Aw, this should be fun.
Former Boise State star offensive lineman Daryn Colledge gets to the Super Bowl this Sunday after five years in the NFL. Colledge started every game of his Boise State career (52 straight games) and he has started nearly every game of his professional career.
This Sunday, Colledge will line up at left guard. Opposite him will be former BYU player Brett Keisel. While the two never played against each other (Keisel is in his ninth NFL season), their alma mater's have a history. Colledge helped the Broncos pulverize BYU 50-12 in 2003 in Provo and then defeat them 28-27 in Bronco Stadium.
Boise State was set to join BYU in the Mountain West Conference next season but the Cougars left the conference right after the announcement was made that the Broncos were invited. BYU is scheduled to appear in Bronco Stadium again in 2012 and Boise State will travel to Provo in 2013.
Keisel (6-5, 285) has similar size to Colledge so there's no advantage there. Keisel has played his entire career in Pittsburgh and has 167 tackles, 17.5 sacks, 24 pass deflections, an interception and four forced fumbles in his career. This season, Keisel has been a force with 33 tackles, three sacks, seven pass deflections, an interception that he took 79 yards for a touchdown and two forced fumbles.
I took note of the seven pass deflections. That is something Colledge will have to be wary of. For Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers to hit his receivers downfield, Daryn will have to keep Keisel from getting elevated and getting those mitts up in the air. Keisel, nicknamed "Diesel", is, like Colledge, a great athlete. In a 2009 game against Minnesota, the Vikings called a screen pass to Chester Taylor. Keisel immediately diagnosed the play. He moved down the line, creating a traffic jam around Taylor. Favre threw it anyway. Just as the ball gets there, Keisel hits Taylor and the ball sails through Taylor's fingers into the arms of Pittsburgh's Keyaron Fox, who finds the end zone.
The second thing I want to note is Keisel's pass rush. Later in that 2009 Minnesota game, Keisel beat one of the top offensive linemen in football, Steve Hutchinson, to knock the ball loose from Minnesota quarterback Brett Favre and set up the Steelers' defensive touchdown in the fourth quarter.
So Daryn will have his hands full, and it will be a matchup to watch on several levels.
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