There were several worthy performances for this week's game balls, but as per the bad short-term memory of OBNUG's Kevan, only a few people will be lucky enough to come away with one. Now where did we put that ginkgo biloba?
Cheap shot of the week
Vandal C Adam Korby
We looked far and wide through the NCAA rulebook for what constitutes an illegal block below the waist, and we found this nugget (rule 9, section I, article 2d, exception 1, complete nerdiness):
A player on the line of scrimmage within the rectangular area (tackle box) may not leave the zone and return and legally clip.
This might have been good to know before Adam Korby ended Shea McClellin's season with an illegal block to the knee. McClellin's injury occurred on some sort of misdirection play where McClellin was chasing the play in the backfield, and Korby went low right into McClellin's knee. Even if it was a legal block, what Korby did is still bushleague. Stand up and block him like a man. There is no reason to put a kid's season in jeopardy like that.
Offensive player of the game who wasn't Kellen Moore
Jeremy Avery
Jeremy "don't call me Peanut" Avery is a pretty easy choice for this award. He sparked the Boise State offense in the second half, and his running helped blow the game wide open. Moore, Jeremy Childs, and Vinny Perretta also had big games, but Avery elicited far more Mark Johnson voice cracks than everyone else.
Quite literal ankle-breaking move
Kyle Wilson
On Wilson's 79-yard punt return in the first quarter, not only did he make the first person miss, he might have ended the first person's career.
Vandal star tight end-ish person Eddie Williams was the victim of a truly sick move by Wilson that left Williams in a heap on the Kibbie Dome turf. Replays were inconclusive (aren't they always on KTVB?), but something bad happened to Williams between the time he thought he had Wilson tackled and the time he heard something pop. That's probably what you get for having tight ends as gunners on punt formations.
"What really is there to say?" moment
This one:
Fumble return touchdown that sounds a lot cooler when we tell it
Ellis Powers
Powers' fumble return TD was one of the biggest plays of the game, yet somehow he managed to get slighted for his efforts. Here's the way we saw it: Powers knifed through on a blitz, wrapped up Enderle, Byron Hout came over to help, Powers poked the ball away as Enderle was going to the turf, the senior safety picked up the loose ball, and scored. Everyone else seems to think that Hout forced the fumble. Have our eyes lost all ability to pick up details on non-HD broadcasts?
Powers seems to think that he forced the fumble, too. At least, that's what he told David Augusto after the game, amid Auggie's giggles and blown kisses. Don't worry, Ellis. You'll get credit for a forced fumble in the OBNUG 2008 Bronco statistical almanac, due in bookstores in time for the holidays.
Fewest penalties in awhile
Everybody on Boise State
The Broncos were only flagged four times for 26 yards on Saturday, marking their lowest output since the Louisiana Tech game. Sadly, the penalty yardage still outgained Ian Johnson.
First ever Bronco O-line award
Bronco O-line
Allow us to give credit where credit is due: the Bronco offensive line played a complete game against the Vandals. The passing game kept clicking with Kellen Moore hardly being touched, but where the line truly shined was in the running game. Did you see the size of some of those holes? Deonte Jackson did, and he coveted them.
Vandal fan of the game
Airhorn guy
Kyle Wilson muffed his second punt in the past three weeks, but you can hardly blame Wilson this time. You can blame the Vandal fan with the airhorn. Said fan blew said airhorn right as Wilson was getting ready to field a second half punt, causing Wilson to drop the ball and scramble to recover. Rather than be forcibly removed from the stadium for his antics, we have no doubt that airhorn guy was anointed a hero and whisked away to a king's feast of Mr. Pibb and Pizza Combos. Those Vandals know how to celebrate success when they see it.
Linebacker sub of the week
Hunter White
We don't know much about Hunter White, but we want to now. The freshman linebacker saw quite a bit of playing time against the Vandals, and he made his presence felt by always being in or around the ball. He struggled a bit in the passing game, but then again, so did Nathan Enderle. We will be intrigued to find out how the Broncos plan to use him from this point on. So will Derrell Acrey.