Sunday, January 30, 2011
Bookmarking Blue Through and Through
Make sure you bookmark this page. The URL is a little long (getting a unique domain is a possibility in the future), so it's much easier to find quickly if it is bookmarked or saved as a "Favorite Place".
Boise State Smothers #20 Oregon State 31-6 in Corvallis
Boise State came out and authoritatively demolished host Oregon State 31-6 today in Corvallis. It was a surprisingly easy win over the team that dethroned the Broncos of their two-time Pac-10 Championship streak and established Coach Greg Randall’s team as the favorites in this year’s Pac-10 Championships February 27 at Corvallis.
Matt Casperson deserves Pac-10 Athlete of the Week. After beating his ranked opponent from Stanford Friday night, Casp took on #18 Chad Hanke of Oregon State at 197 pounds and sent him reeling with a 10-5 loss. That was certainly one of the big moments of today’s match. Another key to the Broncos’ win was when #18 Levi Jones defeated #11 Mike Mangrum 9-2 at 141 pounds.
The Broncos rolled out to an early 14-0 lead of the #20 Beavers and won eight matches on the afternoon, two by major decision, one by fall and one by technical fall. #3 Jason Chamberlain beat back #20 Scott Sakaguchi 6-3 at 149 pounds. Adam Hall followed with a 26-8 technical fall over Alex Elder at 157 pounds. Kurt Swartz made it three wins in a row with a dramatic 3-2 win over Jonathan Brascetta of OSU.
A loss at 174 pounds temporarily slowed down the Broncos’ momentum, but senior Kirk Smith scored a 9-0 major over Brice Arand to put Boise State out in front 18-3. Casperson was up next, and his second superb upset of a ranked opponent essentially ended the Beavers’ hopes on this day. #15 Alan Bartelli and #2 Andrew Hochstrasser both won to close out the match.
The Broncos have two more home matches this season. Next Wednesday, Cal State Bakersfield comes to town for a 7 p.m. contest. Next Friday, the Broncos meet Utah Valley as part of the popular Beauty & the Beast promotion. That dual is also set for 7 p.m. in Taco Bell Arena.
Come out and support this highly-ranked Bronco team!
#3 Boise State 31, #20 Oregon State 6
141 - #18 Levi Jones (Boise State dec. #11 Mike Mangrum (OSU) 9-2
149 - #3 Jason Chamberlain (Boise State) dec. #20 Scott Sakaguchi (OSU) 6-3
157 - #2 Adam Hall (Boise State) tech. fall Alex Elder (OSU) 26-8
165 - Kurt Swartz (Boise State) dec. Jonathan Brascetta (OSU) 3-2
174 - #6 Colby Covington (OSU) dec. #11 Jacob Swartz (Boise State (12-6
184 - #1 Kirk Smith (Boise State) major dec. Brice Arand
197 - Matt Casperson (Boise State) dec. #18 Chad Hanke (OSU) 10-5
HWT - #16 Clayton Jack (OSU) dec. J.T. Felix (Boise State) 10-5
125 - #15 Alan Bartelli (Boise State) fall Christian Strahl (OSU) 4:08
133 - #2 Andrew Hochstrasser (Boise State) major dec. #15 Garrett Drucker (OSU) 12-3
Matt Casperson deserves Pac-10 Athlete of the Week. After beating his ranked opponent from Stanford Friday night, Casp took on #18 Chad Hanke of Oregon State at 197 pounds and sent him reeling with a 10-5 loss. That was certainly one of the big moments of today’s match. Another key to the Broncos’ win was when #18 Levi Jones defeated #11 Mike Mangrum 9-2 at 141 pounds.
The Broncos rolled out to an early 14-0 lead of the #20 Beavers and won eight matches on the afternoon, two by major decision, one by fall and one by technical fall. #3 Jason Chamberlain beat back #20 Scott Sakaguchi 6-3 at 149 pounds. Adam Hall followed with a 26-8 technical fall over Alex Elder at 157 pounds. Kurt Swartz made it three wins in a row with a dramatic 3-2 win over Jonathan Brascetta of OSU.
A loss at 174 pounds temporarily slowed down the Broncos’ momentum, but senior Kirk Smith scored a 9-0 major over Brice Arand to put Boise State out in front 18-3. Casperson was up next, and his second superb upset of a ranked opponent essentially ended the Beavers’ hopes on this day. #15 Alan Bartelli and #2 Andrew Hochstrasser both won to close out the match.
The Broncos have two more home matches this season. Next Wednesday, Cal State Bakersfield comes to town for a 7 p.m. contest. Next Friday, the Broncos meet Utah Valley as part of the popular Beauty & the Beast promotion. That dual is also set for 7 p.m. in Taco Bell Arena.
Come out and support this highly-ranked Bronco team!
#3 Boise State 31, #20 Oregon State 6
141 - #18 Levi Jones (Boise State dec. #11 Mike Mangrum (OSU) 9-2
149 - #3 Jason Chamberlain (Boise State) dec. #20 Scott Sakaguchi (OSU) 6-3
157 - #2 Adam Hall (Boise State) tech. fall Alex Elder (OSU) 26-8
165 - Kurt Swartz (Boise State) dec. Jonathan Brascetta (OSU) 3-2
174 - #6 Colby Covington (OSU) dec. #11 Jacob Swartz (Boise State (12-6
184 - #1 Kirk Smith (Boise State) major dec. Brice Arand
197 - Matt Casperson (Boise State) dec. #18 Chad Hanke (OSU) 10-5
HWT - #16 Clayton Jack (OSU) dec. J.T. Felix (Boise State) 10-5
125 - #15 Alan Bartelli (Boise State) fall Christian Strahl (OSU) 4:08
133 - #2 Andrew Hochstrasser (Boise State) major dec. #15 Garrett Drucker (OSU) 12-3
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Pettis, Young to Play in Today's Senior Bowl
Bronco record-breaking receivers Austin Pettis and Titus Young, who helped Boise State to a 48-5 record over the last four years, have been wowing scouts and spectators all week in practices for the Senior Bowl. The two are set to take the field for the North in the annual college all-star game.
#2 Wide Receiver Austin Pettis
Together with fellow senior Titus Young, Pettis formed the best receiving duo in Bronco history and one of the best in the nation. He was the “go-to” guy when Boise State needed a first down, and became famous for clutch catches and jump balls where he would sail high above his defender for a miraculous catch. Pettis obliterated the Bronco record books with his outstanding four-year achievements.
Austin was one of five true freshman to play in 2007. He finished second on the team with 46 catches (for 465 yards) and second with six touchdown receptions. Pettis had nine receptions for 89 yards against East Carolina in the Hawai’i Bowl and eight in back-to-back games against Utah State and Idaho . He recorded his first 100-yard receiving game with 139 yards and three TD’s against Idaho .
Pettis earned second-team All-WAC honors in 2008 with 49 catches for 567 yards and 9 touchdowns. Austin grabbed nine passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns against Nevada . He was named to the All-WAC academic team.
Last season, Pettis was All-WAC with 63 catches (9th all-time) in 12 games. He broke the school record with 14 receiving touchdowns and tied another mark with four TD catches against Idaho . Austin also broke the record for consecutive games with a TD catch by hauling in one per game in the first 10 games. Austin had six catches against Top 10 Oregon and burned Miami of Ohio for 115 yards on four catches. He had 10 receptions for 129 yards and two touchdowns vs. UC-Davis and nine catches for 105 yards and a score vs. Louisiana Tech.
Pettis has continued his steady play in 2010. He has 55 receptions for 753 yards and 8 touchdowns. Austin broke Don Hutt’s (1970-1973) 37 year-old record of 189 career receptions earlier this year and continues to add to his total. He is now just 111 yards shy of passing Ryan Ikebe for career receiving yards.
In his career, Pettis has 213 receptions for 2,640 yards and 37 touchdowns. Austin is a Communication Major at Boise State.
#1 Wide Receiver Titus Young
Growth. What growth. Lest any potential recruit wonder about what Coach Chris Petersen and the Bronco coaching staff can do to help a young man, they need only look at the quality man that Titus Young has become. He has matured by leaps and bounds, both personally and talent-wise. This speed merchant will go down as one of the greatest receivers ever to play for the Broncos. He had raw talent and speed when he came to Boise; he leaves as a complete receiver who runs great routes, shows incredible hustle (no one will ever forget his fumble recovery in the end zone against Fresno State after he trailed the play all the way downfield), has amazing hands and makes acrobatic catches.
In 2007, Young caught a pass in all 13 games. He finished third on the team with 44 receptions for 639 yards and five touchdowns. He also rushed for 66 yards and two touchdowns. Young had two rushing touchdowns and one receiving vs. Utah State and was on the receiving end of seven passes against East Carolina . He also had six catches against San Jose State .
In 2008, Young played in three games, getting 10 receptions for 168 yards and a TD and rushing five times for 52 yard and two touchdowns.
Titus earned All-WAC both as wide receiver and kick return specialist last season. He became the first player in school history to bring two kickoffs back for touchdowns in a season and in a career. He returned the opening kickoff 95 yards against Nevada and “officially” returned one 100 yards against Idaho , even though we all know it was more like 108. Young had 79 receptions (2nd in school history) for 1,041 yards (#6 all-time) and 10 touchdowns (7th all-time), becoming just the eighth Bronco to surpass the 1,000-yard mark. Titus was second in the WAC with 143.7 all-purpose yards per game, second in kickoff returns (26.9), third in receiving yards (74.4 per game) and seventh in scoring). Young also rushed 15 times for 151 yards and three touchdowns. Young’s 2,012 all-purpose yards was second only to Brock Forsey’s 2,127 in 2002. He helped to stretch TCU’s secondary with eight catches for 72 yards despite the Horned Frog defense converging on him due to the injury of Austin Pettis. Young had two touchdowns (one on the fumble recovery, one receiving) and had 174 all-purpose yards against Fresno State . He scored two touchdowns at Bowling Green and caught six passes for 83 yards and a TD vs. UC-Davis. TY had eight receptions for 115 yards and three TD’s against Hawai’i and eight catches for 110 yards and a score vs. Louisiana Tech. He also went over the 100-yard mark against Idaho and Utah State .
Young leads Boise State with 61 receptions this season (#13 all-time) for 1,117 yards (third in the record books) and nine touchdowns (9th all-time). Young shattered Ryan Ikebe’s (1993-1996) record of 2,751 career receiving yards earlier this season and could become Boise State ’s first 3,000-yard man tomorrow afternoon! TY passed Don Hutt against Nevada and is second all-time to teammate Austin Pettis for career receptions. Titus has 1,684 yards of all-purpose offense this year already (8th all-time). He has nine carries for 45 yards and a touchdown and 20 kickoff returns for 512 yards. He had six receptions for 80 yards in the season opening win over Virginia Tech, five catches for 136 yards and a TD against Oregon State, seven receptions for 105 yards and a score against San Jose State, six catches for 129 yards and a TD against Nevada and four catches for 94 yards and a touchdown against Wyoming.
In Young’s spectacular career, he has 194 receptions for 2,965 yards and 25 TD’s (4th all-time), 42 rushes for 314 yards and eight touchdowns, and 51 kickoff returns for 1,345 yards (26.4 avg.) and two scores. Young has 4,624 yards of all-purpose yards and counting, good for sixth in Boise State history. Titus majors in Communication.
Best of luck to Austin and Titus today!
#2 Wide Receiver Austin Pettis
Together with fellow senior Titus Young, Pettis formed the best receiving duo in Bronco history and one of the best in the nation. He was the “go-to” guy when Boise State needed a first down, and became famous for clutch catches and jump balls where he would sail high above his defender for a miraculous catch. Pettis obliterated the Bronco record books with his outstanding four-year achievements.
Austin was one of five true freshman to play in 2007. He finished second on the team with 46 catches (for 465 yards) and second with six touchdown receptions. Pettis had nine receptions for 89 yards against East Carolina in the Hawai’i Bowl and eight in back-to-back games against Utah State and Idaho . He recorded his first 100-yard receiving game with 139 yards and three TD’s against Idaho .
Pettis earned second-team All-WAC honors in 2008 with 49 catches for 567 yards and 9 touchdowns. Austin grabbed nine passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns against Nevada . He was named to the All-WAC academic team.
Last season, Pettis was All-WAC with 63 catches (9th all-time) in 12 games. He broke the school record with 14 receiving touchdowns and tied another mark with four TD catches against Idaho . Austin also broke the record for consecutive games with a TD catch by hauling in one per game in the first 10 games. Austin had six catches against Top 10 Oregon and burned Miami of Ohio for 115 yards on four catches. He had 10 receptions for 129 yards and two touchdowns vs. UC-Davis and nine catches for 105 yards and a score vs. Louisiana Tech.
Pettis has continued his steady play in 2010. He has 55 receptions for 753 yards and 8 touchdowns. Austin broke Don Hutt’s (1970-1973) 37 year-old record of 189 career receptions earlier this year and continues to add to his total. He is now just 111 yards shy of passing Ryan Ikebe for career receiving yards.
In his career, Pettis has 213 receptions for 2,640 yards and 37 touchdowns. Austin is a Communication Major at Boise State.
#1 Wide Receiver Titus Young
Growth. What growth. Lest any potential recruit wonder about what Coach Chris Petersen and the Bronco coaching staff can do to help a young man, they need only look at the quality man that Titus Young has become. He has matured by leaps and bounds, both personally and talent-wise. This speed merchant will go down as one of the greatest receivers ever to play for the Broncos. He had raw talent and speed when he came to Boise; he leaves as a complete receiver who runs great routes, shows incredible hustle (no one will ever forget his fumble recovery in the end zone against Fresno State after he trailed the play all the way downfield), has amazing hands and makes acrobatic catches.
In 2007, Young caught a pass in all 13 games. He finished third on the team with 44 receptions for 639 yards and five touchdowns. He also rushed for 66 yards and two touchdowns. Young had two rushing touchdowns and one receiving vs. Utah State and was on the receiving end of seven passes against East Carolina . He also had six catches against San Jose State .
In 2008, Young played in three games, getting 10 receptions for 168 yards and a TD and rushing five times for 52 yard and two touchdowns.
Titus earned All-WAC both as wide receiver and kick return specialist last season. He became the first player in school history to bring two kickoffs back for touchdowns in a season and in a career. He returned the opening kickoff 95 yards against Nevada and “officially” returned one 100 yards against Idaho , even though we all know it was more like 108. Young had 79 receptions (2nd in school history) for 1,041 yards (#6 all-time) and 10 touchdowns (7th all-time), becoming just the eighth Bronco to surpass the 1,000-yard mark. Titus was second in the WAC with 143.7 all-purpose yards per game, second in kickoff returns (26.9), third in receiving yards (74.4 per game) and seventh in scoring). Young also rushed 15 times for 151 yards and three touchdowns. Young’s 2,012 all-purpose yards was second only to Brock Forsey’s 2,127 in 2002. He helped to stretch TCU’s secondary with eight catches for 72 yards despite the Horned Frog defense converging on him due to the injury of Austin Pettis. Young had two touchdowns (one on the fumble recovery, one receiving) and had 174 all-purpose yards against Fresno State . He scored two touchdowns at Bowling Green and caught six passes for 83 yards and a TD vs. UC-Davis. TY had eight receptions for 115 yards and three TD’s against Hawai’i and eight catches for 110 yards and a score vs. Louisiana Tech. He also went over the 100-yard mark against Idaho and Utah State .
Young leads Boise State with 61 receptions this season (#13 all-time) for 1,117 yards (third in the record books) and nine touchdowns (9th all-time). Young shattered Ryan Ikebe’s (1993-1996) record of 2,751 career receiving yards earlier this season and could become Boise State ’s first 3,000-yard man tomorrow afternoon! TY passed Don Hutt against Nevada and is second all-time to teammate Austin Pettis for career receptions. Titus has 1,684 yards of all-purpose offense this year already (8th all-time). He has nine carries for 45 yards and a touchdown and 20 kickoff returns for 512 yards. He had six receptions for 80 yards in the season opening win over Virginia Tech, five catches for 136 yards and a TD against Oregon State, seven receptions for 105 yards and a score against San Jose State, six catches for 129 yards and a TD against Nevada and four catches for 94 yards and a touchdown against Wyoming.
In Young’s spectacular career, he has 194 receptions for 2,965 yards and 25 TD’s (4th all-time), 42 rushes for 314 yards and eight touchdowns, and 51 kickoff returns for 1,345 yards (26.4 avg.) and two scores. Young has 4,624 yards of all-purpose yards and counting, good for sixth in Boise State history. Titus majors in Communication.
Best of luck to Austin and Titus today!
Bronco Wrestlers Score Resounding 35-3 Win Over Stanford in Pac-10
#3 Boise State blew out Stanford 35-3 last night in Taco Bell Arena in a final preparation before Sunday’s match with defending Pac-10 Champion Oregon State. Coach Greg Randall’s team showed signs of the complete team effort needed to wrest the conference title away from the Beavers in front of 1,103 fans.
In the most thrilling and surprising match of the night, Boise State’s Matt Casperson shocked #13 Zack Giesen of Stanford at 197 pounds in the final minute to give the Broncos the 35-3 win. Giesen held a 3-0 lead after two periods, but a locking hands foul on Giesen opened the door early in the third. Casperson then scored an escape point that closed the gap to 3-2. The clock ticked under a minute. Then, Casperson shot and scored on a shocking take down with 50 seconds left as the partisan crowd went crazy. The Bronco redshirt freshman held on for the upset win.
Improving heavyweight J.T. Felix began the match with an 8-4 victory over Dylan Rush to push his season record to 8-6.
In between, the usually dependable Bronco wrestlers came through. Boise State opened up a 28-0 lead before surrendering a point. #15 Alan Bartelli topped Matt Sencenbaugh 4-1 and a Cardinal forfeit at 133 pounds gave the Broncos a quick 12-0 lead. #18 Levi Jones followed with a 10-3 win at 141 pounds over Jordan Gray. Another Stanford forfeit at 149 pounds put Boise State ahead 21-0 and it was all over but the shouting.
Adam Hall, the nation’s #2-ranked wrestler at 157 pounds, scored his third major of the season with a 14-3 victory over Stanford’s Kyle Meyer to advance his season record to 19-0. Kurt Swartz followed with an 8-4 victory over Garrett Schaner at 165 pounds.
The Bronco crowd was hoping Kurt’s brother Jake could turn in some magic at 174 pounds against #7 Nick Amuchastegui. The younger Swartz battled hard but fell 4-0 for Stanford’s only win of the evening. #1 Kirk Smith was impressive in a 14-3 major over Spence Patrick and Casperson closed the evening with his dramatic win.
Boise State is now 7-2-1 this season, 2-0-1 in the Pac-10 while the Cardinal fell to 7-8 and 2-2. The Broncos make the trip to Corvallis for the third meeting of the season against Oregon State. The two teams tied in Boise in November and met up at the National Duals on January 8, when the Broncos prevailed 24-12. Coach Randall’s team will attempt to negate the home advantage in a closely-watched contest for the favorite’s role in the upcoming Pac-10 Tournament. You can follow the match live at www.osubeavers.com. Action gets underway Sunday at 3 p.m. Mountain time.
#3 Boise State 35, Stanford 3
HWT – J.T. Felix (BSU) dec. Dylan Rush (S) 8-4
125 - #15 Alan Bartelli (BSU) dec. Matt Sencenbaugh (S) 4-1
133 - #2 Andrew Hochstrasser win by forfeit
141 - #18 Levi Jones (BSU) dec. Jordan Gray (S) 10-3
149 - #3 Jason Chamberlain (BSU) win by forfeit
157 - #2 Adam Hall (BSU) major dec. Kyle Meyer (S) 14-3
165 – Kurt Swartz (BSU) dec. Garrett Schaner (S) 8-4
174 - #7 Nick Amuchastegui (S) dec. #11 Jake Swartz (BSU) 4-0
184 - #1 Kirk Smith (BSU) major dec. Spence Patrick (S) 14-3
197 – Matt Casperson (BSU) dec. #13 Zack Giesen (S) 4-3
In the most thrilling and surprising match of the night, Boise State’s Matt Casperson shocked #13 Zack Giesen of Stanford at 197 pounds in the final minute to give the Broncos the 35-3 win. Giesen held a 3-0 lead after two periods, but a locking hands foul on Giesen opened the door early in the third. Casperson then scored an escape point that closed the gap to 3-2. The clock ticked under a minute. Then, Casperson shot and scored on a shocking take down with 50 seconds left as the partisan crowd went crazy. The Bronco redshirt freshman held on for the upset win.
Improving heavyweight J.T. Felix began the match with an 8-4 victory over Dylan Rush to push his season record to 8-6.
In between, the usually dependable Bronco wrestlers came through. Boise State opened up a 28-0 lead before surrendering a point. #15 Alan Bartelli topped Matt Sencenbaugh 4-1 and a Cardinal forfeit at 133 pounds gave the Broncos a quick 12-0 lead. #18 Levi Jones followed with a 10-3 win at 141 pounds over Jordan Gray. Another Stanford forfeit at 149 pounds put Boise State ahead 21-0 and it was all over but the shouting.
Adam Hall, the nation’s #2-ranked wrestler at 157 pounds, scored his third major of the season with a 14-3 victory over Stanford’s Kyle Meyer to advance his season record to 19-0. Kurt Swartz followed with an 8-4 victory over Garrett Schaner at 165 pounds.
The Bronco crowd was hoping Kurt’s brother Jake could turn in some magic at 174 pounds against #7 Nick Amuchastegui. The younger Swartz battled hard but fell 4-0 for Stanford’s only win of the evening. #1 Kirk Smith was impressive in a 14-3 major over Spence Patrick and Casperson closed the evening with his dramatic win.
Boise State is now 7-2-1 this season, 2-0-1 in the Pac-10 while the Cardinal fell to 7-8 and 2-2. The Broncos make the trip to Corvallis for the third meeting of the season against Oregon State. The two teams tied in Boise in November and met up at the National Duals on January 8, when the Broncos prevailed 24-12. Coach Randall’s team will attempt to negate the home advantage in a closely-watched contest for the favorite’s role in the upcoming Pac-10 Tournament. You can follow the match live at www.osubeavers.com. Action gets underway Sunday at 3 p.m. Mountain time.
#3 Boise State 35, Stanford 3
HWT – J.T. Felix (BSU) dec. Dylan Rush (S) 8-4
125 - #15 Alan Bartelli (BSU) dec. Matt Sencenbaugh (S) 4-1
133 - #2 Andrew Hochstrasser win by forfeit
141 - #18 Levi Jones (BSU) dec. Jordan Gray (S) 10-3
149 - #3 Jason Chamberlain (BSU) win by forfeit
157 - #2 Adam Hall (BSU) major dec. Kyle Meyer (S) 14-3
165 – Kurt Swartz (BSU) dec. Garrett Schaner (S) 8-4
174 - #7 Nick Amuchastegui (S) dec. #11 Jake Swartz (BSU) 4-0
184 - #1 Kirk Smith (BSU) major dec. Spence Patrick (S) 14-3
197 – Matt Casperson (BSU) dec. #13 Zack Giesen (S) 4-3
Friday, January 28, 2011
#15 Boise State Gymnasts Lose to #32 Arizona
Ouch. The talented, experienced Boise State gymnastics team took on a lesser opponent tonight and lost. It wasn't even particularly close, with the Wildcats of Arizona winning 195.375 to 194.400.
Now you can say that winning individual meets don't matter, but inside, if you don't think you are as good as the #32 team in the nation, you're certainly not going to get to #12, which has been the stated goal of Boise State for over a decade. In this sport in which stress is high and meets are decided by tenths of a point, confidence is everything. I'll be updating this with complete results, and I have a feature story planned on Boise State's quest for the Nationals.
Now you can say that winning individual meets don't matter, but inside, if you don't think you are as good as the #32 team in the nation, you're certainly not going to get to #12, which has been the stated goal of Boise State for over a decade. In this sport in which stress is high and meets are decided by tenths of a point, confidence is everything. I'll be updating this with complete results, and I have a feature story planned on Boise State's quest for the Nationals.
Great Start for Broncos in Multi-Events
Boise State Head Track and Field Coach J.W. Hardy could not have asked for a better start in the Jackson's Invitational, which kicked off today in Nampa. Kurt Felix had a great first day in the heptathlon as he jumped out to the early lead. Alexi Morton captured second place in the pentathlon, just edged out by BYU's Mindy Robins.
Felix won the long jump with a leap of 7.46 meters, took first in the shot (13.49m) and finished second in the 60-meters. Felix has accumulated 2,452 points in three events. BYU's Phillip Bettis is a distant second with 2,225 points while Eastern Washington's THomas Kassa has 2,175.
Morton scored 927 points in the 60-meter hurdles, running a solid 8.92. She followed that with a 1.56-meter high jump, good for 689 points and scored 554 in the shot put when she heaved it 10.38 meters. Morton recorded a long jump of 5.26 (631 points) and closed out the day with a 2:36.72 in the 800-meters (611 points). BYU's Mindy Robins won the event with 3,573 points while Kathryn Barnitz of Eastern Washington scored 2,995.
The student-athletes hit the track bright and early tomorrow, with the second day of competition beginning at 9 a.m. at Jackson's Track. A full slate of action is on tap, including high schools as well.
Felix won the long jump with a leap of 7.46 meters, took first in the shot (13.49m) and finished second in the 60-meters. Felix has accumulated 2,452 points in three events. BYU's Phillip Bettis is a distant second with 2,225 points while Eastern Washington's THomas Kassa has 2,175.
Morton scored 927 points in the 60-meter hurdles, running a solid 8.92. She followed that with a 1.56-meter high jump, good for 689 points and scored 554 in the shot put when she heaved it 10.38 meters. Morton recorded a long jump of 5.26 (631 points) and closed out the day with a 2:36.72 in the 800-meters (611 points). BYU's Mindy Robins won the event with 3,573 points while Kathryn Barnitz of Eastern Washington scored 2,995.
The student-athletes hit the track bright and early tomorrow, with the second day of competition beginning at 9 a.m. at Jackson's Track. A full slate of action is on tap, including high schools as well.
Big Weekend Ahead for Broncos
As is usually the case this time of year, it's a busy sports weekend for Boise State. Several teams will be in action jockeying for position in the WAC as well as the national rankings.
The Bronco track team is already in action at Jackson's Track. Take off early and go support the team in the Jackson's Invitational. Action continues through tonight and tomorrow. The first event tomorrow is at 9 a.m.
The Boise State gymnastics team needs to make a road statement, and they'll have an opportunity to do that tonight against #32 Arizona. The #3 Bronco wrestling team takes on Stanford in Palo Alto tonight at 7 and then meets up with #20 Oregon State Sunday. Oregon State is the team that dethroned Boise State by two points in last year's Pac-10 Championships.
The men's tennis team faces #12 Kentucky in the Indoor Tennis Championships. It isn't often that you get such an opportunity to prove the experts wrong. I remember back in 2001, the Boise State football team saw Fresno State's #8 national ranking, didn't let that affect them, and came away with a landmark win. We all know what has happened since. If the men's tennis team has any ambitions of matching the success of the football team, it starts with a win over Kentucky.
The women's tennis team also is in action in the Indoor Tennis Championships facing Nebraska in the opening match.
Plus, the women's basketball team hosts perennial power Louisiana Tech Saturday night at Taco Bell Arena, while the men's teak is on the road in Ruston to face the Bulldogs.
The Bronco track team is already in action at Jackson's Track. Take off early and go support the team in the Jackson's Invitational. Action continues through tonight and tomorrow. The first event tomorrow is at 9 a.m.
The Boise State gymnastics team needs to make a road statement, and they'll have an opportunity to do that tonight against #32 Arizona. The #3 Bronco wrestling team takes on Stanford in Palo Alto tonight at 7 and then meets up with #20 Oregon State Sunday. Oregon State is the team that dethroned Boise State by two points in last year's Pac-10 Championships.
The men's tennis team faces #12 Kentucky in the Indoor Tennis Championships. It isn't often that you get such an opportunity to prove the experts wrong. I remember back in 2001, the Boise State football team saw Fresno State's #8 national ranking, didn't let that affect them, and came away with a landmark win. We all know what has happened since. If the men's tennis team has any ambitions of matching the success of the football team, it starts with a win over Kentucky.
The women's tennis team also is in action in the Indoor Tennis Championships facing Nebraska in the opening match.
Plus, the women's basketball team hosts perennial power Louisiana Tech Saturday night at Taco Bell Arena, while the men's teak is on the road in Ruston to face the Bulldogs.
Paging Paul Noonan, Mr. Paul Noonan to the Free-Throw Line, Please
We've all seen those players on opposing teams that drive the lane, go up for a shot, get fouled and make free throw after free throw. Often they'll go 12-15 or some like number from the line. That kind of free-throw shooting can devastate an opponent. The player, knowing he can shoot free throws with the best of them, intentionally tries to draw contact so that they can earn points for the team and win the game.
Boise State has one of those players currently on the Bronco roster. In fact, he very well could be the best free-throw shooter in the 43-year history of Boise State basketball. Few realize it, because there is this slight problem. He never shoots free throws!
Unlike the players mentioned above that drive us crazy if they are on the other team, this player hits over 84 percent of his shots, and yet, alas, is probably not going to have enough attempts to qualify for the school record. Noonan's career percentage would obliterate the existing 81.8% mark of former great Chris Childs, a record that has stood for 22 years.
The opposition, of course, loves this. If you can keep a weapon like that off the free-throw line, you have a much better chance to win. The player who has a career free-throw percentage better than any other is Paul Noonan. While Noonan is a good three-point shooter, teams will give him that shot all night rather than put him on the line where they know he's most likely to score two points. Even the best three-point shooters hit a little better than 1/3 of their shots. Those odds are far preferable to an 84% shooter on the free-throw line.
Most highly accurate free-throw shooters try to get to the line to take advantage of their abilities. It appears that Noonan's great talent will go largely unnoticed, because he averages under two attempts per game, the minimum required to break the school record. That's unfortunate, not only for Noonan but more important for the Boise State team, because they do not get to receive the benefits of this talented free-throw shooter.
Boise State has one of those players currently on the Bronco roster. In fact, he very well could be the best free-throw shooter in the 43-year history of Boise State basketball. Few realize it, because there is this slight problem. He never shoots free throws!
Unlike the players mentioned above that drive us crazy if they are on the other team, this player hits over 84 percent of his shots, and yet, alas, is probably not going to have enough attempts to qualify for the school record. Noonan's career percentage would obliterate the existing 81.8% mark of former great Chris Childs, a record that has stood for 22 years.
The opposition, of course, loves this. If you can keep a weapon like that off the free-throw line, you have a much better chance to win. The player who has a career free-throw percentage better than any other is Paul Noonan. While Noonan is a good three-point shooter, teams will give him that shot all night rather than put him on the line where they know he's most likely to score two points. Even the best three-point shooters hit a little better than 1/3 of their shots. Those odds are far preferable to an 84% shooter on the free-throw line.
Most highly accurate free-throw shooters try to get to the line to take advantage of their abilities. It appears that Noonan's great talent will go largely unnoticed, because he averages under two attempts per game, the minimum required to break the school record. That's unfortunate, not only for Noonan but more important for the Boise State team, because they do not get to receive the benefits of this talented free-throw shooter.
2 Losses for Bronco Basketball Teams
The consistency still isn't there for Boise State basketball in either gender. The Bronco men's team fell to New Mexico State 96-87 in overtime while the women lost on their home court 87-71 to the Aggies.
Information on Blue Through and Through
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Thursday, January 27, 2011
Boise State #8 All-Time For Consecutive Nine-Win Seasons
Boise State is now eighth in NCAA history with nine consecutive years of nine or more victories. The Broncos are behind just six teams since 1898 that have been more consistent. Boise State also now has the highest active streak, meaning that the school will move up with each successive year they put together.
One more season will put Boise State in a tie with Oklahoma (1971-1980) and Miami's greatest teams (1985-1994) for sixth place all-time.
Boise State became one of just seven schools since 1920 that have won nine or more games in at least 9 consecutive seasons. Another three did in prior to 1920. USC was poised to join that group and won eight games in the regular season, but last year’s NCAA probation prohibited the Trojans from playing in a bowl game. Thus, USC’s eight-year streak of nine or more wins comes to an end this season.
Nebraska put together an incredible streak of 33 straight years (1969-2001) of winning at least nine games. No one else is close. Florida State (1987-2000) sits in second, followed by the great Yale teams from 1886-1898. Texas ended a great streak of 12 seasons with nine or more wins this year when they finished 5-7. The Longhorns land in a tie for fourth place all-time with Florida (1990-2001).
2010 also saw the end of streaks by USC (eight) and Florida and Penn State (five seasons each).
The leaders of the all-time marks for consecutive seasons of nine or more wins appear below.
1. Nebraska....................33 (1969-2001)
2. Florida State..............14 (1987-2000)
3. Yale.............................13 (1886-1898)
4. Florida........................12 (1990-2001)
4. Texas..........................12 (1998-2009)
6. Oklahoma...................10 (1971-1980)
6. Miami of Florida.........10 (1985-1994)
8. Boise State....................9 (2002-2010)
8. Harvard.........................9 (1886-1894)
8. Pennsylvania.................9 (1890-1898)
11. Yale.............................8 (1900-1907)
11. Ohio State....................8 (1979-1986)
11. Kansas State................8 (1993-2000)
11. Miami of Florida.........8 (1998-2005)
11. USC……………..........….8 (2002-2009)
16. Georgia……........………7 (2002-2008)
16. Harvard.......................7 (1897-1903)
16. Penn State....................7 (1993-1999)
16. Virginia Tech…….........7 (2004-2010)
20. Alabama.......................6 (1961-1966)
20. BYU.............................6 (1976-1981)
20. Carlisle........................6 (1903-1908)
20. Minnesota...................6 (1900-1905)
20. Mississippi...................6 (1957-1962)
20. Notre Dame.................6 (1988-1993)
20. Ohio State...................6 (1972-1977)
20. Ohio State...................6 (1993-1998)
20. Ohio State……….......…6 (2005-2010)
20. Oklahoma....................6 (1953-1958)
20. Princeton......................6 (1888-1893)
20. Texas A & M.................6 (1990-1995)
20. West Virginia…….........6 (2005-2010)
One more season will put Boise State in a tie with Oklahoma (1971-1980) and Miami's greatest teams (1985-1994) for sixth place all-time.
Boise State became one of just seven schools since 1920 that have won nine or more games in at least 9 consecutive seasons. Another three did in prior to 1920. USC was poised to join that group and won eight games in the regular season, but last year’s NCAA probation prohibited the Trojans from playing in a bowl game. Thus, USC’s eight-year streak of nine or more wins comes to an end this season.
Nebraska put together an incredible streak of 33 straight years (1969-2001) of winning at least nine games. No one else is close. Florida State (1987-2000) sits in second, followed by the great Yale teams from 1886-1898. Texas ended a great streak of 12 seasons with nine or more wins this year when they finished 5-7. The Longhorns land in a tie for fourth place all-time with Florida (1990-2001).
2010 also saw the end of streaks by USC (eight) and Florida and Penn State (five seasons each).
The leaders of the all-time marks for consecutive seasons of nine or more wins appear below.
1. Nebraska....................33 (1969-2001)
2. Florida State..............14 (1987-2000)
3. Yale.............................13 (1886-1898)
4. Florida........................12 (1990-2001)
4. Texas..........................12 (1998-2009)
6. Oklahoma...................10 (1971-1980)
6. Miami of Florida.........10 (1985-1994)
8. Boise State....................9 (2002-2010)
8. Harvard.........................9 (1886-1894)
8. Pennsylvania.................9 (1890-1898)
11. Yale.............................8 (1900-1907)
11. Ohio State....................8 (1979-1986)
11. Kansas State................8 (1993-2000)
11. Miami of Florida.........8 (1998-2005)
11. USC……………..........….8 (2002-2009)
16. Georgia……........………7 (2002-2008)
16. Harvard.......................7 (1897-1903)
16. Penn State....................7 (1993-1999)
16. Virginia Tech…….........7 (2004-2010)
20. Alabama.......................6 (1961-1966)
20. BYU.............................6 (1976-1981)
20. Carlisle........................6 (1903-1908)
20. Minnesota...................6 (1900-1905)
20. Mississippi...................6 (1957-1962)
20. Notre Dame.................6 (1988-1993)
20. Ohio State...................6 (1972-1977)
20. Ohio State...................6 (1993-1998)
20. Ohio State……….......…6 (2005-2010)
20. Oklahoma....................6 (1953-1958)
20. Princeton......................6 (1888-1893)
20. Texas A & M.................6 (1990-1995)
20. West Virginia…….........6 (2005-2010)
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Boise State #14 With 12 Straight Seasons of Eight or More Wins
Boise State now owns the 14th longest streak of winning eight or more football games in a season. The Broncos are 11th in the last 104 years with 12 straight years of eight or more victories.
Nebraska is the runaway record holder with 33 consecutive seasons of eight or more wins. The Cornhuskers accomplished their amazing run from 1969-2001. Michigan recorded eight or more wins from 1985-2004 for 20 straight seasons, while Princeton (1888-1906) and Florida State (1987-2005) are tied with 19 straight years.
Oklahoma tied a school record with its 11th straight year of eight or more victories this season and Ohio State broke a school record this year with its 8th consecutive season of eight or more wins—congratulations to the Sooners and Buckeyes!
Georgia and Texas ended great streaks of 13 and 12 consecutive seasons, respectively this season. Texas finished the season 5-7 while Georgia is 6-6 but even with a bowl win cannot extend its streak. Seven schools saw their streaks end at four seasons this year by not winning at least eight games: BYU, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Houston, Oregon State and Rutgers. Florida, Penn State and Texas Tech must all win bowl games to keep their streaks alive.
Boise State can move into the all-time top 10 with four more seasons of eight or more wins.
Here are the all-time leaders in consecutive eight-win seasons:
1. Nebraska…33 (1969-2001)
2. Michigan…20 (1985-2004)
3. Princeton…19 (1888-1906)
3. Florida State…19 (1987-2005)
5. BYU…17 (1976-1992)
6. Pennsylvania…16 (1890-1905)
6. Michigan…16 (1968-1983)
6. Tennessee…16 (1989-2004)
9. Miami of Florida…14 (1983-1996)
10. Yale…13 (1886-1898)
10. Alabama…13 (1971-1983)
10. Georgia…13 (1997-2009)
10. Virginia Tech…13 (1998-2010)
14. Boise State…12 (1999-2010)
14. Carlisle…12 (1902-1913)
14. Florida…12 (1990-2001)
14. Texas 1998-2009 (12)
18. LSU….11 (2000-2010)
18. Oklahoma…11 (1948-1958)
18. Oklahoma…11 (2000-2010)
18. USC…11 (1972-1982)
18. Penn State…11 (1989-1999)
23. USC…10 (1924-1933)
23. Notre Dame…10 (1969-1978)
23. Oklahoma…10 (1971-1980)
Nebraska is the runaway record holder with 33 consecutive seasons of eight or more wins. The Cornhuskers accomplished their amazing run from 1969-2001. Michigan recorded eight or more wins from 1985-2004 for 20 straight seasons, while Princeton (1888-1906) and Florida State (1987-2005) are tied with 19 straight years.
Oklahoma tied a school record with its 11th straight year of eight or more victories this season and Ohio State broke a school record this year with its 8th consecutive season of eight or more wins—congratulations to the Sooners and Buckeyes!
Georgia and Texas ended great streaks of 13 and 12 consecutive seasons, respectively this season. Texas finished the season 5-7 while Georgia is 6-6 but even with a bowl win cannot extend its streak. Seven schools saw their streaks end at four seasons this year by not winning at least eight games: BYU, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Houston, Oregon State and Rutgers. Florida, Penn State and Texas Tech must all win bowl games to keep their streaks alive.
Boise State can move into the all-time top 10 with four more seasons of eight or more wins.
Here are the all-time leaders in consecutive eight-win seasons:
1. Nebraska…33 (1969-2001)
2. Michigan…20 (1985-2004)
3. Princeton…19 (1888-1906)
3. Florida State…19 (1987-2005)
5. BYU…17 (1976-1992)
6. Pennsylvania…16 (1890-1905)
6. Michigan…16 (1968-1983)
6. Tennessee…16 (1989-2004)
9. Miami of Florida…14 (1983-1996)
10. Yale…13 (1886-1898)
10. Alabama…13 (1971-1983)
10. Georgia…13 (1997-2009)
10. Virginia Tech…13 (1998-2010)
14. Boise State…12 (1999-2010)
14. Carlisle…12 (1902-1913)
14. Florida…12 (1990-2001)
14. Texas 1998-2009 (12)
18. LSU….11 (2000-2010)
18. Oklahoma…11 (1948-1958)
18. Oklahoma…11 (2000-2010)
18. USC…11 (1972-1982)
18. Penn State…11 (1989-1999)
23. USC…10 (1924-1933)
23. Notre Dame…10 (1969-1978)
23. Oklahoma…10 (1971-1980)
Randall Building a Powerhouse at Boise State
Coach Greg Randall inherited one of the top wrestling squads in the country. He is beginning to turn it into a powerhouse.
Randall has this year’s squad ranked anywhere from #3 to #9 depending on who you talk to.
Wrestling Report has Boise State #3 with 78 points, behind #1 Cornell (103) and Penn State (89). Andrew Hochstrasser is the #2-rated wrestler at 133 pounds, Kirk Smith is also #2 at 184 pounds, junior Jason Chamberlain is #3 at 149 pounds, Adam Hall is #3 in the 157-pound classification, freshman Jake Swartz has worked his way up to #11 at 174 pounds, Levi Jones is #17 at 141 pounds while Alan Bartelli is rated #22 at 125 pounds and Matt Casperson is #24 at 197 pounds. Boise State has no wrestlers in the top 33 at 165 pounds or in the 285-pound group.
Intermat also ranks Boise State #3 with 76 points, behind only Cornell and Penn State, who each have 87.5 points. Intermat has Smith #1 and Bartelli ranked 16th, with the other rankings fairly in line with Wrestling Report.
The rankings posted on the official NCAA site have Boise State #9, trailing #1 Cornell, Penn State, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Oklahoma State, Missouri and Iowa.
Most wrestling rankings attempt to predict the results of the NCAA National Wrestling Championships; the NCAA site reflects votes of the nation’s wrestling coaches.
Coach Randall has led Boise State to seven Top 3 finishes at the Pac-10 Conference Championships in the last eight years. The Broncos won two straight Pac-10 titles in 2008 and 2009 and fell to Oregon State by two points last season. In 2009, Boise State was 17-3 in dual matches and shattered the all-time Pac-10 Championship scoring record with 172.5 points. Six Broncos captured individual conference titles that year: Andrew Hochstrasser at 133 pounds, Jason Chamberlain in the 149-pound classification, Tyler Sherfey at 165, Nate Lee at 174 pounds, Kirk Smith at 184 pounds and Brent Chriswell at 197 pounds. Nine wrestlers qualified for the Nationals, to tie the school record set in 2003 and matched in 2008. Three of those—Hochstrasser, Sherfey and Chriswell earned All-America honors with top-eight finishes. Boise State finished 12th in the nation in 2009, 11th last year, and Randall also led the Broncos to a 12th-place finish in 2003.
All those accomplishments aside, Randall and Boise State are attempting to finally crack the Top 10 in the nation, something Randall’s predecessor, Mike Young, did at Boise State. With new prized recruits arriving on campus each year, Randall is well on the way to building the Broncos into a national power.
Randall has this year’s squad ranked anywhere from #3 to #9 depending on who you talk to.
Wrestling Report has Boise State #3 with 78 points, behind #1 Cornell (103) and Penn State (89). Andrew Hochstrasser is the #2-rated wrestler at 133 pounds, Kirk Smith is also #2 at 184 pounds, junior Jason Chamberlain is #3 at 149 pounds, Adam Hall is #3 in the 157-pound classification, freshman Jake Swartz has worked his way up to #11 at 174 pounds, Levi Jones is #17 at 141 pounds while Alan Bartelli is rated #22 at 125 pounds and Matt Casperson is #24 at 197 pounds. Boise State has no wrestlers in the top 33 at 165 pounds or in the 285-pound group.
Intermat also ranks Boise State #3 with 76 points, behind only Cornell and Penn State, who each have 87.5 points. Intermat has Smith #1 and Bartelli ranked 16th, with the other rankings fairly in line with Wrestling Report.
The rankings posted on the official NCAA site have Boise State #9, trailing #1 Cornell, Penn State, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Oklahoma State, Missouri and Iowa.
Most wrestling rankings attempt to predict the results of the NCAA National Wrestling Championships; the NCAA site reflects votes of the nation’s wrestling coaches.
Coach Randall has led Boise State to seven Top 3 finishes at the Pac-10 Conference Championships in the last eight years. The Broncos won two straight Pac-10 titles in 2008 and 2009 and fell to Oregon State by two points last season. In 2009, Boise State was 17-3 in dual matches and shattered the all-time Pac-10 Championship scoring record with 172.5 points. Six Broncos captured individual conference titles that year: Andrew Hochstrasser at 133 pounds, Jason Chamberlain in the 149-pound classification, Tyler Sherfey at 165, Nate Lee at 174 pounds, Kirk Smith at 184 pounds and Brent Chriswell at 197 pounds. Nine wrestlers qualified for the Nationals, to tie the school record set in 2003 and matched in 2008. Three of those—Hochstrasser, Sherfey and Chriswell earned All-America honors with top-eight finishes. Boise State finished 12th in the nation in 2009, 11th last year, and Randall also led the Broncos to a 12th-place finish in 2003.
All those accomplishments aside, Randall and Boise State are attempting to finally crack the Top 10 in the nation, something Randall’s predecessor, Mike Young, did at Boise State. With new prized recruits arriving on campus each year, Randall is well on the way to building the Broncos into a national power.
Boise State Will Play Eight Bowl Teams in 2011
The football schedule just keeps getting better for Boise State. With the addition of #2 TCU next season, the Broncos will play eight bowl teams: Georgia, Tulsa, Toledo, Fresno State, #13 Nevada, #2 TCU, San Diego State and Air Force.
Nevada has hinted that it is trying to get out of the game with Boise State but no official announcement has been made at this time.
The eight teams mentioned above were a combined 76-29 last season.
Nevada has hinted that it is trying to get out of the game with Boise State but no official announcement has been made at this time.
The eight teams mentioned above were a combined 76-29 last season.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Bronco Men Will Battle Utah State for WAC Indoor Track Crown
In the early part of the season, the Boise State men's indoor track team is neck-and-neck with Utah State in the battle for projected points in the upcoming WAC Indoor Championships. Utah State is currently projected at 146 to 144 for Boise State, 110 for Louisiana Tech and 81 for Idaho.
The women have made good strides in recent years and it would be nice to see the Bronco women continue to push their way to the top. Currently, perennial champion Tech is favored with 149 points to 106 for Utah State, 88 for surprising New Mexico State, Boise State and Nevada have 79 projected points each, with Idaho set for 38 and Hawai'i 35.
The women have made good strides in recent years and it would be nice to see the Bronco women continue to push their way to the top. Currently, perennial champion Tech is favored with 149 points to 106 for Utah State, 88 for surprising New Mexico State, Boise State and Nevada have 79 projected points each, with Idaho set for 38 and Hawai'i 35.
Boise State will Host TCU, play SD State on the Road in 2011
Speculation has been confirmed. TCU will visit Boise State this fall, according to Mountain West Conference sources. Boise State will play San Diego State on the road, and then host the Aztecs in 2012.
Boise State has played TCU three times, winning two of them. Two of them (the 2009 Poinsettia Bowl and the 2010 Fiesta Bowl) were played at neutral sites, while the 2003 Fort Worth Bowl was played on TCU's home field. The two powerhouses have never played in Boise.
Boise State has played TCU three times, winning two of them. Two of them (the 2009 Poinsettia Bowl and the 2010 Fiesta Bowl) were played at neutral sites, while the 2003 Fort Worth Bowl was played on TCU's home field. The two powerhouses have never played in Boise.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Bronco Wrestlers Down #24 Cal Poly 29-6 in Pac-10
It was home sweet home for the #3 Boise State wrestling team as the Broncos disposed of #24 Cal Poly 29-6 yesterday at Taco Bell Arena.
Coach Greg Randall’s team won eight matches, three of them by major decision and one by a technical fall. This is the kind of depth the team will need if it hopes to finish in the top five at the NCAA National Championships.
#11 Jake Swartz gotBoise State
Freshman J.T. Felix earned a win at heavyweight over Atticus Disney 7-3. #16 Alan Bartelli gave the Broncos their fifth straight individual win with a 2-0 win over Brandan Rocha at 125 pounds and #2 Andrew Hochstrasser defeated #14 Filip Novachkov at 133 pounds to complete a 20-0 run for Boise State.
#18 Levi Jones proved his potential in a near-upset of #4 Boris Novachkov of Cal Poly. The two nationally-ranked wrestlers battled to a 2-2 tie late in the match. Novachkov scored a take down with 20 seconds left in the match to earn the hard-fought victory. That made the score 20-6, but #3 Jason Chamberlain recorded a technical fall 22-7 over Stephen Thalin at 149 pounds and #2 Adam Hall scored a 14-6 major over Barrett Abel at 157.
The Broncos, now6-2-1 on the season, continue the Pac-10 season by hosting Stanford this Friday.
#9Boise State Cal
165 - #17 Ryan DesRoches (CP) dec. Kurt Swartz (BSU) 6-0
174 - #11 Jake Swartz (BSU) dec. Steven Vasquez (CP) 6-2
184 - #1 Kirk Smith (BSU) major dec. Kelan Bragg (CP) 14-3
197 – Matt Casperson (BSU) dec. Ryan Smith (CP) 10-5
HWT – J.T. Felix (BSU) dec. Atticus Disney (CP) 7-3
125 - #16 Alan Bartelli (BSU) dec. Brandan Rocha (CP) 2-0
133 - #2 Andrew Hochstrasser (BSU) major dec. #14 Filip Novachkov (CP) 16-2
141 - #4 Boris Novachkov (CP) dec. #18 Levi Jones (BSU) 4-2
149 - #3 Jason Chamberlain (BSU) tech fall Stephen Thalin (CP) 22-7 ()
157 - #2 Adam Hall (BSU) major dec. Barrett Abel (CP) 14-6
Coach Greg Randall’s team won eight matches, three of them by major decision and one by a technical fall. This is the kind of depth the team will need if it hopes to finish in the top five at the NCAA National Championships.
#11 Jake Swartz got
Freshman J.T. Felix earned a win at heavyweight over Atticus Disney 7-3. #16 Alan Bartelli gave the Broncos their fifth straight individual win with a 2-0 win over Brandan Rocha at 125 pounds and #2 Andrew Hochstrasser defeated #14 Filip Novachkov at 133 pounds to complete a 20-0 run for Boise State.
#18 Levi Jones proved his potential in a near-upset of #4 Boris Novachkov of Cal Poly. The two nationally-ranked wrestlers battled to a 2-2 tie late in the match. Novachkov scored a take down with 20 seconds left in the match to earn the hard-fought victory. That made the score 20-6, but #3 Jason Chamberlain recorded a technical fall 22-7 over Stephen Thalin at 149 pounds and #2 Adam Hall scored a 14-6 major over Barrett Abel at 157.
The Broncos, now
#9
165 - #17 Ryan DesRoches (CP) dec. Kurt Swartz (BSU) 6-0
174 - #11 Jake Swartz (BSU) dec. Steven Vasquez (CP) 6-2
184 - #1 Kirk Smith (BSU) major dec. Kelan Bragg (CP) 14-3
197 – Matt Casperson (BSU) dec. Ryan Smith (CP) 10-5
HWT – J.T. Felix (BSU) dec. Atticus Disney (CP) 7-3
125 - #16 Alan Bartelli (BSU) dec. Brandan Rocha (CP) 2-0
133 - #2 Andrew Hochstrasser (BSU) major dec. #14 Filip Novachkov (CP) 16-2
141 - #4 Boris Novachkov (CP) dec. #18 Levi Jones (BSU) 4-2
149 - #3 Jason Chamberlain (BSU) tech fall Stephen Thalin (CP) 22-7 ()
157 - #2 Adam Hall (BSU) major dec. Barrett Abel (CP) 14-6
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Bronco Tennis Team Off to Good Start
Coach Patton continues to work magic. With practically an entire new team, Boise State has had to basically rebuild. Yet Boise State downed Pacific yesterday 5-2 to open their season.
Patton is redshirting James Meredith to prepare for the future and get his class breakdown the way he wants it. That means some younger talent will get valuable experience this year, and the Broncos will be all the better for it when Meredith rejoins the lineup next year.
The real test will be today against #26 Washington. That match is underway in Seattle.
Patton is redshirting James Meredith to prepare for the future and get his class breakdown the way he wants it. That means some younger talent will get valuable experience this year, and the Broncos will be all the better for it when Meredith rejoins the lineup next year.
The real test will be today against #26 Washington. That match is underway in Seattle.
Boise State Wins Seven Events at Bronco Invitational
The young Boise State Jackson Nampa
Three Bronco juniors remain unbeaten on the season. Eetu Viitala had a lifetime best of 25-4 in the long jump, bettering his previous high by eight inches. Viitala was just ¾ of an inch short of an all-time #3 jump in school history. Mele Vaisima won the weight throw (61-4.25) for her third consecutive victory of the young season. Trevor Kraychir, the reigning Western Athletic Conference Athlete of the Week, heaved the weight 64-7 to win his third straight title as well. Jeff Daw, Karrie Butler, Rolando Trammel and Paul Robertson are also 3-0 with a victory in the 4 x 400-meter relay (3:15.77).
Redshirt sophomore Chase Sexton captured the shot put title with a throw of 53-8.50, junior Brian Pierre ran a great mile (4:15.25) and sophomore Jeff Daw broke the tape in the 400 with a career best of 48.01.
Winning the WAC and doing well in the NCAA Nationals, however, requires more than individual efforts and event titles. It is the points a team gets from other contributors that separates the teams with a few good individuals from those that get to take the hardware home. We’ll watch that on this blog and chart their progress. Yesterday, Alyssa Osai and Nadine Russell had career-bests of 54-10.75 and 53-4.25, respectively, in the weight throw to provide backup for Viitala and finish second and third. Alex Nelson finished second to Kraychir in the men’s throw with a 59-10.25 effort.
The well-balanced Bronco quartet could pay dividends in the WAC Championships next month. Coach J.W. Hardy’s group went 1-2-3-4 led by Daw. Manoah Wesson ran a career-best 48.17 to take second, Karrie Butler finished in 48.82, also a career best, and Paul Robertson was timed in 49.23. Eric Capelle was just edged at the finish in the 60-meter dash (6.96) while freshman Justin Maines sported a lifetime best of 8.27 in the 60-meter hurdles to take second. Promising sophomore Destiny Gammage was second in the 200-hurdles (25.01) while senior BreAnna Craig took second in the pole vault (12-5.50).
Daniel Thompson still has work to do to join the top WAC pole vaulters, but he cleared a career-best 15-11 to take third yesterday. Mathew Moyer ran third in the 800 with his lifetime best of 1:55.01. Racquel Jones is another key to the Broncos’ hopes in the conference championships; she was able to take third in the long jump (18-2.25).
Boise State Jackson Nampa 11:30 a.m. Friday with action getting underway Saturday at 9 a.m.
Three Bronco juniors remain unbeaten on the season. Eetu Viitala had a lifetime best of 25-4 in the long jump, bettering his previous high by eight inches. Viitala was just ¾ of an inch short of an all-time #3 jump in school history. Mele Vaisima won the weight throw (61-4.25) for her third consecutive victory of the young season. Trevor Kraychir, the reigning Western Athletic Conference Athlete of the Week, heaved the weight 64-7 to win his third straight title as well. Jeff Daw, Karrie Butler, Rolando Trammel and Paul Robertson are also 3-0 with a victory in the 4 x 400-meter relay (3:15.77).
Redshirt sophomore Chase Sexton captured the shot put title with a throw of 53-8.50, junior Brian Pierre ran a great mile (4:15.25) and sophomore Jeff Daw broke the tape in the 400 with a career best of 48.01.
Winning the WAC and doing well in the NCAA Nationals, however, requires more than individual efforts and event titles. It is the points a team gets from other contributors that separates the teams with a few good individuals from those that get to take the hardware home. We’ll watch that on this blog and chart their progress. Yesterday, Alyssa Osai and Nadine Russell had career-bests of 54-10.75 and 53-4.25, respectively, in the weight throw to provide backup for Viitala and finish second and third. Alex Nelson finished second to Kraychir in the men’s throw with a 59-10.25 effort.
The well-balanced Bronco quartet could pay dividends in the WAC Championships next month. Coach J.W. Hardy’s group went 1-2-3-4 led by Daw. Manoah Wesson ran a career-best 48.17 to take second, Karrie Butler finished in 48.82, also a career best, and Paul Robertson was timed in 49.23. Eric Capelle was just edged at the finish in the 60-meter dash (6.96) while freshman Justin Maines sported a lifetime best of 8.27 in the 60-meter hurdles to take second. Promising sophomore Destiny Gammage was second in the 200-hurdles (25.01) while senior BreAnna Craig took second in the pole vault (12-5.50).
Daniel Thompson still has work to do to join the top WAC pole vaulters, but he cleared a career-best 15-11 to take third yesterday. Mathew Moyer ran third in the 800 with his lifetime best of 1:55.01. Racquel Jones is another key to the Broncos’ hopes in the conference championships; she was able to take third in the long jump (18-2.25).
The Conspiracy of the Idiocy of America
People from outside the Boise State circle claim there is no conspiracy against Boise State. Maybe not in the Watergate tradition, but it is more like the collective conspiracy of the idiocy in this country.
The mindset of our country is screwed up. We are blessed to be able to speak our opinions and we should all be thankful for that. What we are not thankful for are when idiots get paid to be television announcers. Case in point--yesterday in the East-West Shrine Game on the NFL Network, Mike Mayock said the following:
"You look at the Boise State kids individually and you think, how in the world did Boise State win so many games?"
and
"None of these four Boise State players are great athletes. But they're well-coached and they know what to do."
Really?
Mayock wouldn't know a great athlete if he came out of nowhere and knocked him back 10 yards on his can. Too bad it didn't happen.
I know the above comments are so ludicrous that any knowledgeable football fan sees right through them, but it still should be ripped apart. Ryan Winterswyk was a three-time All-WAC player and is fourth in Boise State history in sacks and fifth in tackles for loss. He was a menacing force in opposing backfields, impossible to deny over the course of any game against any team in the land. I guarantee you that I and most of this blog's readers could be coached by the great Boise State staff and not come up with those numbers. By the way, in the Shrine Game, Winterswyk, despite being held most of the game, was the West's leading tackler with 7.
Jeron Johnson was one of the fiercest hitters in college football over the last four years. JJ has a motor that won't quit, has tremendous instincts and knows how to finish a play. He may have been well taught at Boise State, but you have to have tremendous athleticism to be in position and then make the kind of plays he has made. Johnson finished his career as one of the top tacklers in school history. Johnson had three tackles yesterday.
Brandyn Thompson finished his Boise State career with 13 interceptions, including a pick six early in the 2010 Fiesta Bowl that helped Boise State beat #3 TCU. Thompson wasn't merely in position to make that interception as his coaches taught, he made the play and sprinted into the end zone untouched. It takes a tremendous athlete to make that kind of play, which Thompson of course is. Thompson had four tackles in the Shrine Game.
Mayock obviously hasn't watched Winston Venable either. He made highlight reel play after highlight reel play in his two years at Boise State. His outstanding play at the nickelback position allowed Doug Martin to switch to tailback and help the Broncos there. It wasn't outstanding coaching that allowed Martin to move from defense to offense. It was an outstanding athlete (Venable) who also has an amazing motor and great football ability. Only a fool like Mayock would be unable to recognize this.
Oh and by the way, Venable made four tackles yesterday, one for loss, and had an interception that he returned through the East team for 24 yards to the East eight-yard line. I suppose when Coach Petersen talked to Venable he said, "If you get an interception, Winston, cut to your left a bit, then to your right. There should then be a bit of an opening. There will be a couple of guys straight ahead but you can just break through their tackles. Cut again to the right, plow ahead, and it will get you 24 yards." Wow that would be amazing coaching if he did everything from memory of what he was taught and nothing at all by instinct or...umm...dare I say it...by athleticism. Har-de-har-har.
No, there may not be a Watergate-type conspiracy against Boise State. Rather, the Broncos are the victim of just plain dumb people that happen to be in positions of influence in college football. They have preconceived biases and spout uninformed nonsense to the masses.
That is where the conspiracy lies.
The mindset of our country is screwed up. We are blessed to be able to speak our opinions and we should all be thankful for that. What we are not thankful for are when idiots get paid to be television announcers. Case in point--yesterday in the East-West Shrine Game on the NFL Network, Mike Mayock said the following:
"You look at the Boise State kids individually and you think, how in the world did Boise State win so many games?"
and
"None of these four Boise State players are great athletes. But they're well-coached and they know what to do."
Really?
Mayock wouldn't know a great athlete if he came out of nowhere and knocked him back 10 yards on his can. Too bad it didn't happen.
I know the above comments are so ludicrous that any knowledgeable football fan sees right through them, but it still should be ripped apart. Ryan Winterswyk was a three-time All-WAC player and is fourth in Boise State history in sacks and fifth in tackles for loss. He was a menacing force in opposing backfields, impossible to deny over the course of any game against any team in the land. I guarantee you that I and most of this blog's readers could be coached by the great Boise State staff and not come up with those numbers. By the way, in the Shrine Game, Winterswyk, despite being held most of the game, was the West's leading tackler with 7.
Jeron Johnson was one of the fiercest hitters in college football over the last four years. JJ has a motor that won't quit, has tremendous instincts and knows how to finish a play. He may have been well taught at Boise State, but you have to have tremendous athleticism to be in position and then make the kind of plays he has made. Johnson finished his career as one of the top tacklers in school history. Johnson had three tackles yesterday.
Brandyn Thompson finished his Boise State career with 13 interceptions, including a pick six early in the 2010 Fiesta Bowl that helped Boise State beat #3 TCU. Thompson wasn't merely in position to make that interception as his coaches taught, he made the play and sprinted into the end zone untouched. It takes a tremendous athlete to make that kind of play, which Thompson of course is. Thompson had four tackles in the Shrine Game.
Mayock obviously hasn't watched Winston Venable either. He made highlight reel play after highlight reel play in his two years at Boise State. His outstanding play at the nickelback position allowed Doug Martin to switch to tailback and help the Broncos there. It wasn't outstanding coaching that allowed Martin to move from defense to offense. It was an outstanding athlete (Venable) who also has an amazing motor and great football ability. Only a fool like Mayock would be unable to recognize this.
Oh and by the way, Venable made four tackles yesterday, one for loss, and had an interception that he returned through the East team for 24 yards to the East eight-yard line. I suppose when Coach Petersen talked to Venable he said, "If you get an interception, Winston, cut to your left a bit, then to your right. There should then be a bit of an opening. There will be a couple of guys straight ahead but you can just break through their tackles. Cut again to the right, plow ahead, and it will get you 24 yards." Wow that would be amazing coaching if he did everything from memory of what he was taught and nothing at all by instinct or...umm...dare I say it...by athleticism. Har-de-har-har.
No, there may not be a Watergate-type conspiracy against Boise State. Rather, the Broncos are the victim of just plain dumb people that happen to be in positions of influence in college football. They have preconceived biases and spout uninformed nonsense to the masses.
That is where the conspiracy lies.
Broncos One Win Away From Being Premier Swim Team in the Northwest
With a convincing 160-83 win over Idaho yesterday, the Boise State swim team is on the verge of accomplishing something Coach Kristin Hill has publicly stated is a goal of hers. Coach Hill's Broncos have now beaten every Division I swimming team in the Northwest except Oregon State.
And guess what? Next up on the Boise State schedule is none other than those very Beavers. Now normally, you would say that beavers are much more natural swimmers than broncos, but you never know. These Broncos are different and I wouldn't count Hill's team out.
And guess what? Next up on the Boise State schedule is none other than those very Beavers. Now normally, you would say that beavers are much more natural swimmers than broncos, but you never know. These Broncos are different and I wouldn't count Hill's team out.
Broncos Score Another Road Win
You get the feeling that Bronco senior La'Shard Anderson wants to go out a winner.
Several times this year, Anderson has carried the Broncos to wins. He did it again last night, scoring 12 of the final 16 points to help Boise State come back to take a 70-67 win at Idaho. Anderson netted 21 points and has five rebounds, seven assists and three steals in a complete effort. Paul Noonan, Daequon Montreal and freshman Ryan Watkins also hit in double figures.
Speaking of Noonan, the young man has to find a way to get to the free throw line. He is money, but averages less than two attempts per game. When you have a guy that can consistently go to the line and rack up points for you, you want that guy at the line 8-10 times a game, not 2. Noonan is hitting 84% of his free throw attempts in his career, which would break Chris Childs' all-time record. But Noonan doesn't have enough attempts. That's a tragedy.
If Boise State is to get to 20 wins, they can take a major step next week. The Broncos face New Mexico State and Louisiana Tech on the road. Coach Leon Rice's team notched their third consecutive road win last night and seem to play better away from home. If the Broncos can get a split next week and somehow turn those big crowds into an advantage at home, they'll get to 20.
Several times this year, Anderson has carried the Broncos to wins. He did it again last night, scoring 12 of the final 16 points to help Boise State come back to take a 70-67 win at Idaho. Anderson netted 21 points and has five rebounds, seven assists and three steals in a complete effort. Paul Noonan, Daequon Montreal and freshman Ryan Watkins also hit in double figures.
Speaking of Noonan, the young man has to find a way to get to the free throw line. He is money, but averages less than two attempts per game. When you have a guy that can consistently go to the line and rack up points for you, you want that guy at the line 8-10 times a game, not 2. Noonan is hitting 84% of his free throw attempts in his career, which would break Chris Childs' all-time record. But Noonan doesn't have enough attempts. That's a tragedy.
If Boise State is to get to 20 wins, they can take a major step next week. The Broncos face New Mexico State and Louisiana Tech on the road. Coach Leon Rice's team notched their third consecutive road win last night and seem to play better away from home. If the Broncos can get a split next week and somehow turn those big crowds into an advantage at home, they'll get to 20.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Bronco Swimmers Top Washington State
I'll say it. The Boise State swimming team has reloaded.
The defending Western Athletic Conference champions lost several stars to graduation, but seem just as strong this season in the early going. The Broncos went into Pullman and came away a 143-119 winner in the Washington State water.
Boise State got a 1-2-3 sweep in the 1000-yard freestyle to get started and never looked back. Who achieved this for Kristin Hill's team? A sophomore (Jennifer Cahill, with the win) and two freshmen (Rachel Heaney and Brooke Balogh). Another sophomore, Christine Raininger, won the 400 individual medley. Where does Hill get these gals? It really speaks volumes about her ability to come in, start a brand new program from scratch, and recruit top student-athletes to Boise State. The Broncos have begun to turn heads in the sport, getting votes earlier this year in the national rankings.
Good that Amber Boucher has two more years. The junior who helped the Broncos win the WAC last year won two individual events and helped win both relays. Boucher's 100 butterfly time was 54.88 to set a Pullman pool record. Boucher now has every one of the top 10 times in Boise State history! Stephanie North also won in the 100 and 200 free races and anchored both relay teams.
The Broncos took on Idaho this morning in Moscow. Results are not yet available.
The defending Western Athletic Conference champions lost several stars to graduation, but seem just as strong this season in the early going. The Broncos went into Pullman and came away a 143-119 winner in the Washington State water.
Boise State got a 1-2-3 sweep in the 1000-yard freestyle to get started and never looked back. Who achieved this for Kristin Hill's team? A sophomore (Jennifer Cahill, with the win) and two freshmen (Rachel Heaney and Brooke Balogh). Another sophomore, Christine Raininger, won the 400 individual medley. Where does Hill get these gals? It really speaks volumes about her ability to come in, start a brand new program from scratch, and recruit top student-athletes to Boise State. The Broncos have begun to turn heads in the sport, getting votes earlier this year in the national rankings.
Good that Amber Boucher has two more years. The junior who helped the Broncos win the WAC last year won two individual events and helped win both relays. Boucher's 100 butterfly time was 54.88 to set a Pullman pool record. Boucher now has every one of the top 10 times in Boise State history! Stephanie North also won in the 100 and 200 free races and anchored both relay teams.
The Broncos took on Idaho this morning in Moscow. Results are not yet available.
Boise State Falls Short at #11 Alabama
It was a great experience, traveling to SEC country for the first time. But for the well-seasoned Boise State gymnastics team, this wasn't about the experience. They wanted a win. The Broncos fell 1.325 points short.
BoiseState fell by less than 1.4 points (196.325 to 195.000) to four-time national champion Alabama Tuscaloosa Boise State
That is how longBoise State Boise State Corvallis , Oregon Oregon State
ThatBoise State Boise State Alabama
Again, the difference between the two teams was minute, but that is what decides gymnastics duals and ultimately, which teams get to go to nationals. Can coaches Tina Bird and Neil Resnick find 1.4 more points up and down the lineup?
Amy Glass was sensational forBoise State Boise State Alabama
"Amy is such a rock for our team," said Bird. "Her cool demeanor at meets really calms the team and makes us feel like we can do anything."
Redmon(9.875) finished in tie for the bars title withAlabama Boise State Alabama Boise State
Since this is one of the Broncos’ top events, it would seem that part of the 1.4 points could be made up here with more team balance. To achieveAlabama
On the uneven bars, Potvin-Green impressed with a 9.825 to join Glass with that score. Senior Lindsay Kazandjian produced a 9.8 to give the Broncos four gymnasts at 9.8 or better. Hopefully, friendly competition amongst the four to get the high score in each future meet will make all four of them better. Katie Tuller had the final score with a 9.7.
The Broncos have traditionally been superb on floor but were thumped by over 7/10th’s of a point on this night. Black was the top finisher after Glass with a 9.775. Kelsey Lang was eighth with a 9.725 and Kazandjian (9.675) took ninth. Both of those two can do much better, so the Broncos can easily find 3-4/tenths on the floor.
Boise State
The Crimson Tide's Diandra Milliner won the vault title with a 9.925 score, while Sledge and Stack-Eaton shared the bars title withBoise State
Boise State Tuscaloosa Arizona Tucson
Boise
That is how long
That
Again, the difference between the two teams was minute, but that is what decides gymnastics duals and ultimately, which teams get to go to nationals. Can coaches Tina Bird and Neil Resnick find 1.4 more points up and down the lineup?
Amy Glass was sensational for
"Amy is such a rock for our team," said Bird. "Her cool demeanor at meets really calms the team and makes us feel like we can do anything."
Redmon(9.875) finished in tie for the bars title with
Since this is one of the Broncos’ top events, it would seem that part of the 1.4 points could be made up here with more team balance. To achieve
On the uneven bars, Potvin-Green impressed with a 9.825 to join Glass with that score. Senior Lindsay Kazandjian produced a 9.8 to give the Broncos four gymnasts at 9.8 or better. Hopefully, friendly competition amongst the four to get the high score in each future meet will make all four of them better. Katie Tuller had the final score with a 9.7.
The Broncos have traditionally been superb on floor but were thumped by over 7/10th’s of a point on this night. Black was the top finisher after Glass with a 9.775. Kelsey Lang was eighth with a 9.725 and Kazandjian (9.675) took ninth. Both of those two can do much better, so the Broncos can easily find 3-4/tenths on the floor.
The Crimson Tide's Diandra Milliner won the vault title with a 9.925 score, while Sledge and Stack-Eaton shared the bars title with
Friday, January 21, 2011
LOI Details Announced
Bronco fans can go check out what could be Boise State's finest football recruiting class on LOI Day, Wednesday, February 2. The official party with the coaches is set for the Stueckle Center in Bronco Stadium beginning at 5 p.m. Tickets are $30 and can be obtained at http://www.idahotickets.com/. Get them now!
KTIK's Jeff Caves will once again host the LOI Day celebration that has become a tradition with Bronco fans. I believe Jeff has been doing that for 13 years now and he does an excellent job interviewing the new recruits and interacting with the fans. The KTIK show will again be at Buffalo Wild Wings on Eagle Road. This year, in addition to the usual great show, KTIK will be broadcasting Coach Chris Petersen's live news conference announcing the new Boise State recruits at 1:30 p.m.
The schedules give Bronco fans a chance to attend both ceremonies. They both are excellent and not to be missed!
KTIK's Jeff Caves will once again host the LOI Day celebration that has become a tradition with Bronco fans. I believe Jeff has been doing that for 13 years now and he does an excellent job interviewing the new recruits and interacting with the fans. The KTIK show will again be at Buffalo Wild Wings on Eagle Road. This year, in addition to the usual great show, KTIK will be broadcasting Coach Chris Petersen's live news conference announcing the new Boise State recruits at 1:30 p.m.
The schedules give Bronco fans a chance to attend both ceremonies. They both are excellent and not to be missed!
Teams Keep Running Away From Boise State
The college football nation is beginning to see how schools react when they are faced with playing Boise State. Bronco Athletic Director Gene Bleymaier has maintained for years that teams dodge Boise State and the evidence backs him up.
Last year, Boise State announced that it was making a long-desired move to the Mountain West Conference. Simply put, the school could not achieve its goals in the Western Athletic Conference, and a conference schedule that included Utah, BYU, TCU, Air Force, San Diego State and others would finally give the football team the strength of schedule it desired. In fact, it appeared to all that the Mountain West lineup would surely be given automatic qualification into a BCS (Bowl Championship Series) Bowl. That schedule, plus an upgraded out-of-conference schedule, would be able to finally land the Broncos in the BCS Championship game.
However, within days of news that Boise State was joining the Mountain West, Utah announced it would leave the Mountain West. A few weeks later, BYU announced that it too would leave the Mountain West. But not before trying to sabotage Boise State's move by attempting a power play that the Cougars thought would make the Broncos come crawling back to the WAC. That plan went awry and was publicly exposed, much to the embarrassment of BYU and fellow conspirator Utah State. After their idea backfired, BYU announced it would leave the MWC and be an independent. A few short months later, the third of the big three in the Mountain West, TCU, announced that it too was leaving.
Note that none of these three bolted before it was announced that Boise State would be joining the conference effective next year. They bolted after the announcement--big difference. If they really wanted to leave the Mountain West, they could have done so at any time, but did not decide to shop their wares until they learned Boise State would be joining them. This is eerily similar to what Tulsa, Rice, SMU and UTEP did soon after Boise State joined the WAC, when those four took off for Conference USA.
Even after Utah announced the decision to leave the Mountain West, they still had a standing three-game series with Boise State in football. The Broncos had beaten Utah 36-3 in the first game of the scheduled four-game series. Utah canceled the remaining three games of the schedule rather than play #8 Boise State. The thought of playing the Broncos was so concerning to Utah that they paid $350,000 just to get out of the series.
Now we hear word that Nevada is going to cancel its 2011 game with Boise State. The game would have been penciled in anyway if Boise State were still in the WAC. To make the transition to the Mountain West easy for both schools, they agreed to keep the game in 2011, with Boise State traveling to Reno when both schools were in the Mountain West. Now, Nevada is apparently going to cancel their game with Boise State next year. Why is that?
Combine all these eerie cancellations with the fact that in the past 16 months, Bleymaier has signed deals to play Virginia Tech, Georgia, Mississippi, Michigan State, Washington State and Washington, and it should be clear to even opposing fans that Bleymaier is indeed doing his level best to get Boise State's schedule upgraded. When they made the move to the Mountain West, it was with the understanding that the top three teams would stay and that the conference would be an Automatic Qualifier. And there can be no question that the out-of-conference schedule has gotten stronger by leaps and bounds, despite very few of those games mentioned above being in Bronco Stadium.
Which school is trying their damndest to get tougher games and which schools are walking away from them?
I will hear no more arguments against Boise State's strength of schedule. You cannot on one hand watch high-quality teams back out of games against Boise State and then criticize Boise State because they don't have a tough schedule. Any system (computer or otherwise) which attempts to downgrade the Broncos because of their schedule is a sham. They would be penalizing a school because other schools don't want to play them. This is wrong and flies in the face of basic fairness. This isn't professional sports, but college, where the student-athlete is supposed to matter. Penalizing one student because other teams run away from his team is not the proper course of action.
Last year, Boise State announced that it was making a long-desired move to the Mountain West Conference. Simply put, the school could not achieve its goals in the Western Athletic Conference, and a conference schedule that included Utah, BYU, TCU, Air Force, San Diego State and others would finally give the football team the strength of schedule it desired. In fact, it appeared to all that the Mountain West lineup would surely be given automatic qualification into a BCS (Bowl Championship Series) Bowl. That schedule, plus an upgraded out-of-conference schedule, would be able to finally land the Broncos in the BCS Championship game.
However, within days of news that Boise State was joining the Mountain West, Utah announced it would leave the Mountain West. A few weeks later, BYU announced that it too would leave the Mountain West. But not before trying to sabotage Boise State's move by attempting a power play that the Cougars thought would make the Broncos come crawling back to the WAC. That plan went awry and was publicly exposed, much to the embarrassment of BYU and fellow conspirator Utah State. After their idea backfired, BYU announced it would leave the MWC and be an independent. A few short months later, the third of the big three in the Mountain West, TCU, announced that it too was leaving.
Note that none of these three bolted before it was announced that Boise State would be joining the conference effective next year. They bolted after the announcement--big difference. If they really wanted to leave the Mountain West, they could have done so at any time, but did not decide to shop their wares until they learned Boise State would be joining them. This is eerily similar to what Tulsa, Rice, SMU and UTEP did soon after Boise State joined the WAC, when those four took off for Conference USA.
Even after Utah announced the decision to leave the Mountain West, they still had a standing three-game series with Boise State in football. The Broncos had beaten Utah 36-3 in the first game of the scheduled four-game series. Utah canceled the remaining three games of the schedule rather than play #8 Boise State. The thought of playing the Broncos was so concerning to Utah that they paid $350,000 just to get out of the series.
Now we hear word that Nevada is going to cancel its 2011 game with Boise State. The game would have been penciled in anyway if Boise State were still in the WAC. To make the transition to the Mountain West easy for both schools, they agreed to keep the game in 2011, with Boise State traveling to Reno when both schools were in the Mountain West. Now, Nevada is apparently going to cancel their game with Boise State next year. Why is that?
Combine all these eerie cancellations with the fact that in the past 16 months, Bleymaier has signed deals to play Virginia Tech, Georgia, Mississippi, Michigan State, Washington State and Washington, and it should be clear to even opposing fans that Bleymaier is indeed doing his level best to get Boise State's schedule upgraded. When they made the move to the Mountain West, it was with the understanding that the top three teams would stay and that the conference would be an Automatic Qualifier. And there can be no question that the out-of-conference schedule has gotten stronger by leaps and bounds, despite very few of those games mentioned above being in Bronco Stadium.
Which school is trying their damndest to get tougher games and which schools are walking away from them?
I will hear no more arguments against Boise State's strength of schedule. You cannot on one hand watch high-quality teams back out of games against Boise State and then criticize Boise State because they don't have a tough schedule. Any system (computer or otherwise) which attempts to downgrade the Broncos because of their schedule is a sham. They would be penalizing a school because other schools don't want to play them. This is wrong and flies in the face of basic fairness. This isn't professional sports, but college, where the student-athlete is supposed to matter. Penalizing one student because other teams run away from his team is not the proper course of action.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Hall, Colledge, Wilson Aim for Super Bowl
Boise State will have three former greats in this weekend's NFC and AFC Championship games. Fullback Korey Hall and lineman Daryn Colledge lead Green Bay against Atlanta while reserve rookie safety Kyle Wilson hopes to help the New York Jets against Pittsburgh.
The 2010 Super Bowl came and went without any Boise State players, which has been unusual in recent years. Hopefully, one, two or three players will get in this year.
The 2010 Super Bowl came and went without any Boise State players, which has been unusual in recent years. Hopefully, one, two or three players will get in this year.
Seventh Heaven
For the Broncos to truly get respect, however, they will need to stay consistent for at least another decade. Given that they land near the top in about every other category, if the Broncos can reach the Top 10 in this list, most will feel at that time that they belong. There will of course be a scattering of skeptics. But you can't please everyone...
Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State and Miami of Florida each achieved the feat 17 straight seasons, with the Wolverines winning seven or more from 1968 to 1983, the Fighting Irish recording the feat in the years 1964-1980, the Nittany Lions putting together seasons of seven or more wins from 1967 to 1983 and the Hurricanes doing it from 1980 to 1996.
Yale dominated football in the 19th century and the first part of the 20th century, winning seven or more games for 28 straight seasons (1882-1909). Princeton strung 27 such years together (1881-1907) and
The top streaks in the history of college football are featured below.
Consecutive Seasons of Seven or More Wins:
1.
2.
3. Yale…28 (1882-1909)
4.
5. Harvard…25 (1886-1910)
5.
7.
7.
9.
10. Virginia Tech…18 (1993-2010)
11.
11. Notre Dame…17 (1964-1980)
11.
14.
14.
16.
17.
18.
18.
18. Georgia Tech…13 (1997-2009)
18.
22.
22.
22.
22.
22.
22. Notre Dame…12 (1938-1949)
22.
22.
Bronco Gymnasts Go After #11 Alabama
The Boise State gymnasts suffered a huge setback last week when they lost to Washington for the first time in school history. The Lady Broncos are still #15 this week and will test themselves on the road against #11 Alabama.
While the rankings are based on scores and not wins, every time Boise State loses a meet, they will fall in the rankings relative to the team they lost to. If the Broncos are ever going to reach the national championships, they need to prove to themselves more than anyone else that they can beat teams like Alabama.
My niece was a world-class gymnast, so I would like nothing better than for the Broncos to do well. I've been trying in vain to get her to come up to Boise, first on the gymnastics team and now as a coach someday! If Boise State were to climb to another level, it would improve my chances!
I'll be talking more about the meet with Alabama leading up to the meet. Boise State needs a win like this to make a statement.
While the rankings are based on scores and not wins, every time Boise State loses a meet, they will fall in the rankings relative to the team they lost to. If the Broncos are ever going to reach the national championships, they need to prove to themselves more than anyone else that they can beat teams like Alabama.
My niece was a world-class gymnast, so I would like nothing better than for the Broncos to do well. I've been trying in vain to get her to come up to Boise, first on the gymnastics team and now as a coach someday! If Boise State were to climb to another level, it would improve my chances!
I'll be talking more about the meet with Alabama leading up to the meet. Boise State needs a win like this to make a statement.
Make Plans Now for LOI Day!
I have received word that tickets for the annual Boise State LOI (Letter of Intent) Day celebration will go on sale in the next couple of days. Details are still being firmed up, but once again the official party will be at the Stueckle Center in Bronco Stadium.
LOI Day is the day set aside when high school football recruits can officially sign their letter of intents indicating their choice where they want to attend school for the next four-five years. The upcoming 2011 Boise State class appears to be the best one they have ever had. That sounds like a broken record is being played for several years in a row, but such is the nature of Boise State football over the last 6-7 years.
The original LOI Party was drummed up by KTIK and features a good show with Jeff Caves hosting. Last year, the show was at Buffalo Wild Wings on Eagle Road. Those details are also still being worked out.
Once I have further information, I will post it on the blog.
LOI Day is the day set aside when high school football recruits can officially sign their letter of intents indicating their choice where they want to attend school for the next four-five years. The upcoming 2011 Boise State class appears to be the best one they have ever had. That sounds like a broken record is being played for several years in a row, but such is the nature of Boise State football over the last 6-7 years.
The original LOI Party was drummed up by KTIK and features a good show with Jeff Caves hosting. Last year, the show was at Buffalo Wild Wings on Eagle Road. Those details are also still being worked out.
Once I have further information, I will post it on the blog.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Boise State 2nd Vs. Elite Teams In Last Five Years
Despite Boise State
They say that Boise State Boise State
Nevertheless, to go along with the argument, Boise State
There are many ways to measure the “power” in a powerhouse college football team. One of the best is to look at how they did against other powers. For this study, we will look at the 35 college football teams that have finished in the Top 15 in the USA Today rankings in at least once in the last four years. We will go over their schedules with a fine-toothed comb and evaluate how each of the 35 did against other Top 15 teams. We will call those games “power games”. Let us see exactly how Boise State has done in power games, compare the number of power games that the Broncos have played vs. those that other Top 15 teams have played, and see how the teams do out of conference.
Coach Chris Petersen’s team wins when they play elite competition. The Broncos are 5-2, the second-best mark in the nation over four years. USC’s 7-3 record tops everyone, although it is less sparkling than last year with losses to Stanford and Oregon West Virginia (3-2) and Auburn
Playing power teams within your own conference is one thing. Those are games that essentially are “scheduled for you”. Despite the Automatic Qualifying Conferences saying Boise State could not win week in and week out in a conference like theirs, notice that not one of these conferences has invited supposed weakling Boise State into their conference so they could beat up on them!
So since the other power teams have neither beaten Boise State
Since Boise State
Although all of the teams listed in the rankings have finished one or multiple years in the final USA Today Coaches’ Poll Top 15, it is noteworthy that several have less than sterling records against other power teams. These teams, in fact, do not win “week in and week out”.
In conclusion, Boise State
Here is how the power teams of the last five years stack up. (Teams with winning records are ranked by winning percentage; teams with losing records are ranked first by number of Top 15 wins and then by least number of losses.)
Best Five-Year Record:
1. USC 7-3
2. Boise State
3. West Virginia
4. Auburn 7-6
5. Florida
6. Texas
6. Ohio State
8. Oklahoma
9. Alabama
10. LSU 6-11
11. Georgia
12. Iowa 4-7
13. Stanford 3-5
14. TCU 3-6
15. Oregon
15. Texas
17. Arkansas
18. Boston College
19. Georgia Tech 2-7
19. Missouri
19. Virginia Tech 2-7
22. California
22. Cincinnati
22. Utah
25. Wisconsin 2-9
26. Michigan
27. Mississippi
27. Tennessee
29. Louisville
29. Nevada
29. Pittsburgh
29. Rutgers 1-4
33. Kansas
34. Michigan State
35. Penn State
36. Nebraska
37. BYU 0-5
38. Arizona State
39. Oklahoma State
Power Schedule:
1. Florida
2. USC 7-3
3. LSU 6-11
4. Alabama
5. Oklahoma
6. Texas
7. Georgia
8. Ohio State
9. Boise State
10. Iowa 4-7
11. Arkansas
12. Oregon
13. Texas
14. Auburn 3-6
14. TCU 3-6
16. Stanford 3-5
17. West Virginia
18. Tennessee
18. Mississippi
20. Michigan
21. Wisconsin 2-9
22. Cincinnati
22. Utah
22. California
25. Georgia Tech 2-7
25. Missouri
25. Virginia Tech 2-7
28. Boston College
29. Nebraska
30. Penn State
31. Michigan State
32. Kansas
33. Louisville
33. Nevada
33. Pittsburgh
33. Rutgers 1-4
37. Oklahoma State
38. Arizona State
39. BYU 0-5
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