WAC Men's Basketball Tournament Results

#8 San Jose State shocked #5 seed Hawai'i 75-74 this afternoon.  The Spartans will now go after #4 Idaho tomorrow at 1 pm. Mountain Time.

#6 Nevada downed #7 Fresno State 90-80 today.  Nevada will play New Mexico State tomorrow afternoon at 3:30.  The winner of that game will play Boise State.

Bronco Women Lose to Idaho 70-59

The old saying this time of year is "It's tough to beat a team three times in a season."

Boise State gave its best effort of the year against Idaho but in the end, it was the Vandal women with a 70-59 win tonight in Las Vegas in the opening round of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament.

Idaho moves on to play Idaho tomorrow night while Boise State sees their difficult season end.

The NCAA Wrestling Brackets for Boise State

Earlier this afternoon came the news that for the first time in history, all 10 Boise State wrestlers would be competing at the NCAA National Championships in Philadelphia.  Now the Broncos must go out and prove that the respect was earned.  At times in the last few years, several of the Broncos have wrestled very tentatively when they get to this level.  It is obvious to fans but by now it should also be obvious to them that wrestling tentatively is the quickest way to get beat, get injured, or both.  You have to go all out and wrestle aggressively to do well.

The Championships begin Thursday, March 17 with the early matches.  I have shown the first-round matches for each of the 10 Broncos below.

125--Alan Bartelli.  Bartelli is unseeded despite an impressive late-season run that included a third-place finish in the prestigious Pac-10 Conference Championship.  Not only that, they put him against #8 Jarrod Patterson of Oklahoma in his first match.  Patterson was the Big 12 Champion last year and the runner-up this season.  He has a record of 25-7.  The respect given the Bronco team in general did not translate to Bartelli.  Prove 'em wrong, Alan!

133--Andrew Hochstrasser.  Andrew drew the #2 seed at 133 pounds, which is about where he has been all season long.  "Hoch" will face Nathan McCormick of Missouri in the opening round.  McCormick came in third at the Big 12 Championships.  McCormick is 21-13 on the season.

141--Levi Jones.  Despite being nationally-ranked all season, Jones has to wrestle in the "pigtail" match against Corey Manson of Cornell.  I want to mention that Cornell is the favorite for the national title.  Boise State has aspirations of that title.  You can see where I'm going when I say that this match, even though it is a pigtail match, is pretty important in the team standings.  Manson is 24-15 this year.

149--Jason Chamberlain.  Chamberlain could have been higher possibly if he had done a bit better in the Pac-10 Championships.  As it is, he is seeded #6 and will face Dane Johnston of Pittsburgh, who is 16-16 this year.



157--Adam Hall.  Hall draws the #1 seed at 157 pounds.  He will face another Cornell wrestler, D.J. Meagher.  Again the huge importance of coming out strong to not allow a Cornell wrestler (or anyone for that matter) to shock him in overtime.  It makes one wonder why they put a 19-4 wrestler against Hall in the first match.

165--Kurt Swartz.  The older Swartz may not have gotten here were it not for a fantastic Pac-10 Championship win.  He will face #4 Josh Asper of Maryland in the opening round.  Asper was the runner-up in the Atlantic Coast Conference last year and captured the championship this season.

174--Jake Swartz.  Jacob of course was one of three Broncos named today to the at-large pool.  Two brothers competing at the same time in the National Championships; it doesn't get much better than that.  He will face Matt Fullowan of F & M.

184--Kirk Smith.  Well, here's the biggest question mark.  He only wrestled 10 times this season to protect an earlier injury, then gets hurt against Oklahoma State in the final regular season match.  Only Kirk knows how well he can do, but he did not look good at all when he left the mat in Corvallis.  He opens with Duke's Diego Bencomo, who went 21-13 in getting second place in the ACC.

197--Matt Casperson.  Matt received an invite as well to Philadelphia this afternoon.  In my mind, someone who is glad to be invited is going to be more loose than someone who is a high seed.  Hopefully "Casp" will surprise the field.  He'll take on #8 Zac Thomusseit of Pittsburgh in the first round.  Thomusseit was the Eastern Wrestling League runner-up last season who this season has a record of 21-3.

285--J.T. Felix.  Felix is one of the surprises of the team, but not because he was invited today.  Rather, J.T. went out and finished second at the Pac-10 Championships to get the automatic berth.  He likely would not be going if it weren't for that.  If Felix can continue to surprise, he would greatly improve Boise State's team chances.  Felix squares off against Dominique Bradley of Missouri in the opening round.  Bradley enters the match with a record of 22-3.

So there you have it.  History.  But to be honest, history is made more by what you do in particular situations.  The Broncos are fortunate to all be wrestling in Philadelphia, but life is what you make of the moment.  And that chapter will be written by their performance in the Championships.

Good luck to Coach Greg Randall and the Boise State Broncos--make us proud!!

This blog will have constant updates so stay tuned.

(Click on story link for the complete NCAA Wrestling brackets.)

Burnett and Cortney Will Represent Boise State at NCAA Diving Championships

For the first time in the short history of swimming and diving at Boise State, the Broncos will send two representatives to the Zone E Diving Championships starting Thursday in Minneapolis. 

Junior Amanda Burnett and freshman Ciera Cortney are there now preparing for the competition and trying to qualify for the National Championships.  The Bronco pair are among 57 competitors vying for just six qualifying spots for the Nationals.  Both Burnett and Cortney will compete in all three diving events--the 1-meter, 3-meter and platform diving.  Prelims begin at 10 a.m. Mountain time Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Amber Boucher and Stephanie North have already qualified for the NCAA Championships which beging Thursday, March 17 in Austin, Texas.

Boise State Will Send A Perfect "10" To NCAA Wrestling Championships

Super news from the NCAA today.  All three Boise State wrestlers who were hoping to join their Bronco teammates have been invited to the NCAA National Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia.  The news, just announced by the NCAA, means that Jake Swartz, Kirk Smith and Matt Casperson have all been selected to compete as at-large qualifiers.  The other seven Broncos won automatic berths to the Championships by virtue of their finish at the Pac-10 Championships.

This is the first time in school history that Boise State has sent all 10 wrestlers to the National Championships.  The previous record was 9, set in 2003 and tied in 2008 and again in 2009.

I will have much more on this news, including the NCAA brackets, later tonight.

Blog Highlights

As it takes considerable time to sift through past blog articles (now numbering over 200), to find a particular article of interest, I have started the Tab "Blog Highlights".  That page has links to all of the most popular articles all in one place.

Boise State One of 11 Schools in the Nation

By topping the 10-win mark last season (the Broncos' football team was 12-1), Boise State became one of just 11 schools since 1920 to put together five consecutive seasons of 10 wins or more.

Boise State was 13-0 in 2006, 10-3 in 2007, 12-1 in 2008, 14-0 in 2009 and 12-1 last season.  Were it not for a heartbreaking loss in the final seconds to Boston College in 2005, the Broncos' streak would be nine.



The other 12 schools with five or more consecutive seasons of 10 or more wins are:  Alabama (1971-1975), Florida State (1987-2000), Georgia (2002-2006), Miami of Florida (1985-1992), Nebraska (1993-1997), Ohio State (2005-2010), Texas (2001-2009), Oklahoma, which has accomplished the feat three time (1954-1958, 1971-1975, and 2000-2004), USC (2002-2008) and Virginia Tech (2004-2010).

Here is the ranking of the above schools:

1.  Florida State 14 (1987-2000)
2.  Texas 9 (2001-2009)
3.  Miami of Florida 8 (1985-1992)
4.  Virginia Tech 7 (2004-2010)
4.  USC 7 (2002-2008)
6.  Ohio State 6 (2005-2010)
7.  Boise State 5 (2006-2010)
7.  Alabama 5 (1971-1975)
7.  Georgia 5 (2002-2006)
7.  Nebraska 5 (1993-1997)
7.  Oklahoma 5 (1954-1958)
7.  Oklahoma 5 (1971-1975)
7.  Oklahoma 5 (2000-2004)

Distinction: Here We Come!

Destination Distinction as most Bronco fans know by now is Boise State's ambitious $175 million fundraising initiative.  This comprehensive campaign is the first-ever at Boise State and was officially kicked off in 2007.  Destination Distinction will transform Boise State into a metropolitan research university of distinction, providing unparalleled opportunities for students, solving problems locally, nationally and globally and improving the quality of life for all Idahoans.

The campaign has three targets:  people, places and programs.  Boise State's students, faculty and staff are its most valuable resource.  New buildings, labs and other facilities will allow the university to impart knowledge and share in discovery.  Exceptional academics and an enhanced research agenda will help Boise State achieve distinction.

The Destination Distinction campaign is essential to achieving Boise State University's vision of serving the public as a metropolitan research university. Envisioned as a comprehensive campaign, this initiative seeks $175 million from alumni and friends in current and future gifts to support its strategic plan for facilities, students, faculty, academic programs, athletics and research.

Some in 2007 may have thought the school was "dreaming" or aiming too high.  But this is not your father's Boise State.  The school has changed rapidly, both in size and in perception.  As this blog has helped detail in the last several days, the awards, honors, grants and groundbreaking research taking place and bestowed upon Boise State is staggering.  

The attention Boise State is attracting is due in no small measure to Destination Distinction.  This grand "dreamer's plan" four years ago of raising $175 million to establish Boise State as a metropolitan research university of distinction has now raised 93% of its goal.  Contributions from Boise State faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends have now exceeded $163 million.

$12 million will help Boise State reach all of its goals so brilliantly set forth by esteemed President Bob Kustra.  His vision will make it possible for Idahoans to enjoy one of the top learning environments in the nation--and not leave home.  

Boise State RPI Rankings for NCAA Wrestling Championships At-Large Berths

Here are the final RPI Rankings.  The NCAA selection committee will look very closely at these.

125--Bartelli #31
133--Hochstrasser #1
141--Jones  Not ranked
149--Chamberlain  #2
157--Hall   #3
165--Kurt Swartz   Not ranked
174--Jacob Kwarz   #16
184--Smith     Not ranked (a wrestler needs a minimum of 15 matches to be eligible.)
194--Casperson   Not ranked
285--Felix     Not ranked

Unlike the coaches' rankings, the RPI's don't look good except for Jacob Swartz.  Smith and Casperson, the other Broncos hoping for an at-large berth, are not ranked in the Top 33 in their weight classes.

Analysis of NCAA Wrestling Field

(see article below)

The three wrestlers left out of the NCAA National Wrestling Championships field for Boise State would seem to be in fairly good shape as far as coaches' rankings.  Keep in mind this is just one of the criteria that the NCAA selection committee is using.  But here are the coaches' final rankings for Boise State's 10 wrestlers:

125--Alan Bartelli #22
133--Andrew Hochstrasser #2
141--Levi Jones #17
149--Jason Chamberlain #5
157--Adam Hall #3
165--Kurt Swartz Not ranked
174--Jake Swartz #15
184--Kirk Smith #3
197--Matt Casperson #16
285--J.T. Felix   #29

As mentioned below, the three Boise State wrestlers left out are Jake Swartz, Kirk Smith and Matt Casperson.  Jake is #15 in his weight classification, Smith is #3 and Casperson #16.  There are 33 wrestlers in each weight classification.  Unless a whole lot of high-ranked wrestlers are not already included in the field at 174, 184 and 197, these rankings would seem to bode well.

NCAA Set to Name At-Large Wrestlers for National Championships

The NCAA will announce the rest of the qualifiers for the 2011 National Wrestling Championships tomorrow.  There were 281 automatic qualifiers after all of the conference tournaments.  There will be a total of 330 wrestlers at the Championships, 33 in each weight class. 


This is of particular note for Boise State, with three wrestlers left out of the trip to Philadelphia at this time.  Jake Swartz, Matt Casperson and Kirk Smith are the ones waiting for an invite.  There are openings for four at-large wrestlers in Swartz's classification and five openings in the weight class of both Casperson and Smith.





The at-large selections will be made based on the following criteria: head-to-head competition; qualifying event placement; quality wins; results against common opponents; winning percentage; RPI; coaches ranking and the number of matches contested at that weight class.


Conference    125   133  141  149  157  165  174  184  197  285  TOT
ACC                    2        1      3      2      3      2      2      3      1      1       20
Big 12                 3        4       4      1      1      5      3      4      4      4      33
Big 10                 5        8       6      8      6      5      8      6     6       6      64
Colonial              2        3       1      2       1      3     2       1     1       1      17
East Region      1        1       1       1      1      1     1       1     1        1       10
EIWA                 5        3       5       5      5      4     5       4     5        4       45
EWA                  2        2       2       2      3      2     1       3     2        1       20
MAC                 1         2       1       1      3      1     2        1    2        4        18
Pac-10              4        3        2       2     3      1      3       1    4        3        26
Southern            1        1        1      1      1      2      1       2    1        2       13
West Region      2       1        2      2      2      1       1      2     1        1       15


TOT QUAL      28     29      28     27     29    27     29      28   28     28     281

The Field for the 2011 Heptathlon

  1  Miller Moss                   SR Clemson                     5903D
  2  Curtis Beach                  SO Duke                         5816D
  3  Bjorn Barrefors              JR Nebraska                  5816D
  4  Gray Horn                      JR Florida                      5816D
  5  Lars Rise                        SR Missouri                    5756D
  6  Mantas Silkauskas          JR Kansas State             5751D
  7  Jeremy Taiwo                 SO Washington              5746D
  8  Japheth Cato                  FR Wisconsin                  5742D
  9  Romain Martin                FR UT-Arlington            5728D
10  Moritz Cleve                   SR Kansas State               5698D
11  Michael Morrison             SR California                  5694D
12  Kurt Felix                        JR Boise State                 5691D
13  David Klech                    SR Oregon                       5685D
14  Kevin Lazas                     FR Arkansas                   5674D
15  Mateo Sossah                  SR North Carolina           5674D
16  Wesley Bray                    SR Houston                     5671D

Felix Named West Region Field Athlete of the Year

Kurt Felix of Boise State was recognized today as the West Region Field Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field Coaches.  Felix earned an automatic qualifying mark in the heptathlon at the Western Athletic Conference Indoor Championships February 25.

Felix is the sole representative of the Boise State team at this weekend's NCAA National Indoor Track & Field Championships.

Glass, Redmon Sweep Awards

Boise State's Amy Glass and Hannah Redmon were honored by the Western Athletic Conference this week for performances against Southern Utah over the weekend.  Glass set a record with her eighth all-around win and recorded the fifth-best all-around score in Bronco history (39.500).  Glass also recorded a personal best of 9.925 on bars and won the beam (9.900) and floor (9.875).


The Bronco gymnasts are at Sacramento State this weekend for a triangular meet that also includes UC Davis before attempting to defend their WAC title the following week.

Bronco Gymnasts Ranked #13 This Week

(Click on story link to view the newest rankings.)

Lee Tabbed by WAC Office for Post-Season Honor

Boise State freshman Diana Lee has been named to the Western Athletic Conference All-Freshman team, according to the league office.  Lee averaged 6.6 points, 1.9 rebound and 3.1 assists per game for the Broncos.  It was the only post-season honor for the Lady Broncos.


Lee and Boise State will meet Idaho Wednesday in the opening round of the WAC Tournament.

2010-11 All-Western Athletic Conference Teams

First Team All-WAC
Ashlee Brown, Utah State, F
Adrienne Johnson, Louisiana Tech, F
Shavon Moore, Nevada, F
Tahnee Robinson, Nevada, G
Jaleesa Ross, Fresno State, G

Second Team All-WAC
Jasmine Bendolph, Louisiana Tech, G
Rosie Moult, Fresno State, G/F
Yinka Olorunnife, Idaho, F
Madison Spence, New Mexico State, G
Tarkeisha Wysinger-Mackey, Louisiana Tech, G

All-Defensive Team
Alice Coddington, Utah State, G
Adrienne Johnson, Louisiana Tech, F
Shavon Moore, Nevada, F
Yinka Olorunnife, Idaho, F
Tarkeisha Wysinger-Mackey, Louisiana Tech, G

All-Freshman Team
Kamilah Jackson, Hawai`i, F
Shawna-Lei Kuehu, Hawai`i, G
Diana Lee, Boise State, G
Jasmine Rutledge, New Mexico State, G
Taylor Thompson, Fresno State, G

Player of the Year: Adrienne Johnson, Louisiana Tech

Defensive Player of the Year: Shavon Moore, Nevada

Newcomer of the Year: Ashlee Brown, Utah State

Coach of the Year: Raegan Pebley, Utah State

No Broncos Added to Qualifying List for NCAA Track & Field Championships

Eetu Viitaala and Trevor Kraychir had hoped to get invitations to this week's NCAA Track & Field Championships.  The invitations never came.

Kurt Felix will be the sole representative of Boise State this weekend in the heptathlon.  His teammates now know what they must do to assure them a spot at the Outdoor Championships--set automatic qualifying marks.

Check out this blog for updates on how Felix is doing.

Zell Earns WAC Pitcher of the Week

I would hate to think she wouldn't after firing a no-hitter!

Boise State's Aubray Zell, who pitched the first no-hitter in school history (winning 12-0), was named today as the Western Athletic Conference as the Broncos' first-ever Pitcher of the Week.

I was being facetious above, but it almost didn't happen.  You see, earlier in the week, Hawai'i sophomore Kaia Parnaby threw a perfect game.  The WAC office did the appropriate thing and made them both Co-Pitchers of the Week.

Zell tied a career high with eight K's in the no-no.  The only base runner for Southern Utah reached on a dropped third strike.  Zell came back on Sunday and became the first Bronco pitch back-to-back shutouts, winning 2-0.  For the weekend, Zell pitched 12 innings with a 0.00 ERA, 15 strikeouts and no walks.

Congrats to Aubray for her sensational pitching over the weekend and for this award.

Five Things to Watch For From Bronco Spring Drills

Boise State is ready to open spring football practice with some unfinished business to take care of.  Coach Chris Petersen is opening the practice sooner than usual and instead spreading the practices out over a period of weeks.

Here are some things I’m looking for in Boise State’s spring practices:

1. Chip on the shoulder—Boise State teams have always played their best when they feel like they have something to prove.  The collective “chip” can be formed by many factors—disrespect from someone like Craig James or Mark May, low ranking in the polls, and disappointment from a previous game or season.

It is this latter factor that I’d like to address.  We know James and May and the rest of their ilk will never be able to look at the college football landscape intelligently.  And getting college football voters to respect Boise State is a long, difficult process.  But what Boise State can control; it is in fact the only thing they can control, is how they play on the field.  I just basically paraphrased Coach Chris Petersen, who I think we can all agree is one of the top minds in college football right now.

Boise State no doubt has been watching and re-watching the Nevada loss last season, seeing how plays made or not made throughout the game greatly influenced the outcome, how tackling at the line of scrimmage sometimes is the only way to stop a touchdown, how making a key block is the difference between a tackle for loss and an amazing run.  The casual observer saw Bronco defensive players with their hands on their hips huffing and puffing.  Coach Pete denied the Bronco defense was tired.  But did he do that to honor Nevada’s victory and not make excuses?

In any case, the loss is there and it alone prevented Boise State from playing in the time-honored Rose Bowl.  Instead, the Broncos allowed TCU to play and defeat Wisconsin. 

So I am looking for concentration, intensity, focus and a serious and angry group of Broncos.  Anything short of that and I’ll be disappointed. 

2. The emergence of talented young wide receivers—We all know what Austin Pettis and Titus Young meant to Boise State last year and over the last four years.  They simply were the best duo to ever play for the Broncos and the best duo in the nation last year.  The raves that both have received from their Senior Bowl experience and from the workouts at the NFL Combine are a testament not only to their tremendous athletic abilities but to the state-of-the-art techniques that the best coaches in the nation have used to develop both Pettis and Young.

I think I speak for most Bronco fans when I say that I was excited when I learned Kirby Moore was coming to Boise State.  The kid had video game-type statistics in high school.  I was excited when I found out about Geraldo Hiwat and Aaron Burks and Matt Miller.  I see athletic ability in those four young men that is not overshadowed in the least by the raw ability of Pettis & Young when they first stepped onto campus. 

With a quarterback like Kellen Moore, the four young talents mentioned above have an opportunity that very few receivers in the nation have.  If they get open, KM is going to get them the ball—that’s what he does.  Kellen has an uncanny ability to read defenses and to spot the open man.  The scary thing is that if he stays healthy (see #5 below); he is going to be better in his senior year because of three years of starting experience.

How fortunate the Bronco receivers are to be playing at the same time as Moore.  Kellen’s brother Kirby redshirted last year, presumably to prepare him for being a tight end.  Whatever position the coaches decide is best for Kirby, his great routes and hands (not to mention the special familiarity he has with the quarterback) make him a perfect possession receiver to replace Pettis.  That said, Kirby doesn’t have to “mimic” anyone to be successful.  Pettis is an incredible receiver with amazing leaping ability and sticky hands.  Kirby has his own unique set of skills that he brings to the table.

Geraldo Hiwat has learned much about football that he wasn’t able to acquire in The Netherlands.  But when he was one of the highlights of the 2009 recruiting class, Bronco fans saw great raw talent—the speed of Titus Young and the leaping ability of Austin Pettis.  But Hiwat has something those gifted receivers did not—6’4” size.  To be able to accomplish what the 2010 Broncos could not do, go undefeated and play in the BCS National Championship Game, Offensive Coordinator Brent Pease needs a breakout year from a receiver.  Hiwat very well could be that guy.

Aaron Burks was one of the first great talents to flow from Boise State’s Texas recruiting pipeline.  Pease of course had established great connections with the high school coaches in Texas when he coached at Baylor and he brought those connections with him to Boise State.  Given that Pease saw something special in Burks when he recruited him to be a Bronco, one would think that Pease will showcase that ability this fall.  Burks is about the size of Pettis (6’2”) but he has great speed and can also go up and get a football.

That brings us to Matt Miller, the 6’3” target that had coaches all over the country (with offers from Arkansas, North Carolina, Stanford, Oregon and Oregon State just to name a few) salivating.  But Boise State is the school that landed him and if he can learn the complex Bronco offense and adjust to the speed of the college game, one would think he will see the field often this fall.  Miller isn’t going to burn you with speed like Young but fans will note that his 4.5 40 time is exactly that of Burks—that tells us that he’s going to be great for yards after the catch.  Miller has football focus, a great combination of route-running, concentration and great hands. 

So I’m looking for a breakout year from at least one of the four.  One or more of that quartet has to step forward for Boise State to reach its goals.

3. The third thing I’m looking for is a defensive line that exceeds the performance of the 2010 Broncos.  Yes, I know what I just said.  The Boise State defensive line last year was the best to ever play at the school.  But the Broncos have not climbed the ladder to the top yet—something happened on the way there.  Clearly they need better play, and that fact was crystal clear in the Nevada game.  When the play needed to be made in the second half to halt Wolf Pack momentum, it was not made.  The group not only needs to be aggressive and play smart for two-three quarters or for 10 games; Boise State needs all-out monsters to wreak havoc for all four quarters of all 12 games this season. 

Boise State lost one of its best-ever defensive ends in Ryan Winterswyk, but there is plenty of talent in the wings. I expect Tyrone Crawford to step into that role nicely.  Although Crawford did not start or even play two quarters in a given game, he still finished the 2010 campaign as Boise State's 10th-leading tackler (32) with 13.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks as just a sample of what he can accomplish in a full-time role.  Crawford’s coach, defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski, made a name for himself with aggressiveness, sure tackling ability, and an outstanding motor.  Suffice it to say that Pete K. is looking for the same in Crawford.  For offensive linemen not familiar with him, Crawford will shock them with his quickness off the ball and at 6’4”, 276; Crawford has the size and strength to manhandle his opponent. 

But one of the strengths of last season was that Kwiatkowski had the luxury of substituting at will on the defensive line without losing anything in terms of shear talent and ability.  So just as at least one wide receiver needs to step up, one of the talented young defensive lineman has to do the same.  Kharyee Marshall, Nick Alexander, Robert Ash and Samuel Ukwuachu form the talent pool to accomplish just that.  Marshall will not participate in spring drills I am told.  Normally new recruits like Ash and Ukwuachu would redshirt.  But Coach Petersen has been clear that he wants to even out the recruiting classes and that means playing a good deal of the 2011 recruits.  I suspect that if Kwiatkowski isn’t “wowed” by what he sees, the Broncos will not hesitate to utilize Ash and/or Ukwuachu. 

Ash has good foot speed and an unstoppable motor, two qualities that are tailor-made for being a great defensive end.  He still needs to work on his range and needs work in the weight room.  But Boise State has always placed more emphasis on speed and quickness from its defensive linemen and Ash certainly fits the bill there.  Oregon State, UCLA and Washington are three of the many schools that Ash turned down in favor of Boise State.

Ukwuachu (6-5, 210) is smaller than Ash and likely isn’t ready yet until Strength and Conditioning Coach Tim Socha releases him from the weight room.  But Ukwuachu has good speed and quickness that Boise State needs and if it is not provided by upperclassmen, he’ll be there.

Kharyee Marshall has already begun to exhibit the talent that he brings to the position, both in spring games and on the scout team.  Marshall runs a 4.6 40 and has incredible acceleration and closing ability.  He would have been excellent in running down (Nevada quarterback Colin) Kaepernick last year.

Nick Alexander has made great strides since first coming to the Bronco program in 2009.  Besides the full-out attack to the ball carrier, Alexander has bloodlines—he is the grandson of NFL Hall of Famer Carl Eller.

Again at least one of those four young prospects must seize the opportunity that is there this fall for Boise State to have an outstanding season.  Justin Jungblut, Ricky Tjong-A-Tjoe and Michael Atkinson are others that must work their way into the defensive line rotation at tackle. 

4. Clutch field goal kicking—unfortunately for Boise State, one of their only weaknesses was exposed last year at a time when they could not afford it.  So the Bronco coaching staff brought in strong-legged and highly-acclaimed placekicker Jake Van Ginkel.  Van Ginkel’s 39 career field goals at Upland High School (California) were a state record.  Van Ginkel only missed two field goals under 40 yards, he converted several in pressure situations, and, on kicks of 58 and 59 yards, he split the uprights with room to spare.

So I’ll be watching Van Ginkel to see this great talent for myself.

5. The teamwork and consistency of the offensive line—As Kellen Moore goes, so will go the Broncos.  He is poised to have a great senior year but a lot of what Kellen can do for an offense is dependent upon the solid play of the guys up front.  There isn’t any reason to think the Bronco line, which only loses two starters, cannot continue to protect Moore the way they have done in the last three years.  Nonetheless, it is an area to watch because it is vital to Boise State’s success.  We are aware that defense is always ahead of offense in the spring.  We also know that Boise State’s defensive line will be one of the most challenging the Bronco offensive line will face this season.  But, with Georgia looming as the season opener, the offensive line has to be ready from the start of spring practice and then go full steam ahead into September.

So there are five key areas to watch this fall.  I will be evaluating the team primarily considering those factors to determine how the 2011 Boise State team measures up.

Boise State Biology Professor Julia Oxford Part of Breakthrough Bone Study

Julia Oxford, a biology professor and director of the Biomolecular Research Center at Boise State, helped discover a key mechanism in the way in which bones build and maintain strength and elasticity.  Findings of the study are published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.  The discovery could have a significant impact in treating osteoporosis and other diseases that can lead to decreased bone mineral contact and could provide a blueprint for improving methods of preserving bone strength with age.

A collaborative group of researchers conducted the study, including Oxford and led by Jeff Gorski, a professor of oral biology at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.  Oxford explained that mineralization is the process that contributes to the strength and hardness of bone, whereby calcium phosphate crystals produced by bone-forming cells accumulate in the fibrous protein matrix that is the scaffolding of the bone itself.

“We found that mineralization depends on a specific enzyme called SKI-1, though it is just one of several proteins we’re looking at that play important roles in essential biological mechanisms,” she said. “Our growing understanding of these mechanisms could have significant implications in helping clinicians monitor bone health as well as diagnose and treat debilitating bone diseases.”

By studying bone cells isolated in culture dishes, researchers in the collaborative study demonstrated that the deactivation of SKI-1 means bone mineralization cannot occur. They alternatively observed that if the actions of SKI-1 are stimulated, more mineralization takes place, triggering production of the proteins that form the bone’s mineralized matrix. Scientists may be able to use such enzyme regulation to stimulate bone formation after fracture.

Boise State students of biology and chemistry are active in Oxford's research that provides a tremendous learning opportunity.  Those students are Ben Davis, Stephanie Frahs, Anthony Hafez, Jon Reeck, Luke Woodbury, Bryan Martin, Chris Mallory and Dawn Mikelonis.

Boise State recently received a $750,000 NASA EPSCoR grant that will support a related project by Oxford (at right in photo) in collaboration with Boise State biology professors Cheryl Jorcyk, Troy Rohn and Kristen Mitchell.   

Since 2007, the Idaho State Board of Education has contributed $1 million to Boise State for the formation of the Musculoskeletal Research Institute, co-directed by Oxford and biomedical engineering professor Michelle Sabick.

“We have been working to grow musculoskeletal research strength in Idaho, and the State Board is providing crucial infrastructure,” Oxford said.