FORT COLLINS — Boise State coach Bryan Harsin called it the key to his team’s success, while at Colorado State, getting a grip on the issue has continued to be a roadblock.
The topic at hand is turnovers, an area where in 2015 the Broncos have excelled and the Rams have not. For both teams, it’s not just one half of the ledger against the other, but both sides working in tandem.
“We want to win. That’s the No. 1 thing I talk about with the guys, so they understand it,” Harsin said. “They’re all very smart when it comes to the key ingredient when it comes to be a successful football team — it’s turnovers. I think that’s showed up in the games, and when you can go back and point it out and go, ‘OK, here’s why we won the game, because we had this many turnovers, we didn’t give up any and we scored every time we got one,’ for example. If we continue that, we can win.”
While the Broncos are tied for eighth in the country in turnover margin, the Rams are near the bottom (121st). Boise State is plus-8 in the category, having turned the ball over five times while collecting 13. As the season has extended, the Broncos are only getting better as new quarterback Brett Rypien has yet to throw an interception.
Colorado State is the opposite, creating just five this season while giving away 14, including an astounding eight fumbles. Defensively, it has gone three games this season without creating a turnover.
The Rams head into the contest knowing every yard may count, but tight end Kivon Cartwright said every ball carrier has to be mindful of the team they’re facing.
“It’s little things. It’s always good to fight for extra yardage, but you gotta be smart about things like that with Boise, because they’re going to stand you up and rip the ball out,” he said. “The little things about when you’re around people, don’t swing the ball around. Those are just good football fundamentals. If you don’t pay attention to those, they will make you pay.”
Harsin sees the internal battle within the BSU secondary helping to fuel the competition for his entire team. Safety Darian Thompson and cornerback Donte Deayon each have 17 career interceptions, tying them as the active leaders in the NCAA. Thompson has four this season, while Deayon has three — or one more than the entire CSU roster.
Those figures are not lost on Colorado State, especially quarterback Nick Stevens, who has been intercepted five times this season.
“The big thing is just taking care of the ball and don’t fumble, try to make all the right reads, and if I have to throw the ball away to avoid an interception, then throw the ball away,” Stevens said.
An easy remedy in theory, and CSU coach Mike Bobo said the Broncos’ zone coverage feeds off other teams’ mistakes. If a throw is ill-timed or sails, there is a Bronco there to haul it in. When throwing in steady pressure from a pass rush, those mistakes happen with more regularity.
“The thing is sometimes you question your throws or question what you see,” Bobo said. “You’ve got to believe in what you see, how you prepare to throw the ball.”
