Bronco Gymnasts Win in Commanding Fashion

#15 Boise State has finally made a bit of a move on the national scene. With a convincing 196.176-189.175 victory over Cal State Fullerton last night in Taco Bell Arena, the Bronco gymnasts evened their season record at 3-3. Although they have ambitiously gone through a vigorous non-conference schedule, teams hoping to qualify for NCAA Nationals sure better have a winning record on the season.

Coaches Tina Bird and Neil Resnick have assembled on paper what could be the school's top team in history. What is yet unseen if this senior-laden group can make the push necessary to be able to compete with the nation's elite teams. Last night went a long way towards taking that step. That said, it was a home meet. To be an elite team (and the Bronco football and wrestling teams know this) you have to get it done on the road, even against other elite teams.

Last night's heroics were part of the annual Beauty and the Beast promotion, in which the Bronco wrestling team also won convincingly. For Boise State's gymnastics, the 196.175 total score represented the 13th-best in school history but is a long ways from what is needed to qualify for Nationals. More on that later.

As one might expect with a lopsided score, Boise State won all four events and the good news is that they recorded seasonal bests on all four apparatuses. The Broncos compiled a 49.150 on bars, 49.075 on floor,
49.025 on vault and 48.925 on beam.

"We were strong from the top of our lineup to the bottom tonight," said co-head coach Tina Bird. "Each Bronco stepped up and had a great performance. Hannah Redmon had a stellar night, as did Amy Glass. It was great to add Hailey Gaspar back in the lineup, she had a great night as well."

Boise State's Glass and Redmon were terrific. Glass set a career-high of 39.40 in the all-around (40.00 is perfect.) She also performed her beam routine with brilliant precision, setting a career-best of 9.925 there to win that event. What Glass did not do, Redmon was there to win the other three events. Redmon tied her career-best of 9.925 on the floor, tying her uneven bars best of 9.90 and catapulted off the vault for a season-best 9.875.

With her win last night, Redmon broke Julie Wagner's record for all-time career floor wins with 18. Hannah's vault win now gives her 17, tying her for second, and her eight bar wins is now tied for #6 all-time.

Glass improves to nine career all-around wins, good for No. 5 on Boise State's all-around career wins list, while also improving to five career beam wins, tying her for No. 9. Glass's three beam wins in 2011 place her in 10th for beam wins in a season. Amy is now tied for fifth in all-around titles in a season with four.

Glass and Hailey Gaspar were right behind Redmon on the floor with 9.850 each. Potvin-Green scored a new career-best of 9.850 to place second on bar, while Glass claimed third with a 9.825. Katie Tuller tied a career-best of 9.80 to place fourth, Kelsey Lang placed second on the beam with a 9.825. Black placed second on vault with a career-best 9.825. Glass tied with CSUF's Alaina Baker for third, scoring a 9.80.

Glass captured the all-around title, while CSUF's Baker placed second with a 38.850. The Titan's Shelly Cooper was the only other all-around competitor, scoring a 38.025 for a third-place finish.

Now more on what matters. Boise State currently owns the #9 high score in the nation, pending results from the other teams around them. To get into nationals, Boise State must finish at least second in the Western Regionals. #2 Stanford, #7 Oregon State and #8 UCLA are all in Boise State's regional. The Broncos now have a season average of 194.9108, improving slightly from last week's 194.658. The teams are seeded at Regionals according to the RQS (Regional Qualifying Score), a formula that is a bit more complicated than simple averages and those rankings are not out yet.

As good as last night's performance was, it still is a full half a point away from the top scores of both Oregon State and UCLA. Barring a Cardinal collapse, Boise State must beat both the Beavers and Bruins at nationals. Generally speaking, those averages and RQS's hold pretty well at Regionals and the teams that are seeded the highest nearly always wind up on top. In other words, you can't just "come out of nowhere" and shock the field--it doesn't work that way in gymnastics. Part of it has to do with reputation and since there are judges involved, the scoring is highly subjective.

 

Thus, the time for Boise State is now. The Broncos must prove to themselves, the judges and the national gymnastics powers that they are good enough to deserve a national berth. To do that, they need to make their move on Oregon State and UCLA right now. You can also see that fellow Western Regional competitor Washington is also ahead of Boise State and in fact the Huskies defeated the Broncos earlier this year in an important dual meet. When the first RQS scores come out, the Broncos must be either ahead or very near OSU and UCLA. I have included the current Top 20 national rankings for review.

#	Team	Average	Region	Conference	High Score
1.	Florida	196.906	SE	SEC	197.500
2.	Stanford	196.550	W	Pac-10	196.825
3.	Utah	196.075	NC	None	196.725
4.	Georgia	196.060	SE	SEC	196.725
5.	Oklahoma	195.860	SC	Big 12	196.175
6.	Alabama	195.850	C	SEC	196.825
7.	Oregon State	195.595	W	Pac-10	196.625
8.	UCLA	195.430	W	Pac-10	196.675
9.	Michigan	195.344	NE	Big 10	195.875
10.	Nebraska	195.188	SC	Big 12	195.600
11.	Arkansas	195.031	SC	SEC	195.325
12.	Kent State	194.925	C	MAC	195.475
13.	Minnesota	194.819	NC	Big 10	195.575
14.	Washington	194.769	W	Pac-10	195.475
15.	Boise State	194.658	W	WAC	195.000
16.	Ohio State	194.658	C	Big 10	195.450
17.	Iowa State	194.594	NC	Big 12	195.250
18.	North Carolina State	194.592	SE	EAGL	195.150
19.	Illinois-Champaign	194.563	SC	Big 10	195.350
19.	Southern Utah	194.563	NC	WAC	195.750

 

The Broncos now must take their act on the road and defeat a hard-charging San Jose State team that is mounting a challenge for the best in the Western Athletic Conference. The Broncos will also compete against UC Davis and Seattle Pacific in the quadrangular meet next Friday night.

 

Two Games, Two Losses for Bronco Basketball

Boise State's basketball teams took it on the chin once again, and it didn't matter what the location was.

The Bronco men's team, a 12-point favorite at home against Hawai'i, fell 73-66 last night in Taco Bell Arena. The women got their turn several hours later on the island and lost 69-53.

The good news is that now all Bronco fans can get behind the outstanding #2-ranked Boise State wrestling team, which has its last home match of the season against Utah Valley tonight. It is part of the popular "Beauty and the Beast" promotion that also features the #15 Boise State gymnastics team. Eight seniors who have helped form the most accomplished wrestling team in school history will be saluted prior to the event. Be there early for that.

Action gets underway tonight at 7 in Taco Bell Arena.

Marcus Henry

Washington tried to steal this kid from Boise State late and the word I hear is that he basically told them "Thanks but no thanks". He made a commitment and stuck with it. This guy has the nasty mentality needed in a lineman. He will keep after his guy until he gets him knocked down, and then looks for someone else to knock down. Boise State has had some amazing offensive linemen in the past (Hill, Vian, Huff, Colledge, Clady, Potter). This guy has the capability to join that group. Word from the coaches is that they want him to be center.

Jay Ajayi

Ajayi was the only running back in the 2011 Boise State recruiting class. He is an amazing recruit for several reasons. He averaged over 8 yards a carry in the state of Texas and gained 2,200 yards with 35 touchdowns. He can fake guys out of their shorts and yet still isn't afraid of contact; I loved his comment "I love to stiff-arm people!" Even more impressive than sheer stats alone--he said he is trying to get better and make himself a better player. He has the drive and the intangibles to be a Bronco. I would be shocked if he isn't a huge star.

Some of Jay's greatest runs can be seen by clicking on the story title, which takes you to YouTube.

Jimmy Laughrea

Boise State's newest quarterback is 6-2, taller than most former Broncos at that position. What impresses me most about him is his footwork--the Boise State coaches said the same thing tonight at the LOI Day show at the Stueckle Center. He also has a nice touch. On one throw in his highlight reel, he floated the ball softly over the defender to his receiver who caught it in stride. Many so-called experts look at zip on the ball and certainly that is important. But on many throws, you have to have "touch" rather than "zip". Only the best can do that and Laughrea has it.

Boise State LOI Day Show Sold Out

Due to limits on the room capacity, tickets to Boise State's National Letter of Intent Show are SOLD OUT and there will be no day of event ticket sales to this year's show.

Head Bronco Coach Chris Petersen will discuss this year's recruiting class with the Boise State's play-by-play voice of the Broncos Bob Behler. Assistant coaches will also talk about the recruiting class, along with live phone interviews with several of the new signees, plus fans can see exclusive video highlights of the recruits that they can't see anywhere else.

Bronco Gymnasts May Need to Look in Rear View Mirror

In all the hype about Boise State trying to get to the NCAA National Gymnastics Championships, there's a development that they certainly should be aware of. Don't look now, but WAC member San Jose State is right behind the Broncos. Not only will the Bronco gals need to improve rapidly if they are to reach the top two in the West, but they are likely to get a good challenge from their own conference.

In fact, San Jose State is closer to Boise State (195-194.7) than the Broncos are to #4 Washington, which has a high score of 195.475.

Boise State must beat every Western team but one to reach Nationals. The top two from each Regional qualify for the 12-team finals. Right now, Stanford is out in front with a high of 196.825, UCLA has a 196.675 and Oregon State 196.625. Using the averages so far this year, Boise State is a full point per meet behind #2 Oregon State (195.595 to 194.658 for the Broncos).

But with the Spartan women breathing down their necks, best now to just think about winning the WAC.

Boise State Blanks #30 Wisconsin

Boise State's tennis team came back from a disappointing loss to Kentucky to score a 4-0 win over #30 Wisconsin at the ITA Tennis Championships. The fact that the Broncos could bounce back to quickly from the thumping at the hands of Kentucky Saturday is a testament not only to the Boise State players but to one Coach Greg Patton

"[Today] was a test," Boise State head coach Greg Patton said Sunday. "We had a knife up against our throat and we were able to wiggle away from it."

Boise State won the doubles point and coasted to the surprisingly easy win.

The Broncos take on two more nationally-ranked opponents this week. Coach Patton's team challenges #25 Virginia Tech Saturday before meeting #33 Minnesota Sunday.

#42 Boise State 4, #30 Wisconsin 0

SINGLES

1. No. 62 Damian Hume (BSU) def. Marek Michalicka (Wisc.) 6-4, 7-6 (5)

2. No. 85 Filipp Pogotskin (BSU) def. Billy Bertha (Wisc.) 6-3, 6-3

3. Scott Sears (BSU) vs. Petr Satral (Wisc.) 7-5, 4-6, 5-5 DNF

4. Jeff Mullen (BSU) def. Alex Robles (Wisc.) 6-3, 7-5

5. Rod Carey (Wisc.) led Andrew Bettles (BSU) 6-3, DNF

6. Nathan Sereke (BSU) led Alexander Teppert (Wisc.) 6-0, 2-0 DNF

DOUBLES

1. Marek Michalicka/Billy Bertha (Wisc.) def. Damian Hume/Scott Sears (BSU) 8-3

2. Jeff Mullen/Nathan Sereke (BSU) def. Rod Carey/Ricardo Martin (Wisc.) 8-4

3. Andrew Bettles/Filipp Pogotskin (BSU) def. Petr Satral/Alexander Teppert (Wisc.) 8-3

Order of Finish:

Singles - 2, 4, 1*

Doubles - 1, 2, 3*

Boise State Wrestlers Now #2 in Intermat Rankings

The Boise State wrestlers are now #2. When you have four individuals as good as Kirk Smith, Andrew Hochstrasser, Adam Hall and Jason Chamberlain (all undefeated), you can either do really, really well at Nationals or slip up badly. The reason is because Boise State's projected points from those four are so high that a loss by two of them (and especially two losses by one) is going to leave the team far short.

While those four appear to be headed for All-America status, I've been saying the success of the team is going to rely on the rest of the team. Four wrestlers does not a team make, and if Boise State is to have a really good chance at the top five, they need contributions from the other six in the starting lineup. Matt Casperson has been wrestling well and it's that kind of effort that is needed in Philadelphia. Casperson knocked off two ranked wrestlers last week. So the key is getting the other six Boise State wrestlers involved. One of those six needs to make some major noise at Nationals. I don't feel Boise State can reach the top five otherwise.

(Click on the story title to see this week's rankings.)

Boise State's Daryn Colledge vs. BYU's Brett Keisel in Super Bowl XLV

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.

Felix Paces Boise State at Bronco Invitational

Boise State junior Kurt Felix shattered his own school record in the heptathlon to lead the Broncos at their Invitational at Jackson’s Track over the weekend. Felix broke his mark of 5,348 points by 321 points in winning the event. Kurt missed automatic NCAA qualifying by six points.

Felix led after the first day with 3,358 points after winning the long jump with a career-best 24-5.75, taking the high jump (6-11) and winning the shot put (44-3.25). He came back Saturday to win the 60-meter hurdles with a career-best of 8.38.

Jeff Daw was named Western Athletic Conference Track Athlete of the Week following his third-straight win in the 400 (48.51). Sophomore Rolando Trammel captured second with a time of 48.53 and also won the 60-meter hurdles with a career-best of 8.34. Newcomer Justin Maines followed Trammel to the finish line in the hurdles with a time of 8:30. Brian Pierre won the 3,000 meters in 8:38.81 and teammate Drew O’donoghue-McDonald was second (8:39.81).

Trevor Kraychir and Alex Nelson also recorded career-bests of 65-9 and 61-2.25, respectively in the weight throw to take second and third. Chase Sexton was runner-up in the shot put with his throw of 54-10.25. Dusty Klein (1:54.84) and Austin Edwards (1:55.19) went 2-3 in the 800. Joshua Butler was third in the high jump (6-4.25)

Veteran Mele Vaisima continues to pace the Bronco women, as she won her fourth straight weight throw with a season best of 61-feet, 10.50 inches and also finished second in the shot put with a career best of 45-2.25. Nadine Russell and Alyssa Osai helped the Broncos complete a sweep in the event with marks of 55-1 and 52-2.75, respectively. Promising Racquel Jones paced the long jumpers with a mark of 18-5.75. Alexi Morton set two career bests and finished second in the pentathlon with 3,412 points. Morton ran 8.92 in the 60-meter hurdles and recorded a 34-0.75 shot put.

The Broncos host two more meets prior to the WAC Championships. Boise State hits the track this Saturday at 9 a.m. (Mountain) for the Bronco Open.

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

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!

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

#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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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)

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)

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.

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.

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.

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.