BOISE, Idaho — Boise State's defense has been the cornerstone of the team this year. As the offense has gone through a coordinator change, and has turned to a new starting quarterback, it has been the defense that has remained consistent throughout most of the year.
That is reflected in the stats for Boise State. They currently lead FBS in passing yards allowed, giving up only 134 yards per game through the air. They are also second in total defensive yards allowed with only 236 yards per game. They trail only the University of Illinois in that statistic.
These stats are something that cornerbacks coach Demario Warren tries not to bring into the locker room.
“They might know," Warren said. "But, we don't really talk about it. The thing that we have to focus on is being in the right spot and putting ourselves in a position to be successful.”
The players seem to be on the same page as Warren. A strong defense was always a goal of the team, but they think there is still more that can be done.
“Honestly, it’s always a goal for us as a defense to stand out," said Caleb Biggers, a Broncos cornerback. "And by doing that we continue to build every day. I wouldn’t say I’m very proud of it you know it’s always room to improve, we’re going to keep striving to be the best defense as much as possible, so that’s our goal.”
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Biggers describes his self as a physical cornerback. He likes to get his hands on the receiver he is facing up against to control the match-up.
That is something that works in Warren's system, who loves when his cornerbacks get to play man coverage. He thinks that's what makes that group special.
“We cover," said Warren, about his cornerbacks' identity. "Our corners are in your face and we cover man to man a lot. It’s week in week out. Teams know that it’s coming and we have to make sure that we are doing our job and fitting one on ones, if we do that we’re very successful.”
Head coach Andy Avalos is always clear about the future of the season. He often says that the team's goals are still in front of them. The team controls their own destiny from here on out. If they can win out in their last five conference games, they will make the Mountain West Conference Championship which has been their goal from the beginning of the season.
“We’re 3-0 in conference and we need to do our job to make sure we give our team the best chance to win," Warren said. "So, that’s what we’re focused on every single day is making sure that we’re in the right spots doing our jobs so we can continue to go to our goal which is to win a conference championship.”
