Three stars and one goat from Boise State's win over Virginia Tech

Courtesy of BSU's 33-30 win on Monday night, the Broncos have once again made believers of the naysayers, and given me one more reason to take up holistic stress relief. As part of OBNUG's breakdown of the game, I'm here to highlight three of the star players and one goat from Monday's showdown.

After the jump, find out who is getting the red carpet, and who will be wearing the goat horns. And weigh in with your picks in the comments. Strap in, this was one wild ride.

Naming three stars of the game is a hockey tradition that Kevan has asked me to bogart for Bronco games. More info here, if you're interested.

What happened on the evening of September 6 wasn't a surprise to many. What would be a surprise to many though, would be the amount of sweat that my palms can produce when BSU is down by four points with under two minutes to play. All joking aside, the Broncos took us on a roller coaster not soon to be forgotten. A roller coaster that started out with 17 unanswered points and Shea McClellin being a human nightmare for Tyrod Taylor. A roller coaster that took many deep dives and made me believe for a second that Nate Potter was the best defender that Virginia Tech had. And a roller coaster that ended with me once again being eternally grateful for the most level headed quarterback in the nation.

Join me now as we recap the star players that made tonight's victory possible. Feel free to also join me for a Twinkie and a few deep breaths from a brown paper bag.

Star No. 3: Shea McClellin

Some of you may disagree with me on this one. I had a more difficult time deciding on a clear cut number three than Colin Kaepernick does remembering if he plays offense or defense. There were so many outstanding performances that it was truly a disposition to rank them in order of importance. The entire Bronco squad, including the water boys, deserve a hearty pat on the back for this win.

McClellin blew me away in the first quarter as he literally terrorized Tyrod Taylor. McClellin first really stood out to me at the fall scrimmage when he did the exact same thing to every Bronco quarterback that stepped on the field. If McClellin allows it, Taylor will be having nightmares for days to come as he recalls the numerous hurries and sacks that McClellin threw down on Monday night. I recall asking myself at the end of the first quarter if I was more impressed with our offense or with or defense. The definitive answer was the lack of "cuteness" among the VT cheerleaders. And second to them was the Bronco defense. McClellin was a monster out there, establishing himself as a clear leader among a veteran defense. Other notables on D were Billy Winn, who had an outstanding night, being the other half of Taylor's nightmare, and Jamar Taylor, who didn't look too shabby filling in for All-American Kyle Wilson.

Star No. 2: Austin Pettis

Pettis is more dependable than a homing pigeon and a Honda Accord put together. Pettis earned his spot as Star No. 2 by being one of the most absolutely clutch players in BSU history. Final Pettis numbers look like this: 6 rec., 73 yds., 2 TD, 1 blocked punt, and a really awesome haircut. The numbers only tell a small story of this fairytale night for Austin Pettis. Pettis decided to block a punt early in the first quarter that set up the first offensive points for BSU, which happened to be a quick pass over the middle to Pettis in the endzone. If someone could clone Austin Pettis and distribute his skills to the New Mexico State Aggies, they may have a real shot at winning some ball games this year. That's how good Austin Pettis is. Austin was in the right places at all the right times - and no I was not just quoting a Lil Wayne song, those words are from the heart. He came up big with multiple receptions, and sealed the victory getting open in the endzone with just over a minute to play in regulation. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Austin Pettis, the most deserving Star No. 2 among all stars and small planets.

Star No. 1: Kellen Moore

One time I said Kellen Moore had arms like angel hair pasta. Okay, I may have said it more than once. I now take every single joke back. Kellen Moore grew about 6 inches on Monday night. Or maybe it was just those 3D glasses I was wearing. Anyway, Kellen proved once again why he is the leader of this team. When the storm took hold, and the billows began to rage, Kellen was there, calm and collected, just like always. Was I scared in the 4th quarter? Heck yeah I was. Would I have chosen any other quarterback in the nation to march our squad down the field with two minutes to go to win a game against the #10 ranked team in the nation in front of 80,000 fans, 70,000 of which happened to be Hokie fans? No. Was that sentence a fragment? Possibly. Kellen Moore's final stats look a little something like this: 23-38, 215 yds., 3TD, 0 INT., and 0 angel hair pasta. Heisman hype and National Title contention aside, Kellen Moore is one hell of a quarterback. Kellen was a beacon of strength, maturity, and leadership on the field as he commanded his troops like a conductor does his orchestra. He did it perfectly, composing the most beautiful symphony yet to be heard. A symphony so sweet, that even Mark May shed a tear. We applaud you, Kellen Moore, and the No. 1 Star of Boise State's win over Virginia Tech.

The Goat: Virginia Tech special teams

Sorry - I couldn't pick just one person to wear the goat horns. The entire Virginia Tech special teams squad is going to have to take turns. Why, you ask? Well, did you watch the game for starters? Virginia Tech has one of the most highly touted special teams units in the entire country. Frank Beamer prides himself and the entire organization on having one of the most explosive, dangerous, and versatile units in all of college football. Special teams was such a hot topic of discussion during the game that I actually received a text message from my sister at half time inquiring as to what special teams was, and why they were talking about it so much. Well, the special teams was special, that's really all I have to say. Special teams is supposed to be some of the best guys from all lines of offense and defense. They have some of the most important jobs on the field, and the VT special teams simply dropped the ball on Monday night (pun intended). If a blocked punt wasn't enough, a missed field goal was like icing on the cake. Throw in a few careless penalties during kickoff coverage and you've got enough sweets to send a diabetic into a coma. Therefore, it is you, Virginia Tech special teams, that deserve to wear the embarrassing goat horns and accept the title of The Goat of Boise State's win over Virginia Tech.

Your Turn

After the game tonight, my wife said to me, "for the sake of our marriage, I'm glad the Broncos pulled it off." Well, for the sake of our marriage, I'm glad they did too, honey. All jokes aside, the Broncos put on a dang good show. I was more giddy than Nathan Enderle during Olympic figure skating. Tyrod Taylor clearly improved his passing, and I dare say Ryan Williams may be slightly overrated. But, in all fairness the Hokies gave us a run for our money and truly proved why they deserve their ranking, and the respect they have earned both on and off the field.

Sound off in the comments, and let us know who were your stars and your goats of Monday night's showdown at the Capital.