The bye week is coming to an end, which means Boise State is about to embark on the second half of the season.

Halfway through coach Andy Avalos' second season, the Broncos are 4-2 but 3-0 in Mountain West play. Obviously that doesn't tell the whole story.

Here are our position-byposition midseason grades.

QUARTERBACKS // C+ This is a product of the Broncos' quarterback dysfunction, not of their future.

You know the story. Four-year starter Hank Bachmeier was benched in the second quarter against Oregon State for redshirt freshman Taylen Green. Then Bachmeier started the next three games before putting his name in the transfer portal, essentially handing the starting job to Green.

The 6-foot-6, dual-threat option has won both games he's started, but it's been mostly because of his legs and the running backs. Boise State still hasn't shown the ability to throw the ball, ranking in the bottom 15 of the nation in passing yards.

RUNNING BACKS // A+

Somehow the Boise State backfield has performed far above expectations. The first four games were good, not great. But the Broncos' running backs have looked like a stockpile of weapons these last two weeks.

Starter George Holani has stayed healthy, running for 549 yards and a trio of touchdowns — meaning he's on pace to break the 1,000-mark for the first time since his freshman year. .

And the surprise of the season has been freshman Ashton Jeanty. Coaches raved about him in the fall, but you never know how those compliments will materialize with first-year players. Jeanty has rushed for 58 times for over 300 yards and three touchdowns.

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS // D+

This goes along with the quarterbacks' grade. The passing offense just hasn't been good this season — a fact of which the culprit is tough to pin down.

This is goes along with the qualierbacks grade. The passing offense just has't been god this season a tough to pin down falls on the shoulders of the pass catchers, who haven't created tons of space, have dropped plenty of passes and have too often been on the wrong side of 50-50 balls.

The leading receiver for Boise State is Latrell Caples. He has just 171 yards. That tells you all you need to know.

OFFENSIVE LINE // BThrough four games, this would have been an F. The Broncos' offensive line struggled that much. The quarterbacks had no time in the pocket. The running backs rarely had holes to run through. The O-line looked dysfunctional.

But perhaps that was on the scheme.

In the last two games, as Boise State ran for over 300 yards in each, the BSU big men have been dominant, winning the battle in the trenches. They have shown proficiency run blocking and, unsurprisingly, have excelled when they get in rhythm.

DEFENSIVE LINE // A-

Boise State's defensive line hasn't been complete stat-stuffers this season, but what they do in the trenches has enabled complete domination from the Broncos defense.

Defensive tackles Scott Matlock, Herbert Gums, Divine Obichere and Jackson Cravens have only combined for 47 tackles and two sacks this season. But what they do filling gaps allows their teammates to make plays.

Like EDGEs Demitri Washington and George Tarlas, the two Greek pass rushers who have been menaces on the outside this year. Washington has 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. Tarlas, the Weber State transfer, leads BSU in both TFLs (6.0) and sacks (4.0).

LINEBACKERS // A+

Coaches and media alike entered 2022 thinking the Boise State linebacking corps would be the weakness of this team. Ezekiel Noa was a sixth-year middle linebacker who had proved to be a solid player but nothing more. And replacing Riley Whimpey was DJ Schramm, a redshirt senior who had never started a game.

Through six games, Noa has turned into a game wrecker, racking up 5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks and an interception against Fresno State.

And Schramm might be the best linebacker in the Mountain West this season. The bearded monster leads Boise State with 49 tackles and seems to get in on every play.

CORNERBACKS // B

Defensive coordinator Spencer Danielson always says defense has to play "on the razor's edge," meaning one bad play can spoil a great game. That's extra true for corners. One missed assignment can turn into a touchdown.

Boise State's corners — mainly Caleb Biggers, Tyric LeBeauf and Kaonohi Kaniho — which have been playing without injuredstarter Markel Reed since the opener, have been good but also prone to giving up a big play.

It happened against Oregon State and New Mexico and UT Martin and a few times against Fresno State.

SAFETIES // A-

The trio of JL Skinner, Tyreque Jones and Rodney Robinson have been the safety net at the back end of Boise State's defense.

Skinner, the 6-3 NFL prospect, is second on the Broncos with 38 tackles. Jones, playing a new nickelback position, has 3.5 tackles for loss and a pick. And Robinson has played well, even picking off a pass against Fresno State.

They're a big reason the Broncos entered the bye week giving up less passing yards (134.3 per game) than any other team in America. They've played a number of bad passing offenses, but it's still remarkable.

SPECIAL TEAMS // C

This would probably be an A, but it's hard to overlook the fact that the Broncos have given up a pair of special teams touchdowns — a punt-return touchdown to UTEP and a blocked-punt-turned-score against San Diego State.

Kicker Jonah Dalmas missed two kicks against Oregon State but bounced back and hasn't missed a kick since. He's 10-for-12 this season, making all three of his kicks beyond 40 yards.

And freshman punter James Ferguson-Reynnolds is averaging over 43 yards per kick. While it's easy to harp on the special teams touchdowns, FergusonReynolds' season has gone beyond that. By yards, he's a top-40 punter in the country and top three in the Mountain West.