Weekend Picks, 3rd edition (5th week of the season)

Weekend Picks take three are a go! This seems to be a little bit of a down week for the WAC as there are no marquee match ups or big games to look forward to. I don’t want to say that this week will be boring, but it sure won’t be all that exciting. The Broncos dig into their conference schedule and there are a couple of FCS schools on schedule for the rest of the teams. We have one Friday game and the rest are on Saturday. Let’s get started.


Friday, October 1 at 6 PM

at

The Cougars defense came alive against Nevada last week in another loss. They are 1-3 this year and are not looking too good. Granted, they did play tough at Florida State earlier, but losses to Nevada and Air Force stung. With the defense playing well, the Cougars will look to get more production from their offense, break in a new quarterback, and try and find some play makers. JJ Di Luigi is still the go to back. Look for him to touch the ball often on Friday. Utah State has been disappointing since nearly upsetting Oklahoma. For a team that was picked by many to be bowl eligible, they sure are floundering. QB Diondre Borel has had a let down since week one and looks to get back on track. He is a dual threat and needs to utilize his abilities in order for the Aggies to win. He has thrown for 832 yards this season, but they have a poor rushing attack which leaves him one-dimensional. Playing a little defense wouldn’t hurt either. If BYU’s defense can play like it did in the second half against Nevada, they should win. If they do not and Borel is allowed to go off, Utah State could take it just as easily.
Prediction: Cougars 28, Aggies 21


Saturday, October 2 at noon

at

Rumors of the return of the Vandal defense have been greatly exaggerated. After stifling a really terrible UNLV team at home, Idaho gave up 36 points and let Colorado State quarterback Pete Thomas dissect them for 386 yards. Again, the offense has been playing very well with senior Nathan Enderle already having thrown for 1,009 yards and 7 touchdowns. The plague has been playing on the road for the Vandals. They absolutely stink! At home they are fine. Too bad this one is away from the comfy confines of the Kibbie Dome. Western Michigan welcomes Idaho the coolest stadium name in the coolest city name; Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo! Awesome. The Broncos are not that bad of a team, they have just played some really tough teams during the first few weeks of the season and they come in with a 1-2 record. QB Alex Carder has thrown 8 touchdowns and is a good player. This will be an evenly matched game and should be a good one to watch. Unfortunately, the road woes continue for the Vandals.
Prediction: Broncos 35, Vandals 32


Saturday, October 2 at 6 PM

at

The Spartans come off of a complete spanking in Salt Lake City to face another FCS school at home. They were barely able to beat Southern Utah two weeks ago. San Jose State still has a hard time scoring points and they sure can’t stop anybody on defense, but they are the favorite in this match up. The Spartans rank in the very back end on every statistical category in the nation. Not good. It will be a bore, skip it and watch something else. Every time I think of the Aggies I picture them coming into Bronco Stadium last year and playing the game of their lives against 5th ranked Boise State. Will they be able to duplicate that effort against a crappy San Jose State team? My guess is probably not. Like I said, this will be a bad game to watch. UC Davis actually has better statistics then San Jose State, but they also play worse competition. This feels like an upset in the making!
UPSET SPECIAL!
Prediction: Aggies 21, Spartans 18


Saturday, October 2 at 8 PM

at

Unfortunately for the Mustangs, Fresno State has a lot of anger to unleash this weekend. Ole’ Miss absolutely destroyed the Bulldogs last week. The worst part was how their defense performed against a struggling Rebel offense. They gave up 55 points. That is a lot to allow a team that could only muster 27 against Tulane. The Fresno State defense will need to fix the tackling issues that allowed Ole’ Miss to run wild. Offensively, they are strong with Ryan Colburn at the helm, averaging almost 36 points a game. On the other side, the Mustangs hail from the FCS and are a strong 3-1. Their offensive stats are not that strong, but they still score 27 points a game. The Cal Poly defense is best in their conference. Still, playing at Fresno will be an impossible task for the Mustangs.
Prediction: Bulldogs 42, Mustangs 17


Saturday, October 2 at 8 PM

at

Nevada is ranked for the first time since 1948 and is flying high. Even though they could only muster 3 points against BYU last week, the Wolfpack defense held strong and preserved the victory. Colin Kaepernick is still the master of the pistol offense that averages almost 45 points a game. Defensively, they are only giving up 19. UNLV on the other hand, has not gotten any better since they got killed by Idaho. The Runnin’ Rebels are 1-3, with their only win coming against an even worse New Mexico team. They score an average of 21 points a game while giving up 30. That means they will lose a lot of games. This week will be no exception.
Prediction: Wolfpack 45, Runnin’ Rebels 20


Saturday, October 3 at 9:30 PM

at

The Bulldogs bring their terrible offensive unit on the road and make the long flight to the islands. I wonder if these teams understand that letting the other team score more points than them means they will lose? LA Tech is scoring 18 a game and allowing 26. In a nutshell, they suck on offense and are bad on defense. It looks like the Bulldogs will stick with Tarik Hakmi at quarterback, hoping to get more production from their offense. Hawai’i really has no problem offensively, racking up the yardage and dropping a sturdy 37 per game. They are only giving up 29 a game as well. See, a team that understands the concept! Bryant Moniz continues to chuck the ball to anything moving and has the yards to prove it, as well as 3 interceptions. The Bulldogs have to travel a long distance and this game is at home for the Rainbow Warriors, so it should be a pretty impressive victory for them.
Prediction: Rainbow Warriors 41, Bulldogs 24


Saturday, October 2 at 6 PM

at

The Broncos will be without suspended nickel backer Winston Venable, for the first 2 quarters of the game (ridiculous, I know. See my previous post). The good news is they get suspended safety Jason Robinson back. Not that it matters against the Aggies. Boise State comes in ranked third in the nation, feeling good, and ready to start the soft part of their schedule. Kellen Moore continues to prove that he may be the best quarterback in the country. Receivers Titus Young and Austin Pettis are catching everything thrown at them and running into the end zone with it afterwards. The Broncos took a blow when DJ re-tore his left ACL and will be out the rest of the season. Good thing they are deep at running back. Doug Martin (Muscle Hamster) will get more carries and we will see a lot more of Jeremy Avery and Matt Kaiserman. The offense scores 40 a game and gives up 20. The only weakness that was seen against Oregon State was the special teams, specifically kicking coverage. Actually, that is New Mexico State’s strong point. So it will be interesting to see what adjustments are made and what is improved for Boise State. The Aggies still can’t get anything going offensively, as quarterback Matt Christian is only completing just over 50% of his passes. Defensively, they rank towards the bottom of all Divison-1 teams. In fact, New Mexico State weekly finds themselves in Mark Schlabach’s bottom ten teams. See it for yourself here. The last three times the Aggies have played the Broncos, they have been outscored 149-7. Their one touchdown came last season in the tail end of the fourth quarter. What I am trying to say is the Aggies do not stand a chance.
Prediction: Broncos 52, Aggies 10


My record so far this season: 14-3

Be sure to come back tomorrow and check out the Weekly Player to Watch. There will be a new twist on it this time around!

1 Really Hard Hit = 2 Quarters on the Bench, Happy Trails to DJ Harper

As I mentioned yesterday, Winston Venable's hit on Oregon State wide receiver James Rodgers was under review to determine whether or not he will be suspended. Well Karl Marx Benson, the WAC commissioner, in a moment of pure egotistical retribution against Boise State, dropped the hammer today and suspended Venable for the New Mexico State game on Saturday. Boise State appealed it and the suspension was reduced to the first 2 quarters. Read the story here on idahostatesman.com. What are your thoughts?

My first thought is this: what a load of crap! I won't get into it like I did yesterday other than to mention that this is pure payback for the Broncos leaving his conference. Watch out Nevada and Fresno State, you guys are next! Like I said, he has now set a precedent where players from every team should be getting suspended every game for similar hits. In no way was James Rodgers a defenseless player. He was setting a block and was at a weird angle and height when Venable came full speed trying to get to the quarterback. This is absolutely ridiculous. I cannot express in PG-suitable words how idiotic this decision was from Benson. Another point; what does a half a game suspension do. It is as pointless as it is laughable. Way to get the job done Benson. Chadd Cripe of the Idaho Statesman wrote the blog link above about the suspension. He mentions, "Benson, after consulting with two NCAA rules and officiating experts, decided to suspend Venable for a game." All I can say is that if these "experts" were anything like the actual officials that reffed the game on Saturday, I can see how they came up with the suspension. What a bunch of moronic crocks! We cannot leave for the Mountain West soon enough.

We will miss this guy...for 2 quarters.


As my "Weekly PTW" curse continues, we found out yesterday that running back DJ Harper has torn his ACL again. I say again because it is the same one he had surgery on to repair last year. Again, this was three games in, just as it was last season. Harper will appeal to the NCAA to grant him a sixth year of eligibility. The sixth year is very elusive, but he may have a good case here. I wish Harper the best of luck and really hope that he is able to get the extra year. Poor guy. Bronco Nation loves you DJ! Don't ever forget it! We will be seeing a lot more carries for Doug Martin, a lot more of Jeremy Avery, and more of Matt Kaiserman. It's a good thing the Broncos are deep at running back. Good luck Harper!

We will miss this guy for the whole season. We won't be seeing this on Saturday.


Be sure to check in tomorrow and get my Weekend Picks!

Winston Venable sounds like a British name, and he plays football really violently

There has been endless reaction to the hit that knocked James Rodgers out of the game for Oregon State last Saturday. The WAC is reviewing the hit to determine whether or not to suspend Boise State's Winston Venable for it. I was putting around the blog world and I found this little ditty from "Vanquish the Foe," a BYU fan blog. Look at number nine when this tool says: "I thought the cheap shot on Fuga was disgusting (not as disgusting as the #17 Boise player cheap shotting James Rodgers tonight - watch that tape and see #17 ignore the guy with the ball, turn away and just drill his helmet into OSU's star player - I hate Boise)" This guy is absolutely clueless! I posted a comment on his blog and we will see if I get a response. If I do, I will be sure to share it.

First of all, watch the hit. It is in this link on a video recap of the entire game. Number one, Venable is very aggressive, sometime overly aggressive. But knowing him personally (I had some classes with him at Boise State), there is nothing rude or hurtful in the guy. Being as aggressive as he is, he was just trying to make a play on the scrambling Ryan Katz. As unfortunate as the result/aftermath of the hit was, it is football. Rodgers was standing still, turned sideways from Venable as he was trying to block both Venable and Jamar Taylor. You see Rodgers dip his shoulders and head as Venable comes flying in. It was clearly helmet to helmet contact, but if both players have their heads down then who is at fault? With Rodgers standing still and Venable going 15 yards at full sprint speed, what do you expect? Rodgers is a small guy as it is and just found himself in the path of Winston Venable. Like I said here and in a previous post, I wish the best to James Rodgers and his family. I hope he recovers fully and there are no lasting effects. Unfortunately this is just part of football.

If the WAC decides to suspend Venable, they will have made a huge mistake. They will have set a precedent where 6 or 7 people from every team that plays should get suspended every week. To me it is absurd. I know I am a little biased, but plays like this happen all the time when defenders are trying to make a tackle. If Rodgers had not gotten hurt, we would not be having this discussion. Like I said, I think it was all a microcosm of a hard running, aggressive Winston Venable, an already small receiver trying to lay a block who happened to bend down to an unfortunate height and angle, and the unwanted outcome of an injured player. These things combined may get Venable suspended against New Mexico State (not that we will need him against the Aggies).

But this discussion brings up a topic that I must bring up; Winston Venable's name. It's freaking awesome! Doesn't it sounds like he should be British? In fact, the meaning of the name Winston is of English origin meaning "joy stone" (see here, on a baby name meaning website). It has to be the coolest name on Boise State's roster. He comes from an athletic family. Winston's brother Will (didn't get the cool name in the family) plays outfield for the San Diego Padres. Will also played basketball at Princeton University, so he is smart and athletic! Will and Winston's father, Max, was also a Major League Baseball outfielder for 4 teams during his 12-year career. So there you go.

Seriously, just try saying it with a British accent: Winston Venable!

Sealing the Fiesta Bowl win for the Broncos with an interception. Look how high he jumped!

The Boise State Field Guide" is awesome!"

One of the blogs that I follow and that strongly encourage you to follow is obnug.com (One Bronco Nation Under God). They are funny, witty, informational, and share my utter distaste for all things Colin Kaepernick. I came across this "Boise State Field Guide: 5 Fan Types you may encounter at Bronco Stadium." It's basically awesome. The best part is how accurate it is. Read through it and you can literally picture someone you have run into at the stadium for all 5 fan types. Even better, you can really see which one you are from reading the descriptions. I am The Professor in a lot of ways. But I try not to be annoying about it. In fact, I think a lot of true Boise State fans that want to know everything about the team are. As long as you are consciously trying to not be annoying then it's OK, right? The Sitter is the most annoying, in my opinion. You can't get all amped up for the game if you are sitting down. Anyway, enjoy and decide which one of the five you are!

Nevada into the Top 25!

The Nevada Wolfpack has busted into the top 25 for the first time since 1948 after a 27-13 win on the road over the BYU Cougars. Head coach Chris Ault has been criticized for his team not performing in big games. They have almost always lost really ugly a couple times in the beginning of the season, only to pull it all together later on. But it is different this year as Ault has his squad at 4-0 and ready to start WAC play.

For the WAC, this is really good news. There are now two teams ranked and had Fresno State won at Ole' Miss, there would have been three. There will start to be a lot of excitement as we get nearer to November 26. The Broncos roll into Reno in what should be a top 25 match up as long as Nevada keeps winning. Colin Kaepernick has his offense rolling and should be a contender for WAC offensive player of the year, as he always seems to be.

I think this Nevada Wolfpack team is good. Are they top 25 good? I'm not sure yet. They beat a really crappy Eastern Washington team, a just as bad Colorado State, and a mediocre BCS team in California all at home. But the win at BYU tells a lot, even if this is the worst BYU teams in years. Looking at their remaining schedule, they shouldn't get tested until they have to go to Fresno on November 13. I guess at Hawai'i on October 16 might be kind of tricky. Don't get me wrong, I think Nevada has the best team that they have ever had under Chris Ault. All I'm saying is that we won't know how good the Wolfpack is until they face the Bulldogs of Fresno State. Until then, they should continue to win and move up the rankings. I cannot wait for November 13!


Have you seen this man's throwing finesse?

Broncos Beat Beavers!

If you watched the Boise State Broncos home opener against the Oregon State Beavers, you saw a great football team make mistakes that almost cost them the game. But at the same time, it never really felt like the outcome was in doubt. If you did not see it, then join me in this next part. Let's all just pretend that we didn't see it and we don't know how it ended. I will show some stats from the game. Look at them, act as if you don't know the final score, and guess who won. Ready? Here we go:

Yardage:

......Boise State........Oregon State
Rushing-175..................78
Passing-294..................159
Total-...469...................237

First Downs:

Boise State........Oregon State
.....22...................16

Sacks on Opposing Quarterback:

Boise State.......Oregon State
.......4....................0

Time of Possession:

Boise State.......Oregon State
...33:18...............26:42

It sure looks like it was a complete shellacking that Boise State bestowed upon a crappy Beaver team. In many ways this was true. The final score was 37 to 24 in favor of the Broncos. But why did I leave the stadium with what I can only describe as a sour taste in my mouth? It is because the third quarter was really rough on fans of the Broncos. Bad special teams play (mainly Titus Young fumbling a punt that gave Oregon State fantastic field position) and some really terrible penalties nearly derailed everything Boise State had worked for. In fact, 17 points that Oregon State scored were directly related to miscues by Boise State's special teams. It's tough because the defense played so well and the points allowed by special teams will be put on them. It was definitely hard to watch for a while. Oregon State did what they needed to do; play well on special teams, keep it close, and don't be intimidated. But still, it wasn't enough.

What We Learned:

-Kellen Moore should just be given the Heisman Trophy now. Well, at least be extended an invite to New York for the trophy presentation right now. In a night where mistakes, nerves, hype, and emotions took its toll on the Broncos, Moore was as cool as a cucumber. He went 19 for 27 with 288 yards and 3 touchdowns. Every time Boise State needed a score to hold the Beavers at bay, Kellen delivered. It also helps a lot that he has some talented receivers to throw the ball to.

-Mike Riley is a really freaking good coach! Not only did he have his players prepared and ready for the game, the environment, and the competition, but he had his guys in it mentally. Oregon State was not intimidated or scared to play in Bronco Stadium. Through the noise, the pressure, and a lack of respect, Riley and his crew were up to the task. They may have been outmatched in just about every facet of the contest, but he did what he could to keep it close, and it almost worked. Mike Riley; one of the top ten coaches in the nation. Take it to the bank.

-Boise State's run defense deserves all the hype it got, and then some. The combination of Billy Winn, Shea McClellin, Chase Baker, Ryan Winterswyk, Tyrone Crawford, and co. absolutely man-handled Jacquizz Rodgers. They held him to a career low 46 yards on 18 carries. That is absolutely unheard of! Quizz never got going. All I can say to finish this off is; watch out Colin "Bird Leg" Kaepernick and Vai Taua. The Broncos D-line is really big and really good.

-Doug Martin is a beast and eats children for dinner. OK, maybe just steak. But Coach Pete went to him in the fourth quarter to eat up clock and gain yardage. That is precisely what he did. On their final drive that netted a Kyle Brotzman field goal, Martin gained 61 of the team's 67 yards. Yards after contact are his specialty and he had plenty. Tons of credit to the offensive line and Dan Paul for blocking perfectly for Doug. They don't call him the Muscle Hamster for nothing.


Areas of Concern:
Penalties, again. The Broncos cut down on the number of them, but the ones they did have came at really inopportune moments. On one particular drive the defense had two fifteen yarders that kept the Beavers' drive alive, both times after a stop on third down. There was a taunting penalty on Tyrone Crawford and a phantom unnecessary roughness call against Winston Venable (I say phantom because it didn't happen. In order for it to be unnecessary roughness you actually have to hit the guy, right? Ridiculous). Either way, Boise State needs to fix that big time. Another concern is still the secondary. I know they were playing a prevent defense and didn't give up anything deep, but they left some receivers wide open. It is still better than against Virginia Tech, but there is room for improvement. Turnovers; The Broncos need some! It is almost ridiculous that they did not force any against Oregon State. Jeron Johnson should have had an interception but mistimed the jump and it ended up as an OSU touchdown. They will need to be a lot better at forcing turnovers if they expect to do big things this season.


Favorite Play:
Although it was a catch and a first down for the Beavers, George Iloka delivered a huge snot bubbler on the OSU receiver. He went up for a high ball from Katz and was greeted with a full speed face mask in his rib cage. It was awesome! We need more of that from Iloka.

Thoughts and Tidbits:
Austin Pettis got out of the dog house and threw his first touchdown pass ever in the first quarter. It was awesome! Matt Kaiserman got into the game at running back before Jeremy Avery did. Kaiserman hasn't played since breaking his leg against Idaho last season. Brandon Thompson had a great game. He kept star wide out James Rodgers in check, limiting him to 2 catches for 11 yards. Let's hope he continues doing just this instead of reverting to his Virginia Tech "I can't tackle worth crap" self.

Maybe I should stop picking weekly PTW's. Everyone I choose gets injured. Shea McClellin last week and DJ Harper this time around. When I saw him go down after cutting to his right on that surgically repaired knee, I was like "oh crap!" He did not return to the game. He was limping a little bit on the sideline, but Coach Pete says he is fine and will play next week.

A huge part of the outcome of the game was the national perception of the Broncos. A lot of experts said they needed to win big to earn more respect. It looked good for the first half and the fourth quarter, but as mentioned, the third almost messed it up. That sour taste in my mouth and yours is our perception of the team, the game, and the public perception (yes, I said it is our perception of the public perception. Quite a quandary, huh?). What I mean by that is Bronco fans are afraid that they did not pass the test as well as they could have in the eyes of the voters and viewers. Still, beating a ranked team will bode well for the Broncos. Couple that with the fact that Virginia Tech is back in it with a shut out win at Boston College and the ship may be righting itself (please refer to a previous post where I cautioned people to not overreact when James Madison beat the Hokies). Boise State should stay put in the polls for at least one more weak. I think that even if they had blown out the Beavers, nothing would have changed. Boise State still needs chaos to reign down on college football in order for them to get to the National Championship game. There is still a lot of season to play. Overall, I think that in the end a win is a win and the Broncos need to keep taking care of business. Oregon State has got to be the best 1-2 team in the country. Let's hope they can start to win and make some noise of their own. Again, here is a link to the photos taken of the game on idahostatesman.com. Enjoy!

My thoughts and prayers go out to James Rodgers. The poor kid took a hit and was knocked out of the game. It's too bad because it was a big game and I know him and his little brother had been looking forward to playing in it. I wish him a speedy recovery and hope that there are no lasting effects. Those two kids are gamers and they should be applauded.

Keep checking back in for more thoughts and feelings about the Broncos, the WAC, and just about everything else as it comes to me.

WAC Weekend Recap

Week four of the college football season has officially ended and we have a lot to cover, so let's get started!

Idaho Vandals at Colorado State Rams
My prediction was Idaho wins 35 to 21.
Final score: Rams 36, Vandals 34.
Coming into this match up, the Rams had done absolutely nothing on offense (19 total points through 3 games) and even less on defense. At the same time, the Vandals had supposedly improved their defense by great lengths and were ready to stifle the already hapless Ram offense. So what happened? Idaho is Idaho, that's what happened. A completely over-rated and over-confident Vandal aquad went into Fort Collins and lost to a terrible Mountain West opponent. You can't blame Idaho's offense. QB Nate Enderle was a near perfect 25 for 30 for 347 yards and 3 touchdowns. But here were the numbers for Colorado State's quarterback Pete Thomas; 29 for 37, 386 yards and 3 touchdowns. So much for the new and improved defense. Oh well, the Vandals suck again/still and now we all realize it.

Fresno State Bulldogs at Ole' Miss Rebels
My prediction was Rebels win 32 to 28.
Final score: Rebels 55, Bulldogs 38.
Apparently no one was even remotely interested in playing defense in Oxford, MS yesterday. Finally Ole' Miss beat a team that doesn't suck. Rebel (literally and figuratively. He has a criminal record, remember?) QB Jeremiah Masoli was a modest 8 for 12 for 153 yards and 2 touchdowns. What killed the Bulldogs was running back Brandon Bolden carrying 19 times for 228 yards. Fresno State QB Ryan Colburn did his best with 390 yards and 4 touchdowns on a 32 for 42 night. It was going to be a tough game for the Bulldogs anyway playing an SEC schools on the road, but they did themselves no favors regardless. They will have to regroup as they face Cal Poly at home next week.

Nevada Wolfpack at BYU Cougars
My prediction was Cougars win 38 to 35.
Final score: Wolfpack 27, Cougars 13.
The story here is how the BYU defense was able to stifle "Bird Leg" Kaepernick and the lethal Nevada offense, holding them to only 27 points. Kaepernick was 16 for 25 for 196 yards and had only 82 on the ground. Running back Vai Taua did have 133 yards, but that was with 29 carries. That is not very productive. Speaking of being unproductive, BYU QB Jakes Heaps was an ugly 24 for 45 for 229 yards. As I mentioned, this is not a very good BYU team, but they were able to contain the Wolfpack. Too bad they were anemic on offense and couldn't muster enough points to win. This was my upset special because I didn't see another one that I thought was possible. The Cougars played their game and had a chance for the upset, but Nevada went home victorious on a down night.

New Mexico State Aggies at Kansas Jayhawks
My prediction was Jayhawks win 28 to 10.
Final score: Jayhawks 42, Aggies 16.
The schizophrenic Kansas Jayhawks had one of their Dr. Jekyll nights and put up great offensive numbers. QB Jordan Webb was 17 for 27 for 249 yards and a touchdown. But the real story is how bad New Mexico State is and how they can't stop anybody on defense. Offensively, they suck just as bad, gaining only 275 yards total. When Boise State comes and plays them next week, it is going to be a long night on both sides of the ball.

Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles at Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
My prediction was Golden Eagles win 35 to 24.
Final score: Golden Eagles 13, Bulldogs 12.
I'm sure glad that I missed this snooze fest. As mentioned, LA Tech plays well at home. At least they played well at home on defense in this game. Too bad their offense sucked incredibly. QB Tarik Hakmi (who???) did gain 262 yards through the air on 22 for 35 passing, but he did throw 2 interceptions, one of which sealed their fate late in the game. Southern Miss QB Austin Davis was 22 for 38 for 233 yards as well. Was there really good defense played last night in Ruston, Louisiana, or was it just really bad offense? The answer; really crappy defense.

San Jose State Spartans at Utah Utes
My prediction was Utes win 55 to 16.
Final score: Utes 56, Spartans 3.
The Spartans are really bad and as it turns out, even worse than I thought. I know Utah is a good team and especially tough at home, but only 3 points? Yikes. San Jose State QB Jordan La Secla was a meager 8 for 12 and 67 yards. 172 yards of total offense is not going to get it done against anybody. Utah was by far the superior team as QB Jordan Wynn played his first game since suffering a thumb injury. He went a modest 14 for 18 for 124 yards and 2 touchdowns. What did we learn: San Jose State is indeed one of the worst teams in the nation. Moving on...

Utah State Aggies at San Diego State Aztecs
My prediction was Aztecs win 35 to 24.
Final score: Aztecs 41, Aggies 7.
Oh no, it looks like Utah State is regressing a lot after almost upsetting Oklahoma in week one. Diondre Borel had only 130 yards and an interception on 14 of 31 passing. Even worse, the dual threat rushed for 5 yards on 18 carries. Ugly. San Diego State completely dismantled the Aggies as they out gained them in total yardage by more than double, 504 to 245. Utah State needs to get it together if they want to make a bowl game like so many people predicted they would. They host the Cougars of BYU next week in what should be a good game.

Charleston Southern Buccaneers at Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors
My prediction was Rainbow Warriors win 42 to 21.
Final score: Rainbow Warriors 66, Buccaneers 7.
Hawai'i had maybe their best all around game in a couple of years. Granted, it was against a crappy FCS team. QB Bryant Moniz went 19 for 27 for 395 yards and 6 touchdowns. But most importantly, the Rainbow Warrior porous defense only gave up 227 yards. Like I said, the competition was very poor and Hawai'i took advantage. Next week they host the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs in what may or may not be a blowout in favor of the Rainbow Warriors.

Last week; 7-1
This week (including Boise State's win); 7-2
Overall; 14-3

Well there we are. The Nevada win over BYU is great for the WAC. The Wolfpack should be ranked in the top 25 when polls are released later today. If they can keep winning, the match up in Reno in November against Boise State should be a fantastic showdown. Other than that, we really didn't learn much about the WAC, except that the lower tier teams still sucks really bad and that Idaho sucks still. Check back in later for a recap of the Boise State vs. Oregon State game and my reaction to it.

Weekly PTW, 2nd Edition

As I stated last week, the day before every Boise State Bronco football game I will pick the player that I think will have a huge impact on the game and will put up some good numbers. Last week I went with Shea McClellin and all he did was pounce on a fumble in the end zone fore a touchdown. He did have to leave the game with a concussion, but he was effective when he was in there. Let's see who I went with for the game on Saturday against the Oregon State Beavers:

I found it hard to pick this week’s PTW. There are so many places I could have looked and been happy with whoever I chose. But at the same time, I didn’t want to just go with Kellen Moore and call it a day. We all know that Moore is going to play well because he always does. I thought a lot about it and decided to stay on Moore’s side of the ball and go with running back DJ Harper.


A handsome fellow, if I do say so myself!

I looked through the stats for Oregon State in their first two games of the season and the one thing that stood out to me was their rushing defense. Against TCU, the Beavers gave up 278 yards on the ground. Against Louisville they allowed 165. TCU has a couple of good running backs, but Louisville, not so much. Even with defensive lineman Stephen Paea clogging up the middle, teams have been able to get their run on against Oregon State. I couldn’t pick Doug Martin for the same reason that I couldn’t go with Kellen Moore. Besides, as deep and as talented as Boise State is with that position, they should have no problem keeping fresh legs in the game as the OSU defense gets tired. It seems to me that Martin will wear them down with his punishing style of running, and the Harper will crash through without mercy and outrun everybody to the end zone. It will look something like this:



Harper is from Cypress, Texas and was a standout all star at Cypress Creek High School. Despite being only a two-star recruit, he had scholarship offers from Boise State, Arkansas, Houston, Tulsa, UTEP, Texas Tech, and Colorado State. We are glad he chose the Broncos! He has done nothing but rack up the yardage since playing as a freshman. Unfortunately, an ACL tear last year in the third game of the season against Fresno State sidelined Harper for the rest of the season. The good news is that he got a medical red shirt for that year and will be with us for one season beyond what we thought!

It’s interesting that at the beginning of the season, no one was sure how DJ Harper was going to do. He had just gotten back from his ACL tear to participate in practices a few weeks before the trip to D.C. Sure, the media (The Idaho Statesman) had told us that he was looking good in fall camp, but you can’t be sure until he is seen in live game action. Also, by the time we got the depth chart for the first game, Doug Martin was the starter while Harper and Avery were slated as co-backups. As mentioned, this was possibly due to the questions about how a repairing ACL tear would do in live action. Well how does 4 carries for 80 yards and a touchdown against Virginia Tech sound? When he broke that tackle just past the defensive lineman and sprinted 71 yards into the end zone, I knew immediately that he was fine. The rest of the nation knew as well. He followed that up with 11 carries for 59 yards and a touchdown against Wyoming, and that was only 3 quarters of work as Harper and the rest of the starters sat for the 4th. It seems that the coaches are allowing him to get back into things slowly, increasing his workload more and more each game. He is ripe for a larger number of carries and subsequently some long runs against the Oregon State Beavers. Doug Martin will wear them down with his physicality and then Harper will be long gone down the sideline before they realize what happened. Call it Boise State's version of "Smash and Dash." It should be fun.

I know this is a different OSU team than the one that came into Bronco Stadium in 2006, but I can’t help but picture Ian Johnson gashing the Beavers for huge gains and touchdowns over and over again without dreaming of DJ Harper doing the same thing on Saturday. So keep your eyes on number 6, DJ Harper. He will look a lot like this guy:



But actually he will look like this:



Check back in for the weekend recap on Monday. We should have a lot to discuss! GO BRONCOS!

Weekend Picks, 2nd Edition (Week 4 of the season)

Here we are again for this weekend’s edition of: Weekend Picks! (I know, kind of redundant.) Saturday night is when all WAC games go down, so you only need to pay attention to the times (there will be no days listed, just kickoff times. Oh yeah, all times listed below are Mountain Time. Adjust according to what part of the nation you live in).

4:30 PM, Fresno State Bulldogs at Ole’ Miss Rebels.
This is a huge game for Pat Hill and his squad. Fresno State has started off really well this season at 2-0, including a severe beating of Cincinnati at home in week one and an impressive road win at WAC foe Utah State last week. Quarterback Ryan Colburn has had a stellar start in their two wins and their rushing game has been on par to form a complete offensive threat. Also, defensive tackle Chris Carter spends a lot of time in the opposing backfield, mauling whoever has the ball. In other words, the Bulldog defense is not too shabby in its own right. For Ole’ Miss, the Rebels, led by police record wielding former Oregon Duck QB Jeremiah Masoli, have been nothing short of underwhelming. They lost at home to FCS opponent Jacksonville State. It was a very ugly loss. Then won at Tulane, but followed it up with a loss to SEC bottom dweller Vanderbilt, also at home. There is not a lot to cheer for in Oxford. Still, the Bulldogs playing on the road at an SEC school will be as difficult as it gets for Fresno State this season. Because they are at home, Ole’ Miss has the advantage.
Prediction: Rebels 32, Bulldogs 28

2 PM, Idaho Vandals at Colorado State Rams.
Robb Akey and Co. followed up an embarrassing performance at Nebraska with a complete domination of the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels 30-7. The Vandal defense decided to take control while the offense continued to put up decent numbers. However, Idaho’s offensive line still has some work to do to improve their protection of QB Nathan Enderle. The size and desire is there, but the experience has not arrived quite yet. The Rams are 0-3, scoring only 19 total points while giving up 106. Yikes. There has been nothing impressive to talk about for Colorado State. They even lost at Miami of Ohio. The Vandals are not that good of a team, but they still should be too much for the Rams.
Prediction: Vandals 35, Rams 21

4 PM, Nevada Wolfpack at BYU Cougars.
Nevada completely dismantled a good Cal team last week in every aspect of the game. Colin “Bird Leg” Kaepernick showed why he is one of the top running quarterbacks in the nation, even if his rocket arm leaves something to be desired. The defense harassed Golden Bear QB Kevin Riley all night. He looked really uncomfortable and played terribly. Do not expect that to change in the slightest bit. BYU has been on a roller coaster since beating Washington on opening weekend (it turns out the Huskies still suck, though). They got swamped at Air Force and then played the Florida State Seminoles tough for 3 quarters. It would appear that the Cougars will be sticking with freshman phenom QB Jake Heaps as the starter, seeing as how co-starter Riley Nelson is out for the season with a shoulder injury. Besides, the two-quarterback system wasn’t working very well for them anyway. This may be exactly what the Wolfpack wants them to do. Heaps may have a really long evening ahead of him with Dantay Moch coming off the edge delivering as many snot-bubblers as he can. The way to neutralize Moch is by hitting running back JJ Di Luigi (probably the Cougars' best weapon) with short screens. As a BSU fan, an undefeated Nevada Wolfpack team would be fantastic for the strength of schedule talk, and they would also be ranked when the showdown in Reno takes place. Nevada is a 2 ½ point favorite. BYU will be very tough at home, and the game will be well played on both sides. If it was being played in Reno, I would go with Nevada. But since it’s in Provo…I needed an upset special, and this is the closest game I could find to fit the criteria. I had a hard time picking it. Do I believe BYU can beat Nevada? I don't know. Just don't get angry if I'm right.
UPSET SPECIAL:
Prediction: Cougars 38, Wolfpack 35

5 PM, New Mexico State Aggies at Kansas Jayhawks.
As we all know, the Aggies are one of the worst teams in the nation. They really do suck. They lost at home to a poor San Diego State team and then got crushed on the road at UTEP. It does, however, seem like New Mexico State is at least scoring some points every now and then. Unfortunately, they have not been consistent with Matt Christian under center. Speaking of roller coasters, how about the Kansas Jayhawks?! They only scored 3 points in a home loss to FCS school North Dakota State (WTF!!!!????!? Seriously?!?!?!?!?!), beat a ranked Georgia Tech Yellowjacket team 28-25, and ultimately lost on the road to Southern Mississippi 31-16. As schizophrenic as Kansas has been, they should handle the Aggies at home pretty easily.
Prediction: Jayhawks 28, Aggies 10

5 PM, Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles at Louisiana Tech Bulldogs.
This is a hard game to predict. The Bulldogs kicked off the season with a road victory over a really bad Grambling team 20-6. Then they proceeded to lose two straight against Texas A & M and Navy. The offensive numbers have not been impressive for QB’s Colby Cameron and Ross Jenkins (both have started games, Cameron in the last two). Maybe then need to switch back to Jenkins to win. Who knows? A banged up Phillip Livas has been less than stellar, as he was supposed to be the star of the team. Southern Miss has been playing very well. After a tough opening road loss at South Carolina, the Golden Eagles have taken two straight (the exact opposite of LA. Tech). QB Austin Davis gets the job done very well and has some weapons to hand off and pass to. The Bulldogs usually play well at home, but with a new coach and a lack of confidence, the upper-tier mid-major should win on the road.
Prediction: Golden Eagles 35, Bulldogs 24

6 PM, San Jose State Spartans at Utah Utes.
We could possibly dub this game “the battle of the mid-majors.” But since the Spartans play like a FCS or a division 2 school, that would not be accurate. A better one may be “the slaughter in Salt Lake.” San Jose State is 1-2, getting stomped on the road by two ranked BCS schools and then barely beating FCS school Southern Utah last week at home 16-11. QB Jordan La Secla (his name sounds like it belongs to a kicker) has been decent, but has few weapons to utilize. The Utes are 3-0 and ranked 13th in the nation in the AP and media polls. Did I mention they are hosting the Spartans at Rice-Eccles Stadium for this game? Even with starting quarterback Jordan Wynn questionable with a hand injury, back up Terrence Cain will own San Jose State. They are way to good and the game will be a rout.
Prediction, Utes 55, Spartans 16

6 PM, Utah State Aggies at San Diego State Aztecs.
As mentioned last week, Utah State has itself a second year coach and they are well on their way to becoming a respectable, winning program. Last week’s setback against Fresno State shows that they still have a lot of work to do, even after nearly upsetting ranked Oklahoma on the road the week before. On the bright side, QB Diondre Borel is making defenses look silly week in and week out. As a dual threat leader, the Aggies are averaging a middle-of-the-pack 28.7 points a game, which is a considerable step up from previous years. As a matter of fact, Utah State ranks in the middle of all FBS schools in total defense and offense. Like I said, they are getting better. What the Aggies are to the WAC, the Aztecs are to the Mountain West, which is a bottom level team that is slowly improving. In fact, San Diego State is racking up the yardage at 511.3 per game, good for 9th nationwide. They rank in the top third in all other general categories. QB Ryan Lindley is doing a great job of distributing the ball and making plays, and that is why they are currently sitting with a winning record at 2-1. As much as I would like to see Utah State pick up the road win and score one more for the WAC over the MWC, I don’t see it happening.
Prediction: Aztecs 35, Aggies 24

9:30 PM, Charleston Southern Buccaneers at Hawai’I Rainbow Warriors.
As is customary with just about every Hawai’I team since the dawn of time, the Rainbow Warriors are putting up ridiculous offensive numbers, but can’t stop anybody on defense to save their lives. Hawai’I lost an epic battle at home against USC on opening night, but then traveled to Westpoint, NY (some 5,000 miles or so) and notched a big win. Then the high, oxygen-lacking air in Boulder, CO did them in for their second loss. QB Bryant Moniz is chucking the ball all over the yard, mainly to WR Greg Salas, and the Rainbow Warriors are scoring, boasting a 26.7 points per game average. Too bad they are giving up 36 a game at the same time. However, their opponent, the CSU Buccaneers are a FCS school that will travel almost that same distance from the East Coast to Hawai’i. At 2-1, I won’t say much about them, other than they play in a league against such football powerhouses as Stony Brook, Liberty, Gardner-Webb, and the Virginia Military Academy. Yeah.
Prediction: Rainbow Warriors 42, Buccaneers 21

6 PM, ABC, Oregon State Beavers at Boise State Broncos.
Here it is folks, and it should be a dandy. Boise State comes off a complete smack down of the Wyoming Cowboys, flying high and ready for more. Kellen Moore looked good, but not great. The rushing onslaught of Doug Martin, DJ Harper, and Jeremy Avery looks as terrifying for opponents as any other running back group in the country. It also helps that the offensive line is opening up holes large enough for Jaba the Hut to carry the ball through (I must mention fullback Dan Paul, who is as good as a lead blocker as there is). If Austin Pettis can stay on the field (i.e. no flipping into the end zone after a beautiful flea flicker pass from Moore, for which he subsequently gets benched), then the offense should do everything it wants to and there will not be any sort of a letdown. I will say this; the Oregon State Beavers are not the Wyoming Cowboys. What I mean is that with Jacquizz Rodgers in the backfield, the Broncos will not be able to hold them to -22 yards rushing. At the same time, Boise State needs to come up big in stopping Quizz and make sophomore QB Ryan Katz one-dimensional. The problem with making Katz throw is Jacquizz’s brother James is as dangerous and explosive as little bro is. So pick your poison. Speaking of Katz, he has struggled completing passes, with a percentage of just over 47 (compare that to just over 63% for Kellen Moore). He has not, however, thrown an interception this year and has 4 touchdowns. The numbers aren’t that great thus far, but remember, the Beavers opened up against TCU, and that Horned Frog defense will slap you in the face, hard. As the Beavers are ranked 24th in the AP poll, this will be a stiff test for the Broncos. Their defense is in the lower 2/3 of all FBS schools, but is lead by a man-yeti known as Stephen Paea. He will clog up the middle and will be a huge obstacle for the Broncos running game to get through, or around, or over. The Beavers sure are getting ready, as they painted their practice field blue (the purpose of doing so is still unknown). This year’ Boise State team is good enough to win the Pac 10, and I think they could beat Oregon State at home or on the road. The Beavers will come into Bronco Stadium and will have so much to deal with and fight against; they won’t stand much of a chance. Broncos win big and keep their dreams alive for one more week.
Prediction: Broncos 41, Beavers 20

Alright, let me know what you think of my picks. I will have a re-cap of the weekend's action either Sunday or Monday, including how I did with my selections. Also, as mentioned, I will be at Bronco Stadium on Saturday to cheer on the Broncos. It is going to be a crazy scene and I will post pictures as soon as I can. Finally, check back in tomorrow for my Weekly PTW. It will be a lot of fun!

College Game Day in Boise

There had been rumors in seasons past that ESPN would bring their entertaining college football pregame show to the Treasure Valley. Most recently, the Idaho game last season. It has never come to fruition until now. Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso, Desmond Howard, and (thank all things good and holy) Erin Andrews are bringing their circus/analysis/preview show to the Blue on Saturday! The show is a lot of fun to watch and to take in and it is always entertaining. At least we don't have to listen to Lou Holtz lisp his way through whatever it is he goes on about. Oh yeah, Mark May's giant freaking ego and ugly, pompous face will not be clogging up the camera either. That is a huge plus! What a handsome group here!



The best part is that they added Erin Andrews to be the sideline reporter this year. She is very easy to look at and actually quite funny and intelligent. What do you think?



It is going to be an absolutely crazy scene in down town Boise come Saturday morning. They are opening the gates at 5:30 AM and will start the show at 7. I can guarantee there will be copious amounts of people behind the analysts' desk, holding up signs and making absolute fools of themselves. I really wish I was one of them, but it is not to be. The commentators will be on the Blue turf for the entire show. What else would they do? The Blue is famous and a huge attraction when people visit Boise State, or the whole city for that matter. There are also a couple of other events taking place at the same time and a few main streets will be blocked off. Parking will be insane. In other words, Boise, Idaho is a college football town and we get a chance to show it to the world! The presence of College Game Day is very prestigious for the city and will go very far for recruiting and getting the brand of the Broncos out even more than they already have. The atmosphere will be electric. I am stoked!

Stay tuned for my weekend picks tomorrow and my weekly Player to Watch on Friday. We have a lot to cover. Oh yeah, one more picture of Erin Andrews just cause!

I Got my Tickets, Did you Get Yours?

As a true Boise State Bronco fan, I try as hard as I can to make sure I have game times free so as to indulge myself in the treat that is BSU football. When it is a huge game and within my financial, geographical, and wife-permitting range, I make freaking sure that I am there to watch in person. Such is the case when the Beavers of Oregon State (hailing from the beautiful city of Corvallis) come to play on the Blue against the Boise State Broncos! After days of fighting, worrying, and chatting with former peers and still current students at that great school, I have obtained two tickets; one for me and one for my wife. We have arranged for my mother to take care of our 3 month old baby in hopes of getting our mugs on ABC (I have appeared 3 times on ESPN, but I've never gone big time with some network channel face time!)! In other words, all is set for me to return to my second home, Bronco Stadium, and scream my face off in support of the Broncos. All is well!

While I am preparing my weekend picks and weekly PTW, I decided it would be appropriate to add some comments and tidbits that will not make the two aforementioned posts. As you know, this is a huge game for Boise State and I need myself and you to be as psyched as possible (it is scientifically proven that getting completely geeked up and jacked for a football game allows for louder, longer cheering). Read on.

Number one; I am really excited for this game, if you cannot tell. As I no longer live in the Boise area (work took us away from that great place), I will not have as many chances as before to get to the games. In this particular case, both teams are ranked and it will be the home opener. You cannot get much better than that.

Number two; Every time the Broncos play the Beavers, it reminds me of a hilarious newspaper headline that Jay Leno used on his "Headlines" segment. The year was 2006, Boise State was early in its quest to get to a BCS Bowl game (They ended up in the Fiesta Bowl, beating Oklahoma. You know the rest). Sophomore running back Ian Johnson had his breakout game, scoring 5 touchdowns. The headline said;

"Broncos' Johnson Runs All Over Beavers"

Whoever edited that newspaper was probably fired the next day. It was awesome! My only wish is that Malcolm Johnson was able to play. He was a huge recruit for Boise State but has struggled academically to the point where he is not enrolled in schools this semester. I want him to play and start, all in hopes of seeing another headline like that one...Oh innuendos! You never get old, no matter how much I do! In case you forgot what Ian did that day, look at this:



Number three; LET'S GO BRONCOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is all.

Muscle Hamster

As mentioned in my previous post, the clueless commentators for CBS College Sports referred to Boise State Bronco running back Doug Martin as a muscle hamster. I still don't know what that is, but I may have a lead:



They were really bad. In fact, they sucked. It's too bad because one of them, Craig Bolerjack, is the voice of the Utah Jazz, which happens to be my favorite NBA team. *sigh* Do I have to start liking the Lakers? Nope, I can't do it. Anyway, enjoy the muscle hamster, who's popularity is growing rapidly.

Blow Out!

Real quick: I hope you all like the new lay out and look of the blog! I have spent a lot of time crafting it into what I want! It is still a work in progress, but it is getting there. Enjoy!

The Boise State Broncos have done it again! But this time it was as convincing as ever. The Broncos completely dismantled the Wyoming Cowboys for a 51-6 victory in Laramie, Wyoming, and trust me, it wasn't that close. Let's start with some raw numbers and go from there.

Yardage:

Boise State..........Wyoming
Rushing-275...........-21
Passing-373...........156
Total-648..............135

First Downs:

Boise State..........Wyoming
32..........................7

Sacks on opposing quarterback:

Boise State..........Wyoming
10...........................2

As mentioned before, Wyoming has not been very good in the rushing game thus far this season. Still, the Broncos holding them to -21 yards is pretty impressive. A lot of that was due to the 10 sacks the Boise State threw down on QB Austyn Carta-Samuels. He was literally crapping his already brown pants in the backfield from the moment that snap flew past his head and into the end zone. Also, look at the differential in the total yards gained and first downs earned. This was a complete domination for Boise State in every aspect of the game. Kellen Moore was lighting up the Cowboys all night long with deep passes. When Wyoming started getting a little bit of a feel for that, Doug Martin and DJ Harper gashed them for huge gains. Great game to watch as a Boise State fan. Remember, this was the first home game for the Cowboys since freshman linebacker Ruben Narcisse dies in a car accident. Their emotions were riding high and the crowd was into it before the game started. However, the Broncos were able to crush their spirits early by jumping out to a 17-0 lead mid-first quarter. It was basically over before it got started, or I guess more accurately right after it got started. The win and the way it was executed should bode very well for the Broncos in the polls and in the media/public perception of how good they are. If the Texas Longhorns can beat the Cowboys at home by 34-7, and the Broncos win at Laramie 51-6, Boise State looks really good. I don't know if they will get any of their first place votes back, but they certainly won't fall back in the polls at all, even with TCU dismantling Big 12 foe Baylor at home. As has been mentioned numerous times, Wyoming has historically been a tough place for the Broncos to play, but it sure didn't look like it last night. Trap game my butt!

Areas of Concern:

The secondary. Wyoming was much less formidable an opponent than Virginia Tech was. QB Carta-Samuels never really had much of a chance to pass the ball, as he was on the ground frequently, and a wide open receiver dropped a pass on their first possession. But he did burn the Broncos once for their only touchdown of the night. They did have two interceptions, but i still remain skeptical. Also, penalties. Once again, the Broncos had too many of them, 8 for 70 yards to be exact. That is better than game 1, but there is still room for improvement. I can't believe I am saying this, but Kellen Moore. He threw one interception (that wasn't nullified), but should have had three. One was waived off for a roughing the passer penalty and the other one the defender dropped. We'll just blame the high altitude and thin air

Thoughts and Tidbits:

Outstanding wide receiver Austin Pettis was benched for his first quarter flip into the end zone. He played sparingly on special teams afterwards. 135 total yards was the lowest total allowed by the Broncos since they began playing football. On the other hand, 648 total yards from Boise State was the fifth most in school history. DE Shea McClellin suffered a concussion early on in the game. The commentators were complete morons. They talked about cookie jars, muscle hamsters (they called Doug Martin a muscle hamster. I don't even know what that is!), and were completely off base claiming the referee's were reviewing whether or not a penalty flag should have been thrown. They were bad, really bad. Thank you CBS College Sports for your fine broadcasting quality.

My PTW for the week was DE Shea McClellin. He started off really well by pouncing on an errant snap in the end zone and scoring the first touchdown for the Broncos. But as I mentioned, he suffered a concussion (possibly on that same play, judging by the way his head snapped back) and didn't play the rest of the game. So in a way, the PTW was a good one, but unfortunately injuries often change plans. So next week we will have a new one and hopefully he can stay on the field. Best of luck to Mr. McClellin and I hope he gets better soon. We will need him against the Beavers on Saturday.

WAC Recap:

I made some predictions for how all of the Western Athletic Conference games would go and I picked the right on all of them except one; Nevada vs. California. The Wolfpack ate Cal quarterback Kevin Riley's lunch. He was in completely over his head and played very poorly. My prediction was lots of point scored and Cal finishing on top 45-42. Bird leg Kaepernick had other plans and Nevada smoked the Golden Bears 52-31 (I told you there would be plenty of touchdowns!).

Colorado vs. Hawai'i ended how I expected, although it did not look good in the first half. The Rainbow Warriors took a 10-0 lead at half time, but the Buffaloes came back with a vengeance and took control. My prediction was Colorado wins 42-35. The final score ended up being not as point happy. Still, I called it correctly. Buffs won 31-13.

The only WAC head-to-head match up pitted Fresno State on the road against Utah State. I was pretty close on this one, picking the Bulldogs to win 34-21. The final score ended up being Fresno State Bulldogs: 41, and Utah State Aggies; 24.

San Jose State is really bad, just as I expected. But they did win...against a FCS school. Hey, a "W" is a "W," right. My prediction was Spartans win 24-17. I over-estimated the output of both teams. Still, the Thunderbirds couldn't close the deal and San Jose State did win 16-11. Yikes...

San Jose State's competition for worst team in the WAC (possibly the nation) is the New Mexico State Aggies. They went to El Paso and I said they would get smoked 35-14 by the UTEP Miners. I got the winner right, but it was much worse for NMSU. Miners won 42-10.

Either Idaho is better than I thought (or want them to be), or UNLV is a lot worse than I thought. I think it's a combination of the two. I had picked the Vandals to take care of business at home and win 42-28. Idaho's offense was not as effective this game, but their defense came to play. The final score ended up being Idaho 30, UNLV 7.

Louisiana Tech is pretty bad. They came up against the Navy Midshipmen, one of the better non-AQ schools. I predicted Navy to take it in a close one 31-28. I was generally right. Navy did win, but the final score was 37-23.

You've read everything I have on the Boise State game. But I predicted the final score to be Broncos 41, Cowboys 24. Wyoming was just really bad and the Boise State cleaned house, as you know, 51-6. Huge win!

Pictures!:

Here is a link to idahostatesman.com and their photo gallery from the game. They have some pretty sweet shots. Enjoy!

This Week's Player to Watch

I hate it when all of the sudden people want to have a new tradition. Here is my mom one random year before Christmas: "Our new family tradition is to watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation every year on Christmas Eve!" Lame. A tradition forms itself, it is not put together. In other words, you can't label something as a tradition when you first start out doing it. Let it evolve organically and before you know it, BAM!, a tradition is born. With that said, I am starting something new here on BroncoChase's Sports Plus; Each week before a Boise State football game, I will give you the name of a player to watch. Along with that name, I will quote a few stats and tell you why I think this individual is poised to have a big game and do a lot of good things for the team. Hopefully, the player does exactly what I say and doesn't make me look like an idiot! Good luck, Bronco Chase! Who knows, I may extend this into other sports or the NFL when college football is over. We will see how it goes.

Saturday vs. Wyoming player to watch (The weekly PTW, as we will call it): Defensive end Shea McClellin.



Let's start with some bio information first. Consider Mr. McClellin a hometown hero. Hailing from the small Nampa suburb of Marsing, Idaho (you have to pass Chicken Dinner Road to get there, which is some awesome random information), Shea was a man among boys on his football team. Marsing (as well as other small, farming towns in Idaho) is known for raising its corn-fed sons to be huge monstrous beasts. McClellin was by far the most talented individual to come out of that town for quite a while. At 6'3" and 262 pounds (he was obviously somewhat smaller in high school), he was a stand out on the field, making plays almost every down. He played both offense (running back) and defense (tackling a lot of poor boys and probably injuring a lot of them). Bronco coaches offered him a scholarship and McClellin has taken off from there.

Now some of you might say that this one is too easy or that he already had his big game against the Hokies on Labor Day. To that I say, get over it. I am basing this one on a lot of things. Number one, in fall camp McClellin terrorized any and all Boise State quarterbacks, regardless of what lineman/linemen were placed in his path. Number two, this trend continued as he became a recurring figure in the nightmares of one Tyrod Taylor. They probably look something like this;



Or perhaps this;



By nightmares I mean 4 tackles for loss, including 2 1/2 sacks, and he disrupted the offense almost every play he was on the field for and was a key component in shutting down Virginia Tech's outstanding running game. As a junior, a lot of big things are expected from McClellin, and if his play against the Hokies is any indication, then we are all in for a treat.

The Wyoming Cowboys are not a very good rushing team. With the exception of their quarterback, they are actually really crappy. Shea McClellin will play a huge part in keeping it that way. Also, he will get a couple more sacks of the QB Austyn Carta-Samuels. Mark my words. With the run game shut down (or non-existent to begin with), the defensive backs will ball-hock everything in the air and Shea and his buddies will be in the backfield more often than Reggie White. Carta-Samuels will have a long night and the crowd will stay quiet and leave early. McClellin and the Broncos dominate. Bad dreams for the Cowboys are in the works and Shea McClellin will make sure of it!

Shea McClellin, our weekly PTW.

The WAC Takes it to Court

So I figured that I better chime in on what is going on in the Western Athletic Conference before it either becomes a non-story or blows up into a huge national headliner. Let me try and set the table first, in a nutshell; Back in July, the BYU Cougars hinted that they were looking to leave the Mountain West Conference, become independent in football, and join the WAC in all other sports (they did leave the MWC, but joined the West Coast Conference in most other sports). WAC commissioner Karl Benson really liked that idea, but only if the rest of his conference stayed in place (Boise State was already leaving long before all this went down). So he put in place a fee wherein any team wanting to leave would have to pay the conference 5 million dollars, but it only applies to the first team that bolts. Also, they have to let him know by July 1st in order to leave after the subsequent season. The moment BYU got serious about leaving, MWC commissioner Craig Thompson was on the phone inviting WAC schools Fresno State and Nevada to join BSU as WAC defectors. They agreed, but on July 18th, well beyond the deadline date to leave after the coming school year. This is exactly what Karl Benson was trying to prevent from happening when he instituted the fee; a mass exodus from his conference. Too bad for him. But now the controversy is whether both schools have to pay the 5 million dollars, or only one, can they share it, and when can they leave the WAC officially?

Here is the story from Yahoo! News about what the WAC and commissioner Karl Benson are doing to keep Nevada and Fresno State in the conference until after the 2011 season. The story says that the lawsuit doesn't mention the 5 million dollars owed, but it does say that the WAC is entitled to "compensation as the court sees fit." Whatever that means. Benson also says that the money is a separate issue, which I'm pretty sure it is not. I don't see how it can be a separate issue. Maybe that's why I'm not a lawyer and never dreamed of being one. As one would expect, the Wolfpack and the Bulldogs are not very happy about the legal proceedings and both feel it could have been discussed and settled outside of court. The word "unfortunate" is used by their university presidents to describe the situation. That's how you know it's serious. So someone is lying. Either they weren't returning Benson's phone calls, or Benson jumped the gun a little bit and is making it a bigger deal than it should be.

Here is my take on it; When the remaining WAC schools agreed on the exiting fee (after Boise State had said they were leaving but before Nevada and Fresno), the agreement said that only the first school would have to pay up, not multiple schools if there happened to be more than one. So which of the two schools announced their intentions first? That is the 5 million dollar question. The WAC is trying to get the fee from both schools, which is redonculous. If they left simultaneously, then they should split it, right? The Mountain West has offered to help them pay the fee, but we first need to know what the fee is going to be and who has to pay it. What a mess. I think that they should just split the fee, get it over with, and Karl Benson needs to not be so butt hurt about his conference going down the toilet (pun intended). You and the WAC will survive. You have before when the creation of the Mountain West literally reduced your conference into almost nothing. Get over it and look to the future, you have a lot of work to do, and probably quite a few sleepless nights. As ridiculous as it may sound, that is only half of the story and apparently not the issue in the lawsuit.

The Bulldogs and the Wolfpack want to leave for the Mountain West after this current season, meaning they would compete in MWC play next year at this time. But the WAC says July 1st was the deadline to announce intentions and both universities missed it, so they must stay until after the 2011 season. Benson says something about it that makes a lot of sense; "The damages the WAC could incur if Fresno State and Nevada left early are very, very significant, That's what has driven this: to protect the assets of the WAC as a corporate entity." What he is saying is that if he loses Boise State, Fresno State, and Nevada all at the same time, he is left with San Jose State, New Mexico State, Louisiana Tech, Idaho, Hawai'i, and Utah State. That is bad enough to put Benson on suicide watch. That's not an athletic conference, that is a list of the cellar dwellers of a conference that isn't that great to begin with! At the same time, I expect Louisiana Tech to join the MAC or Conference USA sometime soon so as to play games closer to home. Also, Hawai'i will go independent within the next couple of years.

Think about it, who is there to replace these defecting schools? UC Davis? Portland State? Sacramento State? Montana? The WAC is in a world of hurt. Also, financially, the WAC would not survive without its three cash cow schools. So Nevada and Fresno State should stay put until 2012, they at least owe that to the conference that has been so good to them since joining. The future of the WAC is in doubt and Benson is trying to hold on to what he can for as long as he can. What else is there to do? You would do the same thing.

True BSU Fans

BroncoChase's Sports Plus has reached a milestone in its young life. We are finally posted as a link on a Boise State fan site! This is a momentous occasion of which a serious celebration is in order. So enjoy yourselves in a way that would satisfy your morals, religion, and responsibilities.

It's kinda funny how it happened, actually. Marc, A really good childhood friend who moved away years ago ran across this blog while searching on the internet. He realized really quickly who I was and sent me an e-mail. This is what it said; "Whats up dude. I ran across your blog post. Awesome blog man. Ill put your link on my website. It's truebsufans.ning.com Hit me up latter man." Short and simple. That is what I am talking about! I went on there yesterday and there it was in all its glory; Bronco Chase! A tear was shed out of pure joy. This is the first of what I hope to be many link postings for my blog. Marc and his site will always hold a special spot in my heart for being the first.

Marc's website, True BSU Fans, is a place to start your own blog about the Broncos, read other blogs, and basically get your fill of the most exciting college football team on the planet, and then some! It's actually a really cool idea and I am glad to now be part of it. Please check it out and continue to do so over and over again, preferably on a daily basis! Here is the link one more time:

TRUE BSU FANS CLICK HERE!

Enjoy!

Weekend Picks

This weekend in college football is a big one for WAC teams.

Saturday at 6 PM the Fresno State Bulldogs visit the Utah State Aggies. Normally, I would not look too much into or care at all about this game. But the Aggies have given us reason to at least cast a glance or two their way. Preseason, they were picked by many to be bowl eligible this year and to play in one. That is huge considering they haven't been eligible since losing to Cincinnati in the 1997 Humanitarian Bowl. Flash forward to the first game of the season where they not only more than held their own on the road against the then 7th ranked team in the nation, but had a chance to win late in the contest. Couple that with the fact that the Bulldogs of Fresno State have consistently been one of the top teams in the WAC and you have a great match up to watch and to care about. Gary Andersen is well on his way to making the Aggies a respectable team, but it hasn't happened just yet.
Prediction: Bulldogs 34, Aggies 21

The same day as the Fresno/Utah State game, but at 7 PM, the California Golden Bears come into Mackay Stadium in Reno, Nevada to face the running Wolfpack. I say running because they do a whole lot of that with Colin Kaepernick at QB and running back Vai Taua. They chew up yardage with the ground game. I mean a lot of yardage. They are very hard to stop. As soon as you think you have the ground game under control, Kaepernick rockets a missile into the arms of a wide open receiver. The Wolfpack is extremely difficult to defend and they should score a lot of points all season. Hall of Fame head coach Chris Ault has had trouble with his team showing up and winning in big games and this one is about as big for them as it gets this early in the season. Cal has had two lopsided victories so far this season and are confident in their offense and defense, winning both with a combined score of 104 to 10. Too bad the Wolfpack doesn't like to play much defense. However, coming off of a complete slaughtering of the Colorado State Rams, the Wolfpack themselves are feeling good and ready for more. Still, the Golden Bears will be too much for an untested Nevada team and will win in a close contest.
Prediction: Golden Bears 45, Wolfpack 42

The same day at 7:05 PM in El Paso, Texas, the New Mexico State Aggies play the UTEP Miners. It's gotten really bad for the Aggies. You know it's bad when you lose at home to the San Diego State Aztecs. Not much else needs to be said about either team. UTEP is a decent program with a decent team and should win fairly easily.
Prediction: Miners 35, Aggies 14

The poor San Jose State Spartans had the hardest two weeks in college football. Opening up at number 1 ranked Alabama and then traveling to Madison, Wisconsin to get beaten up by the Badgers is a tough way to start. They get a break this Saturday at home playing the Southern Utah University Thunderbirds at 6 PM. This should be a really boring game so I won't go into too much detail. The Spartans should win against a FCS opponent.
Prediction: Spartans 24, Thunderbirds 17

The wannabe pretenders Idaho Vandals host the UNLV Runnin' Rebels Saturday night at 7:30 PM in the barn in Moscow. The Cornhuskers are not the North Dakota Fightin' Souix. I can tell you that much. After manhandling a terrible team on opening weekend, the Vandals had one of the worst performances possible at Nebraska. They threw 5 interceptions and 2 of them were returned for touchdowns. Lucky for them UNLV is a really bad team themselves. Idaho has a good offense this year all around, except for the offensive line. Too many sacks, pressure, and hurrying for QB Nathan Enderle forces bad throws which turn into interceptions. The Vandal defense is what it is, which is overrated. Safety Shiloh Keo is the only one that doesn't hurt your eyes when watching them play. UNLV just plain sucks and the Vandals should put up some numbers and win at home pretty easily.
Prediction: Vandals 42, Runnin' Rebels 28

Coming off a big win 9 hours away from home at Westpoint, NY, the Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors stay on the mainland and visit the Colorado Buffaloes Saturday afternoon at 1:30 PM. QB Bryant Moniz lit up the Army defense for 343 yards and 3 touchdowns. The offense is never the problem for Hawai'i. It is their defense that lets them down. It always has. However, Colorado is not the blue-blood powerhouse that they used to be. Head coach Dan Hawkins is squarely on the hot seat and needs a bowl game win to keep his job. They are playing OK. They won at home against in-state rival Colorado State, but got murdered at Cal. The offense is anemic at times and the defense is always a question. They will have trouble with Hawai'i and their offense throughout the entire contest. This game is really hard to pick. At home, I think the Buffaloes get it done and earn a much needed win for their coach. It will be a high scoring affair.
Prediction: Buffaloes 42, Rainbow Warriors 35

The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs come home from embarrassment in College Station, TX against the Texas A & M Aggies. They will host Navy on Saturday at 7 PM. LaTech is such an enigma of a football team. They play so well at home but suck so bad on the road. They are in the middle of a quarterback shuffle and their defense is as porous as a sponge. Navy lost a heart breaker against Maryland on opening weekend but are as dangerous as any team in the nation with Ricky Dobbs at the helm. This is another game that is hard to pick. However, the Bulldogs make it interesting at home.
Prediction: Midshipmen 31, Bulldogs 28

This is the moment that you have all been waiting for; The Boise State Broncos at the Wyoming Cowboys goes down Saturday night at 6 PM! The Broncos go into Laramie after a huge win over a former top 10 opponent. Coach Chris Petersen does not care much about the polls or who lost to who, as long as his boys win. That mentality is evident in everything they do. The combination of Kellen Moore at quarterback, Austin Pettis and Titus Young at receiver, and Doug Martin, DJ Harper, and Jeremy Avery a running back is the closest thing to impossible to stop as there is, even with a shuffling offensive line. The Boise State defense has had to go home and regroup a little bit after Virginia Tech, especially in the secondary. The coaches will have them more prepared this time around. Wyoming has historically been a touch place for the Broncos to play at. This year will be no different. Cowboy QB Austyn Carta-Samuels is a Tyrod Taylor mini-me/wannabe. He is tough to stop when scrambling and when passing. The defense can be sketchy and give up points for the Cowboys, however. Wyoming will still be shaken from the tragic death of freshman Ruben Narcisse. They will bond together even more from it. Still, Coach Petersen will have the Broncos focused and ready, and Kellen Moore will fill the thin mountain air with touchdown passes.
Prediction: Broncos 41, Cowboys 24