College Football: 5 breakout candidates from 2017 opening bowl weekend
By Dana Becker
It’d be pretty easy to find a number of breakout candidates from this game on the offensive side of the ball, but Boise State junior linebacker Leighton Vander Esch made sure to put his name atop the list with his showing.
Vander Esch, a 6-4, 240-pounder, recorded 12 total tackles, including three for loss, and a sack in helping shut the Oregon rush offense down.
Of his dozen stops, 10 of them were solo ones from his spot patrolling the middle of the field in the Las Vegas Bowl.
The Broncos scored a 38-28 victory, finishing out the year with 11 wins.
Vander Esch made 141 tackles and had four sacks this season, picking off two passes and batting down five more. He also forced three fumbles.