Kellen Moore=Heisman Finalist

Was there ever any doubt? I would say no. Especially since he has improved himself and his game extensively since he has come to Boise State. Seriously, it amazes me how good he is. This is a great article about Kellen by obnug's Kevan Lee. I implore you to read it.

Think about his first year, a former two-star recruit leading Boise State into Autzen Stadium, manhandling the Ducks (I hate the Ducks, by the way), going undefeated, and coming so close to beating TCU in the Poinsettia Bowl. He finished with a passer rating of 157.11.

He followed that up with another undefeated regular season, cut his interception total down from 10 down to 3, and avenged the loss to TCU by beating them on a much larger stage in the Fiesta Bowl. His passer rating improved to 161.65. I didn't think that there was any way that he could get better. I was wrong yet again.

Flash forward to the now, Kellen's junior year. He has already shattered the record books for Boise State, and he still has another year in front of him (unless you are Jesse Palmer or Mark May, of course). How does 33 touchdowns to 5 interceptions sound? He has also added another dimension to his game - the quarterback scramble. Sure, it isn't "Cam Newton" pretty, but it gets the job done. Beyond that, he is able to squirm out of would-be sacks game after game and either fire a rocket to Austin Pettis or run down the sideline for 10 yards and a first down. Amazing. At the end of the regular season his passer rating was a staggering 185.04, second only to Cam Newton.

Here are Moore's stats for his career;
97 touchdowns, 18 interceptions (10 came his freshman year), 10,528 yards, sacked 23 times (13 his freshman year), 167.93 passer rating, and a 37-2 record as a starter. That is unbelievable in every definition of the word. But think about this, Kellen is only 6 feet tall and was lightly recruited. He only had offers from Eastern Washington, Idaho, and Boise State. There are quite a few schools in the West that are now kicking themselves repeatedly for missing out on him. Their loss is obviously our gain. I contend, and correct me if you think I am wrong, that there has never been a smarter, more prepared, or more disciplined quarterback to ever play college football. There won't ever be again, either.

But there is more. Each Heisman Trophy candidate/winner has to have something more besides numbers. The Heisman Trust statement says, "The Heisman Memorial Trophy annually recognizes the outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity." Integrity, huh? That should disqualify Scam Newton and LaMichael James right off the bat. I don't want to go into detail about either, but you can google plenty of information about both of them.

Anyway, Kellen has more than proved his integrity and excellence both on and off the field. He will graduate next week (it took him just over three years to complete his bachelor's degree) with a communications degree and will stay in school to get his masters. He is also an academic all-American athlete, second team. That's not too shabby.

Think about this as well - Kellen Moore is a dying breed. In a world where a quarterback has to be a dual threat to have success, Moore has excelled in being a pure pocket passer. The only other quarterback in the nation that is even close to that is Andrew Luck. But even then there is plenty of video of Luck running down the field, trucking defenders as he goes. He is more NFL-ready and capable than Moore is, according to the "experts." No, Kellen is in a class of his own. Defensive backs are keyed in on stopping the pass, especially the long ball. Without a running threat taking snaps, they only have to worry about one thing. Yet, Moore always finds a receiver down field that he can get the ball to, even if the receiving window is the approximately the same size as a Big Gulp Slurpee from 7-Eleven. Kellen can fit it in there. How can he just sit back there, picking defenses apart? Aren't quarterbacks supposed to be able to challenge a defense in multiple ways, creating plays, opportunities, and openings with his sheer athletic ability and prowess? Kellen does not. Yet he still dissects defenses with precision and intelligence. It's remarkable.

So let me get this straight. He isn't a prototypical NFL height, weight, and pedigree quarterback (Andrew Luck, Matt Ryan). He's not your super-big, super-fast, dual-threat, freak of an athlete (Cam Newton, Terrelle Pryor, Tryod Taylor). He is his own thing. That alone is his special, intangible something that sets him as unique and qualifies him for winning the trophy. In a college football landscape where defenses, mis-perceived "lack of competition" reigns, and an ever-changing idea of what a quarterback is supposed to be are stacked against him, Kellen Moore defies all odds and rises above and beyond. Will there ever be another player like Moore to grace college football with his presence? The clear and obvious answer is a resounding "no." Kellen is unique. He is one of a kind. He is one in a million. He is every other cliché that you can think of. He is just a regular guy, Someone once said that if you didn't know who Kellen Moore was, you'd think he was the guy that comes over to help you fix your computer. Better yet,

Kellen is Kellen, Dork Assassin, the (reluctant) cool, calm, and collected leader of an amateur athlete rebellion, shattering the mold that recruit rankings, college football elitists, BCS conference schools, NFL scouts, and no-good, dribbling doubters and haters have forced upon the game itself and us as fans of it.

Broncos Rise, Rockets Crash

The Boise State Broncos did what they had to do on Saturday and crushed the Toledo Rockets by a final score of 57 to 14. I am continuously impressed by how Coach Chris Petersen is able to prepare his team every single week to get out there and play the best they can. The only time I have seen a let down or a lazy game from them was last year against UC Davis. In any case, Boise State is taking care of business week in and week out. With Alabama losing to South Carolina yesterday, it will be interesting to see what happens. Let's take a look at some stats that I found interesting from the Toledo game:

Yardage:
......Broncos......Rockets
Rushing-207..........65
Passing-293..........222
...Total-500.........287


First Downs:

......Broncos......Rockets
........25.............18

Average Gain Per Play:

......Broncos......Rockets
........7.9............4.8

Sacks on Opposing Quarterback:

......Broncos......Rockets
.........4..............0

Turnovers:

......Broncos......Rockets
.........0..............5

This game was a little weird to watch and take in. It appeared that Boise State was not able to stop Toledo's offense hardly at all (look at the average gain per play stat. They got almost five yards per play). But somehow the Broncos had a 36-7 lead at halftime. That is where the turnover stat comes into play. Every time the Rockets got something going and had pushed the ball close to the end zone, Boise State forced a turnover. Nabbing 3 fumbles and 2 interceptions is a good way to demoralize a team. Couple that with the fact that Toledo was amongst the best in the nation in turnover margin, and you have a blowout on your hands. The Broncos did give up a lot of yardage through the air, and most of it can be attributed to Eric Page. I said to watch out for him and he did not disappoint. Page ended the game with 11 catches for 120 yards. He also ran a couple of kick offs back, with a long of 41 yards. He did plenty of damage.

What We Learned:

The Broncos offensive line deserves a lot of credit for protecting Kellen Moore the way they have. Don't forget the massive, gaping holes they are creating for the running backs to rush through. They have only given up one sack this year, and that was against Virginia Tech. A lot is made about Moore's escapibility, but he is so protected and comfortable back there thanks to the big fellas up front. Even with the players shuffling positions and new guys stepping in, they get the job done. It's called great coaching and lots of talent.

Boise State is deep, everywhere. From Ricky Tjong-a-tjoe to Jonathan Brown (who?) to Joe Southwick, the Broncos have a lot of depth across the roster. It's nice to see these guys get playing time with huge leads, but they are also dominating when they are out there. Needless to say, the Broncos are set for years to come in just about every position.

Kellen Moore will be in New York in December, but he probably won't win the Heisman, even though he should. If Coach Pete would leave the kid out there the entire game, he would throw for 600 yards and 9 touchdowns every time! It is insane how calm he is. After throwing a touchdown pass to Tyler Shoemaker, he was seen on the sidelines not even sweating, chatting with his teammates, and laughing. Did he even play??? He should win the award, he is the best player in college football, but Petersen wants to save him for future games, and at the same time it possibly ends his chances of bringing home the stiff-arm trophy, much in the same way that he is not lobbying for the team to move up in the polls. They refuse to play "the game." Good for them! Stick it to the man!

You shouldn't try to run the ball against Boise State. It's just not a good idea and it won't get you anywhere. Toledo gained 65 yards on 31 attempts. That is 2.1 yards per rush. In fact, there have only been two teams to gain more than 100 yards against the Broncos this year. They are Virginia Tech (44 attempts, 2.9 yards per) and New Mexico State (41 attempts, 2.9 yards per). In other words, you might have more success passing it, maybe.

Maybe the WAC Sports Network isn't as bad as I thought it was. I think the big difference was that Dick Tomey was nowhere to be heard. The camera quality and camera work were just as bad, but at least I wasn't considering jabbing a rusty screw driver into my temple from having to hear the garbage pouring out of Tomey's mouth. The two commentators yesterday were much better and actually fairly intelligent. Like I said, the whole network is still a terrible idea, but I feel better this week about it. Sigh...

Areas of Concern:

Again with the penalties. We saw yet another time when the Broncos had forced their opponent to punt only to see it disappear with a penalty. The roughing the kicker was just a stupid play. Kick off coverage. It is still really bad. Granted, Eric Page may or may not be human, but that is still no excuse for letting them gash the coverage team for 30 or 40 yard returns every time. The secondary was pretty bad. Toledo had receiver's open all night. That will not fly against Hawai'i. That's it for this game. It seems like there has been a lot of improvement through 5 games, which is great to see.

Favorite Play:

There were so many to choose from. Let's make a list and go from there;

1. Titus Young's jump for a Moore pass, catching it, rolling over the defender, and getting into the end zone even though his knee clearly touched the 2 yard line first. Sick catch! Suck it instant replay!!!

2. Jarvis Hodge trucking some line backer who tried to get in his way as he was toting the rock up the middle. The fool got owned!

3. Shea McClellin sniffing out the screen pass from Dantin and Supermanning into the air to snatch it and take it in for a house call the other way. Pick-six baby!

4. The play where Moore faked an end around hand off, and the entire defense chased after the alleged hand off-e, even though Kellen still had the ball in his hands. They got duped bad!

5. The fake punt that was called back for holding. It was so beautiful! Too bad it didn't count, but it is still in the running for my favorite play! You will see it again this season, mark my words.

I don't know which one was the best. I think I will go with the McClellin interception just because of how athletic one must be to pull it off. Plus he outran the quarterback to the end zone. You could see he really wanted to stiff arm Dantin if he had gotten the chance. Remember, he played a lot of running back in high school, so it was familiar ground to him.

Thoughts and Tidbits:

Michael "Canadian Bacon" Atkinson was suspended for the game and as we found out later, is indefinitely suspended for the rest of the season for a violation of team rules. We don't know what he did, but this is his second suspension of his short career at Boise State. It would not surprise me if we did not see the Bacon for a
long time, if ever again. It's too bad too, because he is a really good player. Toledo lost a quarterback, a running back, and a defensive lineman to injury during the game. It was very physical out there.

My Weekly PTW was wide receiver Tyler Shoemaker. He finished the game with 2 receptions for 42 yards and a touchdown. His TD catch was the last pass Moore threw for the game. He was also the recipient of a Kyle Brotzman fake punt-pass that unfortunately got called back for holding. "Shoe" also laid down some pretty sweet blocks for his teammates when the situation called for it. He played a good game and finally we have a Weekly PTW who did something and did not get injured! Good job Tyler!

Perception:

The score of this game is a little mis-leading. Like I said, the Rockets were moving the ball down the field fine for most of the game. Unlike the Broncos, however, they were not able to make the plays when it mattered. 5 turnovers spelled doom for Toledo, especially when they happened they way they did, in the red zone and during almost every promising drive. Still, with the Broncos out of the spotlight, all the voters see is the final score and the stats. It will look very good and with Alabama's loss to South Carolina, they will move back up to number three in the nation. What will be interesting is where they will land when the BCS Rankings come out early Sunday evening. My guess is either 2, 3, or 4, but most likely number 3. As long as Boise State can continue to put up good numbers, play great defense, and be prepared mentally, things will stay looking good. Next up for the boys in Blue, the San Jose State Spartans!

Photos:

Thank you yet again idahostatesman.com for taking great pictures that I can post a link to on my blog. Enjoy.

Make sure to check back in tomorrow to see my WAC football weekend recap. I have chosen the upset two weeks in a row! Yeah baby! Go Broncos!!!!!!!

There is the run, but where is the gun?

I was chatting online with Brian Murphy of the Idaho Statesman, along with probably hundreds of others. I had a few questions, all of which he answered very well. There was one particular inquiry that I decided to research a little bit myself. The Virginia Tech Hokies bost running backs Ryan Williams, Darren Evans, and quarterback Tyrod Taylor, and all are beasts on the ground. As a freshman, Williams ran for 1,655 yards. Evans was injured but started out on pace to put up similar numbers and is considered a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate. Taylor is an athlete and a half and can run and throw. He is the proverbial cliche dual threat quarterback.

But that got me thinking, who does he have to throw the ball to? I have not heard anything about their receivers, just the rushing attack. I went on Virginia Tech's football website and looked at their roster. They do not have anybody officially listed as a WR (wide receiver). There are a few tight ends but that is it. Taylor had 2,311 passing yards last season and there is no way he got all of them from tight ends! In fact, his passing yards doubled from 2008 to 2009. So let me try and break it down; Jarrett Boykin led the team with 40 receptions for 835 yards, Danny Coale was second with 30 for 614. Dyrell Roberts with 22 for 390, Ryan Williams (running back) with 16 for 180, Xavier Boyce with 8 for 88, and 6 others totaling 21 catches for 284 yards. That totals 2,391 yards for the team. Compare that to Boise State Kellen Moore who alone threw for 3,536 yards. The Broncos finished with 2,606 yards on the ground. Compared to 2,706 by the Hokies, they aren't that far ahead. So the Hokie offense does seem fairly balanced, while the Broncos are pass happy, but get it done on the ground as well. Advantage Broncos.

My conclusion is this; the media focuses on Ryan Williams and Darren Evans for a reason. They are too good to even describe. Just watch some highlight of Williams here and Evans here, with a combined video right here (watch Evans truck some tool from Maryland at second mark 29. It' sick!). But don't overlook Tyrod Taylor and his arm, even if he throws to players who aren't even talked about. The running game is that dominant. If Boise State can at least contain the double-headed rushing monster, then their defensive backs can focus on their job and shut down Virginia Tech. The Hokies' biggest question is on defense, and I don't think they will be able to stop Boise State very often. Bronco fans are hoping it doesn't turn into a shootout a la Nevada in 2007, but rather they keep it looking like the Oregon game in 2009, maybe with a few more points from the Broncos mixed in. All in all, it should be a fantastic game and there is no better way to start the season!

The calm before or after the storm.

Alright, we are past the important part of NBA free agency (Lebron made this year huge and closely followed), and there are only a few not so important players to settle into new contracts. The World Cup is over, MLB is in the middle of the season, so nothing too exciting is happening yet, and football doesn't start for real for another 2 months or so. Depending on how you look at it, we are either on the precipice of getting some exciting sports event going, or we just passed through the eye of the storm and we are winding down now. As for me, I like to think of it as coming up for air before we are face deep in the greatest annual sports season ever, COLLEGE FOOTBALL!
This could be the year that a mid-major makes it to and possibly wins a national championship (Come on Boise State)! The repeat Heisman Trophy winner is back at it, ready to light up some chumps and knock out some fools. How will USC rebound and begin their post season suspension-plagued season? How will the Big 12 get along after all that turmoil and during their last season as we currently know them? There are a lot of questions to be answered and plenty of time left to ponder upon them even further. It seems that every season there is something worth getting excited about and watching as it progresses. Here are my predictions: Boise State will beat Virginia Tech for the season opener in Maryland, go undefeated, only to be left out of the national championship game. They will play Oregon State in the Rose Bowl (a repeat of a regular-season game at Bronco Stadium, Broncos win both). USC has a decent season and goes 9 and 3, still claiming innocence to the NCAA allegations. The Big 12 does fine, just as expected, and then cries itself to sleep, licking it's wounds after the season, trying to think of ways to rebuild their once proud conference. Ryan Mallet of Arkansas wins the Heisman Trophy as that school has a good season and puts up ridiculous offensive numbers. Alabama will play Ohio State and Alabama will repeat as BCS national champions. Virginia Tech will beat Iowa in the Orange Bowl. LSU will beat Penn State in the Sugar Bowl. Oklahoma will beat TCU in the Fiesta Bowl (finally breaking Bob Stoops out of his funk of losing bowl games). From the WAC and other non-AQ schools, Idaho has a 6 and 7 season, and plays some terrible team from the MAC (Toledo, maybe?) in the Humanitarian Bowl (again), Utah beats Fresno State in the New Mexico Bowl, BYU beats Oregon in the Las Vegas Bowl (their like 6th win in a row in that bowl game), Nevada beats Central Florida in the Hawaii, and the rest of the conference sucks really bad (still). UCLA beats Nebraska in the Poinsettia Bowl. The rest of the bowl games aren't all that interesting, but I will watch them anyway because I am a college football gomer. We will see what happens and how accurate I am. I am as giddy as a school girl!