Taking a Look at Boise State Head Coach Andy Avalos and His Defensive Background

To better understand the first matchup between Boise State and UCF, here’s a look at first-time Head Coach Andy Avalos of Boise State.

Brian Smith | Aug 29, 2021

Taking a Look at Boise State Head Coach Andy Avalos and His Defensive Background /

UCF Head Coach Gus Malzahn gained nine seasons of experience as a College Head Football Head Coach prior to coming to Orlando to start a new job with the Knights. Meanwhile, Boise State Head Coach Andy Avalos is making his head coaching debut in the Bounce House this Thursday night.

Prior to Coach Avalos being named Boise State's new leader, he came up the coaching ranks as a defensive mind. Here's a look at some of his past defenses.

Tracking Avalos as a Defensive Coordinator

Coach Avalos was the Defensive Coordinator for Boise State (2016 - 2018). During that time frame, the Broncos allowed 23.3, 22.9 and 22.1 points per game.

Once Avalos took the Defensive Coordinator position with Oregon (2019 - 2020), the Ducks allowed 16.5 points per game during his first season in Eugene (No. 9 nationally), and then saw a significant dip in production by allowing 28.3 points per game (No. 59 nationally) last season.

From the seven games the Ducks played in 2020, four teams scored 29 or more points. The teams that reached that scoring mark -- Washington State (29), UCLA (35), Oregon State (41) and Iowa State (34) -- all found ways to score points, but it was the passing game that usually did the most damage.

Defending the Pass

While the COVID-19 situation caused havoc across college football rosters last year, the Ducks simply failed to slow down opposing passing attacks as well as it probably should have. The Oregon defense allowed 236.3 yards passing per game, which ranked No. 66 in the country.

Last season, Washington State true freshman quarterback Jayden de Laura lit up the Ducks’ defense to the tune of 25 of 39 for 321 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. Maybe that was an off day, perhaps it was a scheme and/or a personnel issue, but when a freshman passes for those types of totals one needs to take notice.

Under the direction of Coach Avalos in 2018, Curtis Weaver recorded 9.5 sacks for the Broncos / Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports

Considering Dillon Gabriel is a quarterback that should be considered one of college football’s most accurate passers, it will be interesting to see how Boise State’s defense attacks UCF's passing game.

Run Defense

The 2020 Oregon defense came in at No. 70 for rushing defense, allowing 169.6 yards per game. In 2019, the Ducks ranked No. 13 at 108.9. That’s a stark contrast. Make of it what one will.

In 2018, Boise State ranked No. 20 in the nation, giving up 122.9 yards on the ground per game. Looking at 2018 and 2019, it’s probably safe to assume that Coach Avalos knows how to slow down the running game. 2020, meanwhile, is more likely an aberration than a trend.

The Unknown

New team, new season, first-time Head Coach, and on the road in the heat of Orlando. Talk about how difficult it is to project how the Broncos will play defense against UCF. Coach Avalos certainly holds the element of surprise over the UCF offense.

Whether it’s a unique blitz package he did not previously show while being the Defensive Coordinator for the Ducks or during his prior stint with Boise State as a Defensive Coordinator, Coach Avalos could throw a few new defensive formations and/or play calls at UCF.

Final Thoughts

This was just a basic overview of Coach Avalos. There are many other ways to evaluate how he’s done to date. Further, he’s very well respected in the coaching community and by the Boise State media. It’s going to be fun to see how the defense of the Broncos plays Thursday evening.

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