Fiesta Bowl Champion Boise State Knocks Off "National Champion" Florida to Highlight Week 3 of SFL Action

2006 Boise State vs. 2006 Florida

The 2006 Fiesta Bowl Champion Boise State team always wanted a shot at the National Championship.  Many commentators around the country believed they were ripped off.  Now we see why.  We will now have to put an asterisk and a "mythical" before the Florida Gators of 2006.

          Right location, wrong game for 2006 Broncos?

Boise State spotted Florida 13 first-quarter points, before rallying for 38 unanswered points of their own in a lopsided 38-20 win over the so-called "national champions". The Gators were one of the favorites for a post-season Simulated Football League crown but left today's game with their tails between their legs.  Bronco quarterback Jared Zabransky tossed two  touchdowns to Legedu Naanee in the second and third quarters, respectively as Boise State grabbed their first lead of the contest, 17-13 with 1:51 left in the third.

Rookie Coach Chris Petersen's team poured it on in the final stanza with two Ian Johnson touchdown runs and a 39-yard interception return for six by middle linebacker Korey Hall that seemed to add insult to injury for the worn-out Florida team.  Florida was just 5-14 on third-down conversions and was hurt badly by two interceptions and two lost fumbles.  Boise State gradually wore out the Gator defense, controlling the clock 33:43 to 26:13, and the ball control eventually paid off with the late barrage of Bronco points.

Workhorse Johnson finished with 119 yards on 34 carries.  Boise State held one of the top SFL rushers, Percy Harvin, to 31 yards but DeShawn Wynn picked up the slack with 83 yards and a touchdown.

Boise State is now 3-0 this season while Florida fell to 1-2.




2007 Boise State vs. 2009 Alabama

Alabama won their second consecutive game, crushing Boise State 40-3 as Greg McElroy fired three touchdown passes and Leigh Tiffin booted four field goals. 

 Boise State was beaten soundly on both sides of the ball, managing only 10 first downs.  The Crimson Tide piled up 458 yards of total offense to 153 for the Broncos.  Mark Ingram went over the century mark with109 yards while Trent Richardson added 94.  McElroy was an efficient 20-29 for 237 yards through the air.  Meanwhile, Taylor Tharp was held to just 10 of 30 passing for 101 yards and running back Ian Johnson was held to 50.  Alabama's front line harassed Tharp all afternoon long, registering seven sacks against the senior quarterback.

The 2009 Alabama team cruised to a 30-0 lead at halftime and the upstart Broncos did not score until late in the fourth quarter when Kyle Brotzman kicked a 49-yard field goal. 

Alabama is now 2-1 while the 2007 Broncos are 0-3.




2008 Boise State 22, 2002 Ohio State 12
The 2008 Boise State team dealt a serious blow to the Simulation Football League championship hopes of the 2002 Ohio State team with a 22-12 win this afternoon.


Boise State held a 7-6 advantage after three quarters as both offenses struggled to be productive.  Buckeye quarterback Craig Krenzel guided his team on a scoring drive to open the fourth period, culminating in a one-yard pass to Ryan Hamby.  The two-point conversion failed, but Ohio State had their first lead of the game at 12-7.  But Bronco quarterback Kellen Moore lives for these moments, and the Bronco freshman led his team on a scoring drive of their own, finding wide receiver Jeremy Childs for a 17-yarder.  Vinny Perretta ran in a two-point conversion to put the Broncos up 15-12.


The Bronco defense stiffened the rest of the way and a 12-yard pass from Moore to Ian Johnson with 5:12 left sealed the deal.





Ian Johnson was held to 43 yards rushing as Ohio State put 7-8 defenders in the box to stop the potent Bronco rushing star.  Moore calmly took advantage by hitting his receivers time and time again.  He finished the game  22-29 for 345 yards.  Childs was the beneficiary of six of those passes for 92 yards and the touchdown.  Maurice Clarett, one of the top rushers in the SFL, did top 100 yards (108) but could not find the end zone.  Krenzel connected on 17-of-27 passes for 244 yards for Ohio State.

The Broncos moved to 2-1 in the young season while Ohio State slipped to 1-2.




2004 USC 48, 2010 Boise State 34
Reggie Bush broke free on a thrilling 71-yard run in the third quarter to break a 27-27 tie and the 2004 Trojans went on to record a 48-34 win over the 2010 Boise State team this afternoon.




Up to that point, it had been a game of big plays from both teams.  Bush shaked and baked his way to a 62-yard run to the end zone with 5:30 left in the first quarter to give USC a 10-0 advantage.  Boise State came right back on the ensuing possession with Doug Martin bulldozing through the Trojan defense for a 33-yard score.  Martin then ran around the right end and outran the secondary for a highlight 55-yard touchdown early in the second to give the Broncos a 14-10 lead.  A Kyle Brotzman field goal of 45 yards extended the lead on Boise State's next possession but USC was able to tie the game on a 48-yard run by LenDale White.


Boise State countered with a drive deep into Trojan territory but an untimely fumble (aren't they all?) at the 30 ended the threat and USC quarterback Matt Leinart found Steve Smith for a 58-yard touchdown pass to put USC up again.  The two teams traded field goals and the Trojans held a 27-20 lead going into the locker room.


The Broncos came out with an impressive drive to open the second half, with Kellen Moore finding Titus Young in the corner of the end zone from 10 yards out.  That tied the game, but Bush's long run ignited the Trojan fans and was a big momentum-swinger.  USC added another touchdown pass from Leinart to Fred Davis near the end of the third and Boise State could get no closer after that.


White once again led the Trojans in rushing with142 yards, but the key was Bush.  Held to minimal yards in his first two games, the USC star tailback finally got untracked with  141 yards.  With the Bronco defense increasingly focused on the run, Steve Smith benefited with five receptions for 88 yards and two scores.  Leinart was masterful with 27-36 passing for 367 yards and three touchdowns.  The balanced attack was too much for the Bronco defense.


Moore was successful for the Boise State offense, hitting 29-46 for 378 yards, but the 2010 Bronco team just didn't have enough firepower to match USC.  Martin posted 130 yards rushing on 22 carries. Young had 6 receptions for 93 yards while Austin Pettis also hauled in 6 for 81.

USC remains unbeaten with a 3-0 mark while Boise State is 1-2 in the SFL.




2003 Boise State 37, 2001 Boise State 0
Ryan Dinwiddie threw for 376 yards and four touchdown passes and the 2003 Broncos throttled their counterparts from 2001 in a 37-0 whitewashing this afternoon.


Dinwiddie finished 25-of-32 passing and will move up in the SFL passing leaders.  David Mikell led the ground game for the 2003 Broncos with 83 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries; he also was the recipient of one of Dinwiddie's TD passes.

                 Dinwiddie celebrates another victory



The 2003 Boise State defense held their opponents to just 70 yards rushing.  Brock Forsey was the top ground-gainer for the 2001 Boise State team picking up nearly all of that with 22 carries for 67 yards.  "I played against a lot of these guys and I just want to give them a lot of credit--they have gotten a lot better over the years."


The younger Dinwiddie finished just 18-30 for 260 yards with one interception, an acrobatic pick by Gabe Franklin.  He had this to say about the 2003 Dinwiddie, "Hey, if I work on mastering the offense and my technique as (Offensive Coordinator Chris Petersen) Coach Pete wants me to do, I'll be that good in two years.  I'm young and still finding the rhythm with my receivers.  We'll get better."

The 2003 team advanced to 2-1 this season while the 2001 Broncos are winless in three tries.




2002 Boise State 58, 2004 Boise State 14
The 2002 Leave No Doubt team shocked the 2004 Liberty Bowl team 58-14 this afternoon, leaving the 2004 Broncos disheartened and left to do some serious soul searching.


The 2002 Boise State team scored 24 second-quarter points in route to a 31-14 halftime lead and coasted from there.  Brock Forsey rumbled in from 40 yards and quarterback Ryan Dinwiddie tossed two TD passes as the Broncos outdistanced the proud 2004 team.  Dinwiddie simply outclassed his successor, Jared Zabransky, but it was a complete victory for the 2002 team.  Nick Calaycay booted three field goals and Tim Gilligan returned a Kyle Stringer punt for an 83-yard touchdown.




Brock Forsey ran for 133 yards and 2 touchdowns as the 2002 Leave No Doubt Broncos indeed left no doubt in a 58-14 rout of the 2004 team.


The game was knotted at 7 apiece in the first quarter with both quarterbacks, Ryan Dinwiddie of the 2002 team and Jared Zabransky of the 2004 Boise State team tossing scoring strikes.  However, two fumbles and a Zabransky interception in the second quarter led to 21 points as the '02 Broncos built a 31-14 halftime lead.  From there, the 2002 Boise State team coasted to the lopsided win that left the proud Liberty Bowl team scrambling for answers.





"I don't know what happened," 2004 Coach Dan Hawkins said.  "I knew I had that 2002 team fired up but this 2004 team was good as well."


Total offense (460 to 378) wasn't as lopsided as the final score, but the three second quarter turnovers cost dearly and special teams made a difference as well. Tim Gilligan repeatedly put the 2002 Broncos in excellent field position, averaging 45 yards on 5 punt returns.   David Mikell aided the ground game with 67 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries and he also caught one of 3 touchdown passes from Dinwiddie.  The junior signal  caller from Elk Grove, California was 19-24 for 257 yards on the afternoon.

The 2002 Boise State team is 2-1 this season while the '04 Broncos saw their record slip to 1-2.




2009 Boise State 62, 2005 Boise State 30

Jeremy Avery ran for five touchdowns as the 2009 Boise State team broke open a close game with five scores in the fourth quarter to put away the 2005 team 62-30.

Avery (20 carries for 146 yards) scored on runs of 6, 49, 1, 19 and 32 yards and D.J. Harper also scored on a 44-yard scamper as the 2009 Broncos ran for 246 yards.


Ian Johnson picked up 94 yards and 2 touchdowns on 13 carries to pace the rushing attack for the 2005 Broncos.  Quinton Jones provided a highlight with a thrilling 97-yard kickoff return and Anthony Montgomery added three field goals for Coach Dan Hawkins' team.

The 2009 Boise State team remains undefeated with a perfect 3-0 record; the 2005 Broncos are still looking for their first win.


2001 Miami of Florida 41, 2005 Texas 24
The 2001 National Champion Miami Hurricanes dealt a blow to the postseason hopes of the 2005 Texas Longhorns with a convincing 41-24 win this afternoon in a battle of unbeatens.  



Dependable running back Clinton Portis ran for 207 yards and two scores and caught one of three Ken Dorsey scoring passes as the Hurricanes sent a message to the rest of the league with this victory.  Texas was one of the preseason favorites to win the SFL Championship but must now regroup after the loss.


Texas had their fans shouting "Hook 'Em Horns" after Jamaal Charles found a hole in the Hurricane defense for a 35-yard second-quarter run that gave the Longhorns a 14-10 lead.  But Portis's 58-yard run through the heart of the Texas defense gave his team a 17-14 lead that they would not relinquish.


Miami led 24-14 at the intermission and tacked on scoring plays of a one-yard run from Portis and a 24-yard pass from Dorsey to Andre Johnson to put distance between the two teams at 38-17.


Miami gained 31 first downs on the afternoon to just 18 for Texas.  The two teams were fairly even on the ground, with Texas actually outgaining the Hurricanes 279-233.  The difference was Dorsey.  The Hurricane quarterback was an efficient 26-42 for 323 yards while Vince Young could not mount an aerial attack (9-18 for 116 yards).

Charles did rush for 146 yards and two scores but the lack of a passing attack crippled the Longhorns, especially when they fell behind.

Miami is 3-0 while Texas slipped to 2-1 with the loss.


2003 LSU 42, 2010 Auburn 24
The competition is so tough within the Simulation Football League that the defending National Champions can't buy a win.




Justin Vincent scored three times and LSU overpowered Auburn this afternoon.  Vincent ran roughshod over the Auburn defense with 142 yards, including a brilliant 63-yard run in the fourth quarter.  Matt Mauck continued his strong play with a 22-30 afternoon in which he threw for 364 yards and 2 touchdowns.  Auburn quarterback Cam Newton was efficient (12-18) but could not match the power of LSU.  Two LSU receivers, Michael Clayton (5-107 and a TD) and Devery Henderson (3-121) went over the century mark as Mauck spread the wealth to eight Tiger receivers.

Onterio McCalebb was the leading rusher for Auburn with 97 yards on 10 carries.  Newton picked up 78 yards but he had to use 27 carries to do it.

LSU picked up their first win of the SFL season while Auburn is still trying to find the right combination.


2008 Florida 27, 2007 LSU 19
Brandon Spikes ran 27 yards with an interception return with 3:12 left in the game as Florida came back to defeat the 2007 LSU team 27-19.




Colt David's 32-yard field goal in the second quarter, one of four on the afternoon, enabled LSU to grab a 9-7 lead.  Another David field goal from 39 yards out extended the lead to 12-7 in the third quarter.  Florida's Chris Rainey thrilled Gator fans with a 51-yard run to paydirt on the final play of the quarter.  LSU's Jacob Hester bust loose on a 64-yard run of his own to give the Tigers their final lead 19-14.  A Jonathan Phillips field goal on the ensuing possession cut the margin to 19-17 with 8:39 remaining, setting the stage for Spikes' heroics.  Another field goal from Phillips with 1:10 left provided the final margin of victory for Coach Urban Meyer's Florida team, which advanced to 2-1 this season.

Rainey gained 103 yards on just 10 carries to lead Florida.  Matt Flynn was 24-41 for 235 yards and a touchdown for LSU.  Hester finished with 103 yards rushing for the Tigers, who slipped to 1-2 with the defeat.

Garrett Patton Commits to Boise State

The Boise State tennis team has a new recruit and his name is a familiar one.  Garrett Patton, son of legendary Bronco Coach Greg Patton, inked a deal late yesterday afternoon.

“Getting Garrett to commit to Boise State was greatly enhanced since both parents were easy to convince, they both liked the coaching staff!” said Greg Patton. “I am thrilled to have a hometown kid join our program. I had been working on recruiting him since he was in blue and orange diapers and his first words were Go Broncos.”

Patton was a major reason why Boise High School was 62-0 the last four years.  Patton was unbeaten in singles the last two years and on the Idaho state title as a freshman and again as a junior.  Boise won three of four state titles during Patton's years there.  Patton is ranked #61 nationally.

What the Mountain West Must Do Out of Conference

The area that the Mountain West is short of in its quest for inclusion as an "Automatic Qualifer Conference"--average computer rating can be easily fixed.  I said this over and over in the WAC that it is more important to get a win--any win than it is to lose to a Top 10 team.  If your present team has no chance of beating a team (and the losing teams do not), that team shouldn't be on your schedule.  Most of the teams in the WAC  refused to adopt this scheduling philosophy and that is why Boise State had to leave the conference.

I understand fully about balancing the athletic budget and if you're not getting good home attendance, you need that million-dollar payout with a Texas, Oklahoma, etc.  It seems to me that the MWC teams have far greater attendance than the WAC so that shouldn't be an issue.  In any case, I am not talking about the budget issues, the scheduling changes are necessary if the conference is serious about attaining BCS status.

Again, a win over Idaho or Arkansas State will get more benefit in the computers than a loss to Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Oregon, or whoever is highly rated.  A lot of people are of the misunderstanding that scheduling those teams is going to improve your computer rating--not so, not if you lose to them.  So purely from a BCS standpoint, it is much better for the conference's lower teams in any given year (and right now that would be Wyoming, UNLV and New Mexico) to schedule only the lower-level teams of the WAC, MAC, USA and Sun Belt.  Once the wins start coming, then the schedule can be upgraded but get the wins first.  That not only helps the conference, but helps build the program and generates fan excitement.  Games against FCS teams are worthless--some computers don't even count them, and the ones that do give you next to nothing for a win and penalize you a lot for a loss.

So you can already see from the future schedules listed below that some MWC teams have scheduled far too tough, and losing any of those games will hurt the conference.  I have shown the future schedules and the estimated impact on the team's computer rating if the favored team wins those games.  I have also shown what the schedule needs to be in order for the MWC to attain permanent BCS status and the computer ratings under that scenario.  It should be obvious (again leaving all budget issues separate) that the latter route is the way to go.



Future MWC Out-of-Conference Schedules:
Air Force2011:
South Dakota             0
Tennessee State       0
at Navy                      +2.664
at Notre Dame         -(2.975)
Army                           +1.713

Analysis:  As said above, South Dakota and Tennessee State add absolutely nothing, dollars or BCS points, so they shouldn't be scheduled by anyone wanting to get automatic inclusion into the BCS.  I realize that Air Force is locked into games with Army and Navy, however Notre Dame shouldn't be scheduled because Air Force cannot beat them and as you can see, they loss 3 points in the computers by playing them.  South Dakota, Tennessee State and Notre Dame should be replaced with the best three teams that Air Force can reasonably beat--Examples are Illinois, Miami of Florida, Penn State, Baylor, UConn, BYU, Miami of Ohio, Boston College, Oregon State, Kansas State, Arizona State, Iowa State, Temple, Northwestern, Clemson, Toledo, Colorado, California, Texas, Louisville, Tennessee.  I know Air Force can find three of those to play.

Net Gain (Loss) =    1.4020

2012:
Idaho State                   0
at Michigan                   +2.787
Navy                              +2.664
Army                              +1.713

Net Gain (Loss) =        7.1640

Analysis:  Idaho State is as said a no-no.  Michigan and Navy are perfect and Army is a team Air Force has to play.  Overall, the type of schedule that can get the MWC an automatic BCS berth.  But for an even better chance, drop Idaho State and add one of the teams above.  San Jose State and New Mexico State would be better than Idaho State.

2013:
Colgate                             0
at Navy                             +2.664
Army                                 +1.713
Notre Dame                   -(2.975)

Net Gain (Loss) =           1.4020

Analysis:  Again, they have an FCS team--gotta' get away from that.  And Notre Dame should be replaced by one of the suggested teams.  The MWC will never get meet the second criterion if their teams gain a grand total of one point each on the season.  Won't happen.


Boise State2011:
at Georgia                           .8
at Toledo                             .812
Tulsa                                   1.917
Nevada                                2.544
at Fresno State                  1.180

Net Gain (Loss) =             7.2530

This overall is a good schedule.  No FCS teams.  Georgia and Toledo don't add as much as other teams but I also understand few teams will play the Broncos so again, overall a good schedule.  Boise State would be favored to add 7 points to their computer rating OOC.  If every MWC team did that, they would top the Big East.

2012:
at Michigan State               3.892
Miami of Ohio                     1.267
BYU                                      1.212

Net Gain (Loss) =              6.3710 (Incomplete)

Depending on the schedule with Hawai'i, Boise State could add a game here.  Overall, 6 points gained from 3 OOC games is very good.  They should try to schedule more teams like Michigan State if possible.  Arkansas, Missouri, Alabama and Wisconsin are suggestions.

2013:
at Washington                     1.648
at BYU                                   1.212

Net Gain (Loss) =                2.860 (Incomplete)

Boise State can add at least one game here and it has to be at home, thus limiting their possibilities.  Washington is probably good but they need to schedule tougher teams than BYU.

2014:
at Mississippi                        .226
BYU                                        1.212

Net Gain (Loss) =                1.438 (Incomplete)

Mississippi has to get a lot better for this game to help much.  And again, drop BYU.


Colorado State2011:
Northern Colorado                 0
Colorado                                -2.084
at Utah State                           3.636
San Jose State                       2.290

Net Gain (Loss) =                   3.8420

Not a bad schedule.  Utah State and San Jose State are exactly the teams that the Rams should be scheduling right now.  Try to get some wins and get that rating up there.  As you can see, the game with Colorado gets you nothing but reduced computer points.  Wait to play them until your teams consistently win 9-10 games.  And definitely drop Northern Colorado.

2012:
at Colorado                            -2.084
North Dakota State                  0
at San Jose State                   2.290
vs. Utah State                          3.636

Net gain (Loss) =                   3.8420

The temptation is to add those FCS teams but when you're all about getting your computer rating up, it's a killer.  So drop ND State and Colorado and add teams like New Mexico State and Washington State.  UTEP, Kent State, Rice, Tulane and UAB are other possibilities.

2013:
Colorado                                 -2.084
at Tulsa                                    -1.108
Cal Poly                                      0
UTEP                                         3.546

Net Gain (Loss) =                      .3540

Very poor schedule.  Again, to top the Big East you need big gains, not .35 points per team.  That's a non-factor.  As you can see, UTEP is a team that gives Colorado State an excellent chance to move up in the ratings because they have a very good chance of winning.  


Fresno State2011:
California                                    2.656
at Nebraska                              -(2.029)
North Dakota                                 0
Mississippi                                  1.962
Boise State                                 (-1.174)

Net Gain (Loss)                          1.4150

Fresno State traditionally schedules too tough and this is the case.  Cal at home is winnable so that's very doable.  They aren't going to beat Nebraska in the foreseeable future so drop them and North Dakota.  Fresno and Boise State shouldn't have scheduled each other in 2011--better for them both to schedule games they can win than to schedule a game where there is a guaranteed loser.  Ole Miss is a perfect game for Fresno.  Overall, not a good schedule for the Mountain West to improve.  Here are some better suggestions than Nebraska and North Dakota--Oregon State, Kansas State, Arizona State, Iowa State, Clemson, now Colorado is a great team for Fresno to schedule, others are UCLA, UTEP and Washington State.

2012:
Colorado                                       2.6880

Net Gain (Loss)                            2.6880 (Incomplete)

And here Fresno has Colorado--a perfect game.  If they add 2 more like that, they move up nearly 8 points in the computers.

2013:
Rutgers                                          1.655
Cal Poly                                            0
at Colorado                                    2.6880

Net Gain (Loss)                             4.3430

Rutgers is another good team to schedule.  If they can add another add one of the suggested teams above and it won't be bad.


Hawai'i2011:
Colorado                                          1.928
at Washington                                -(3.157)
at UNLV                                              .678
UC Davis                                             0
Tulane                                                 .800
BYU                                                     1.377

Net Gain (Loss)                                1.6260

Analysis:  Very bad schedule.  Colorado is a good team and BYU isn't bad.  They won't beat Washington in Seattle but they do get a return visit that they can win so that's not bad.  Again, they shouldn't have scheduled UNLV since they will be conference mates but that was probably already set up.  UC Davis is worthless and Tulane isn't up to Hawai'i's caliber--they can do better.  Notre Dame, Texas, Iowa, Washington, Navy, Arizona, Penn State, Baylor and Oregon State would all add huge points to Hawai'i because they are very solid teams that Hawai'i can beat.  Colorado, California and Washington State are other games that should be willing to go to Hawai'i.

2012:
at USC                                              -(2.824)
at BYU                                                 1.377
Lamar                                                    0
South Alabama                                    0

Net Gain (Loss)                                (-1.447)

Analysis:  Very poor schedule.  USC is OK because they get a return visit and can win in Honolulu.  Two FCS teams?  Replace those three teams with three of the suggested ones.

2013:
USC                                                       2.823
at Oregon State                                   2.317
BYU                                                       1.377
at Navy                                                  2.711
Army                                                      1.658

Net Gain (Loss)                                 10.886

Analysis:  See the difference from 2012 to 2013?  This is probably about as good as you can get.  Adding nearly 11 points for the MWC would be huge and all of those are winnable games.  Super schedule.

2014:
Washington                                          2.809
Oregon State                                        2.317
at Colorado                                           1.928

Net Gain (Loss)                                    7.054

Analysis:  Another solid schedule.  All three of those are exactly who Hawai'i should be scheduling right now.


Nevada2011:
at Oregon                                             -(3.318)
at Texas Tech                                        2.014
Boise State                                           -(2.378)
UNLV                                                    - (.183)
New Mexico                                          -(.774)

Net Gain (Loss)                                   -(4.639)

Analysis:  Very poor schedule.  Nevada has zero chance of beating Oregon in Eugene, especially with Kaepernick graduating--what were they thinking?  All that does is lose your team a game and three computer points.  Boise State, UNLV and New Mexico are future conference mates so not only does it not get the conference anywhere, but it loses you points as well.  Texas Tech is the only good scheduling move, the others are horrible.  Replace the four mentioned with teams like Utah, Iowa, USC, Washington, Navy, Arizona, Baylor, BYU and Oregon State.

2012:
at Washington                                        1.879 

Net Gain                                                   1.879 (Incomplete)

Analysis:  And there you see Washington, a good team to add.  Add 2-3 from the ones above and they've got a schedule that can benefit the conference.

2013:
at UCLA                                                      .669
Oregon                                                     -(3.318)

Net Loss                                                  -(2.6490) (Incomplete)

Analysis:  Again, they have zero chance of beating Oregon.  Don't dream so big that you lose the progress you've made.  UCLA is a good team to add.  Washington State is another.  Southern Mississippi, Houston and some of the other top teams from the "non-BCS" conferences are good as well for Nevada.

2014:
at Arizona                                                    1.7410

Net Gain                                                      1.7410 (Incomplete)

Analysis:  Arizona is a good move because Nevada has a good chance of winning that one.  Add 2 of the others and they'll contribute to the MWC gaining admission.


New Mexico2011:
at Nevada                                                       .887
at Arkansas                                                    .917
Texas Tech                                                   -(.226)
Sam Houston State                                          0
New Mexico State                                         3.243

Net Gain:                                                        4.8210

Analysis:  When you have struggled, you don't look for bodybag games; you look for teams you can beat to get your fan base energized.  Texas Tech is a pretty good add--they likely won't win but it doesn't hurt them much.  New Mexico State is a perfect game.  Arkansas is a solid enough team where it will add a bit but they can do much better.  When you're #114, you add other teams that are in the 100's, such as Tulane, Washington State, Central Michigan, Ball State, Louisiana-Lafayette, San Jose State, Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan.  Those aren't going to make headlines, but what they will do is give your team a chance to win games, an infinitely better strategy than playing the best teams in the world.

2012:
at UTEP                                                         -(2.092)
at Texas                                                         -(1.315)
Texas Tech                                                   -(.226)
at New Mexico State                                   -(2.981)

Net Loss:                                                     -(6.6140)

Analysis:  Horrible schedule.  They could possibly beat New Mexico State, so that could turn positive.  But definitely not Texas and Texas Tech in the same year--what did they have, delusions of grandeur?  Texas Tech perhaps but not Texas and not UTEP.  Get the games you can win and be reasonable about assessing your chances.


San Diego State2011:
Cal Poly                                                                0
at Army                                                            1.987
Washington State                                           .083
at Michigan                                                      2.972
Fresno State                                                    2.752

Net Gain:                                                         7.7940

Analysis:  A solid schedule overall.  Michigan and Army are perfect games.  Again, the Fresno game will hurt one or the other.  They could have either Washington State or Cal Poly but not both.  Add New Mexico State, San Jose State or Utah State if they want a solid home win but don't put a FCS on the schedule.  Other than that, great job.

2012:
at Cincinnati                                                   1.711
Army                                                                 1.987
North Dakota                                                      0
San Jose State                                                 .202

Net Gain:                                                          3.9000

Analysis:  Here, they have both ND and San Jose State.  One is OK but definitely not 2--they add a grand total of 2/10th's of a point for two games when they could do much better.  Cincinnati and Army are great games.  Other possibilities are:  Washington, Navy, Arizona, Michigan, Illinois, BYU and Oregon State.

2013:
at Utah State                                                     1.412
San Jose State                                                   .202
Oregon State                                                     2.613

Net Gain:                                                            4.2270

Analysis:  Here's a pretty good schedule, although I wouldn't schedule both Utah State and San Jose State in the same year when the teams above could give them far more mileage.


UNLV2011:
at Wisconsin                                                        (.142)
at Washington State                                         -(3.137)
Hawai'i                                                                -(.735)
at Nevada                                                             .197

Net Loss:                                                           -(3.8170)

Analysis:  Very bad schedule, and not just because Nevada and Hawai'i are future conference mates.  They won't beat  Wisconsin.  They are similar to New Mexico--schedule teams like Central Michigan, UAB, Rice, San Jose State, Utah State and New Mexico State.


2012:
Minnesota                                                          -(2.753)
Washington State                                              3.282
at Utah State                                                      -(2.437)
Florida Atlantic                                                     2.974

Net Gain:                                                               1.066 

Analysis:  Another poor schedule that won't help either UNLV or the MWC.  Washington State can be beaten at home so that was a decent team to add in a return visit.  UNLV with all that Las Vegas has to offer shouldn't have to do a 1 and 1 with Utah State and a loss there would kill the MWC.  Minnesota is far too good a team to go to.  If they must have a bodybag game, they should have aimed higher such as Oregon, Alabama, Auburn, LSU, etc.  Losses to those teams wouldn't hurt their rating as much as Minnesota will.  Florida Atlantic on the schedule--absolutely perfect for this time in UNLV football.  Win that and others like the ones I suggested and they'll make progress for the football program and for the Mountain West.

2013:
at Minnesota                                                       -(2.753)
Arizona                                                                 -(1.147)
Western Illinois                                                        0
at Utah State                                                      -(2.437)

Net Loss:                                                             -(6.337)

Analysis:  Another poor schedule.  Arizona is a possibility but Western Illinois offers them nothing.  There are plenty of FBS teams that UNLV can get to come to Las Vegas and beat.


Wyoming 
2011:          
Weber State                                                               0
Texas State                                                                0 
at Bowling Green                                                  2.146
Nebraska                                                               -(.554)
at Utah State                                                         -(2.820)

Net Loss:                                                               -(1.228)

Analysis:  Get rid of Weber State and Texas State; the Mountain West is too good of a conference for those games.  Nebraska is not winnable, but again if they have to have a bodybag game to balance the budget, Nebraska is probably as good as any.  Bowling Green is a perfect game for Wyoming--Utah State is too good to travel to.  Add the teams I suggested for New Mexico and UNLV.

2012:             
at Texas                                                                  -(2.076)   
Toledo                                                                     -(1.977)
Cal Poly                                                                        0
at Idaho                                                                  -(2.511)                                                                   
Southern Utah                                                            0

Net Loss:                                                                -(6.564)

Analysis:  Another horrible schedule.  They won't beat Texas, Toledo or Idaho, not at this juncture.  And Cal Poly and Southern Utah get them nowhere.

2013:                                              
Utah State                                                                -(2.820)
at Oregon                                                                     .579

Net Gain:                                                                   -(2.2300)

Analysis:  Wyoming has at least one game to add here and I hope it is someone like New Mexico State, San Jose State or Washington State, someone like that.   Unless things change in a hurry, Wyoming won't beat Utah State and Oregon is just a payday although if you're going to have one, that's a good team to schedule.

Chaz Anderson Becomes Fourth Bronco Recruit

I was hoping for this one.  Chaz Anderson has committed to Boise State, being the fourth member of the Class of 2012 to commit before the school year.


Anderson needs Bronco conditioning coach Tim Socha to take him under his wing; he's 6-0, 175, but if that can be accomplished he'll do fine.  He excels at backpedaling, is quick, and can recover quickly as well.  Anderson is the cousin of current Bronco cornerback Bryan Douglas.  He chose Boise State over interest from USC and UCLA.


He joins quarterback Nick Patti, cornerback Marcus Rios and wide receiver Shane Rhodes in the 2012 Class thus far.  Those are two outstanding corners--can you imagine those two locking down both sides?  Awesome news for Bronco fans!

Athlon Chooses Top Ten Boise State Football Players of All-Time

Boise State fans will tell you that ranking Bronco players is like ranking kids.  They all have their good points and bad points, but you love them all.

I'll be on KTIK-Radio in Boise this afternoon (around 4:20) discussing Athlon's selections and including some players that also need to be included in the discussion.

http://www.athlonsports.com/college-football/slideshows/top-ten-greatest-boise-state-broncos#1

Three Broncos on Sporting News All-America Team

The preseason All-America lists continue to roll in.  The Sporting News has theirs out, and three Broncos are on it.  Tackle Nate Potter and defensive tackle Billy Winn both made the first team while quarterback Kellen Moore was a second-team selection.  Of course, the ones that count are the postseason teams.

Kickoff Set for Boise State-Nevada

One of the most anticipated college football games of the season is the rematch of Boise State vs. Nevada in Bronco Stadium this fall.  We now know the kickoff time--it will be 12:30 p.m. October 1.

Boise State Defensive Line Called the "Best in the Nation" by Athlon Sports

The annual preseason magazine has done its research and today released their rankings for the upcoming football season.  Among the highlights for Boise State, the Bronco defensive line was ranked #1 in the nation, Boise State quarterbacks are #2 and the Boise State offensive line was ranked #5.  The Boise State football team also was ranked #5 in the preseason Athlon rankings of college football teams.