I'll be the first person to say that I'm slightly superstitious. Boise State busting out the orange uniforms on Friday night really threw me for a loop. I was having flashbacks to the last time the Broncos wore the all orange unis and got dismantled by Idaho. That color scheme was promptly retired until Friday night. Superstition or not, the Broncos rolled on to another convincing victory, pounding the Fresno State Bulldogs 51-0. Join me now after the jump as I break down my three stars and one goat of the Broncos victory over Fresno. Reader beware: lots of Pat Hill screaming to follow.
Star No.3: Kellen Moore QB
I know everyone in Bronco Nation right now is cursing my name. You're all wondering how I could possibly put our Heisman trophy contending, invisible pistol shooting, touchdown tossing, shaggy-haired, favorite quarterback of all time, as Star No. 3. Sorry, our one and two star athletes were just too good to pass up on Friday night. Kellen got off to an uncharacteristically sloppy start against the Bulldogs. He threw one pick and had a fumbled ball two consecutive drives in a row. But what I love most perhaps about this young man is the ice in his veins. Kellen's concentration was colder than the weather on Friday night. He picked himself and his offense up after a rough first quarter and went on to slaughter the Bulldog defense for 333 yards through the air and four touchdowns. He even got to play an entire fourth quarter series before Coach Pete sent Joe Southwick in during garbage time. Oh, and did I mention he rushed for 11 yards? Yeah, put that one in your pipe and smoke it, Cam Newton. Bronco Nation salutes you once again, Kellen Moore, as Star No.3 of Boise State's win over Fresno State.
Star No.2: Titus Young WR
Realistically you could easily substitute Stars two and three quite easily. Even Austin Pettis gave Titus a run for his money with his two touchdowns. I once compared Pettis to a homing pigeon and a Honda Accord put together, and he proved why against the Bulldogs. However, I gave Titus the eventual nod because of his broken record on Friday night. Titus Young became Boise State's all time leading receiver, passing Ryan Ikebe with his 164 yards receiving. Titus now sits on a pretty little record with a total of 2,836 yards in his career; and he still has two games to go. He could easily break the 3,000 mark before years end. Titus hauled in a total of eight receptions, two of which were touchdowns. One was a beautifully thrown ball by Kellen that Titus caught with one hand on his right shoulder pad; all while being mauled by the Fresno State defender. Needless to say, the deep ball was lethal on Friday night, and Fresno State paid the bill. Titus Young, congratulations on your record, and on being Star No.2 of Boise State's win over Fresno State.
Star No.1: Defensive Line
Byron who? Wait, Byron Hout was out with a broken foot on Friday night? Yeah, that's right. The Broncos star middle linebacker was out with a broke foot and the defense still managed to hold Ryan Colburn to a measly 76 yards passing. Titus Young doubled that by himself. Out of the 12 drives that Fresno had, eight resulted in punts, two interceptions, one fumble, and one turnover on downs. How's that for a strong defense, Robert Smith? Ryan Colburn was sacked three times, and had heavy pressure on him just about every down. The defensive line did an amazing job of putting the pressure on every play. Ryan Matthews ran for three plays of 60+ yards last year in Fresno against the Broncos. Our solid defensive play kept Fresno at bay, and of course raised Pat Hill's blood pressure by 75%. Also, Ryan Matthews is in the NFL this year, so that helped a lot. But in all reality, our D was as stingy as ever, not giving up any big plays, and putting constant pressure on the Fresno playmakers. Robbie Rouse had rushed for over 200 yards the previous two games, but finished Friday night with a whopping 70 yards. For all of your hard work in the trenches, we commend you, unsung heroes of the Defensive line as Star No.1 of Boise State's win over Fresno State.
The Goat: Pat Hill
Pat Hill's blood pressure rose about 75% on Friday night as he was simply unable to make something happen for his squad. Perhaps if screaming put points on the board, the Bulldogs may not have ended the night with a goose egg. Don't get me wrong here, Bronco Nation. I actually really like Pat Hill. I think he is a great coach. He brings a tenacious fire and zeal to his squad that not many coaches can. In his 13 years as head coach of the Bulldogs, Hill is 76-37. That's a pretty good ratio for any coach. Keep in mind Pete is in a league of his own.
That being said, Pat Hill dropped the ball like Doug Martin does Shiloh Keo on Friday night. When all is said and done, Pat is the head coach, and neither he or his offensive coordinator were able to draw up a play that would shrink the field between them and the endzone. He was simply outcoached on Friday night. That and our players are a lot better. And his handlebar mustache is super irritating. In all reality, Coach Hill is a good man, and a good coach, but I suspect that there is going to be quite an uproar back in the golden state when the Bulldogs return. They had a very touchy one point loss to Nevada at home the week before, and to return from Boise with a goose egg is even worse. If Brotzman can kick a 50 yarder, the Bulldog mascot should be able to manage a chip shot late in the game. C'mon, man. I truly hope that the 'Dogs rebound and finish the season strong, but because of this incredibly poor performance on Friday night, I name you, Pat Hill, as the goat of Boise State's win over Fresno State.
Your Turn
How did everyone feel about the orange uniforms? Was it a crack in tradition, or a welcomed change among the fans? Anyone else disappointed we didn't see the rumored white helmets? Does anyone actually like Pat Hill's mustache? Who were your stars, and who was your goat? Sound off Bronco Nation!
