Boise State LB Ezekiel Noa out for season after suffering two injuries vs. Air Force
Friday’s game against Air Force was a painful one for Boise State linebacker Ezekiel Noa.
Noa, the Broncos’ leading tackler, is out for the rest of the 2019 season after suffering two major injuries against the Falcons in Boise State’s 30-19 win. He broke a wrist and also suffered a torn ACL.
Boise State confirmed Noa’s injuries on Tuesday. Despite them he still had 10 tackles before he left the game in the third quarter.
Noa moved to the middle in 2019
Noa saw extensive playing time as a redshirt freshman last season as Boise State’s weakside linebacker. He moved to the middle in 2019 and made his presence known with 28 tackles and three tackles for loss in Boise State’s first four games of the season. He had 34 tackles and four tackles for loss in eight games in 2018.
His injuries continue a crazy run of Boise State losing key defenders to significant injuries. From the Idaho Statesman:
This is the third time in two seasons Boise State has lost its leading tackler to an injury. The Broncos lost Riley Whimpey (ACL) and DeAndre Pierce (lacerated spleen) in 2018. Pierce was injured again in the 2019 opener against Florida State and has been seen wearing a boot.
Because Noa played in only four games this season, he could be a candidate for a sixth year of eligibility.
Whimpey, also a linebacker, is third on the team in tackles through the first four games of 2019. A junior this season, he had 55 tackles in nine games in 2018 before the lacerated spleen.
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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports
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