COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Blakley ready for Boise State debut

Redshirt sophomore tight end Chase Blakley is finally ready to suit up for the Boise State Broncos after redshirting in 2014 and missing last season due to a torn Achilles.

Blakley was a highly recruited 3-star prospect out of Coeur d’Alene High that switched his commitment from Washington to Boise State shortly before signing day.

He tore his Achilles during training camp last season, and then missed spring practices due to hip surgery. He’s 100 percent cleared and ready to make his Boise State debut this fall.

“It’s great,” Blakley said. “Definitely awesome to be back out there with the guys competing, getting back into pads and hitting people again. It’s been a great recovery and I’m glad to be out there with the guys.

“I feel like I’m fitting in pretty well. We have a lot of depth. I really am excited to get back in there and get in a groove.”

The 6-foot-4, 246-pound Blakley is expected to be in the rotation at tight end.

BSU television game streak ending: Boise State’s season opener on Sept. 3 at Louisiana will not be televised in the Boise area, ending a streak of 38 consecutive games on national television.

The school announced that the game will only be available in the area via the online streaming site ESPN3 or the Watch ESPN app.

The game is being televised on the American Sports Network, which does not have an affiliate in Idaho. Sinclair Broadcasting Group owns the channel, but won’t air the game on one of the three channels it owns in the Boise market, including KBOI Channel 2.

It’s still unclear why they couldn’t pick up the game on one of the three Sinclair channels. Boise State’s release Monday said only that the game would be available on ESPN3 or the Watch ESPN app, but didn’t explain why it wouldn’t be on TV.

It will mark the first game since Boise State topped UT Martin 63-14 on Sept. 7, 2013, that won’t air on television in Boise. The previous 38 games since have all aired on national television.

Boise State has had 39 of 40 games air on national television the past three seasons including 11 games on ESPN, 10 on ESPN2, four on ESPNU, 12 on CBS Sports Network, one on FOX Sports 1 and one on CBS.