Citizen McClure

Scene:

Vista, California. Stefan McClure stands behind a microphone, ready to raise his voice to the heavens and announce which school and therefore which football program will be graced with his presence and immense talent. As the moment of truth nears, McClure reflects on everything he has been through to get to this point...

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"At the ripe age of 5...months, my father would toss me a Nerf football as I laid in my crib. I had never felt something come to me so naturally as did my skills at catching the ball. The sport was in my blood."

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"While playing Pop Warner football, I was the quarterback. Why? Because at that age the best athlete is the quarterback. I was the best athlete, so naturally I played quarterback. Watch me juke the jock-strap off of this 6-year-old!" (Takes off and humiliates 6-year-old.)

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"Growing up in Vista has been great for me. I get to show everyone how awesome at football I am. There are so many people around here to see me. Maybe I should think about what college I will go to. After all, there will be so many of them that will offer me a scholarship!"

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"Holy crap! I'm back-peddling faster than this fool can run! Damn I'm good at football!"
(Snatches an interception from the arms of a would-be receiver and races down the sideline for a touchdown.)

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One year later...

(Continues intercepting passes from far inferior receivers and quarterbacks and racing down sidelines for touchdowns.)

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(Reads recruiting ranking on rivals.com.)
"Oh man! Only four stars! I got jipped!"

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"I was right. There are a lot of colleges that want me to come play for them. There have been hundreds of coaches in my living room, pleading for me to join their team. There would have been more, but I got screwed out of my fifth star by those recruiting rankings! Haters..."

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"Alright! At the US Army All-American Bowl!"
(Snatches an interception and races down the sideline for an almost touchdown.)
"Damn! We still lost!"

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(Visits schools that are recruiting him. On trip to Ann Arbor, Michigan, his left eyelid freezes shut.)
"Holy crap it's cold here! -5 degrees and snow flurries just aren't for me! Sorry Brady Hoke!"
(Bolts for airport as soon as he can, scratching Michigan off of list while in transit.)

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"I need to make a decision. My self-serving press conference/announcement is tomorrow morning. I didn't get a normal 'in-home' visit with Cal coaches. Heck, I didn't even take an official visit to Berkeley. That Coach Petersen from Boise State is the nicest guy I have ever met, but just being on campus at Cal, getting that feel in my heart where I know that could be the place, that's mainly why I feel that it is the place for me. I feel like I can go help contribute to what they're doing the next couple years. I would really like to get a really expensive California education for free! Who cares that I could start as a true freshman at Boise State, play in BCS Bowl Games, and get a great education at the same time. What about UCLA? Rick Neuheisel is kinda' creepy up there (shutters). It's settled then. To Berkeley I go. Besides, I like hemp-smoking hippies who live in trees!"

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(Mind snaps back to the present, the microphone is ready.)
"I'm going to be a California Golden Bear! I have something to offer and that was one of the main reasons I picked them. Plus, you can't pass up the education. It's really the depth chart, the schooling, it's a good conference with tough games every week and it's far away from home, but still close enough that my parents will be able to make some home games."

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(Snatches an interception from the arms of a would-be Oregon receiver and races down the sideline for a touchdown.)

"Too bad our offense sucks."

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The not-so-distant future...
(McClure and the rest of the Golden Bears finish yet another 5-7 season in the most underwhelming, underachieving fashion.)
"Hey, at least we almost beat Oregon..."
(Goes home and watches Boise State beat Texas in the 2013 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.)

Stefan McClure Chooses Cal, Decides Winning isn't That Much Fun

Four-Star cornerback Stefan McClure (Vista, CA/Vista High School) has decided that he will take his talents to Berkeley and play for Jeff Tedford and the Golden Bears. He had narrowed his choices down to Cal, UCLA, and Boise State. You all may remember McClure from the Under Armour All-American game two weeks ago where he intercepted a pass and took it deep into East territory. It was a play that had Bronco fans everywhere salivating in the most covetous and hopeful way. Yet it wasn't meant to be.

I'm actually surprised that he didn't pick UCLA. It was reported that McClure had been in almost constant contact with Bruin coach Rick Neuheisel. But the school up North stole him away from the under-achieving graps of "that other team in Los Angeles." It is a great pick up for Cal. McClure will join an already loaded defense that looks to return to Pac-12 title contention (remember, they were the only team to take it to Oregon during the regular season).

Now where does this leave Boise State? It is certain that Coach Pete and his staff will be working overtime to try and get a cornerback. Bakersfield High School product Mercy Maston has to be number one on their list. If that doesn't work out, Rahmel Dockery is still around, along with Justice Sarcedo. However, if Maston doesn't work out, don't be surprised if they go away from that position and pick up local product (and middle linebacker) Cody McCarthy from Bishop Kelly High School.

Let's sit on the edges of our seats in anticipation of what the Bronco coaching staff will come up with. Who knows, there may be a surprise recruit from out of nowhere that joins the team.

Ducks Dive-bomb the Bruins-Where Does That Leave the Broncos?

Autzen Stadium, Eugene Oregon. It went down just as most people expected it would. The final score was Oregon 60, Bruins 13. But that is what happens when one of the elite, top teams in the country playing at home goes up against a crappy PAC 10 bottom dweller. As you may recall, I picked the Ducks to win this one by a score of 45 to 21. However, I did not anticipate Oregon keeping their starters in the game through the entire third quarter and therefore running up the score. I guess Chip Kelly is unaware of the fact that he can exhibit good sportsmanship and win at the same time. Anyway and regardless of how long Darron Thomas and LaMichael James were left in the contest, the Ducks completely dominated a clueless and over matched UCLA team. It did seem that the Bruins were at least able to move the ball fairly well, mainly in the first half. But they could only come up with a couple of field goals to show for it, until garbage time in the fourth. I am still not overly impressed with the Ducks defense, but they made the plays when they had to and limited UCLA to only 13 points. With that said, the same Stanford team that Oregon beat held the Bruins to 0 points scored. Look for yourself here if you don't believe me. My point is Oregon has possibly the best offense in the nation (it is definitely the fastest-paced) and in order to beat them, you will need to outscore them and make a few stops here and there along the way. But their defense is not elite. It is good, that is for sure, but not amongst the best in the country.

So where does this leave the Boise State Broncos. I would think that as of Friday morning, nothing has changed. Oregon is still ranked ahead of them so there is no fear of getting jumped by the yellow and green-clad squad from Eugene. We will need to wait until Saturday when two of the teams within in jumping-threat distance square off in Alabama. LSU at Auburn will be the one to keep your eyes on. I think the winner has a good chance of moving up ahead of the Broncos, as Boise State does not play until next Tuesday. So there is no need to freak out or worry yet. Save that for Sunday when we as fans dissect every little detail about the ridiculous BCS Standings and get worked up over when our team fall in the polls and/or rankings.

The one thing that blows my mind is how quickly people forget. Was it not two years ago that a freshman quarterback led the Broncos into Autzen Stadium and orchestrated Boise State's first ever road win at a BCS-conference school? Was it not just last year in September that the Broncos completely outclassed and dominated an Oregon team that was hell-bent on revenge for alleged "cheap shots" committed in the contest last year? How did that work out for them? In fact, the only cheap shot that occurred during those two meetings came from the right fist of one Legarrette Blount after the second contest was over. The point is Boise State dominated both games and earned their wins when everybody thought they had no chance. Here we are again. Oregon is getting all the hype and everyone says that they would take Boise State to the woodshed. When have I heard that before?! My hope is that Boise State runs into them in either the National Championship game or the Rose Bowl. For some reason, the Broncos have to prove themselves yet again. There is not doubt that this Oregon team is the best one yet, even better than last year. But so is this Boise State team. The number one rushing offense versus the number one run defense. Now that would be something to watch. Let's hope it happens.

Weekend Picks, 5th Edition (8th Week of the Season)

Well we have yet another weekend where there isn’t anything too exciting happening in the Western Athletic Conference. In other words, there are really no marquee match ups or exciting games to feast your eyes on. Not only that, but Boise State doesn’t even play until Tuesday. So I guess I am resigned to picking some from other conferences. I will do a “Pick Special” on Monday for the Boise State versus Louisiana Tech game on the 26th, including extensive (aka probably way too much) analysis of the contest on The Blue. For the time being, let’s get going with the three WAC games that are happening on Saturday, as well as others that I deem necessary to add.

Saturday, October 23 at 3 PM

1-5 (0-2 WAC)
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3-3 (0-1 WAC)
The Kibbie Dome will be rocking Saturday afternoon as the Vandals welcome the Aggies (the bad ones in the conference. No not those Aggies. The worst ones. There you go!). New Mexico State comes off yet another conference loss, this time at the hands of the Bulldogs of Fresno State. How bad is it for the Aggies? Well they average scoring 12 points a game and give up almost 39. That bad. At least they are averaging over 100 yards rushing, right? On the other side of the field, Idaho will still be licking its wounds from the beat down they took from Louisiana Tech. They scored, but were not able to stop the Bulldogs at all. Plus only gaining 20 yards on the ground did not bode well for them. They cannot win on the road to save their lives. Good thing this one is at home. The Vandals must win 3 conference games out of the 7 they have left in order to become bowl eligible. You can say that this season has been a let down compared to the moderate success they had last year. They should beat NMSU and San Jose State, but somehow they must find a way to win one against either at Hawai’i, at Utah State, or at Fresno State, or at home against Nevada or Boise State. It could be tough sledding for the silver and gold up north, but I think they can do it. At Fresno is a great opportunity, as well as at Utah State. However, this weekend they must focus on the hapless Aggies of New Mexico State
Prediction: Vandals, 41, Aggies 21

Saturday, October 23 at 3 PM

5-2 (3-0 WAC)
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2-4 (0-2 WAC)
The Rainbow Warriors are riding high after their upset of the then 19th ranked Nevada Wolfpack. They did not have as great of a game offensively, but surprisingly their defense was more than up to the task of stopping “Bird Leg” and co. It helped that the Nevada offense had the absolute worst night in the history of the pistol’s existence. Anyway, this is the Rainbow Warrior team that we had grown to know and love. Quarterback Bryant Moniz has been playing like a man possessed. It helps that he has a receiver like Greg Salas to chuck the ball too. Lots of YAC for Hawai’I and plenty of big gains through the air. Sure-tackling will be the key for the Aggies to win this game. They have to limit the Yards After Contact (like I said, YAC) from Paredes and Salas. They will eat you alive if you try to gator-arm them. Have you seen the way Moniz just stands back there in the pocket and launches the pig skin? He makes it look like he is disinterested and barely moves his arm when throwing. But he gets results, and that’s all that matters. Moving on, I have mentioned before, every time I pick against Utah State they show up and win (see BYU). But when I pick them to win, they drop the ball (pun intended) and get smoked (a la Louisiana Tech). I think that it must be a microcosm of being a team with a young coach and are beginning their climb up. Part of me wants them to join the Mountain West so as to provide a close rival to Boise State and to gage their improvement as the years go by. Utah State plays well at home and I think has a shot to win this one. Hawai’i just came off of an emotional win and there is always a let down the next week (see South Carolina over Alabama and their next game at Kentucky. It did not go well for the Gamecocks). I think emotionally, the biggest difference will be on defense for Hawai’i. They won’t play as solid as they did last week. Still, the Rainbow Warriors are too good to get punked by the Aggies, even on the road and even after a huge win.
Prediction: Rainbow Warriors 34, Aggies 28

Saturday, October 23 at 6 PM

4-2 (2-1 WAC)
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1-6 (0-2 WAC)
The Bulldogs got back to their winning ways by unceremoniously dispatching of the New Mexico State Aggies at home. They continue the sleep-walking part of their conference schedule as they travel up north a little ways to take on the (not so) mighty Spartans. I guess you could consider this season a little bit of a disappointment for Fresno State. They won a big game at home against Cincinnati, but then lost at Ole’ Miss and at home to Hawai’i. It looks like at best a third place finish in the WAC for the Bulldogs. Coach Pat Hill is trying to establish their identity as a tough, run-first offense. I just don’t know if they have the running back to do that (Ryan Mathews is gone). Plus, unleash Ryan Colburn a little bit more, he can get you points through the air, provided that at some point Winston Venable doesn’t drop out of the sky on top of him. San Jose State just got owned at home by Boise State. How does only 80 yards of offense sound (-12 on the ground)? Plus they lost yet another starter as Muldrow went down and came back on crutches. This will be another loss for the Spartans. Maybe this time they can avoid getting their colorguard trampled by the opposing team as they run onto the field (an investigation by the police, really?) If they can keep that from happening, then they will have at least improved since last week.
Prediction: Bulldogs 38, Spartans 13

Thursday, October 21 at 7 PM

3-3 (1-2 PAC 10)
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6-0 (3-0 PAC 10)
I figured since Oregon is one of the teams that Boise State is chasing in the polls and BCS Rankings, it would only be appropriate to pick the winner and score of one of their games. I think that this is an interesting match up for a couple of reasons. The Bruins are averaging 223 yards per game on the ground (that is 100% the reason they destroyed Texas in Austin earlier this year) and the Ducks give up 127 per game (remember, they have played Washington State (91 rush yards), Portland State (74), and New Mexico (25). None have anything close to decent running backs). Against Stanford they gave up 177, Tennessee 182, and Arizona State 210. So UCLA could have a big game on the ground. I do not see them being able to stop the high-powered Oregon offense at all, so they will need to outscore them. I, however, do not see this happening. The Ducks will be too much at home and will push their record to 7-0.
Prediction: Ducks, 42, Bruins 21

Saturday, October 23 at 12 PM

2-5 (0-3 MWC)
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2-5 (1-2 MWC)
This one will probably be a pillow fight. Both teams come limping into to this contest having lost last weekend. The Cowboys got taken to the woodshed by Utah at home and the Cougars were skunked by TCU on the road. It is obviously more disappointing for BYU as they are used to having success and being in the top 25 or at least right on the threshold. It did seem, however, that they were able to hold their own against the Horned Frogs for the first half and part of the second half. JJ DiLuigi is their only offensive weapon, but he is a good one. Wyoming is having a really bad season. They have never really been all that good, but at least they would put up a fight sometimes. They average scoring 11.6 points a game, which is good for second to last in the nation (San Jose State owns the top spot!). This one should be a fairly easy victory for the Cougars as they are at home.
Prediction: Cougars 35, Cowboys 20

Saturday, October 23 at 1:30 PM

7-0 (4-0 SEC)
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7-0 (4-0 SEC)
Yep, that’s right. I am going to attempt another Auburn game. They burnt me last week much in the same way that they did Arkansas. How’s dropping 65 on a SEC defense for ya’?! However, they did give up 43 at the same time. That will be the best part of the game. LSU’s terrible offensive versus Auburn’s terrible defense. Which one will be less terrible? That is the question. At the same time, the Tigers (from Auburn) bring in one of the best offenses in the nation to take on the Tigers (from LSU) and their extremely stingy defense. It should be exciting all around. Les Miles better not pull anything like he did against Tennessee or his squad from Baton Rouge will be in trouble. Another interesting thing about this game is how it affects Boise State. Both teams are right on the heals of the Broncos and whoever wins might pass them. Also, the loser will drop back in the rankings and probably won’t be much of a factor anymore. This will definitely be one worth watching. At home, I think the Tigers get it done.
Prediction: Tigers (of Auburn) 28, Tigers (of LSU) 24

Saturday, October 32 at 1:30 PM

5-1 (2-1 Big 12)
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5-2 (2-1 Big 12)
I don't want to say very much about this contest. Kansas State isn't as good as they think they are and Baylor is better than they are made out to be.
Upset Special!
Prediction: Bears 35, Wildcats 28

Record coming into this week: 25-10

Alright, there we have it! Make sure you check back in tomorrow for my take on the Oregon versus UCLA game and probably a rant or two! Go Broncos!