Boise State Football: 3 takeaways from runaway victory over Hawaii

1. Boise State defense stood tall against Hawaii

Entering Saturday’s Mountain West thriller against Hawaii, Boise State boasted one of the best defense at the Group of Five level — if not in the entire country. The Broncos were allowing 306 yards per game, ranking just outside the top 25 in the FBS in that statistical category, and at the same time they gave up an average of just 16 points per outing.

Hawaii has tormented some good teams so far this season with a high-octane passing attack. They got their opportunities on the Smurf Turf at Albertsons Stadium on Saturday night, as Cole McDonald and Chevan Cordeiro combined to go 26-of-50 for 325 yards and four touchdowns. But Cordeiro tossed an interception, and they were unable to keep Boise State from rolling them over on the scoreboard.

It nearly doubled the 175 yards allowed through the air on average over Boise State’s first five games of the year. It didn’t matter, though, as Hawaii was consistently playing from behind and unable to turn much toward their ground game. While the Rainbow Warriors backfield finished with 113 yards and averaged nearly six yards per carry, they only handed off the ball 19 times over the course of the contest.

That was a testament to Boise State’s ability to turn opponents one-dimensional when they have the ball. Already inclined to favor the pass over the run, Hawaii became a caricature of itself by the end of the game. That was due more than anything to the way the Broncos shut things down when they were playing without the ball.

At this point, it is harder and harder to imagine any other team claiming a spot in the Cotton Bowl or wherever they end up deciding to send the top Group of Five team. With a swarming defense and a balanced offense, no other team is quite as complete as Bryan Harsin’s Broncos.