13
th-most ever in a single game at
Boise State. The
Boise State coaches are confident in Doug’s dependable hard-running—in the game vs.
San Diego State, he carried the load 36 times, the second-most carries any Bronco running back has ever had in a game.
Martin has 561 career carries for 3,170 yards (5.62 per carry) and 40 touchdowns (third in the history of Boise State). Only three active college players in the nation have run for more touchdowns than Doug Martin. Doug has topped the 100-yard single-game mark now 15 times; only three
Boise State running backs (Cedric Minter, Brock Forsey and Ian Johnson) have done that more often. He also has 62 receptions (#42 all-time) for 664 yards (sixth-most ever by a running back) and four touchdowns and 34 tackles with a forced fumble. Martin is #7 at
Boise State in career all-purpose yards. Doug has 264 career points, 10
th-most in the history of
Boise State.
MARTIN'S CAREER STATISTICS
YEAR | G | ATT | YDS | TD | YPC | LG |
2008 | 11 | 24 | 107 | 0 | 4.5 | 23 |
2009 | 14 | 129 | 765 | 15 | 5.9 | 56 |
2010 | 13 | 201 | 1,260 | 12 | 6.3 | 84 |
TOTAL | 38 | 354 | 2,132 | 27 | 6.0 | 84 |
#92—Defensive End Shea McClellin
McClellin has been one of the stalwarts of the defensive line since joining the team in 2008 after greyshirting the year before. As a freshman, Shea played in 10 games and had 14 tackles (four solo), three forced fumbles and a sack. The following season, he began to show what a great disruptive force he can be. Shea started the final 11 games and had 36 tackles, six behind the line, with three sacks, an interception and two pass break-ups.
McClellin ran his streak of consecutive starts to 24 last year as he had 30 tackles (15 solo). Shea tied for the team lead with 13.5 tackles for loss and led the Broncos with 9.5 sacks (#22 in the nation). McClellin had six tackles in Boise State’s win over #10 Virginia Tech with four tackles behind the line and two sacks against the Hokies. He forced one fumble and recovered two, including one for a touchdown against Wyoming and a 36-yard interception return for a touchdown against Toledo. Shea thus became the first Bronco to score on a fumble recovery and an interception in the same season since 1999. At the season-ending banquet, McClellin captured the team’s Outstanding Defensive Lineman Award.
This season, Shea is third on the Bronco defense with 42 tackles, 25 of those solo. He has eight tackles for loss (tied for #15 for a single season), five sacks, two interceptions, two pass deflections, a forced fumble, a blocked kick and a quarterback hurry.
In his four-year career, McClellin has been a playmaker few teams can handle. He now has 122 tackles, 28th among all linemen at Boise State, (59 solo), 28.5 tackles for loss (#15 at Boise State), 18.5 sacks (#12 all-time), four interceptions (one for a touchdown), six pass break-ups, five forced fumbles, two recoveries (one for a touchdown), a blocked kick and a quarterback hurry.
McCLELLIN'S CAREER STATISTICS
YEAR | SOLO | ASST | TOTAL | SACKS | TFL | PBU |
2008 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0 |
2009 | 15 | 21 | 36 | 3.0 | 6.0 | 2 |
2010 | 15 | 15 | 30 | 9.5 | 13.5 | 0 |
TOTAL | 34 | 46 | 80 | 13.5 | 20.5 | 2 |
#31--Cornerback Antwon Murray
Antwon redshirted in 2007, but saw action in 2008 on special teams against Southern Mississippi, New Mexico State and Idaho. As a sophomore, Murray played in six games, recording two tackles, and had three tackles and a pass break-up against Hawai’i last season.
(photo courtesy of Foto208.com)
Saturday against New Mexico, Antwon will make his first start at cornerback.
MURRAY'S CAREER STATISTICS
YEAR | SOLO | ASST | TOTAL | SACKS | TFL | PBU |
2009 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2010 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
TOTAL | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
#47—Fullback Dan Paul
Paul began his career as a linebacker but switched to fullback prior to his freshman year after greyshirting in 2007. Dan played in 12 games on special teams and as a blocking back. He had two tackles and was named to the WAC All-Academic Team. In 2009, Dan played in all 13 games, moving into the starting role after Richie Brockel’s season-ending injury. He was an integral part of a Bronco rushing attack that averaged 194.5 yards per game and also caught four passes for 40 yards and three touchdowns, all in Boise State’s win over Nevada. At the end of the season, once again Dan was named to the All-Academic WAC Team.
Last year, Paul started four games and played in 11. He had seven catches for 30 yards and helped Boise State finish second in the nation with 521.31 yards of total offense. Boise State was sixth in passing (321.08), 21st in rushing (200.23) and second in scoring (45.08) and Paul was instrumental in Boise State ranking third in the nation in sacks (just .62 per game). For the third straight year, Dan was named on the WAC All-Academic Team.
Nowhere is Dan Paul’s presence in the lineup missed more than this year when the running game has struggled at times. And yet, Paul has been on the sidelines each game actively cheering his teammates on. I haven’t seen an offensive huddle yet near the sidelines in which he hasn’t been right in there as an active part of the team. Triumphing with great success on the field is one thing; Dan has triumphed through adversity and has been an exemplary Bronco this season.
Because of the injury which kept him out of action, Dan hopes to petition the NCAA for an extra year of eligibility.
PAUL'S CAREER STATISTICS
YEAR | G | REC | YDS | TD | YPC | YPG |
2009 | 13 | 4 | 40 | 3 | 10.0 | 3.6 |
2010 | 11 | 7 | 30 | 0 | 4.3 | 2.5 |
TOTAL | 24 | 11 | 70 | 3 | 6.4 | 2.9 |
#73--Left Tackle Nate Potter
Potter was one of three members of the Legendary Class of 2011 to come to Boise in 2006. He greyshirted that fall and then redshirted the following year. But in his redshirt freshman year, Potter became a key member of the line, starting at tackle for most of the year. Nate helped the Broncos lead the WAC in scoring (37.6 points a game) and third-down conversions (43.2%). He also blocked a field goal against Southern Mississippi and was named to the All-WAC Academic Team.
In 2009, Nate started the final eight games and led the Broncos to an 186-1 yards-per-game rushing average and 450.2 yards of total offense. He helped Boise State allow just five quarterback sacks to lead the country and paved the way for four different players to rush for more than 100 yards in a game. Once again, Nate was named to the WAC All-Academic Team at the end of the season.
Last year, Potter started all 13 games at left tackle, leading Boise State to rank second nationally with 521.31 yards of total offense, sixth in passing (321.08), 21st in rushing (200.23) and second in scoring (45.08). The Broncos gave up just .62 sacks per game, third in the nation. He was honored by his teammates as the Outstanding Offensive Lineman at the football banquet, was named first-team All-WAC and recognized on the WAC All-Academic Team for the third year in a row.
Prior to this season, Potter was front and center on the All-America list of both Phil Steele and Athlon Sports. This year, Nate has led Boise State to an explosive attack that has averaged 200.23 yards-per-game rushing average (#21 nationally), 321.08 yards passing (#6 in the country) and the #2 total offense in the nation--521.31 yards per game and the #2 scoring team in the country--45.08 points a game. Once again, Boise State is among the national leaders for the fewest sacks allowed—they are tied for third with eight. Nate graduated last May with a bachelor’s degree in business and is currently working on his Master’s.
#96—Defensive End Jarrell Root
Root came out of his freshman year as the Boise State Defensive Scout Player of the Year. As a redshirt freshman in 2008, Jarrell had nine tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and one pass break-up before suffering an injury against Utah State. But Root came back strong in 2009, playing in all 14 games with three starts at defensive end. He logged 11 tackles, one behind the line, with a pass break-up.
Last season, Root had 11 tackles (seven solo), with 4.5 for loss, 3 sacks and a forced fumble. With the graduation of Derrell Acrey, Root has become the vocal team leader, a quality of immeasurable value. In his senior year, Root has 23 tackles, four for loss, with a sack, a pass break-up, a quarterback hurry and a fumble recovery.
In his Bronco career, Jarrell has 54 tackles, 12 for loss, 6.5 sacks, three pass break-ups, a quarterback hurry, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
ROOT'S CAREER STATISTICS
YEAR | SOLO | ASST | TOTAL | SACKS | TFL | PBU |
2008 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 1 |
2009 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 0 | 1.0 | 1 |
2010 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 3.0 | 4.5 | 0 |
TOTAL | 16 | 15 | 31 | 5.5 | 8.0 | 2 |
#89—Wide Receiver Tyler Shoemaker
All this local product did in his first collegiate game was haul in a 56-yard touchdown pass from Kellen Moore and a 17-yarder from backup Bush Hamdan. He finished his redshirt freshman year with seven catches for 110 yards. At the end of the season, Tyler was named to the WAC All-Academic Team.
“Shoe” worked his way into the starting lineup in 2009, catching 21 passes for 345 yards and two touchdowns. Once again, Shoemaker was named to the All-WAC Academic Team. Last season, Shoemaker started eight games and finished the year with 32 catches for 582 yards and five touchdowns. At the football banquet, Shoemaker received the team’s Pat Fuller Memorial Award for academic achievement and for the third straight year, Tyler was named to the WAC All-Academic Team.
Shoemaker has been a great senior leader for the Broncos with a career-high 52 receptions (tied for 24th in school history) for 853 yards (20th all-time for a single season). He tied Austin Pettis’s one-year old record of 14 TD catches in a single season earlier this year and one more will top it. Together with freshman sensation Matt Miller, Tyler and Matt have 105 catches this season, which is the ninth-most ever by a duo. Shoemaker graduated this past May with a bachelor’s degree in business and is taking classes for his Master’s degree at Boise State.
In his game with San Diego State, Shoemaker hauled in 10 passes, which ranks 20th for a single-game performance. Shoe’s 180 yards against Colorado State earlier this year ranks 17th. He caught three touchdowns against both San Diego State and Toledo this year to tie for fifth all-time for the most in game.
Tyler has 112 receptions (#21 all-time at Boise State) for 1,890 yards (17th) and 16.88 yards per catch and 23 touchdowns (#6 in the record book) in his fabulous Boise State career. He is also tied for 25th in career scoring with 138 points.
SHOEMAKER'S CAREER STATISTICS
YEAR | G | REC | YDS | TD | TPC | YPG |
2008 | 12 | 7 | 110 | 2 | 15.7 | 9.2 |
2009 | 12 | 21 | 345 | 2 | 16.4 | 31.4 |
2010 | 13 | 32 | 582 | 5 | 18.2 | 44.8 |
TOTAL | 37 | 60 | 1,037 | 9 | 17.3 | 28.0 |
#30—Safety Travis Stanaway
Stanaway saw action as a redshirt freshmen and was credited with 13 tackles (eight solo) and one pass break-up. In 2009, Travis played in 12 games and recorded 20 tackles, three pass break-ups and a forced fumble. He made a season-high five tackles vs. Hawai’i. Last season, Stanaway played in 11 games as a reserve defensive back and special teams standout. He had nine tackles and a pass break-up.
This year, Stanaway has been one of the mainstays of the Bronco defense with 30 tackles, 24 solo, two tackles for loss, an interception, a pass break-up and a forced fumble. He is this week’s Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Week for his great performance against Wyoming.
For his career, Travis has 72 tackles, 58 solo, two tackles for loss, one interception, six pass break-ups and a forced fumble.
STANAWAY'S CAREER STATISTICS
YEAR | SOLO | ASST | TOTAL | TFL | SACKS | PBU |
2008 | 8 | 5 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
2009 | 16 | 4 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
2010 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
TOTAL | 28 | 14 | 42 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
#36—Linebacker Aaron Tevis
Tevis had eight tackles, two sacks for a minus-24 yards, one fumble recovery and a pass break-up in his collegiate debut as a freshman. He finished the year with 27 tackles (14 solo) and three pass break-ups and was named to the WAC All-Academic Team. In 2009, Tevis started 11 games and was fourth on the team with 54 tackles (27 solo). Aaron had six tackles for loss, three interceptions and a sack. He once again was named to the WAC All-Academic team.
Last year, Aaron had 10 starts and finished the season with 46 tackles (16 solo), with 2.5 behind the line and one sack. He excelled in the game at #19 Nevada, registering nine tackles. Tevis also had two interceptions on the season, one (20 yards) that he returned for a touchdown against Idaho. For the third straight year, Aaron was named an all-conference academic performer.
This fall, Tevis is sixth on the Bronco team with 37 tackles, 2.5 of them for loss, an interception, six pass break-ups and a fumble recovery.
TEVIS' CAREER STATISTICS
YEAR | SOLO | ASST | TOTAL | SACKS | TFL | INT |
2008 | 14 | 13 | 27 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 1 |
2009 | 27 | 27 | 54 | 1.5 | 6.5 | 3 |
2010 | 16 | 30 | 46 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 2 |
TOTAL | 57 | 70 | 127 | 4.5 | 12.0 | 6 |
#25—Nickelback Hunter White
White was named Special Teams Scout Player of the Year in his redshirt season of 2007. The following season, Hunter took to the field in 12 games as a backup linebacker and finished the season with 25 tackles (16 solo) and two for loss. As a sophomore, White played in all 14 games with one start. He had 37 tackles (27 solo), 4.5 behind the line, with one interception. Hunter had a season-high eight tackles, two for loss, against Nevada and was named Special Teams Player of the Year at the annual football banquet.
Last year, White played in 13 games and started one, finishing with 38 tackles (11 solo). He recorded 1.5 tackles for loss and had an interception.
WHITE'S CAREER STATISTICS
YEAR | SOLO | ASST | TOTAL | SACKS | TFL | INT |
2008 | 16 | 9 | 25 | 0.5 | 2.0 | 0 |
2009 | 27 | 10 | 37 | 0.0 | 4.5 | 1 |
2010 | 11 | 27 | 38 | 0.0 | 1.5 | 1 |
TOTAL | 54 | 46 | 100 | 0.5 | 8.0 | 2 |
#42—Linebacker Matt Wilson
Matt is a walk-on from Wyoming who has stuck with the program for five years despite there not being a scholarship for him. He is a testament to what being a Bronco is about. It's not about him, it's about being part of something greater than any individual or group of individuals. Wilson was a backup linebacker and special teams player as a redshirt freshman and saw action in two games in 2009.
Wilson will start this week on kickoffs so root extra hard for him to go down and make a big hit. He has exemplified hard work and effort and is well respected by his fellow teammates.
Wilson will graduate this month with a degree in construction management and he already has accepted a job as an assistant project manager at Boise-based McMillen.
Read more: http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2011/12/01/ccripe/senior_walkon_matt_wilson_says_hes_living_my_dream_with_boise_st#ixzz1fRvX889C
#90—Defensive Tackle Billy Winn
One of the most gifted athletes to ever grace the defensive line at Boise State. Who will ever forget his knifing through the Oregon offensive line to record a safety on LaGarrette Blount? After redshirting in 2007, Winn played in all 13 games as a freshman in 2008 and finished the year with 26 tackles (15 solo), 5.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble, two quarterback hurries and two pass breakups. For his efforts, Winn was named to Phil Steel’s All-Freshman Second Team.
So opponents knew about him heading into his sophomore year. He still recorded 44 tackles, 12.5 for loss, six sacks and three pass break-ups, earning second-team All-WAC honors. Last season, Billy started all 13 games and finished with 28 tackles (11 solo), including 9.5 behind the line, 4 sacks, a forced fumble, a recovery, a pass break-up and a quarterback hurry. At the conclusion of the season, Billy was named second-team All-WAC once again.
In the 2011 preseason, Winn was named to the Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List, given to the top collegiate defensive player in the nation. He was recognized as an All-America player by Athlon Sports and second-team by Phil Steele. This year, Billy has 29 tackles, six for loss, with one sack, a pass deflection and a fumble recovery.
In his career, Winn has posted 128 tackles (#26 all-time among Boise State linemen), 34.5 for loss, with 13.5 sacks, seven pass break-ups, two forced fumbles, two recoveries and three quarterback hurries.
WINN'S CAREER STATISTICS
YEAR | SOLO | ASST | TOTAL | SACKS | TFL | PBU |
2008 | 16 | 11 | 27 | 2.5 | 6.5 | 2 |
2009 | 18 | 26 | 44 | 6.0 | 12.5 | 3 |
2010 | 11 | 17 | 28 | 4.0 | 9.5 | 1 |
TOTAL | 45 | 54 | 99 | 12.5 | 28.5 | 6 |
#74—Center Cory Yriarte
Yriarte was a backup offensive lineman in his redshirt freshman year (2008) and played in six games. Cory suffered an injury prior to the beginning of the 2009 season and did not play. Cory has led Boise State to an explosive attack that has averaged 200.23 yards-per-game rushing average (#21 nationally), 321.08 yards passing (#6 in the country) and the #2 total offense in the nation--521.31 yards per game and the #2 scoring team in the country--45.08 points a game. Boise State is third in the nation with just eight sacks allowed.
There you have them, 25 of the finest young men in America, all together at one time. They'll be together once more this Saturday in Bronco Stadium for the lucky people who have tickets, watching them playing their final home game for the hometown crowd that is so proud of them. They will be honored prior to the New Mexico game, but 30, 40 years from now, they will be respected as one of the best senior classes in the history of the sport.
