Boise State’s win over South Dakota last weekend brought a price tag with it.
The Broncos left the 38-24 victory with multiple injuries to sort through, and head coach Spencer Danielson said Monday that the team is still waiting on clearer answers for several key players. Running back Sire Gaines, offensive guard Roger Carreon and edge rusher Jayden Virgin-Morgan all came out of the game banged up, and starting safety Derek Ganter Jr. remains a question mark as well.
Boise State closes non-conference play at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Western Michigan. The Broncos are 2-1 overall and 0-0 in Pac-12 play, while the Broncos’ opponent is 2-1 and 0-0 in the MAC.
“We had a good amount of guys get banged up in the game, it was a physical game,” Danielson said on Monday. “Still working through it yesterday, today.
We’ve got some guys seeing the doctor, some MRIs, some different things of where we’re at. So I don’t really have a big update for you in regards to our players, but we do have some guys banged up.”
Gaines, a redshirt sophomore, was hurt in the fourth quarter while being tackled and appeared to injure his wrist or hand. He finished with 17 carries for 102 yards and a touchdown, and he’s Boise State’s second-leading rusher behind Dylan Riley, who has 62 carries for 454 yards and two touchdowns this season.
Danielson said Gaines was able to go through some work with the team on Monday, but the staff still needs more time to know where he stands.
“As we speak, we’re working through … with our doctors and kind of seeing where he’s at,” Danielson said. “He was able to work out with the team and go through some of that stuff today, but we’ll find out a lot more this afternoon.”
If Gaines can’t play against Western Michigan, Juelz Goff and Harry Stewart III would likely see more touches. Danielson made it clear that the expectation in the program doesn’t change when injuries hit.
“College football is next man up, carry the flag,” Danielson said. “If someone can’t play in the game, carry the flag.
We make a premium on that. That’s why you came here, you came here to play.
… The standard is the standard, and there is no let-up.”
Carreon, Boise State’s starting right guard, was rolled up on during the game. Virgin-Morgan left after what looked like an upper-body injury on a fourth-quarter sack.
Ganter Jr. missed last week’s game, and Danielson said he’s still dealing with an injury that could keep him out again. The coach expects to learn more on Tuesday.
“We’ll see his status as we get to Tuesday,” Danielson said. “Whenever you have one of your really good football players that can’t play, that hurts you. But I have full trust in Kyle Hall and the rest of our secondary to carry the flag and step up.”
In Other News...
Boise State Faces An Early Road Test Fans Cant Ignore
Boise State heads to Waldo Stadium on Saturday for a non-conference matchup with Western Michigan, bringing a 2-1 record into a game that already feels like a useful measuring stick early in the season. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. Mountain time on ESPN2, and the Broncos are a seven-point favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook as they try to handle a road assignment against a fellow 2-1 team.
It is the kind of September game that can tell you a lot about where both programs really stand, especially with each considered a contender in its own conference and in the College Football Playoff Group of Six race. Boise State is listed at -290 on the moneyline, Western Michigan at +235, but the bigger question is whether the Broncos can leave Michigan with the kind of performance that keeps them moving in the right direction. [Read more 🡒]