Are stats for ‘losers’? The Boise State secondary isn’t paying attention to them

Boise State safety Ty Benefield gets taken down by Utah State tight end Will Monney after picking up a fumble during a game last season. | Kyle Green for the Idaho Statesman. BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — Boise State junior safety Ty Benefield doesn’t believe in statistics. In fact, he had some strong words that the stat nerds out there won’t like to hear: “Stats are for losers.” Benefield made that comment Tuesday evening with a sly grin, but he said it within the context of a serious point. “If you watch us on the field during our games, it’s the pursuit of the defense,” Benefield said. “Everybody pursues the ball. We all swarm. That’s the most important thing.” Boise State’s defense in 2024, from a statistical viewpoint, wasn’t much to fawn over — the Broncos ranked 106th out of 133 FBS schools for passing yards allowed per game (241.4) and 107th in interceptions (seven). The Broncos’ secondary in particular has often drawn the ire of fans in recent years. In 2024, Boise State gave up an explosive result on 11.5% of plays, according to PFF, ranking last in the nation. The year prior, the Broncos gave up 79 passing plays of at least 15 yards, including 16 against Washington alone in the season opener. When you frame the situation with those numbers, it’s no wonder Benefield prefers not to pay attention to the statistics. There are some explanations to those numbers, primarily being the Broncos’ tendency to put pressure on the quarterback — Boise State led the nation in sacks (55) in 2025 — opening up opportunities for quarterbacks to throw over the top or find quick passes underneath. But in 2025, Benefield doesn’t want even to give the statisticians room to talk. “The amount of talent that we have staying on this team, and the abilities that we have … with the stats, that probably wasn’t statistically one of the best defenses, (still) got that far into the playoffs,” Benefield said. “Imagine what we’ll do when we fix all those things.” The Broncos not only return all their starters from the secondary that made it to the College Football Playoff in 2024, but they’re getting national recognition, too. Benefield and fifth-year cornerback A’Marion McCoy were named to the Jim Thorpe Award Watch List, which is awarded to the nation’s best defensive back. Senior Jeramiah Earby and redshirt seniors Davon Banks and Zion Washington also return in the secondary, while Notre Dame redshirt junior transfer Jaden Mickey is making a serious case to start at nickel. As for what the Broncos’ secondary needs to fix? Benefield has his eyes set on recording more interceptions and better tackling in the open field. Benefield led the team in both stats last year, ending the season with 82 tackles and two interceptions. He was also the only player with multiple interceptions. A big part of fixing both of those, Benefield said, is positioning. “Positioning for sure, and just being able to not allow a defender to cut back, because everybody in college football, if you’re a good player, cuts back,” Benefield said. “And so not being able to let them cut back and hold your leverage is a sign of being better. So we’ve been doing that, and we’ve been doing a really good job.” Safeties coach Tyler Stockton also noted Wednesday that the whole secondary needs to be better at eye control. “You see a DB get beat, and he’s in a great position. Why?” Stockton rhetorically asked. “Did he peek in the backfield too early and lose control of where his man was? Did he jump second because the other guy jumped first? So those are all the little things that we’re working on, and the guys know it, too.” Stockton said that he also doesn’t believe in statistics, but he was a bit more even-handed with his sentiment. He knows what the Broncos’ secondary is capable of and why it has struggled in the past, but still acknowledged that statistics like tackling and pass breakups are real things that people use to judge a team. “Imagine if we clean up all those things,” Stockton said. “I tell the guys, imagine if we’re one of the top tackling teams in the country. Imagine if we have one of the top pass defenses in the country, because here at Boise State, we’re going to stop the run. “So now let’s be elite at everything,” he continued. “You never know where we can go this year.”The post Are stats for ‘losers’? The Boise State secondary isn’t paying attention to them appeared first on East Idaho News.
Source: eastidahonews.com