Boise State QB Ryan Finley out for 8 weeks with broken ankle

Boise State quarterback Ryan Finley will be out eight weeks after suffering a broken bone in his right ankle against Idaho State on Friday, but the Broncos have plenty of depth at the position.

Finley was 5 of 6 for 59 yards when he exited Friday’s game in the first quarter after scrambling for a five-yard gain. Sophomore Tommy Stuart replaced Finley and played well, going 9 of 13 for 69 yards and a touchdown.

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But the home crowd really came alive after halftime, when highly touted freshman Brett Rypien entered the game and went 8-for-9 for 126 yards and three TDs as the Broncos rolled to a 52-0 victory. Broncos coach Bryan Harsin met the media on Sunday afternoon and wasn’t ready to name a starter for this Friday’s game at Virginia.

“One of those guys will be out there for the first time on the road,” Harsin told the Idaho Statesman. “We had that last week with Ryan (at BYU). Hopefully we’ve learned something as a team how to handle that and we can help that quarterback be better prepared when we go play against Virginia.”

Quarterback play has been a concern for nearly every Mountain West team this season, but the Broncos are fortunate to have several quality options behind Finley. We don’t think Harsin would’ve burned Rypien’s redshirt season if he wasn’t going to start, and the Spokane (Wash.) native looked sharp in his debut against Idaho State.

Going forward, the Broncos remain a heavy favorite to capture the Mountain West crown. The conference has had a terrible time in non-conference play with several embarrassing losses (see: South Alabama 34, San Diego State 27 in overtime). After visiting Virginia, Boise State hosts Hawaii before traveling to Colorado State and Utah State.

If the Broncos get past the Aggies — and they should — they’ll likely be favored in each of their five remaining conference games. Unless Rypien or Stuart just aren’t up for the task, Boise State should enter the postseason with a 11-1 record. There aren’t many locks in college football, but this sure looks like one.

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