Wide receiver Cartrell Thomas goes by
CT—but it’s not because those are his
initials. Rather, CT stands for Cold Titan,
a nickname he was given as a kid. Last
year as a sophomore, he showed how
ruthlessly cool he can be on the field,
catching 41 passes for 535 yards and
three touchdowns. The speedster was
especially efficient in crucial third-down
situations, and he was a favorite deep
threat for QB Brett Rypien.
However, Rypien is now a different
kind of Bronco, after signing an NFL
contract with Denver. He left Boise as
the Mountain West Conference’s all-time
leader in career passing yards. Several
QBs are battling to fill his shoes, led by
sophomore Chase Cord and freshman
Hank Bachmeier. Cord played in four
games last year before tearing his ACL,
while Bachmeier is the second-highest-
rated recruit in program history.
Boise State also lost a key figure on
defense: coordinator Andy Avalos, who
left for Oregon. His replacement, Jeff
Schmedding, inherits an experienced
crew. The D will have to provide stability
as the new QB finds his feet. It won’t take
long to find out what this team is made of:
The Broncos face their toughest test of the
season in their opener, against a much-
improved Florida State.
t
Army has had plenty of great offensive
players—including three Heisman
Trophy winners—in its history. But the
school has never had a dual threat like
Kelvin Hopkins Jr. Last year, in his initial
season as the Black Knights’ starting
quarterback, he became the first Army
player to eclipse 1,000 yards both
rushing and passing. His explosiveness
was on display in the Armed Forces
Bowl against Houston. Hopkins ran
for 170 yards, including a 77-yard TD
that was the longest run in Army’s bowl
history. The Black Knights won 70–14,
underscoring how dominant their
ground game—which finished second
in the nation with 4,062 rushing yards—
can be. (Hopkins attempted just three
passes, but even though Houston knew
a run was coming, the Cougars were
powerless to stop it.)
After the season, Army lost key
contributors on D—including its
coordinator. But the offense is once
again in great shape. RBs Kell Walker
and Connor Slomka return to team
up with Hopkins, a fellow senior. The
Black Knights use the triple option,
which makes them difficult to prepare
for. The novelty of their attack and a soft
schedule mean they will once again run
over plenty of defenses.
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