Boise State pulled off a 19-8 victory over Oregon Thursday night, and they did so in dominant fashion, completely shutting down the Duck offense and QB Jeremiah Masoli. The Broncos reached the end zone on a Kellen Moore TD to Austin Pettis and a D.J. Harper run, and they held Oregon to only 152 total yards on the night.
What did you think of the win? What about Blount's punch on Byron Hout? Did the low score surprise you? The turnovers?
Discuss your reaction to the game in the comments. I'll be back in a little bit with some stats, feedback, and more.
Go Broncos!
(UPDATED: 2:02AM 9/4, reaction added)
LeGarrette Blount shows more fight postgame than he did in four quarters combined
Blount finished the night with eight carries for (minus)-5 yards, including some pretty epic failures, getting tackled in his own end zone and failing to pick up a critical fourth and short. And for the trifecta? How about punching an opposing player?
"I just apologize to anyone watching that," Blount said. "I just apologize to all of our fans and all of Boise's fans. That's something I shouldn't have done. I lost my head."
Uh, ya think?
Blount's actions were reprehensible and quite embarrasing, and they should be dealt with accordingly. I wouldn't be surprised to see him miss a significant amount of time for his actions. Of course, with college football being the way it is today, I also wouldn't be surprised to see him miss very little time. What are your thoughts? Weigh in on the poll or in the comments.
Here's my final take: It's a shame that Blount's actions took attention away from a stunning, dominant Boise State victory. ESPN's headline put it best:
Postgame punch mars No. 14 Boise State's commanding win over No. 16 Oregon
It might have marred the win, but I'm not going to let it mar this recap. Onward and upward, Bronco fans! We have other topics to hit touch on!
A million Schrutebucks to the defensive line
In the words of Tommy Callahan, "That. Was. Awesome."
Billy Winn? You are an animal. Chase Baker? I want to fold you up and carry you around in my pocket. Ryan Winterswyk? Jarrell Root? Others? Insane, incredible, ridiculous. The game was won and lost in the trenches Thurday night, and the trench battle went completely in Boise State's favor.
Oregon having no first downs for the game's first 37 1/2 minutes? No one could have ever seen that coming. The Ducks as a team rushed for only 31 total yards, 17 of which came on a LaMichael James sweep. The read option didn't work because of the solid play from the defense and the disruption of the line. The Oregon passing game was a wreck, too, thanks to the pressure supplied by the front four, among others. It was a tour de force for the Bronco D-line, and it was a performance for the ages.
Offensive line finds its rhythm, possibly its consistent lineup
Boise State's D-line wasn't the only line that looked stellar on Thursday. The running game clicked thanks to a yeoman's effort from the big uglies up front, controlling the line of scrimmage and making way for tough yards for the running backs.
The running game wasn't flashy, except for a long D.J. Harper scamper, but it was effective. The O-line got the push it needed to keep the offense moving forward - something it didn't do effectively on the ground the last time the two teams met.
Specifically, I noticed the solid play of Will Lawrence at LG. Anyone else pick out any linemen who stood out?
I lost a lot of respect for Jeremiah Masoli Thursday night
It might seem like rubbing it in at this point, but it needs to be said: Masoli needs to do a better job standing in the pocket when there is pressure. He was ducking and diving and shying away from contact all night long whenever there were Broncos in his face. It was horrible to watch. It was quarterbacking at its worst. And he's supposed to be one of the nation's best? I didn't see it on Thursday night.
Other miscellaneous thoughts
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Austin Pettis caught at least two balls that seemed destined for picks.
- Avery and Harper have a knack for contorting their bodies so that they always fall forward. Harper was dead to rights on his touchdown run, hemmed in by three defenders, but he spun to the inside and fell just over the goalline. Those little yards might not seem like much at the time, but they add up.
- Oregon fans are taking it about as well as you'd expect.
- What's eating Kyle Brotzman? I almost thought it was Jimmy Pavel time there for a second.
- Put Brotzman sure did redeem himself with that punt down to the four yard-line. That kick was clinical.
- Talk to me about Billy Winn's safety. Was that the greatest moment of the game by a little bit or by a lot?
- Kellen Moore should have won some fans tonight with his moxie and touch. He sent some pretty beautiful passes into the Boise night sky. <sigh>
- Two-point conversions sure are fun when they work.
- Kudos to Winston Venable, Aaron Tevis, and Derrell Acrey for having solid games. Kyle Wilson, too, but that's kind of to be expected.
I'm calling it a night, friends. I'll come back strong tomorrow with some more thoughts and chat at you in the comments. Thanks to everyone (including several visitors) who joined the GameThread and made it the most commented post in OBNUG history. Over 330 comments! Please feel free to stay up all night chatting about the game if you wish. I'll catch you all tomorrow.