Game balls for Boise State versus Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl

To the entire team (coaches included) for not mouthing off via the media pre- and post-game.

On a side note……

Coaching decision of the year…… Coach Pete outlawing Twitter from the players. (I don’t think the players would have done anything stupid anyway — too well coached and disciplined — but great decision nonetheless.)

Go Broncos!!!

P.S. – My real game ball goes to the Monster. Absolutely turned the game. A close second, however, has to be Venable’s “pep talk”. How did we get so lucky as to have such an awesome team to root for?!?!?!

Sorry to ramble, but lots of things going through my head. :-)

Kevan Lee, you missed an award — Greatest Comment During the Game.

Has to be Herbie’s comment about Kellen Moore looking bored in the pocket and playing like he has a joystick in his hands. (Not exactly a direct quote, but close enough.)

“It’s disappointing, not just for me but for everyone who’s been in this program for the last 11 years,”

Yikes, I’ve heard of 5th year seniors, but good lord—11 years in the program!

Thanks KL re Venable hit. I knew it came at tight moment. Gotta’ admit I was disappointed in Austin; you know the hatchet’s coming. Cover up, get 1st and goal at very least. Efaw-his first long catch in Ore #1 had the hatchet but he held on (KM faked a fumble-great mo); gott’a hold on. This game chnaged more than nay I’ve witnessed in many a day not just Broncos. If you had told me, even after Hamster’s run, what was going to happen I would never have believed it. Did we punt more than once?

I’m hoping that by fall with sufficient reps our WRs will be up to snuff. They won’t be at the level of Young & Pettis; they wont be seniors. Titus esp matured; he was dropsy at first. Petttis has always been money, but remember, HE was Child’s backup. We seem to find new guys, maybe differently talented but talented, and work a system up for them. We may no thave as much speed as Titus or as much athleticism as Pettis, but we’ll have guys with varying combinations of both.

We played back from an awful string of miscues, but we never put the knife in despite chances. When Austin fumbled, despite our O doing pretty mcuh all it wanted it was a game. Up to that point in seocnd half we had marched all over them; td then would’ve iced it. Instead, we not only dont score we give them the ball. Momentum changer almost every time. In comes Venable-bam. I’ll watch game again; on one of these they nearly make a first, but they dont maybe its this one. Anyway I could feel the life run out o fthem. That said they made some drops Ill need to look at. As I said they were still on the grill a long time-we didnt stick the fork in until around 6 mins left IMO.

George Iloka has saved our bw several times in several games this year. He does’nt get many props for his play on the field. The guy comes up big over and over again, as he did again last night. Watch for him to stand out next year with Jerron and Brandon gone.

We were not robbed although these may have been TDs. Both were ruled otherwise on field. Thus the standrad to “ovetun”, somewhat akin to an appellate court. The closest legal approximation I can come up with is “reasonable minds cannot differ”. How is that applied? I asked my law professor that. He turned and slamme dhis fist, hard, into the blackboard. Then said “Reasonable minds cannot differ that I strcuk the blackboard; 80 people just witnessed it”. “Incontrovertible evidence” would mean that 50 out of 50 people reviewing the film woudl reach the same conclusion. Let’s examine. When Titus makes grab, you can see his shoe straddle the white line.Is it on it? same with Hiwat-is he on the white line when he gains control of the ball? Having seen both plays I have my opinion, but there is no incontrvertible evidence, as defined, here. Thus the ruling stands as called as it should have been either way.

Do we watch basketball now? I never know what I’m supposed to do after the bowl – wait for signing day?

Credit Bronco coaches and players for regrouping and refocusing after a pretty horrific first quarter. It helps a lot when you are the better team (which I think it’s clear that the Broncos were). It also helps that football games last four quarters and Boise State had plenty of time to find its groove and roll.

Do our players and coaches regroup and recover on the sidelines like they did, does our Defense play with murderous intent with their backs to the wall like they did, does Venable bark at the Offense like he did, does the D-Line play like men possessed, does our O-Line buckle down and reverse their direction like they did, does our entire team from Defense to Offense to Special Teams to Coaching Staff to the ball and water boys and that guy that carries the cord to Pete’s headset recover from the 1st Qtr shock and awe campaign Utah delivered….

If they had not had the Nevada experience? Just a thought but I genuinely believe this is a program of destiny and that that Reno experience restored a mental toughness and physicality that was lacking prior to that loss. I think that we weren’t going past the Rose Bowl this year but who knows what happens next year.

The lessons learned in Reno will pay dividends going forward, I think they already have.

It was pretty even between Broncos and Utes…maybe 60/40 with the Broncos occupying one extra section of the end zone. There were a few more empty seats on the Utah side. By mid 4th quarter their side was empty.

My play of the game was the Sunday scuffle at Hard Rock. Certainly fired up Venable and company.

It was good to see that kid come in and make some kicks for y’all. I love it when a kid can overcome adversity the way he did. Even after dropping the fake punt pass, he regained composure and came back to score some points for you guys. Congratulations again on the win!