BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Faced with an offense that has failed to score a touchdown in two of its first three games, Boise State coach Chris Petersen vows he's not about to panic and make any wholesale changes.
Instead, Petersen is preaching patience for a unit that failed to get in the end zone in the opener against Michigan State then again last Thursday in a 7-6 victory over Brigham Young.
Putting up points in bunches has hardly been a problem since Petersen took over seven years ago, and since 2000 Boise State has been the nation's top scoring team, averaging 41.75 points per game during that span. But so far this season, No. 24 Boise State is averaging just 19.7 points per game.
So it's no wonder Broncos fans are getting antsy, nervous and impatient.
"I know people want us to fire guys, get new players and new coaches, but that's not what this is about," a feisty Petersen said Monday. "I'm convinced everyone wants to panic, wants us to yell and scream at one side of the ball. That's the last thing that's going to happen around here."
For now, Petersen is confident the offense under redshirt junior Joe Southwick will turn things around.
As the Broncos (2-1) prepare for their Mountain West Conference opener Saturday at New Mexico, coaches will look for ways to simplify the playbook and focus on details. Practices will have a greater emphasis on execution, specifically inside the red zone, where Boise State has scored just three touchdowns in 12 trips.
Petersen also defended Southwick and new offensive coordinator Robert Prince, the Broncos' third new coordinator in the last three years.
Through three games, Southwick has posted decent statistics. He's 54 of 87 for 618 yards, two touchdowns and his passer efficiency rating is 124.7. He's run the offense effectively at times, engineered scoring drives and minimized the kind of mistakes common among first-year starters.
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