Boise State hopes to be healthy for Poinsettia Bowl

Next Tuesday's Poinsettia Bowl showdown is sure to be a tough, physical, painful fight between two tough, physical, painful teams, and it will be imperative for both sides to have as many healthy players as possible. Yes, kind of like the Revolutionary War.

The walking wounded from Boise State could sure use the healing hand of a Clara Barton or a John Stamos (the ER version, not the Full House version). The injury bug had not bit down too hard on Boise State all season long until the final few games of the year. Then down went Steven Reveles, Shea McClellin, Mike T. Williams - and that was just the defensive line!

Fortunately, it sounds like there has been improvement during the interminably long wait between blowing out Fresno State and blowing into San Diego. Coach Pete addressed the health of his roster in his weekly press conference on Monday, and we are happy to pass along the medical prognosis on those players:

TE Chris O'Neill: broken foot
Staus: Probable

O'Neill has been out since the Louisiana Tech game, and his injury came just as he was budding into a super star. In his stead, Tommy Gallarda (blocking) and Kyle Efaw (catching and dropping passes) have filled in admirably, but it would be nice to have O'Neill's senior leadership on the field versus TCU. He says he'll play; Coach Pete sorta agrees; yet O'Neill was left off the P-Bowl depth chart. Expect him to see the field some against the Horned Frogs, but count on Efaw and Gallarda to play the bigger roles.

OL Kevin Sapien: lower body injury
Status: Will play

Sapien left the Fresno State game with (undisclosed lineman injury, shhhhh!). He's back, and he's starting at right guard.

DT Steven Reveles: broken arm
Status: Questionable

"El Gato," which is Spanish for "broken arm," could actually get some playing time in the Poinsettia Bowl just a couple months after breaking his arm early on against San Jose State. How fast do broken bones heal? Significantly faster when J.P. Nisby is sucking wind midway through the first quarter. We picture Reveles playing minimally in the D-line rotation.

DE Mike T. Williams: torn ACL
Status: Out

DE Shea McClellin: knee injury
Status: Out

DE Jarrell Root: broken leg
Status: Out

The rest of Boise State's participation report:

• John Gott: beard infection


• Brad Elkin: restless leg syndrome


• Titus Young: season finale of The Closer


• Jeron Johnson: jury duty


• Coach Pete: Ball State interview, as reported by Sparty & Friends


• Bush Hamdan: jealousy


• Byron Hout: awesomeness


• Ian Johnson: stigmata

• QB Andy Dalton: severe hickness (see photo at right)


• DE Jerry Hughes: demon possession


• HC Gary Patterson: angry prostate


• RB Joseph Turner: Vai Taua Disease


• WR Jimmy Young: egotism


• OL Blake Schlueter: elephantitis