Boise State escapes Tulsa with the win, beats Golden Hurricane, 28-21
by Kevan Lee on Oct 14, 2009 8:24 PM PDT
in Boise State football
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PrintThe Broncos survived a tough road game against the Golden Hurricane, winning 28-21 on the strength of a sturdy Boise State defense and solid games by Kellen Moore and Doug Martin. Should it have been that close? Probably not, but Boise State can certainly be happy with the win.
What did you think about the game? Happy with the result? Concerned about how it might have looked to voters? Couldn't care less? Share your thoughts in the comments. Analysis after the jump.
Well, that was closer than it needed to be
Boise State won by a touchdown, but it felt like so much more. For starters, Tulsa had three big plays that resulted in 14 points; they only had one sustained drive all night. The Broncos settled for a field goal on the one-yard-line, turned the ball over twice, and held a huge time of possession advantage (10 minutes more).
Were you worried in the fourth quarter?
How big was that two-point conversion
Boise State took two following its first touchdown of the night. Had they not, the final score might have been 27-21 and Tulsa would have been driving to win, not driving to tie at the end of the game (true, Tulsa could have gone for two and the win had they scored, but still).
What went wrong in the fourth quarter for the Bronco offense?
Doug Martin was running through folks in the third quarter. Kellen Moore was winging it at will in the first and second. In the fourth quarter, the Broncos could do nothing. What gives?
Fumbles are fun ... NOT!!
The only thing keeping Tulsa in the game in the first half was the butterfingers from Kyle Wilson and Doug Martin. Let's make excuses for them. Both turnovers came in the first half with the rain coming down much harder than at any other point in the game (except during Lou Holtz soliloquies). Wilson was probably anxious to actually get a chance to return a kick; nerves might have played a part. On Martin's fumble, it looked like Kellen Moore handed it off to him around the neck, which is probably not Martin's preferred handoff location.
Still, the Broncos won by a touchdown while going minus-2 in the turnover battle. On another note, Boise State hasn't forced a turnover in two weeks.
Under pressure, the G.J. Kinne story
Kinne had a long night running from pressure, throwing under pressure, going down under pressure. When there wasn't a man in his face, there was a man getting after his face and forcing Kinne to send wayward passes anywhere but near his receiver. Like Lou Holtz and Rece Davis said, the difference in the game was the pressure on Kinne and the lack of pressure on Moore.
Why didn't Todd Harris ask Karl Benson about his cool new look?
WAC commissioner Karl Benson was looking natty during his sideline cameo, sporting a slicked back hairdo, a striped Tommy Hilfiger button up, and some rather expensive Lasik eye surgery. And all Todd Harris wanted to talk about was how high Boise State could get in the polls? Missed opportunity, Mr. Harris. Did your Jared Zabransky interview teach you nothing?
When did college football become more about winning pretty and less about winning?
I really hate college football sometimes.
The halftime show of the Boise State - Tulsa game analyzed the first half by comparing Boise State to Oklahoma. Come again? With the Broncos holding an 18-14 lead, BSU got called on the carpet for not dominating the Golden Hurricane the same way that Oklahoma did.
Give me a break. The Broncos looked just fine in the first half, apart from a couple costly turnovers and one solid Tulsa drive. Teams don't play in order to look good. They play to win. Boise State was doing that, weren't they? Get a life, Trevor Matich, and stop making me wish longingly for the NHL.
Boise State's penalties did not make the trip (flu-like symptoms)
The Broncos, as penalty-loving as any team, took the night off from backing themselves up, ending with only three accepted calls against them. What made the difference? Fear of gassers, I guess. I'm just happy we didn't see any unnecessary false starts or defensive pass interference calls because those bum me out and make Coach Pete sad. Losing only 24 yards to penalties (as opposed to 65 from Tulsa) makes a big difference.
Which leads us to ...
Boise State in the red zone looks much more like you'd expect Boise State to look in the end zone
The Broncos had three TDs on five trips inside the Tulsa 20, which beats their rush-loss, penalty, fumbled-snap trifecta once the goalline gets closer. For the record, Moore hit TE Tommy Gallarda for two of the three scores and Austin Pettis for another. Those seem like a couple good options going forward.
The two trips that the Broncos took and didn't end up with six ended up huge. Ending the first half, a touchdown would have made a big difference, but Brotzman settled with a FG. On the third quarter drive that ended with a fourth and goal from the one-and-a-half and a Brotzman field goal was a big stop for Tulsa. Would you have gone for it? I'll say this: You're never wrong to take the points. And Coach Pete is never wrong in general.
Boise State's offensive line version 2.0
Kevin Sapien stayed home with the flu, and Nate Potter took over for Matt Slater at LT. That left the Boise State starting O-line as Garrett Pendergast, Joe Kellogg, Thomas Byrd, Will Lawrence, and Potter - only two of whom (Byrd and Lawrence) were in the lineup in the season opener.
The best part was that this group looked good. Kellen had plenty of time to throw, and there were just as many running lanes as there were in any other game. Anyone stand out to you?
Kellsy being Kellsy
Kellen Moore was his usual unflappable self for the majority of Wednesday night, and as per the norm, Boise State won. So Kellen Moore goes, so goes the Broncos? Perhaps. It might be more of "so goes the offensive line, so goes the Broncos." Moore was set up for success by having all day to pick his spots and find the open man. And he sure did.
Shea McClellin does his best Ryan Winterswyk
McClellin had a good first half for a Boise State D-lineman. He had a great first half for anyone from the city of Caldwell. Be it sacks, QB pressures, and batted passes, McClellin was seemingly everywhere, including perhaps the Tulsa lockerroom, tapping G.J. Kinne on the shoulder and doing that creepy eyebrow shrug just to let him know he's thinking of him.
McClellin's was excellent. Winterswyk was superb. Baker and Winn were solid.
And how big was Winterswyk's sack on Tulsa's final drive? Not only did it keep the clock running, but it forced a much tougher fourth down than it could have been.
Assorted thoughts that I couldn't work into a paragraph
- How about Tommy Gallarda tapping his toes for the TD? El oso beautisimo!
- Cullen Moore and Doug Harper would make a pretty good backfield duo.
- Anyone else think Lou Holtz would have a grand old time with Tom Scott and Mark Johnson?
- Does 2009 Kyle Wilson punt returner give anyone else deja vu of 2008 Vinny Perretta punt returner?
- Doug Martin had over 100 yards. Didn't it feel like it all came on one drive?
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It pains me to say this
But I don’t think we’re a top 5 team at this point. I never really thought that until tonight. The potential is certainly there. I understand why Coach Pete preaches so heavily about not getting caught up in the rankings.
I suppose it doesn’t really matter as long as we get into a BCS game.
"Hell, I can get you a toe by 3 o'clock this afternoon... with nail polish."
Same here
I’m honored with the ranking but when it comes down to it all that really matters is the Fiesta or Rose Bowl. As long as we get there, cash in the check, and win or loose put up a good game our season will have been a huge success. All we can do is just keep building and getting better every few years as BSU always has. If that continues then here in the next 10 or 20 years we will be with the elite. Next season is a good start with 2 or 3 good(but winable) out of conference games. The last time we got too far ahead of ourselves we got blown out by Georgia and our season took a dive. Along the way our players have to keep that chip on their shoulder. They have gotten cought up in the hype and it has showed in the last couple of games.
Agreed
Just look what OU did to this team a shutout with their backup QB. The Broncos are in trouble if they keep getting close games, and as it pains BSU fans they better hope Idaho is for real and has only one loss when they play and a potential top 25 ranking to get another good opponent.
by Jeremy Mauss on Oct 15, 2009 5:40 AM PDT up reply actions
We talked about it a lot after last week
We all have such high expectations and when they are not met we get disappointed. Listening to the players post game interviews, they sound very happy with the win. Some of us sound disappointed. If we can just keep things in perspective, we can be just as excited as them. It was a win! It was a great game. Tulsa came to play! It sure does beat a boring blow-out. Still a very young team that is doing a lot in their youth. Still a lot to work on, but they are this good with tremendous potential, think about what they will be like once they achieve their full potential!
Catch me on the BroncoNation Podcast!
by OBNUG Intern on Oct 14, 2009 8:41 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Yeah
That’s what I mean with the potential. I still think we should be ranked really high. If we could eliminate those darn fumbles I might be writing something different. Maybe that’s what it is.
"Hell, I can get you a toe by 3 o'clock this afternoon... with nail polish."
Right on point Intern...
As fans, especially Boise State fans, we put way too much value in how the pollsters may have viewed the game. This is where I envy Vandal fans a little. They can just root for a win and not worry about point spreads or how their team looked doing it.
This year, I had resolved to just enjoy the wins that come and to not worry about what the rest of the nation may think about strength of schedule, trickeration or anything else. It is not easy though.
I have resolved this is a young team and they will play slopping and inconsistent at times. They will leave points on the board and the troubles in the red zone will haunt them at some point this year.
"...east and west is the problem, north and south the solution."
Really
I wish the coaches would unleash Kellen Moore in some of these games. I know they try to pound the ball and everything, but Moore was throwing the ball with some fire to start the game. I wish they could have kept that going.
"Hell, I can get you a toe by 3 o'clock this afternoon... with nail polish."
We would probably all do ourselves a favor
to just take a step back and enjoy this team that we all celebrate for doing what we want them to do, win games. We have gotten so caught up in the hype that is the downfall of college football, rankings. We are too busy overlooking everything on OUR quest for a BCS game. We are like freakin BCS crack addicts. We all took our first his on January 1st 2007 and we have been feending for another hit since then. We all need BCS rehab, get our heads on straight and root for the Broncos to beat, not kill, Hawaii. If the do kill them we can get super excited. If we just beat them, great, thats what we wanted!
Catch me on the BroncoNation Podcast!
by OBNUG Intern on Oct 14, 2009 8:54 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
You're probably right
I really do appreciate every win. I was never worried during the game, not even in the 4th quarter.
I don’t mean to sound down on the Broncos for not looking like a top 5 team. I think I’m just really frustrated with all the talk about it.
"Hell, I can get you a toe by 3 o'clock this afternoon... with nail polish."
Dead On
Adding to your point, many people forget that the 2006 team had 6 players drafted in the NFL since the Fiesta Bowl. It was a team that had so many growing pains that Z ended up getting a full body cramp one game. Bottom line, the team went to Tulsa, played a very good team (that I wish was still in the WAC) that saw this game as the biggest home game of the season. Bronco Nation would not have the same perspective.
When you turn the ball over it will cost you. As it did tonight. Not being able to score touchdowns in the Red Zone costs you as it did tonight. The difference between most teams and Boise State is that Coach Pete and the gang will get the players better. Let us also not forget that this team is still the best team in the WAC and currently the best non BCS school. When the players put it all together I suspect the blowouts will begin and Bronco Nation will be happy with itself.
The Bronco Nation Podcast: A Podcast By Bronco Fans, For Bronco Fans
follow me on twitter at http://twitter.com/TheBNPodcast
by Bronco Nation Podcast on Oct 14, 2009 9:13 PM PDT up reply actions
We're 6-0 and not many fans can say that about their team.
It wasn’t impressive, but the Broncos did dominate in stretches. If there is one thing about the Petersen era, once they let up on the gas pedal, they can’t turn it back on.
-We are one overthrow to Titus Young from being completely happy about the result.
- I thought we took everything in their playbook in the first quarter and after that we settled down once they were in their base offense. That is, until the reverse in the 4th quarter.
- Was Kirby Moore’s redshirt burned so he could come in and block 3 plays a week? Maybe he has not fully healed and has nagging injuries.
- What was Jeron Johnson doing on that final defensive play? His aggressiveness puts the Broncos in tough positions at times.
"...east and west is the problem, north and south the solution."
Good call about Kirby
I wish we could see him a lot more.
"Hell, I can get you a toe by 3 o'clock this afternoon... with nail polish."
Recruiting promise?
You think the coaches promised to play him as a true Fr. in order to get him to commit? I believe he was recruited by quite a few Pac-10 teams..
I wouldn't think that is it...
Our overall depth at WR is not amazing so one of the true freshmen probably had to play. Shoemaker has stepped up and Titus and Pettis have been very productive reducing Kirby’s role.
It could be that he is talented, is getting up to speed while recovering from injury, and with his relation to Kellen, we are probably expecting too much from him. Remember Jeremy Childs played a fairly minor role in 2006 as a freshman when Naanee, Rabb and Drisan James were getting most of the reps.
"...east and west is the problem, north and south the solution."
I’m sure they just want to give him more and more gameplay experience, giving him the feel of college defenses. as much as we want him to be his “big” brother, we shouldn’t expect him to be.
"You know where i'm from, a little suspicion about one's true identity and motives is considered good manners."
-- Nale
I'll say it again...
Frustrating.
I appreciate coach not getting caught up in the rankings. Good coaching, good mindset. But that ranking (bogus as rankings are) is also an indicator of our POTENTIAL. I truly believe that if we’d string together a complete game (halfway through the @#$% season), we’d be able to play with anyone, and could be considered a top 10 team. Why settle for less when that’s the goal? Top-10 teams dominate mid- to low-level competition. I’d be willing to bet that no other top-25 has had the word “survived” used more in press coverage than us (ok, maybe the golden domers).
Young and lots of pressure
The youth of this team shows up almost every week. They are probably overachieving at this point. Watch out next year though…
Fair comment
You know what, I’ll give you that one. We are – what – one of the five youngest teams in DI? That’s probably one of the key aspects of this team. I get seasick this year riding the ebb and flow of our games to date. A more seasoned team will (hopefully) weather the momentum shifts better.
Good point.
Me too
I’m extremely happy we won, but disappointed that we “didn’t impress the pollsters.” I’m sure the haters will hate but not very many teams and their fans can say they’re 6-0. MKingery hit it on the head.
Jeez
whew is right, I just came back to the page and saw what you did.
Catch me on the BroncoNation Podcast!
by OBNUG Intern on Oct 14, 2009 8:55 PM PDT up reply actions
I am always impressed..
how quickly he puts together the post game.
I should wait to make my initial comments until he finished the full article. When I post after the “teaser” recap, I inevitably post something that looks like a direct plagiarism of Kevan’s observations.
"...east and west is the problem, north and south the solution."
Or I wait until you all post and plagiarize your comments
What? Did I say that out loud?
"I eat success for breakfast - with skim milk!" - Tony Perkis
wheeew!
That was me finally breathing out after holding my breath for the entire fourth quarter. Dang that was too close for comfort! I don’t need this kind of stress in my life right now.
But doesn't the relief just feel sweet?
Catch me on the BroncoNation Podcast!
by OBNUG Intern on Oct 14, 2009 9:17 PM PDT up reply actions
Good win and nail-biting intensity!
Football is still entertainment, right? This was a great thriller and the good guys won. When asked after the game if they scored enough points Coach Pete said, “If you score one more point than the other team you scored enough points.” That is better perspective than Hawk’s “Ghandi” quote.
The players all seemed to love the intensity of a close game. They got it and the relief feels great. Problem is, Bronco Nation is so spoiled by blow outs that if we don’t get one, need it or not, we don’t feel like it was a good win. Any mark in that W column is a good one. Enjoy it, the team did.
KY Stands for Kentucky, for crying out loud.
by KYBronco on Oct 14, 2009 10:33 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
I can't vote...nobody deserves blayer of the game this week...not one...everyone/thing was lacking.
If playing in blue uniforms on a blue field is an unfair advantage, then isn't wearing green uniforms on a green field also an unfair advantage?
WHAT WENT WRONG???
What went wrong, is Coach Pete grew a conscience…I know he’s not Hawk…but I personally loved the Hawk that said “Ghandi didn’t take a knee!” Seriously…why are we running clock out when the game is not over? Why are we running the ball when it only worked for 1 drive? WTF, Coach Pete…we were winning because they couldn’t get to Kellen…he had all day every play, but one…this is what we wanted fixed. When we get ahead…kick them in the balls…or as The Offspring so famously said…kick ‘em while he’s down! Don’t wait and see if they come back…F them…when they are done, bury them…and piss on their grave…then shit on it and throw more dirt on it. Seriously…where’s the team that from 5 years ago that would drop a 50 spot on you just because you punted with 2 minutes left in the game? I love Coach Pete and wouldn’t trade him for anyone…I just want him to drink some of my cutthroat juice, that’s all.
If playing in blue uniforms on a blue field is an unfair advantage, then isn't wearing green uniforms on a green field also an unfair advantage?
A Marathon
TSO, please calm down. The football season is a marathon and not a sprint. Media and fan pressure makes the season even longer for the kids and reduces our chance of winning. It is like yelling and booing your own kids when they have the ball at home. Oregon duck fans boo their own kids and coaches at home when they do not perform well. BSU fans never have and never will, win or lose.
BSU is a great spot right now. Injury is the largest fear we should have and not margin of victory. Think about it a Win is a Win at the end of the year. Injury by playing our starters and running up a score is a fools game.
We did not have the option last night but will in the future.
Go out and shoot a deer or a pheasant to relieve your pressure. Or you could enlist and head overseas.
by BSU Alumni stranded in Portland on Oct 15, 2009 9:02 AM PDT up reply actions
I agree with your points...just needed to vent.
and I am enlisted and have been over seas…but that’s another issue…and I think shooting anything in Cali is frowned upon, don’t want to find out for sure, though…though there are lots of nice animals at the zoo that would look cool on my wall…hmmm!
If playing in blue uniforms on a blue field is an unfair advantage, then isn't wearing green uniforms on a green field also an unfair advantage?
by TheShrewdOne on Oct 15, 2009 4:48 PM PDT up reply actions
Who is glad..
that Mark May wasn’t there to call the game? He would have been all over us for not blowing them out. It’s a shame “style points” count so much in college football.
I'm Sick n' Tired of the "Quality Win" Evaluations
I am getting really bored with the over evaluation of a win. Not having a playoff in NCAA FB is sucking the joy out of close wins. This game was a fun game to watch, yet BSU fans will treat it as a moral loss; because we didn’t run up the score! The weekly beauty contest from the panel of “quality win” judges is insane. I could not believe my ears when I heard the announcers comparing Oklahoma’s win to BSU’s win over Tulsa. That is the kind of speculation we used to do in elementary school; that kind of bullshit talk has now penetrated college football’s daily sports talk shows…(i.e.) We beat Oregon by 11 and Oregon beat Cal by 40 points; (I whip out my calculator) according to my calculations we could beat Cal by 51 points! Right? But wait…Fresno beat UC Davis by 51 points and we beat Freso by 17 points…but, we only beat UC Davis by 18 points instead of my calculated 68 points. WARNING, SYSTEM MELTDOWN…DATA CAN NOT COMPUTE…WARNING INFORMATION OVERLOAD…AUTOMATIC SHUTDOWN SERIES IMPLEMENTED.
When did life-sucking robot calculations completely take over football? Will someone wake me up from this bad dream?
Having the subjective BCS, acts as a catalyst for a hyper-speculative system. Big money bowl games are on the line to reward this speculation. Teams that will never play each other are now rated on fantasy victories by the pollsters, which are awarded a raking win on style points??!!!!
I care about the W! I don’t give a shi#t what we are ranked this weekend. Let the beauty contest judges dream up what they will. I love BSU and I’m really proud of them tonight; they beat a tough team on the road. How many teams would kill to be 6-0??
by csf68 on Oct 14, 2009 11:43 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs
That was gold
Great comment. Agree 100 percent. In what other sport does the opinion of outsiders matter more than the result on the field? Figure skating? College football is thrilling, bordering on ridiculous.
"I eat success for breakfast - with skim milk!" - Tony Perkis
I agree 99%
The elementary school speculation is going to be the ruin of college football. Maybe the polls have always been biased and speculative, but now with message boards, 1000’s of bloggers and the likes of Mark May, Craig James, et al having an audience 24/7 the beauty contest has overtaken the joy of competitive college football.
I am not sure a playoff is the answer, there will still be questions about the selection process and I would see it being difficult to involve more than 8 teams.
I am in the minority – but I like the BCS. Or at least the intent of the BCS. It is the selection process and the money inequality that drives me crazy. The Harris Poll and the coaches’ poll have proven to be unreliable if not outright corrupt and there is little oversight over the six computer polls. Figure skating might be the correct parallel, with the Big 12 coach acting as the Russian judge, downgrading the French skater and propping up a lesser performance from a skater of his own country. The NCAA mandated that the computer polls remove scoring margin from their formula in the spirit of good sportsmanship – but they allow human polls that put more emphasis on scoring margin and looking good than they do on wins and losses.
The NCAA needs to retake control of the bowl season and revamp the BCS selection process. I would be happy with a selection committte akin to the NCAA Basketball committee. If a computer is to be used, the formula needs to be simplelified and transparent.
The current process, and Boise State is guilty too, encourages teams to schedule in order to position themselves for the BCS and has stolen many of the early season big match up games from college football fans. See exihibit Notre Dame, Florida OOC schedule, Texas….
"...east and west is the problem, north and south the solution."
Whew
I was worried in the 4th quarter. I was upset, until I read OBNUG Intern’s comments. Totally right. Eff the polls, enjoy these fucking wins. Sure it wasn’t pretty, sure we could have done better, but enjoy the win while also making constructive criticism. We can both enjoy the win and pick apart the specific parts of the game.
Thanks Broncos, for saving my shirt.
First, let me preface by stating that I am stationed in Korea and loaded up on Bronco gear before coming here in May. I broke out a new game-day shirt at work today and announced that if the Broncos lose, my Sooner fan co-worker (who naturally rooted for the home team) could mark whatever he wanted on the shirt with a permanant marker. Evidently, he had some ill feelings for the Broncos stirring in him.
Tulsa has never been an easy win for Boise. This game had more riding on it for the home team than a simple upset win…there was real anger from the Sooner Nation at work today.
Grats on the “W”, Broncos! Now I can taunt the shirt for the next time we play an Oklahoma team this season—if they make it through this weekend on top of Texas. ;-)
"What the fool cannot understand, he laughs at; thinking that by his laughter he shows superiority instead of latent idiocy." -- Marie Corelli
by OrangeandBlueOversea on Oct 15, 2009 5:31 AM PDT reply actions
Kellen is the POTG.
Without his two TD passes this game looks a lot different. Martin ran great and with intensity, but it was Kellen who cemented the lead for the win.
Aside from the “too close for comfort” win, I thought the Broncos looked good. They still have the propensity to give up the big play. When that isn’t happening the defense looks stellar. Personally, the offensive play-calling is way too vanilla lately. With a 7 point lead they continued the draws and dives to no avail. I’m all for the smashmouth play calls if you have that ‘bruising’ type back. If they’re gonna run it, Brockel should be the ball carrier, or Bacon.
Last, what is up with Kyle Wilson? Missed tackles, botched punt return, several missed assignments. Is it just me or did anyone else notice he seemed to be fairly mistake prone, save for the last pass break up?
Boise State - The best in all the land (The "land" being Idaho, and large parts of California, Oregon, and Nevada.)
I believe you mean "Cullen"
I’ve been wanting to say something about Kyle Wilson for weeks. Teams aren’t throwing away from him, they’re throwing at him. Why is that? Sure, he has made his fair share of big plays, but I guess I was expecting a Deion Sanders-type difference maker. Too high of expectations? Probably. Is he playing better than we can see, since most of his plays happen off camera? Probably. Still…
"I eat success for breakfast - with skim milk!" - Tony Perkis
I think you hit it Kevan,
Most of what Wilson does is off camera. I didn’t notice too many missed tackles or any missed assignments, but that may be due to a lack of camera angle or sufficient replays.
The UC Davis game gave us a taste of how much Wilson does for this defense. I think teams are throwing his way because the Bronco strategy places him on an island on the short side of the field and loads up defenders on the strong side. Better to take your shot one-on-one with the best receiver lined up against him, than to play 3-on-6 on the other side of the field.
Given that, I don’t remember him getting beat over the top yet. He may not have the interceptions and stats to show for it, but he is the most important aspect to make the Bronco defense work.
"...east and west is the problem, north and south the solution."
I saw at least three missed tackles on run plays where the runner picked up extra yardage after Wilson whiffed. I think his one-on-one coverage is great but he pulled back like a safety on the last reverse of the game that gave them a 1st down. It may not have been his assignment, but it was his side of the field and he was nowhere in view.
As far as camera angles and him not being in view, generally the camera is on the ball carrier. So unless the play is his way you won’t see him much
Boise State - The best in all the land (The "land" being Idaho, and large parts of California, Oregon, and Nevada.)
All good points...
and I agree, he is not great when defending the run.
"...east and west is the problem, north and south the solution."
don't get me wrong
All in all I thought it was a great Bronco performance.
I’m jut sayin..I noticed some things.
Boise State - The best in all the land (The "land" being Idaho, and large parts of California, Oregon, and Nevada.)
My Observations
Here are some key things I took from this game.
1. Turnovers – we had a couple of critical turnovers, namely the Kyle Wilson fumble that gave them momentum. More importantly than that is that we did not force any turnovers. When was the last time we had an interception or fumble recovery. Have a couple of those last night and it is an entirely different ball game.
2. The defense was spectacular 95% of the time. They did get caught with their pants down on a few big plays though. Clean those up and we are good to go. I think about half of Tulsa’s yards were on three plays.
3. Kellen Moore – very good game. Completed about 69% of his passes and three TD’s.
4. Offensive line – great pass protection all night and for most of the second half blocked well on runs. The only down side is that when we get in the red zone we can’t punch it in. That is something they need to improve. I don’t know about you but I get sick of getting inside the 5 and settling for a short FG. Fix that and it is a totally different ball game.
5. Doug Martin – Stud. What else is there to say. He did have the fumble but came right back and ran the rock down Tulsa’s throat. I am glad that coach Pete came right back and had confidence in him to run the ball. Jeremy Avery had a decent night as well.
6. Officiating – For the most part I think the calls were pretty good with the exception of the sideline infraction on Tulsa in the fourth quarter. What was up with that? Did anyone else think the following holding call on BSU was a make up call?
7. A win is a win??? Maybe I have got caught up in the BCS mentality that says Boise State needs to blow everyone out by 4 or 5 TD’s. It is hard to feel good about a win when you have those expectations thrust upon you by folks who are clearly not fans of any non-BCS team. In the good old days I could have felt good about getting the win but now I feel forced to feel bad that we did not cream them. Maybe if we beat Idaho 69 – 0 I will feel much better.
Just my take.
by bhopefull on Oct 15, 2009 7:40 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Good points.
I was going to make my list of points, but you wrote pretty much what I wanted to say.
Particularly on the 95% defense. It’s amazing to expect that we want more. Normally, we wouldn’t, but that other 5% isn’t given on short dink-and-dunks, but huge plays.
If you take away 6 plays this whole season (3 Ryan Mathews TD runs, Halfback pass, 2 Tulsa deep passes), our defense only allows 1,323 yards of offense and 7 tds, as opposed to 1,664 and 12, as it is now.
I also really, really want the coaches to just unleash Moore. He’s Boise State’s one unblemished and proven player. we have many great players, but he alone can do amazing things (well, of course, the O line helps).
This leads me to me answer for Kevan’s question: What went wrong in the fourth quarter for the Bronco offense? As much as I hate to say it, the answer is coaching. I knew that once we got on the field those last 2 possessions we were going to run the ball. Yes, it worked in the 3rd Q, but Tulsa knew it was coming, too. If you want to put the game away, play your game, use Moore, and get those first downs.
Remember when we had that automatic 4 yards rush up the middle play to get our first down if we ever needed it in years past? That play is now the middle dump pass and we need to accept that. We also need to accept that our passing game will open up the run game, and not the other way as it traditionally should be. We’ll get to that point — but for now, let’s do it the way that will give success.
"You know where i'm from, a little suspicion about one's true identity and motives is considered good manners."
-- Nale
Biggest issue of the night IMO
…was brain farts by the secondary. That hurt a lot more than the turnovers. Pay closer attention back there and Tulsa only has 7 points.
Keep being good and loyal BSU fans.
Greetings all BSU fans!! I have been a fan since BJC days. PLEASE do not buy into the media hype and crap that the talking heads must do to keep their jobs. As a BSU alumni stranded in Portland for several years I have seen the ugliest of fans, the Oregon Ducks.
Just keep telling the kids they are doing a great and support the coaches. We are undefeated, period. It will do the talking if we can stay lucky and execute our game plan.
There is only about a zillion football teams that would want to be in our shoes and have a coach like Pete.
Cheer loudly and praise your kids! We have a winner and be sure to treat them like a Prince if you want them to be Kings.
I heard some commentary this a.m. from the results last night, still positive about BSU and are pleased with the results.
by BSU Alumni stranded in Portland on Oct 15, 2009 8:14 AM PDT reply actions
I have a idea to increase our rankings....
Lets quit playing high school teams!
If you want to know why people (and pollsters) dont respect us, its because we play a team that should be divions 2 every weekend. I mean 2 loss OK, with their backup QB, SHUTOUT and defeated Tulsa by 45 last week. We dont deserve to be in the top 25, certainly not in the top 5. Lets not kid ourselves anymore.
Whoa. Deja vu.
"You know where i'm from, a little suspicion about one's true identity and motives is considered good manners."
-- Nale
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Broncos Football Schedule
@
Georgia
|
Sat 09/03 | W 35 - 21 |
| @ Toledo | Fri 09/16 | W 40 - 15 |
| Tulsa | Sat 09/24 | W 41 - 21 |
| Nevada | Sat 10/01 | W 30 - 10 |
| @ Fresno St. | Fri 10/07 | W 57 - 7 |
| @ Colorado St. | Sat 10/15 | W 63 - 13 |
| Air Force | Sat 10/22 | W 37 - 26 |
| @ UNLV | Sat 11/05 | W 48 - 21 |
|
TCU
|
Sat 11/12 | L 35 - 36 |
| @ San Diego St. | Sat 11/19 | W 52 - 35 |
|
Wyoming
|
Sat 11/26 | W 36 - 14 |
| New Mexico | Sat 12/03 | W 45 - 0 |
|
Arizona St.
|
Thu 12/22 | W 56 - 24 |
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