Pool Party

Boise State's swimming team has started where it left off.  Coach Kristin Hill's squad won 15 events en route to a 198-96 win over Idaho at the Boise West YMCA today.

Senior Stephanie North and freshman Jessica Bottelberghe each won three individual events and contributed to a relay win, as it seems Hill is beginning to reload at Boise State. 

"It was a great first meet," said head coach Kristin Hill. "This was the first time most of the girls had raced since the summer at nationals or sectionals."

Bottelberghe captured titles in the 100 and 200-yard bastrokes and the 200-yard individual medley. 

"We had a lot of freshmen step up in their first collegiate meet," Hill said. "It's always fun to see how they will respond in that situation, and our freshmen did it really well."

North won the 50, 100 and 200-yard freestyle events for Boise State.  Sophomore Ciera Cortney won the one-meter diving final and was second in the three-meter event.  Junior Lexi Pfeiffer joined Cortney on the podium with a career-best 225.10, good for third. 

Sophomores Chelsea Miller and Rachel Heaney won in the 200-yard breaststroke and 200 butterfly and All-American Amber Boucher won the 100 fly. 

Boise State hosts New Mexico and Seattle next weekend at the West Y.  Friday'smeet starts at 6:30 while the meet with Seattle begins at 11:30 Saturday morning.  Come out and watch the exciting Broncos!

Boise State Proves, Beyond a Shadow of a Doubt, That They Are For Real

In one of the most incredible displays of offensive, defensive and special teams talent in several years in college football, Boise State dismantled a pretty good Fresno State team 57-7 tonight in Fresno on ESPN.





This is the same Fresno State team that had Nebraska on the ropes in Lincoln in the fourth quarter.  They couldn't finish the Cornhuskers as Wisconsin did.  They're not as good as Wisconsin, but they were through three quarters.  And against Boise State on their home turf, Fresno State recorded their first advancement past their own 40 with seconds remaining in the first half.  Heisman favorite Kellen Moore put on a baseball cap one series into the second half rather than pursue the all-time career touchdown passes record.  As indeed he should have.


Because that's the way they do things at Boise State.  They could pour it on and put up unbelievable stats.  But tonight, they didn't have to.  They proved to the nation in no uncertain terms that they deserve, finally, a shot at a national championship if they run the table.

We'll tell you that Moore was 23-31 for 254 yards and three touchdowns in essentially a half of football.  He now has sole possession of second place in NCAA history with a record of 43-2.  He passed both Danny Wuerffel of Florida and Tim Rattay tonight to land in sixth place in college football history with his 114 career TD passes.  We'll tell you that Boise State isn't going to lose anything once he graduates.  Backup Joe Southwick was 3-5 for 27 yards and freshman Grant Hedrick ran three times for 38 yards and a touchdown in the game's final moments.  And they have they have two amazing young prospects behind them that we won't tell you about; you'll just have to wait and see.  So Boise State is in fine shape at the quarterback position.



And we'll tell you that Doug Martin ran 16 times for 94 yards and a touchdown, including a brilliant third-quarter run in which he bounced outside, took it down the sidelines and was knocked out at the one.  Mitch Burroughs took an end around and sped into the end zone for a 25-yard score in the first half.  Super tailback D.J. Harper scored twice for Boise State.  





Freshman Matt Miller caught five passes for 78 yards and another score.  Miller ties two great Bronco receivers--Ryan Ikebe and Jay Swillie for #3 all-time at Boise State with 25 receptions as a freshman.  Geraldo Boldewijn caught three balls for 33 yards and two touchdowns in his first action of the season.  Burroughs had four catches for 43 yards.  Gabe Linehan had three catches for 48.  Martin had three catches for 14 yards.  In all, 11 Bronco receivers caught passes.  This isn't just a first team or second team effort or one or two talented guys (ala Titus Young and Austin Pettis last year).  This is an incredibly talented team you saw tonight.  From Kellen Moore down to the last guy on the bench.


Defensively, Boise State held Fresno scoreless until a brilliant run by talented punt returner Devon Wylie.  Cornerback Jamar Taylor made about as fine an interception as you will ever see anywhere at any level of football.  The Bronco defensive line was as tough as nails.  Anything that got past them was stuffed by opportunistic linebackers Byron Hout and Aaron Tevis.  And the Bronco secondary rarely allowed a complete pass for a first down.  Top that off with a great punt block by Hunter White and great punt returns by Burroughs.





Derek Carr was 17-30 for the Bulldogs.  He is a talented signal-caller who will win and win often for Fresno State.  Robbie Rouse (10 carries for 72 yards) is a dynamo back who never gives up and gets the tough yards for you.  Josh Harper had a great game--eight catches for 75 yards for Fresno State.  Logan Harrell on defense, in the top four in the nation in tackles for loss, is as fierce a competitor as anywhere you will find in college football.


Yes, Fresno is talented and we've given you all the stats.  But the real message, sent loud and clear tonight in Fresno, California, before a nationwide audience, is that Boise State is as fine a team as you will find anywhere in this land.  They block, they tackle, they play smart, they don't beat themselves, they run hard, they focus, they are coached brilliantly, and they can not be denied any longer.