When Boise State kicks off its season against Georgia Southern this weekend in the humid, 90-degree Southeast air, don’t be surprised to see plenty of rotations among the players.
First, that kind of weather can have an effect on the game. Second, it’s not uncommon to manage snaps at certain positions, especially on defense. And third, the Broncos’ depth chart has positions that essentially list two starters.
But if there’s one guy Bronco Nation can expect to see on nearly every defensive play, it’s team captain Ahmed Hassanein.
The senior defensive end emerged as a force for the Broncos last year, recording 12.5 sacks in 14 starts, including a streak of nine games with at least half a sack, the longest streak in college football since 2015. His sack total ranked sixth in the country and sixth in program history for a single season.
He also recorded 16.5 tackles for loss, which was 19th in FBS.
The Broncos brought in reinforcements to help Hassanein this season, including veteran defensive end Tavion Woodard, who transferred from Ball State for his final season. Woodard recorded 11.5 sacks in five seasons at Ball State.