Bleacher Report - Articles by Drew Roberts

Moving Day

Drew Roberts — Tue, 05 May 2009 11:48:00 -0400

Not even changing timezones.

300 seemed like such a good number to end things on. In the last couple of weeks Mr. Bleymeier went to Washington, Z headed to Canada, Kyle Wilson broke stopwatches at BSU pro day—all these events were worthy of articles, but alas, none were posted.

Why? Well, my run on FFBSU has come to an end and it seemed odd to push the 300 boundary too far. Fight, Fight, BSU started in between the magical 2006 season and the so-so 2007 season as a way for me to appease the offseason demons that demanded more Bronco coverage.

Along the way, it became a nice little blog with weekly features and flashy header graphics. Heck, I even broke a few stories over here and got some advertisers...not bad for a freebie blogspot blog, really. All told, FFBSU has had close to 70,000 visitors since its inception...I'm busting with pride!

Ok, so technically this is post number 301 and I will be RSS feeding new posts to this blog until people get the memo that I've changed addresses. Oh, I didn't tell you where I'm heading too yet, did I?

Well, that unstoppable juggernaut OBNUG is back—and guess who's been added to the roster? No, not David Augusto...it's me! Kevan from OBNUG gave me an offer I couldn't refuse (his henchmen are VERY persuasive) and I'll be taking my headline puns and Vandal jokes over to OBNUG full-time.

A bittersweet decision to be sure, as I have enjoyed being the Notre Dame of the blog-o-sphere and remaining independent, but OBNUG (now a part of the SB Nation community) will allow the forces of good to come together to blog the crap out of Bronco football. Everyone can get behind that, right?

So, in summary: Thanks to all the Bronco fans that have made this blog a success. Don't cry for FFBSU, I'll just be over here...and I'm taking Kellen Moore facts, Know your Enemy and my other features with me. Think about it...what is more of a strain—typing in 'fightfightbsu.blogspot.com' or typing in 'obnug.com'?

I'm saving Bronco Nation from the pain and embarrassment of carpal-tunnel syndrome. I'll see you over there later today as I make my first official OBNUG post. OBNUG will be happy with 78 percent renewal of our readers.

Ian Johnson Undrafted: My faith In Humanity Dashed

Drew Roberts — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 14:00:00 -0400

This is my 300th post on FFBSU. Seems odd that my 300th post milestone is to announce Ian Johnson, the "face" of the Broncos for the last three years, went undrafted in this weekends NFL draft and I'm not happy about it.

You wanna know why I'm not happy about it? Look at who was drafted. Tom freakin' Brandstater was drafted! Two Mountain West running backs were drafted that had fewer TDs in their career than Johnson's sophomore season alone—one of them had fewer career yards than Johnson's sophomore campaign as well.

You are telling me that Ian Johnson, the very definition of a character player, who scored 58 rushing TDs in his career and finished eigth in Heisman voting as a sophomore isn't a better pick than UNLV's Frank Summers? Really, NFL? A guy who posted the second fastest time among running backs at the NFL combine and showed versatility and character throughout his career can't even make it 10-deep on the "top remaining players" list hours into day two of the draft? Really, "Scouts Inc."?

What a slap in the face to a kid who played through injuries, always talked to the media and never complained about diminished touches in the backfield. Say what you will—I know that free agents can and do flourish in the league...but a player as decorated and talented as Ian Johnson should NOT be drafted behind two players from 1-AA. A player as valuable to a team and as committed as Ian Johnson should not be drafted after a quarterback from Nebraska-Omaha or a running back from Abilene Christian. The all-time leader in rushing TDs and face of the WAC just got wacked...10 conference mates were picked up by NFL squads—none could take a "chance" on Ian?

Oh sure, Ian will get his shot somewhere...and he has his "foot-in-the-door" so to speak, but the NFL's system of evaluation leaves much to be desired...and Ian deserved better than what he got. Oh, and I'll go ahead and throw this out there: Jeremy Childs might have made a "slight" miscalculation.

Already?! Boise State Picks Up 2010 Commitment

Drew Roberts — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:39:00 -0400

Boise State just got their first commitment of the 2010 class. Yes, I said 2010—well, typed it, actually.

Anyway, DL Tyrone Crawford from Windsor, Ontario has signed on with the Broncos in what may be the earliest commitment ever. Now Crawford, who is currently on the roster at Bakersfield College, was already somewhat "in the pipeline" as he was originally the object of the coaches interest when they ventured up North during the '08 recruiting cycle.

The coaches ended up coming back with Crawford's teammate, Mike Atkinson and Crawford, who had a little trouble qualifying, elected to go the JC route. Now the 6'5" 258-pound Crawford has things sorted out academically and would like to take the coaches up on their original offer.

Crawford was named to the SCFA first-team defense for the 2008 season. Coincidentally, one of Crawford's teammates at Bakersfield is Van Drumgoole, the Vallivue star who received a scholarship last year from the Broncos but later declined it. Current Bronco LB Daron Mackey played at Bakersfield in 2007.

You've seen Atkinson—the big D-lineman that can run like a gazelle. Well, check out Crawford, he also was utilized on the offensive side of things up at Catholic Central High. I'm liking this precedent of getting big, strong D-lineman that are fast and athletic enough to play fullback or tight end.

Oh Snap!: Boise State Snags Another Long Snapper

Drew Roberts — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 11:19:00 -0400

The Katy Times (TX) is reporting that Chris Roberson has accepted an offer to play football at Boise State.

Roberson, who played both linebacker and fullback at Katy High School, will apparently be coming to Boise State to try and snag a floating scholarship at the long snapper position. As Roberson's scholarship is not a definite, it appears he will be attending as an invited walk-on, and Roberson believes he'll stick.

"They have a scholarship waiting," said Robertson. "They've offered for me to go to school there, and earn the scholarship if I beat out the guys they have."

To be honest, I'm not really sure how our long-snapper situation is right now. Dallas Dobbs was a long-snapping specialist the last few season, and prior to that, Jon Dominguez held the role.

So, I don't see why the 6'1", 220-pound Roberson couldn't inject himself right into the mix. After all, he's got his very own long snapping coach.

"I have a deep snapping coach in California, and they saw me on his web site," Roberson said Monday night.

Roberson will represent the seventh Texas athlete on the Broncos' roster.

Welcome aboard, kid. Good luck!

Read the rest of the article courtesy of The Katy Times.

Boise State Football: Better Late Than Never

Drew Roberts — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 22:50:00 -0400

You're going to need some bigger defensive backs.

Ok, so FFBSU hasn't been the blog of record for Spring football. Things are busy 'round the water cooler, and I didn't even get to hit up the much-too-early-on-a-weekday first and second scrimmages (to recap: 1st scrimmage=yay offense, 2nd scrimmage=yay defense).

So, I packed up the family last Friday to take in the annual "Blue and Orange" game (which this year had more of a Blue and White hue to it)—the reliable end to Spring ball and a signal to diehard Broncos fans that football is an agonizing four months away.

The format, as everyone knows, was a bit different this year. Coaches Kwiatkowski and Pease both "drafted" their offensive and defensive lineups—Kwiatkowski electing to draft the "all-star" squad and Pease putting together a more modest squad.

Of course, Coach Pete got in on the fun by playing God and striking down star players that flew too close to the sun.

The game, and the weather, were great. A crowd that I would put in the 10-12,000 range enjoyed seeing the new format and seeing some normally defensive players line up for the offense and some 2008 redshirts saw their first gamelike action.

In true Bronco fashion, the game had its own exciting conclusion as the White team, built up to the Bad News Bears of the Blue, stormed back from a 10-0 deficit and got over on the "injury"-riddled Blue team behind some trickeration and opportunistic defense.

Austin Pettis, now donning the number two jersey that Tanyon Bissell vacated last year, did his best Bissell impersonation and tossed a lofty reverse pass to a wide-open Tyler Shoemaker for the go-ahead score.

Shoemaker may have been the biggest star of the scrimmage, showing the faithful that last year's decision to put him on scholarship was not a gamble after pulling down both of the White team's TD's and finishing with 138 yards receiving.

After the game, we let the future Bronco down on the turf—he headed right for the high jump mats—D'oh!

Keen observations:

Doug Martin, though a quick learner and a fierce competitor at the nickel spot was outshined by Winston Venable in a BIG way. Venable is simply all over the field and as sure a tackler as I've seen. If WV doesn't lock down the starting nickel spot in Fall ball, color me extremely surprised. It's OK, Doug—offense and special teams will find a place for you.
We will see Mike "Bacon" Atkinson line up at fullback this year. Atkinson provided one of the more memorable moments of the scrimmage when he bounced a dive to the outside for a 25-yard gain. He's a force to be reckoned with on the D-line too. Believe the hype people—we really do have a 6 foot, 320-pound. Canadian on the team with quicker feet than Gregory Hines.
Jeremy Avery and DJ Harper are going to tear the WAC a new one. Avery must have been born in Reno because he's the "biggest little" running back I've seen in some time—can't be more than 5'7" and 165 pounds, but the kid is lightning quick and runs over, around, and through tacklers. Harper looks ready for a breakout season as well as he runs downhill very well and may be the quickest-in-a-straight-line back that we've got. Malcolm Johnson can take a much deserved rest and redshirt in 2009—Avery and Harper can handle things this year.
Jarrell Root's 'fro has given him special powers. That, or dropping some pounds in the offseason has given him more than longevity. Root had an INT and a fumble recovery and looks like he's ready to be an emotional leader for the defense as a sophomore. The Bronco D-line will be something special this year—bet on it.
Byron Hout is awesome. Nothing wholly memorable from Hout's limited action on Friday—but the kid just looks like a football player. Last year's partial-season of dominance will turn into a full-season of dominance in 2009.
Kellen Moore has gotten stronger. It's not just me—he seems to have more zip on the ball. That can't be good for opposing Ds.
Bronco defensive secondary are bad, bad men. If you can somehow get over on Kyle Wilson, Jeron Johnson, George Iloka, Brandyn Thompson and Winston Venable—congratulations, you are Chuck Norris.

Boise State Broncos: Blue By You

Drew Roberts — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 23:55:00 -0400

The team parity seems a bit Fünke this year.

As you may now know, the annual Blue and Orange (or rather, Blue and White) is taking on a new look this year. The contest this Friday will not feature the wacky scoring or "ones" vs. "twos" scenarios that we've all grown accustomed to.

For the Boise State Broncos this year, things get real...er. The Blue and Orange White teams have been assigned coaches and the coaches have "drafted" offensive and defensive players for each team to play four, eight minute quarters. Sounds great, right? Yeah, but there's one problem: The Blue team is WAY better than the Orange White.

Now, this isn't to say that the White team will stink...far from it. The White team is chock full of talented, athletic guys...Broncos all. But the disparity between starters on the Blue and White teams is a little ridiculous. Ready?

Well, the Blue team has probable first or second round draft-pick Kyle Wilson, speedster Titus Young, 2nd scrimmage MVP D.J. Harper AND Jeremy Avery. I'm not even a little bit done yet. QBs for the Blue team will be Kellen Moore and Drew Hawkins who will be protected by Thomas Byrd, Garrett Pendergast, Zach Waller, Cory Yriarte, Faraji Wright, Brenel Myers, and Joe Kellogg.

All-potential first teamer Mike Atkinson will be the Blue team DT and Byron "I must break you" Hout will hold down the end. Oh yeah, and they have Brandyn Thompson, George Iloka, Winston Venable, and Jeron Johnson.

Now, like I said, the White team is no slouch...they have Austin Pettis, Doug Martin, Mike Coughlin, and Shea McLellin as well as the only healthy fullback on the team Dan Paul.

The O-line for the White squad may be as just as capable as the Blues for all I know. Here's the rub though...the Blue team has AT LEAST 16 guys that were starters or had significant game experience in 2009.

Pretty much the entire secondary for the Blue squad are starters, as are both the Blue teams' runningbacks and quarterback. The White squad has maybe 10 guys with the same credentials.

Now, please understand that I am not slagging off the White team, but the "skill" and "experience" positions heavily favor the Blues. Game changers Richie Brockel, Nate Potter, Billy Winn, and Ryan Winterswyk aren't even suiting up.

Do the Bronco coaches realize what they've done? They've given the Blue and Orange White game rooting interest. Go White!

Update: Coach Pete throws a wrench in the whole thing by announcing that star players (i.e., the Blue team) will suffer mysterious mock injuries during the game (I said "mock injuries" guys) that will force substitutions to be made. Looks like a bold gambit by Coach Kwiatkowski now.

Spring Game rosters [BroncoSports]

Boise State Football: You Don't See This Crossover Much

Drew Roberts — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 10:49:00 -0400

Could you put topspin on the football?

Crossover athletes, they were all the rage during Bo Jackson's and Deion Sanders's careers. There have been scores of athletes in the modern era who were great at multiple sports or great at one and had enough caché to at least attempt another, i.e. Michael Jordan. Oftentimes, a soccer player will become a place-kicker, or a basketball player will become a wide receiver or tight end.

How about this crossover: A tennis player becoming a football player? Did you immediately picture Pete Sampras returning punts? It wouldn't end well would it?

Boise State fans may just get a chance to see what would happen when a tennis player trades in his headband and sneakers for a facemask and cleats. Clancy Shields, a nationally-ranked tennis player, may just take a run at the blue next season.

According to the Montgomery Observer, Clancy thinks his athleticism, competitiveness, and unusual build (by tennis standards) may lend themselves well to the gridiron. After all, he will have a year of eligibility left when he plays his final match for the Broncos.

"My brother who played tennis for Boise last year told me I should give football a shot," Shields said. "I mean when I work out in the gym I'm as big or bigger then some of our football players."

Shields later admitted he was talking about Brock Jaramillo.

Coach Greg Patton thinks that Clancy may have the right stuff as well:

"I love Clancy like a son," Patton said. "I'm a little biased because I'm a tennis coach, but I would love to see Clancy become a professional tennis player. But, I talked with our football coaches about Clancy possibly playing defensive back or running back. They like the idea."

They "like" the idea means that they'd love to have another practice squad tackling dummy that doesn't risk injury to any of the starting defensive backs or running backs. I mean, the idea is intriguing, but it's hard to imagine Clancy (love the name, by the way) pushing Kyle Wilson or Jeremy Avery for playing time. You have Bronco Nation's blessing, though, Clancy, you deserve a nice rest riding pine after an illustrious career on the courts.

Check out the Montgomery Observer's story.

Extra Workouts Didn't Hurt Boise State Draft Hopefuls

Drew Roberts — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 00:58:00 -0400

Must be the shoes...

After Ian Johnson turned heads and calmed nerves at the NFL Scouting Combine last month many just hoped he would sit back and ride out the wave of goodwill till Draft day.

Ian wasn't hearing any of that. On St. Patrick's Day, IJ took to the FieldTurf again to show the scouts what he's got, and once again, impressed those in attendance.

Johnson, who wisely chose to stand on his Combine 40-time of 4.4, ran agility drills for about 12 NFL scouts at the Caven-Williams Complex on Tuesday afternoon and garnered high praise from the reigning BMOC, Coach Pete:

“He’s as big as he’s ever been and moving as well as he’s ever moved,” Boise State coach Chris Petersen said. "He looked fast and he looked powerful.”

Chrissy must be slipping some whey protein into the Hamburger Helper.

Also showing off for the scouts were Vinny Perretta and Jeremy Childs. Perretta may have piqued some interest from scouts with his blazing 40 times of 4.48 and 4.43 as well as some solid numbers in the agility tests.

Childs must have improved his stock, as he was able to make them forget his so-so Combine sprints by finally posting some sub-4.5 marks.

All-in-all...a good day for the newly-minted Bronco alums. Hopefully we'll see all three of the aforementioned sneak onto Kiper's big board.

Ian Johnson looks 'fast, powerful'...[Statesman]
Intriguing prospects work out at Boise State Pro Day [NFL.com

Blue Collar Team, White Collar Business

Drew Roberts — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 14:20:00 -0500

We're gonna need a bigger hammer.

As a freshman at Boise State in 1999, I used to pick up my free game tickets at the Student Union info desk on the day of the game. A couple of years and a couple of championships later, I was camping out in front of the ticket office the Mondays before games for hours.

By the time I was a senior, the writing was on the wall. I had to become a season ticket holder while the getting was good. Now, after give years as a season-ticket holder, more writing on the wall arrived in my mailbox Thursday. I don't know if I can afford it anymore.

The "Decade of Dominance" fact sheet was what you were supposed to see first. That part was supposed to make us feel better, maybe a twinge of guilt that we might be taking all of this success for granted. Keep reading, turn the page. "We're raising ticket prices almost 20 percent AND you'll be paying BAA membership fees on top of that." Nice.

I always pictured myself being a lifelong season ticket holder. I got in when the getting was good. Now, my kids can attend games with me. Sure, there would be lean years with the pocketbook, but we could always just renew and sell the tickets to someone for the season. That way, we'd keep our tickets for a better day.

But, the thing is—I'm starting to see a trend and I'm just not sure I can keep up. The worst part is, it may affect the lifelong ticket holders and the younger fans alike, the younger fans, incidentally, being the lifelong ticket holders in the future.

Now, the winning that has brought the fans in droves has been great. But will the fans be there to see the winning product if they keep getting priced right out of their seats?

So, I've got till May to figure out what to do. For the short term and for the long term. Do we downgrade our seats? Sell them off for the year in hopes that next year's a better fit? Do we drop them altogether (perish the thought)? Should I sell off a kidney?

I know, Gene, I know, we have to support the team and "keep up with the Joneses," but weren't those shiny new Skysuites supposed to foot the bill for future expansion?

I'd sooner part with a limb than my season tickets, but in the grand scheme of things, tickets aren't life's top priority. I'll continue mulling it over. In the meantime, make room in the South End Zone. We may be coming down!

Doug Mad...Doug Smash: Martin's Move to D Among Boise State Position Changes

Drew Roberts — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 01:00:00 -0500

"Did somebody misplace this hammer?"

Horrifying news, everyone...Doug Martin wants to tackle you. Well, not you personally, but all the offensive "yous" out there. The coaches seem to feel that Martin has just had too few opportunities to kill someone while blocking or carrying the ball—so this Spring will turn him loose on a terrified second-team offense in Spring Ball.

Just for the record...THIS is what Doug Martin looks like on offense...and THIS is an artist's rendering of what he may look like on defense. Nate Enderle just peed a little.

Coaches announced today that Martin will be given the opportunity this Spring to try out for the hybrid/linebacker position vacated by Ellis Powers...and he's already a finalist:

Martin, junior safety Jason Robinson, and junior-college transfer Winston Venable are the top contenders to replace Powers, who turned nickelback into a staple of the Broncos’ defense last season.

God, I love Boise State football.

In other awesome news, linebacker Dan Paul has jumped the line of scrimmage as well and will be playing fullback in 2009. Personally, I thought that Paul was a natural at fullback when he filled in for a gimpy Richie Brockel last season...this too is a great move.

Oh yeah, and DL Chuck Hayes couldn't stand all the exciting switches going on and decided to move to offensive guard.

Remember, Bronco Nation...position switches are our friend—WR Legedu Naanee came in as a QB, DE Ryan Winterswyk walked on as a safety, RB Lee Marks came in as a cornerback, and coach Chris Petersen came in as an offensive coordinator. The coaches routinely get these guys in the best position to contribute, so look for these to be very fruitful changes for the Bronco squad this Fall.

Martin to try defense full-time [Statesman]

Oh, look...the Lombardi Award watch-list just got Swiked [Statesman]

Ian Johnson Just Made Some Money

Drew Roberts — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 17:58:00 -0500

You can get all the yarn you've ever dreamed of...

No one has ever questioned Ian Johnson's heart or character, but after IJ's stellar sophomore campaign, his NFL draft stock appeared to be dropping precipitously.

Ian suffered some freak injuries throughout his career and had to deal with a retooled offense that no longer gave him the ball as much as he was accustomed...and then there were the questions about his speed.

All in all, I don't think things were looking great for IJ, draftwise. But the all-time WAC rushing TD leader has been turning heads at the combine this weekend and quieting some naysayers that thought his sophomore season was a fluke.

Ian just finished running his 40-yard dash in Indianapolis and officially has run the second fastest time of the day...just 1/100th of a second behind Virginia's Cedric Peerman at 4.46 seconds.

Ian also put up impressive numbers on the bench press, finishing with 26 reps of 225 lbs. Those finishing with more reps than Ian among the running backs were mainly fullbacks. Ian also finished fourth and fifth amongst running backs in the 20-yard and 60-yard shuttle runs, respectively.

With Ian's character speaking for itself, and now being backed up by solid combine numbers and experience on special teams—I think that Ian just made himself (and Chrissy) some cash.

Nice job, Ian.

By the way, Jeremy Childs ran a 4.57 in the 40—not amazing...but not terrible. Hey, nobody ever said JC was a burner, right?

Combine top performers [NFL.com]

Vinny Wants to Wish You a Happy Birthday

Drew Roberts — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:35:00 -0500

Vinny likes ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins...write that down.

The biennial Boise State Auction is fast approaching so bust out your paddles. The auction, which raises money for academic and athletic scholarships, picked the "something for everyone" as the theme of this year's event...and according to the Broncosports.com press release, they mean everyone.

Items for bid include a game football used in Boise State’s historic BCS Fiesta Bowl victory over Oklahoma in 2007 autographed by Ian Johnson and a golf outing with former Bronco and current Green Bay Packer Korey Hall.

Ooh, Fiesta Bowl memorabilia AND an afternoon of awkward conversation about divots and mulligans with Korey Hall? Decisions, decisions.

But what else can I bid on?

Poinsettia Bowl logo’d Tommy Hilfanger Watch

Tommy Hilfanger? Is this like the Rolix watch that I bought in Tijuana? And who wouldn't want a watch commemorating a heart-wrenching one-point loss?

Anything else?

A birthday party with Bronco football graduate Vinny Perretta.

I'm confused. Are you attending Vinny's birthday party? Is he attending you or your kid's birthday? Will he be providing entertainment for said birthday or just awkwardly sitting in the corner while your family reminisces about how you used to wet the bed? I know what I'd be doing if I was attending a complete stranger's birthday party — and it more closely resembles the latter (but with more cold sweat and tremors). Screw it, I'm bidding on this one...hope you like Chuck E. Cheese, Vinny.

Online auction [www.boisestateauction.com]
Press release [BroncoSports

]

Class of 2009 Could Have Immediate Impact Part Two

Drew Roberts — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:36:00 -0500

That other Prosser kid: Bronco WR commit Kirby Moore

—continued from yesterday's article.

Defensive line:
In 2007 the defensive Line struggled at times to contain the run. In 2008, with the infusion of some young blood, the D-line made great strides, but by years' end injuries mounted and caught up with the defensive front in the biggest game of the year.

2009 should see a resurgence on both lines as the fresh faces of 2008 become the experienced vets and the newbies push them for playing time and add depth to the roster spots.

The Broncos fared very well this recruiting cycle and landed some names that are sure to be of the household variety among Bronco Nation in the coming years.

Defensive ends:
A very deep and productive spot for the Broncos last year with the emergence of youngsters Ryan Winsterswyk, Byron Hout, Jarrell Root, and Shea McLellin looks to become even deeper once the new crop of DEs sign on the dotted line today.

Kharyee Marshall may just be the next Mike T. Williams. Much like Williams, Marshall will come in with a need to add bulk to his 6'3" frame, but if he can add about 30-40 pounds to his lanky frame and maintain his excellent 4.6 speed, Marshall will terrorize WAC QBs in the next four to five years.

Marshall, who hails from Phoenix and chose the Broncos over at least five other schools notched 64 tackles last season and four sacks en route to his third consecutive All-Region selection. Marshall should redshirt.

Head down the road a bit to Saguaro, AZ and you'll find another Arizona standout DE, Justin Jungblut. Jungblut was nothing less than a sack machine at Saguaro High last season—racking up 11 total and chipping in 72 tackles.

Jungblut already has good size at 6'5" and 235 lbs. and will surely add some "good weight" under Tim Socha's watchful eye. Jungblut was an Arizona All-Region first teamer last season and held offers from Oregon State and a slew of MWC teams.

Jungblut, like Marshall will likely redshirt unless injuries pile up again.

Rounding out the new DE rotation is Los Angeles' own Nicholas Alexander. A powerfully built DE who is the grandson of NFL Hall of Famer Carl Eller. Alexander is already 6'4" and 240 lbs., which puts him right about where he should be sizewise.

After being actively recruited by Washington State Alexander chose the Broncos in mid November and has never looked back.

Alexander may be the strongest physically of the group and has the bloodlines for greatness, still, it's hard for me to see him step in next year with the current DE depth. WAC offenses should shudder at the thought of what the next 3-4 years will bring, though...count on that.

Defensive tackles:
While any of the aforementioned defensive ends could find their way into the interior of the Defensive Line. The Broncos only really landed one true defensive tackle in this class, but it was a doozy.

Ricky Tjong-A-Tjoe (pronounced 'Chong-a-Chew'), another native of the Netherlands, literally burst onto the recruiting scene in January and immediately garnered scholarship offers and interest from Oregon, Washington and Washington State.

Tjong-A-Tjoe moves well for a big man (6'4" 300 lbs.), but is extremely raw at this point having only competed in one year of organized American football at Boise High.

Tjong-A-Tjoe doesn't look like a project though he's got the footskills and power to make a huge impact on the line for years to come. He just needs a little time with Coach Kwiatkoswki to master some of the fundamentals. Tjong-A-Tjoe was named a first team All-State selection in his sole year of competition.

Defensive Backs:
The Broncos defensive backfield was brilliant last season. Switching to a 4-2-5 defensive scheme and gaining a new philosophy under coach Marcel Yates, the Broncos DBs shut down opponents and didn't give up the big plays.

True Freshmen Safety George Iloka thrived in the new scheme en route to Freshmen All-American honors and another True Frosh, Jamar Taylor contributed heavily. There is no age discrimination in the secondary for the best guys can and will play. So who'll leave their mark this year?

Cornerbacks:
Kyle Wilson will return for his senior season and likely be a first or second round pick in next year's draft, which is one CB position locked up.

Brandyn Thompson manned the other corner spot last year and showed flashes that he may be the next great Bronco cover man, which is another CB position locked up.

The veteran cornerbacks are unlikely to yield much playing time for the youngsters, but the two deep will see some new blood this year and any number of players could be one injury or rotation from seeing the blue up close and personal.

Quaylon Ewing was the first CB to give the Broncos the nod all the way back in May. Ewing was High School teammates with George Iloka at Kempner and almost followed the greenshirt path of Iloka as well.

Ewing doesn't necessarily have lockdown speed at 4.6, but has good size for a DB (6'1" 180 lbs.) that may translate better into the safety position. Obviously the new 4-2-5 scheme always has room for athletic DBs and with the departure of Ellis Powers, anyone could see immediate playing time. Ewing is rated as a 3-star recruit by Scout.com

Ebenezer "Ebo" Makinde is another recruit from the suddenly Bronco-friendly recruiting grounds of Arizona. Makinde was heavily recruited by a slew of MWC teams and by the nearby Arizona Wildcats.

Makinde was a standout on Offense, Defense and Special Teams for Paradise Valley and possesses great fundamentals at the corner position. He doesn't have "elite" speed, but plays with enough poise and aggressiveness that he may well develop into a real ballhawk.

May sniff the two-deep this year, but likely will be a scout team standout until the 2010 "Wilson-less" season rolls around.

Safeties:
The 4-2-5 is here to stay. With the spread option being adopted nationwide it makes good sense to keep the DB heavy scheme in place. The 4-2-5, which relies on good fundamental play from the Safeties, made George Iloka an All-American and the seldom-used Ellis Powers an All-WAC first teamer.

Will a current Bronco like Jason Robinson or Garcia Day ascend the depth charts next season to fit into Yates' scheme or will a newcomer again roam the blue?
Winston Venable may be the next big thing in the Bronco Defensive secondary. The lone JC transfer in the 2009 class has good size at 6'1" and 210 lbs. and hits like a Mack truck.

An all-league performer at Glendale Community College, Venable (who also punts) is already on campus and may have the best shot of landing Ellis Powers' slot LB/S hybrid slot. Venable, as a freshman, ranked sixth nationally with 77 solo tackles including 8 TFLs, 1 INT for a TD and 2 sacks. Venable's father Max played 12 seasons of baseball in the MLB.

Encinal's Jonathan Brown will bring athleticism and smarts to the Safety spot. Brown, who played QB at Encinal in Alameda, CA, was recently named the All-East Bay Player of the Year (QB Joe Southwick was named All-East Bay Offensive POTY).

Brown has excellent speed and mainly played OLB on defense at Encinal, where he racked up 92 tackles, 8 sacks and 2 blocked punts in 2008. Despite, Brown's obvious talents at linebacker, he was recruited as a Safety and will likely stay there. Look for Brown to get into the mix on Special Teams and vie for a slot in the vaunted 4-2-5 in the next year or so.

Offensive line:
The O-line has been a strength for the Broncos for years, producing such names as Daryn Colledge and Ryan Clady, but last year growing pains finally caught up with the line.

With only one upperclassman as a mainstay in 2008, the line saw a different combination almost weekly and while the pass protection was adequate, the run blocking took a definite step back.

This season, with the youngsters now seasoned vets and some behemoths like Faraji Wright, Brenel Myers, Tom Swanson and Joe Kellogg coming off their redshirt years the line may finally have the size to start pushing some guys around and sparking the run game on a more consistent basis. Don't be surprised if some of the 2009 recruits make a push for playing time, however, on a line that desperately needs to find a cohesiveness.

Offensive Tackles:
When you hear people calling you the next Ryan Clady, you've got a lot of potential and that's just what folks have been saying about San Leandro OT Charles Leno. ESPN featured Leno as an premier "under the radar" recruit who "runs like a Tight End".

He's nearly as tall as Clady at 6'5", but needs to put a bit more bulk to match Clady's girth. Beyond that, his footwork and athleticism appear to be on par with Clady, who came in largely unheralded, like Leno. Leno had looks from the likes of Oregon and Washington, but liked the atmosphere and team-first mentality in Boise.

Leno seems to be as good a candidate as any to play right away, though lineman rarely do play as true Frosh.

Jake Broyles is another OT commit with room to grow. Broyles is already 6'6" and 250 pounds, but looks like he could take on another 40-50 pounds easily. Broyles definitely flew under the recruiting radar and was only offered by the Broncos after playing his career at Foothill High (NV) in Chris Ault's backyard. Broyles, who played both ways for the Foothill Falcons, may have been a victim, recruiting-wise, of playing on a losing team...but the Bronco staff has made a reputation for finding great diamonds-in-the-rough and I'm sure that Broyles is no different.

Offensive Guards:
At the Offensive Guard spot, the Broncos had to look no further than west Boise. Bryant Thomas, a Capital Eagle isn't as tall as Broyles or Leno, but he has a sturdy frame and, at 265 pounds, should be where he needs to be sooner than later.

Thomas can play at Guard or Tackle, or may even be a candidate for Center. He was an All-Idaho first teamer that Capital coach Todd Simis called "the most athletic lineman in the state". Thomas may be the next great Idaho lineman in the mold of BK grad Tad Miller.

Video and more stories from Bronco LOI day to follow.

Boise State Class of 2009 Could Have Immediate Impact: Part One

Drew Roberts — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 16:01:00 -0500

2009 Running Back commit Malcolm Johnson

Boise State plays the best guys, period. If you don't believe it, look at the last few seasons. In 2007, five true freshmen saw the field; in 2008, Boise played three true freshmen, and the starting QB was a redshirt freshman. Yes, a youth movement is taking place at Boise State, and the Broncos don't believe in "rebuilding"; the Broncos simply reload year in and year out, and 2009 looks to be no different.

—QBs—

Kellen Moore is the present and future of the Bronco program, garnering WAC Freshman of the Year honors and Freshman All-America status. With the departure of Nick Lomax and the graduation of Bush Hamdan, however, Kellen has little depth behind him. Right now, Moore has only Mike Coughlin and walk-on Drew Hawkins behind him, and the Broncos took no quarterbacks last offseason.

This year, things looked different on the recruiting trail, and the Broncos look to have snagged some top-notch signal callers to add instant depth under center.

Joe Southwick, a three-star prospect out of Danville, CA, was the first verbal that the Broncos received in this recruiting cycle and may be one of the best. The 6'2" Southwick is rated as the No. 32 signal caller in the country and threw for 3,781 yards and 36 TDs this last year while running another eight into the end zone. Southwick was named the All-East Bay Offensive Player of the Year. Look for Southwick to redshirt next year.

Southwick likely thought he'd be the only QB taken in the '09 class. Well, things have a way of changing when you commit in May, because by August, Nick Lomax had departed the Boise State program and QB depth looked to be a real issue. Enter North Gwinnett quarterback Mikey Tamburo—a Jared Zabransky clone that competed in Georgia's largest division and held offers from just about every mid-major in the Midwest.

Tamburo is not the pure passer that Southwick is, but he is more of a pure athlete. Tamburo is a classic Boise State recruit...one who likely would've been heavily recruited by BCS conferences had he only been a bit bigger. A picture of consistency and a proven winner, Mikey threw for over 8,000 yards and nearly 90 TDs in his prep career.

Tamburo is an intriguing player who may find his way onto the field sooner than later in option situations designed around his strengths. Still, I think Tamburo redshirts as well in 2009.

—WRs—

With Vinny Perretta graduating and Jeremy Childs declaring for the NFL Draft, Kellen Moore will have a few less experienced targets back in 2009. Speedster Titus Young will be back from suspension, along with Austin Pettis (who snags every ball thrown his way). Hard to believe that in 2007, it was Young and Pettis forgoing their redshirt years to contribute immediately.

Well, 2009 looks ripe for some newcomers to see the field, and Boise State has some exciting commits this year.

Kirby Moore is the WR commit that grabbed the headlines nationally and locally. The "little" brother (he's 6'3" and 205 lbs.) of Bronco QB Kellen Moore was highly coveted in Pacific Northwest recruiting circles and this season became the national record-holder for career TD receptions.

Moore is rated as a three-star recruit by Scout.com, and while he possesses a respectable 4.6 40-time, he is not a burner like Titus Young. The younger Moore will get the job done with his precision routes and great hands, and I think he stands an excellent chance of seeing the field in 2009. You just don't get that many opportunities to catch touchdown passes from your brother, and Moore will contribute right away.

The other intriguing WR commit for the Broncos is one that no one really knew much about when he committed in June. Aaron Burks is a 6'4" wide receiver out of Mansfield, TX who is already enrolled at Boise State. Burks did not play much wide receiver before his senior year but managed to notch 500 receiving yards for the Mansfield Timberview Wolves last season.

Burks will need to put some weight on that thin frame but has good speed (4.5) for his height, and following the lead of fellow Texan George Iloka and enrolling early can't hurt his chances to see the field in 2009. Burks should make the two deep rotation next year to give Kellen more options in the red zone.

Imagine two lanky receivers in Austin Pettis and Aaron Burks running corner fade routes in the end zone. Can you say "unstoppable"?

Can you say "raw"? Boise State's third WR commit of the class is Geraldo Hiwat, a Capital High (Boise) product who is originally from the Netherlands and playing his first year of football. Hiwat is built much like Burks at 6'3" and 185 lbs. but may have a step on him speedwise. Hiwat will benefit greatly from more practice time as he missed a chunk of last year to injury and is still learning the American game. Hiwat is a likely redshirt candidate.

The Tight End position is one that the Broncos utilize more effectively and with more innovation than most teams in the country. Tight Ends at Boise State are expected to catch and block with equal aptitude and contribute to the endless number of motion looks that the Harsin offense shows.

Well, the 2009 class looks to have a nabbed a Tight End that can do it all. Trevor Peterson out of Placerville, CA is a 6'4" 220 lb. athlete with a big brain to match his big frame. Peterson entertained scholarship offers from Harvard, Utah, UC Davis, and SDSU. Peterson has a rare combination of size, speed, and strength that may remind Bronco Nation of Derek Schouman, Richie Brockel, and Jeb Putzier...combined.

Peterson was a real steal for the Broncos in this recruiting class and will be a mainstay in the next few years, but with the current glut of capable Tight Ends, I say he sits until 2010.

—RBs—

Boise State has no shortage of quality running backs, but the Offensive Line's growing pains last year produced far fewer rushing opportunities than in years past. With Ian Johnson's graduation, the Broncos will be looking for a new feature back.

The most likely candidate to lead the Bronco rushing attack is Jeremy Avery, but the Broncos backfield will be crowded with talent, as D.J. Harper and Doug Martin will get their touches too. Will a new face follow D.J. Harper's lead and play as a true freshman in 2009? Could be.

The Broncos only picked up one running back in this class—but they got a good one...maybe even a great one. Malcolm Johnson from Sam Barlow High School in Gresham led the state of Oregon in rushing two years straight. His senior campaign saw him rush for roughly 2,600 yards and 25 TDs. One game early in the 2008 season, Malcolm rushed for 458 yards and five TDs.

Johnson's consistency and explosiveness will make him a mainstay in the Bronco backfield for years to come...but it's doubtful he'll burn his redshirt in 2009 out of necessity unless the Broncos have an injury in the rotation or he simply is THAT good. With numbers like Johnson has put up as of late, that may well be the case. Johnson held offers from Utah, UNLV, Air Force, and Wyoming.

—LBs—

The Broncos look to have snagged some great linebackers this year, and the recent coaching shake-up that moved running backs/special teams coach Jeff Choate to LB coach will hopefully pay immediate dividends.

John Michael Davis may be the star of the 2009 class. Rated a four-star prospect and the No. 13 WLB in the 2009 class, Davis has good speed and a solid frame (6'1", 220 lbs). Davis battled through injuries his senior year but should come in healthy and ready to go, and with the linebacking corps needing to replace outgoing Kyle Gingg, Tim Brady, and Dallas Dobbs, I wouldn't be surprised to see JMD make it onto the '09 depth chart.

Allen Mooney is another prototypical Boise State recruit...a little taller and every Pac-10 team would've been on him. Mooney is stocky and strong and just plain produces...he had over 100 tackles his junior year despite missing three games. Mooney also battled some injuries his senior year, but nothing that should impair his progression at BSU. Good pursuit and strong tackling will make Mooney an ideal middle linebacker for the Boise State system.

Allen is rated a three-star recruit by Scout.com and the No. 26 MLB of the class. I see Mooney redshirting in 2009, as Derrell Acrey and Daron Mackey will slug it out for MLB supremacy.

The strong side 'backer position in the 2009 class will be filled by a jack-of-all-trades with a familiar last name. Gabe Linehan out of Oregon played quarterback and linebacker out of Banks High and looks to come in as the third LB of the Broncos' class.

Linehan is an all-around athlete whose brothers Josh and Cole both played on the lines of Oregon and Oregon State. His bloodlines hint that he'll bulk up from his current sinewy 6'3", 190 lb. frame. Linehan's quarterback experience, athleticism, and height will remind a lot of Bronco fans of Colt Brooks. I think Linehan will be a good one, but he probably won't see real action until 2010.

Check back tomorrow for an overview of the DBs and Linemen of the 2009 Bronco recruiting class.

Whole Lotta Shakin' Going on: Chris Petersen Realigns Boise State Staff

Drew Roberts — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 01:30:00 -0500

Everyone loves a good game of Musical Chairs.

Coach Pete doesn't like the status quo. For this reason, among others (I hope), coach Chris Petersen announced today a bit of internal "realignment" on the Bronco coaching staff. Most notable will be the shifting of running backs coach Jeff Choate to linebackers coach, linebackers coach Villiami Tuivai to Director of Football Operations, and Director of Football Operations Keith Bhonapha to running backs coach. Now say that five times fast.

Bhonapha was a defensive back and special teamer at Hawaii before landing at DFO for the Broncos. As running backs coach, his main duties will be to a) keep Doug Martin angry, and b) not call Jeremy Avery "peanut."

Jeff Choate has worn many hats in his career and will bring a fresh set of eyes to a linebacking corps that has underachieved a bit since the departure of Korey Hall and Colt Brooks. If Choate can put a burr in the linebackers' collective saddles, the move will have been a fruitful one.

Villiami Tuivai is a high-energy guy on and off the field; hopefully he can bring his enthusiasm to the DFO position that he held before Bhonapha.

What was Coach Pete's rationale for the shake-up?

"As this program continues to move forward, we want make sure we are playing to the different strengths of the entire staff, and I think these changes will allow us to grow and prosper."

Translation: "I felt like it." Now let's all play a nice long game of Don't question the 35-4 guy.

Dutch Treat: DT Ricky Tjong-A-Tjoe Commits to Boise State

Drew Roberts — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 02:27:00 -0500

Cheech and Tjong was a great flick...

All apologies about the headline because I'm sure you'll be seeing a lot of it in coming years...but it seems apropos as the Broncos received a huge verbal commitment just moments ago from Dutch DT Ricky Tjong-A-Tjoe. Scout.com just confirmed that Tjong-A-Tjoe committed to the Broncos after an in-home visit on Wednesday and on the tails of a month-long recruiting tour that had stops in Eugene and Pullman.

Tjong-A-Tjoe (pronunciation guess is as good as mine) is 6'4" and 295 lbs. and had offers from Oregon, Washington State, San Jose State, Idaho, and Idaho State. Originally from the Netherlands, Tjong-A-Tjoe made the most of his first season playing American football by tallying 35 tackles, two sacks, and four forced fumbles—all of which garnered him first-team All-State honors at Boise High.

Ricky will join another Dutch transplant in Capital WR Geraldo Hiwat in the '09 class and Bronco sophomore DB Cedric Febis as well.

Scout.com has not evaluated Tjong-A-Tjoe as of yet, but considering the number of offers held by the big guy, it looks like the Broncos got another steal. Check out the big red machine below.

Jadon Dailey Is Gone-Zo

Drew Roberts — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 21:15:00 -0500

"Losing good commentators makes me a sad Panda..."

Looks like everyone's favorite color commentator will not be back in the booth next year. Jadon Dailey has apparently parted ways with Peak and will be heading back to Arizona.

I heard rumblings about this a few days back, but didn't have the stones to post it as fact. Now, however, Idaho Radio News has posted the story and I'm confident it is ringing true. IRN states:

"Multiple sources (basically anyone I’ve asked) say he liked doing the play-by-play but was frustrated with the other parts of the gig—selling ad time for Peak."

This may be true, but someone very close to the program told me the other day that an illness in the family might be in play here as well. Either way, we'll certainly miss Jadon's wit and wisdom and wish him the best in the future.

What can Brown do for us?

Drew Roberts — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 19:57:00 -0500

Who is this mystery man?

It looks like Boise State may have just snagged another recruit this weekend...but this one was so far off my radar that I'm having to do some major league sleuthing to bring in much info.

Encinal's Jonathan Brown has been rumored to have committed this weekend after a recruiting trip with the likes of Kirby Moore. Brown was named the All-East Bay player of the Year this year as a two way standout at quarterback and linebacker (Bronco QB commit Joe Southwick was the All-East Bay Offensive Player of the Year).

Now, I don't have confirmation on this yet, but it's certainly hard to believe that the talented Brown will be coming in at QB after the earlier verbals from Joe Southwick and Mikey Tamburo. Has Boise State nabbed its third linebacker of the class? Could be.

Brown's size, 5'11" and 200 lbs. sure seems to put him in Boise State linebacker range (smallish), but he looks athletic enough to play anywhere on the field. Brown notched 92 tackles last year, eight quarterback sacks, and two blocked punts. Colorado and Air Force were rumored to have interest or offered Brown. More to come when I find it out. Below is a short video showing Brown's explosiveness:

Two-way leader guides Encinal [SFGate]
Encinal's Brown commits to Boise State [Inside Bay Area

]

Jeremy Childs a No-Go for the Combine

Drew Roberts — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 01:37:00 -0500

Be the ball, Jeremy.

Jeremy Childs' winding road to the NFL may have just gotten a wee bit more complicated.

Whereas last year's early departures, Orlando Scandrick and Ryan Clady, had a chance to show their wares at the meat market known as the NFL combine...Childs will have to hope that he draws a big crowd on Pro Day.

The official invite list, out today, shows only one Bronco making the trip to Indianapolis, and that Bronco is Ian Johnson.

Oddly enough, Johnson may have more to prove to the scouts than Childs...at least physically. The combine runs Feb. 18-24.

Story [KBCI]

Will Shamburger Backs Out of Commitment to Boise St.

Drew Roberts — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 16:25:00 -0500

All roads don't lead to Boise. That's news to me.

Safety Will Shamburger, once Boise State's 12th verbal commit of the 2009 class, is a big softy. Shamburger decommitted from the Broncos on the 16th, and will instead head to Seattle and join the Huskies.

The writing appeared to be on the wall when Shamburger wavered from his commitment in early December, telling some scouting services that he'd switch commitments if Arizona State came calling...well, they didn't—but it was obvious that Shamburger's heart wasn't fully with the Broncos and he'll now head to greener turf (literally, not figuratively) in the Emerald city.

After Shamburger's early December waffling, the Broncos quickly wrapped up JC Safety Winston Venable...effectively making Shamburger's decommitment a non-issue—but it is nice that Shamburger is no longer leading the Broncos on and infecting the Broncos commit sheet with a big, red "Soft Verbal" tag.

Have fun in Huskyland, Will...we're sure you'll look great in purple (like Grimace).

End of an era for snappy headline puns

Drew Roberts — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:43:00 -0500

A classic headline pun. Drink it in.

With yesterday's announcement that Jeremy Childs will be departing for the NFL—a wave of sadness swept over me.

No, I'm not depressed about the void that will be left on the blue turf next season, but rather the void that will be left in newspaper columns and KTVB graphics as the 'Childs Play' pun headline will be forever lost.

It is a little known fact that the Statesman employs an entire department for the sole purpose of coming up with headline puns (this blog, by comparison, employs only one) and, well, KTVB has Mark Johnson.

These hard working people's jobs are now in danger, and in this economy, the shockwaves may be felt far and wide. Worsening the situation is the departure of Ellis Powers to graduation...'Powers that be' or 'More Powers to you' pun headlines will have to be retired—hence, more jobs lost.

The only hope is that a new wave of starters and recruits will be able to fill this gaping abyss on our headline spreads and segment intros. Obviously, the arrival of Kirby Moore will bring a glut of headlines like 'One more Moore' or 'S'Moore', but Kirby won't arrive until summer and who knows how many will be unemployed by then?!

Well, it's time to get proactive...we need new puns and we need them right NOW! To help stimulate the economy, I humbly submit to beat writers, journalists, video editors, Tom Scott, and Mark Johnson the following headline puns to highlight these individuals:

George Iloka—By George! Iloka does it again.
Jeremy Avery—A-very good outing.
Titus Young—Young getting restless.
Doug Martin—My favorite Martin.
Kellen Moore—This one's a freebie.
Hunter White—The Great White Hunter.
Billy Winn—A Winn's a Winn.
Jarrell Root—Root, root, root for our home team.
Nate Potter—Scary Potter.
Ryan Winterswyk—Now is the Winter-swyk of our discontent.
Shea McLellin—Oh Shea can you see?
DJ Harper—The Harper Image.
Kyle Efaw—'Faw he's a jolly good fellow.
Mitch Burroughs—Burroughs before hos. (maybe don't run this one on front page)

Hopefully this list will help get us through these tough pun times—and hopefully will spark and new era in headline pun greatness the likes of which we've never seen.

Jeremy Childs on Graduation Promise: "Nevermind"

Drew Roberts — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 17:51:00 -0500

You'll never have it this easy again.

About a month ago, Jeremy Childs said that he would return for his senior season at Boise State. You remember, it went something like this:

...yadda yadda my mom, blah blah blah diploma...

Well, like goings-on in Las Vegas...Childs believes that 'things that happen in December, stay in December,' and has promptly spun an athletic 180 degrees and decided to depart for the NFL.

Rumors to this effect started swirling last week from J. Bates' general direction...But now it appears confirmed—Childs is taking his 10-yard outs to the big show, and Orlando Scandrick's senioritis has infected another big-time Bronco player. Sadly, Childs was only one yard from jersey retirement.

In other news, Kirby Moore will start next year.

Semi-full story [Statesman]

Kyle Wilson will not follow in Scandrick's footsteps

Drew Roberts — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 12:15:00 -0500

All-WAC/All-American cornerback Kyle Wilson is staying put. That mighty wind you just heard was Bronco fans exhaling. After a couple of weeks of speculation that the talented Bronco DB may go pro...Wilson's brother Gerry says he's on the blue for the long haul.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say it was a tough call, but I wouldn’t say it was easy,” said Gerry Wilson, the oldest of three Wilson boys. “… It was a matter of evaluating what’s best for Kyle and what’s best for the team.”

Gerry, who played college ball at Princeton, and is the CEO of yoonew, an online sports ticket trading company, obviously knows the importance of education and might have helped sway his little brother's decision.

If this is the case, Bronco Nation thanks you. Wilson may be on track to be another first or second-round draft pick in the 2010 draft and will be a key cog on a Bronco D that should be amazing next season. Now, go and have a chat with Jeremy Childs, won't ya?!

Full Story [Statesman]

Boise State Finishes 11th, 13th in Final Polls

Drew Roberts — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 11:22:00 -0500

Y'know who was awesome at this game? D.A.R.Y.L.

Boise State's final rankings are in, and they are about what we expected. The Broncos, who you may recall were one point from a perfect season, finished 11th in the AP poll and 13th in the USA Today Coaches' Poll.

Also, take a gander at the respect TCU got by defeating the Broncos (by one point, I might have mentioned) in the Dec. 23 Poinsettia Bowl—they finish at seventh in both polls (and take a picture...that's the last time you'll see a two-loss non-BCS team ranked that high).

The final rankings also failed to hand Utah a share of the national title, placing them second and fourth in the AP and Coaches' polls, respectively.

In a fair bit of irony, Oregon is ranked higher than the Broncos in both final polls.

The final rankings for the Broncos cap a pretty darn good year that surprised many, given the youth of the team, and will no doubt give them the momentum to start the 2009 season ranked. Hopefully, the Broncos will not squander that goodwill in the opening weeks of the '09 campaign. All signs point to the Broncos having a real tough squad next year.

Ryan Clady Finishes Third in Rookie of the Year Voting

Drew Roberts — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 16:54:00 -0500

Ryan Clady finished a distant third to the Atlanta Falcons' Matt Ryan in the AP's Offensive Rookie of the Year voting. But hey, he got some votes didn't he?

As hard as it is for a "non-skill" position player to garner much attention in balloting, it speaks volumes that Clady finished one vote behind Titans' running back Chris Johnson and one vote in front of the Bears' Matt Forte.

Clady, as previously noted, will be conspicuously absent from the Pro Bowl, but he has impressed everyone this season, giving up just a half a sack while playing left tackle for the Denver Broncos.

Mark it down: Clady will be an All-Pro next season.

Ryan wins AP Offensive Rookie of the Year [ESPN]

Every cloud...

Drew Roberts — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 11:48:00 -0500

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da...

Well the season is over and the as the last of the Christmas leftovers are being digested, some much needed perspective has finally settled into the spot where disappointment and heartache sat just six days ago.

The Boise State/TCU game provided everything that fans were looking for (besides a Boise State win) and really could've gone either way. Were we disappointed with the outcome?

Absolutely—the way the game ended, with Kellen's out-of-leftfield INT, quickly soured the optimistic mood that most fans probably had going into the last two minutes of the bowl, but It is great to be a Bronco fan.

Their insistence on trying to break the record for "most bowl game ended with a pick in one decade" certainly sprouts some gray hairs among even the most loyal Bronco fans, but no player or fan should be hanging their heads about the 2008 campaign...it didn't end on the highest of notes, but the future looks bright in the land of blue and orange, and here's some reasons why.

10. 1-point away from a perfect season in what "should" have been a rebuilding year.

9. Will absolutely be ranked in the 2009 preseason polls, setting up a more attainable BCS run.

8. Another undefeated regular season, another WAC title.

7. Ian Johnson surpasses Marshall Faulk for all-time WAC rushing TD mark.

6. Kellen freakin' Moore. Need I say more? Ok, I will...he's got 3 more years with the Broncos and his favorite targets are all back next year (even Titus Young)

5. Byron freakin' Hout. True Freshman linebacker/DE hybrid tore it up the second half of the season and will be a force on the Bronco D for 3 more years.

4. George freakin' Iloka. True Freshman safety didn't have the best bowl game, but the youngster surpassed everyone's expectations this year and was a key cog in the phenomenal Bronco D in '08.

3. Preseason WAC fave Fresno State was beaten soundly by the Broncos to finish the year.

2. Barring a pollster coup...the Broncos will finish the season in the top 15 yet again.

1. Boise State has 77 freshman and sophomores on the squad...most were key contributors this year. Experience and conditioning will only make this team better.

12-1 isn't what anyone expected in 2008, and while 13-0 has a better ring to it, Bronco fans better get ready for a ride because the next few years will be some doozies.

Boise State-TCU: Know Your Enemy (For This Bowl, Anyway)

Drew Roberts — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 12:19:00 -0500

Uh-oh...they've got a ginger.

Boise State's final test of the season is a doozy. The No. 11 TCU Horned Frogs bring a nation-leading defense to the quiet confines of Qualcomm Stadium and the No. 9 Broncos bring a battle-tested offense and a freshman QB with moxie.

Most fans, like me, know next to nothing about the 10-2 Horned Frogs, outside of LaDainian Tomlinson and that one four-eyed coach guy.

Needless to say, there is a lot to be learned about our bowl foe (don't worry, Kellen Moore already knows their defense intimately)...so let's explore through the magic of factoids and childish jokes.

For the mutual benefit of the Horned Frog faithful, I will let you get to know us a little bit too...so take notes.

Ten things Bronco fans might not know about TCU

10. Texas Christian University was founded by brothers Addison and Randolph Clark in 1873. The brothers, using the contraction of their first names, called the school AddRan Male and Female College (no, that isn't a joke). Addison, being the wordsmith that he was, actually named his first son AddRan as well; either because he really loved his brother or hated his kid.

9. The TCU mascot, the "horned frog" is actually a Texas horned lizard and not a frog at all. These fearsome creatures eat mainly harvester ants, termites, and grasshoppers and have the ability to puff up their bodies or shoot blood out of their eyes to dissuade predators. If the lizard's predator is actually Predator, however, I would imagine they are screwed.

8. The Horned Frogs play their home football games at Amon Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas. The stadium, which seats 44,000, is named for Amon G. Carter, the founder and publisher of the Fort-Worth Star Telegram newspaper. Carter had a well-publicized disdain for Fort Worth's neighbor city, Dallas, and when taking business trips to the city would bring a sack lunch so he didn't have to spend any money there...kind of like when Boiseans visit Garden City.

7. The Professor from Gilligan's Island was said to have a Ph.D. from TCU, among his six degrees. Now that it has been established that fictional degrees can be handed out, I propose that Boise State immediately award Darrin Stevens an MBA (the first one, not the second one).

6. Slingin' Sammy Baugh, who sadly just died on Dec. 17, is one of TCU's most famous alumni. Baugh was a two-time All-American for the Horned Frogs playing quarterback, defensive back, and punter, and he played 15 years in the NFL for the Washington Redskins. Baugh was among the first inductees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and even did a little acting on the side. They just don't make guys like that anymore, unless they are willing to spend $6 million, of course.

5. TCU won the national championship in 1938, only one year after finishing 4-4-2. On their way to the title and an 11-0 record that year, TCU defeated the likes of Arkansas, Temple, Texas A&M, Texas, Rice and SMU and eventually downed Carnegie-Mellon in the Sugar Bowl. The very next year, TCU went 3-7. Weird.

4. The longest tenured coach in TCU history was Leo "Dutch" Meyer, who coached for 19 years while posting a 109-79-13 record. A model of inconsistency, Meyer only posted nine winning seasons in his 19-year career, but he made them count...winning the aforementioned national championship in 1938 and posting a 12-1 record in 1935. Also, Meyer's 1936 squad could've given this years' Horned Frog defense a run for their money...they posted seven shutouts.

3. The TCU head coach with the highest career winning percentage was Francis A. Schmidt, who won nearly 85 percent of his games in his five years at the helm. Schmidt seemed to drop off a bit after moving on from TCU, winning only 70 percent of his games at Ohio State and then completely lost it at Idaho, winning only 36 percent...but then again, it was Idaho.

2. The namesake of the award for the nation's best college quarterback, the Davey O'Brien Award, is named for...you guessed it...Davey O'Brien—a TCU quarterback who won the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award and the Walter Camp award in 1938. O'Brien was only 5-foot-7 and weighed but 150 pounds when he won the awards (and the national championship) with the Frogs, which is like Frankie Muniz tearing up NCAA defenses.

1. Horned Frog Miscellany: TCU, for all their storied past and successes, has only won 52 percent of the games in their history. The Frogs have won 14 conference championships (only nine outright) in five different conferences since 1920 and are 10-13-1 in bowl games in that same span. The Horned Frogs last bowl loss came in 2003 to none other than the Boise State Broncos. Their No. 11 ranking that they bring in to the Poinsettia Bowl is their highest ranking since 2005, when they finished the year at No. 11 in the AP and No. 9 in the Coaches poll. The last time TCU was shut out was in 1991.

Ten things TCU fans might not know about Boise State

10. Receiver Vinny Perretta's father Ralph was an offensive lineman for six years with the San Diego Chargers. The elder Perretta played out his career between '75 and '80 on the same field on which Vinny will end his collegiate career...Qualcomm Stadium (formerly known as Jack Murphy Stadium). Pereta is Italian for rubber syringe. Good to know.

9. In 1933, Boise State (BJC) head coach Dusty Kline liked all his football players to get vitamins. Being as it was the Depression and vitamins were not exactly an easy get, coach Kline did the traditional thing for that time and gave the players a spoonful of cod liver oil every day. Only problem was that coach Kline gave everyone their dose from the same spoon, causing a nasty case of "trench mouth" (necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis) to break out among the team—some players even lost their teeth to the malady. Fortunately, with the lack of adequate protective headgear at the time...they probably would've lost those teeth anyway.

8. Until last year's draft that saw Bronco OT Ryan Clady go in the first round, Boise State's highest ever draftee was Defensive End Markus Koch. Koch was drafted 30th overall by the Washington Redskins in the 1986 draft. After returning to Boise State in 1993 for his Hall of Fame induction...Koch basically disappeared. Friends and ex-teammates completely lost track of the Bronco great and could not find him until the Clady draft story caused searchers to redouble their efforts. Koch was finally tracked down in Port Townsend, Wash., where he had been living and working as a yacht broker for 15 years. Koch sadly could not provide any information on the whereabouts of D.B. Cooper.

7. Boise State's lone alum in the Pro Football Hall of Fame is linebacker Dave Wilcox. Wilcox played at Boise State in its Junior College days and as such, had a stop at the University of Oregon before being drafted by the San Francisco 49ers. Wilcox's son Justin is the current defensive coordinator for Boise State.

6. Legendary Bronco coach Lyle Smith, often called "the father of Bronco football," won his first 37 games with the Broncos and never had a losing season in his 20 years as head Bronco (1947-1967). Smith's high school nickname was "Iron Man" and he lived up to that name when his coaching career started, often chalking the field, doing the team finances and even the laundry, his first year in Boise he was also the head basketball coach (his team went 24-9). After his coaching career was over, Smith became AD and handpicked his successor, Tony Knap—who also never notched a losing season at Boise State.

5. Boise State started out as a junior college in 1932 and became 4-year Boise College in 1968. Hal Zimmerman was the starting QB for BJC in 1967 and in 1968 was the starter for Boise College. How many can make that claim?

4. The first U.S. commercial air flight was an airmail flight in 1926 from Pasco, Wash., to Boise on Varney Air Lines, predecessor of United Airlines. The dirt landing strip was where Bronco Stadium is now. Prior to the campus being built, it was Boise's first airport...and before that: a landfill.

3. Many think that Boise State ripped off their colors and mascot from the Denver Broncos...well it may be the other way around. Boise State's mascot and colors were picked in 1932 by student Owen Sproat and others after a basketball game. As Sproat put it:

“Most of the guys rode horses — it was pretty much cattle country in those days.”

The johnny-come-lately Denver Broncos didn't come on the scene until 1960.

2. Bronco Stadium's Lyle Smith Field is the nation's first non-green collegiate playing surface. "The Blue" or the "Smurf Turf" as it is affectionately known was first installed in 1986 and is currently in its fourth iteration. Contrary to popular belief...geese do not break their necks after mistaking it for a white lined lake. Jimmy Hoffa is also NOT buried under the field (as far as we know)

1. Boise State's QB, redshirt frosh Kellen Moore, owns pretty much every high school football record in the state of Washington. Moore had 787 completions, 173 touchdowns, and over over 11,000 yards passing at Prosser High School. He threw 66 touchdown passes his junior year and 67 his senior year. His brother Kirby, the national record holder for career receiving TDs is joining Kellen on the blue next year. Consider this a warning.

Now that we're properly acquainted...let's kill one another on the football field tomorrow evening! GO BRONCOS!

Ryan Clady's Pro-Bowl Snub Is Inexcusable

Drew Roberts — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:51:00 -0500

You wouldn't like Ryan Clady when he's angry.

Joining the long list of snubs Boise State fans have come to expect this year is one of a different variety. Boise State alum Ryan Clady, who would be prepping to shut down TCU's Jerry Hughes right now if he hadn't left early for the NFL, was snubbed by the Pro Bowl Selection Committee today.

This will not stand. I mean, come on, NFL...Clady has been getting Rookie of the Year-type buzz as he's shut down wave after wave of franchise defensive ends this season and has given up just half a sack.

Last week alone, against the Carolina Panthers, he "schooled" Julius Peppers (their words, not mine), and every writer on NFL.com placed Clady on their Pro Bowl ballot. Sadly, the writers at NFL.com do not actually cast ballots...But you get the point. Clady was robbed, and all of you Pro Bowl voters just awoke a sleeping giant.

Pro Bowl rosters [NFL.com]

The Leno Show: OT Charles Leno Commits to Boise State

Drew Roberts — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 22:47:00 -0500

"I'll protect you, Kellen."

Boise State received their 19th verbal commitment (20th if you count the softy) of the 2009 class today, as big OT Charles Leno pulled the proverbial trigger. Leno, a 6'5", 265-pounder out of San Leandro HS (CA), had scholly offers from Idaho, SDSU, SJSU, UNLV, and Utah, as well as interest from several Pac-10 schools.

Leno is rated as the No. 24 Offensive Tackle of the '09 class by ESPN and also grades out as a 79 using their formula. Besides receiving passing grades from ESPN's recruiting team, they had this (among other things) to say about the big man.

Leno is on prime time when he's on the field. He has very good size and is extremely athletic. Runs more like a tight end than a tackle; gives great effort when leading downfield on the screen pass or getting crossfield to pick up a defender. Plays the game with a great sense of urgency and gives 100 percent every play.

Coach Pete will get that ratcheted up to 110 percent, so don't worry.

By the way, Leno visited the blue during the Fresno State game, so it's a miracle that it took him two weeks to pull the trigger—still one of the most memorable nights at Bronco Stadium I can remember.

Leno scouting report [ESPN]
List of Boise State commits [Scout.com]

Boise State Has a Lot Left to Play for in Poinsettia Bowl

Drew Roberts — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 07:06:31 -0500

After another undefeated regular season was capped off with yet another BCS snub—some might think that the Boise State Broncos have little left to play for. They would be wrong.

After back-to-back losses in 2007 (to Hawaii and East Carolina) cost the Broncos their momentum and a potential preseason ranking, the word on every Broncos' lips in 2008 has been "finish."

Well, the Broncos, at 12-0, have "finished" every game, and opponent, they've faced this year—from a surprisingly dominant performance at Oregon's Autzen Stadium to a post-Thanksgiving beatdown of rival Fresno State...but their season is definitely not finished until they take care of TCU in the Poinsettia Bowl on Dec. 23. The young Bronco squad is up for the challenge...but it won't be easy.

Something's gotta give

The Broncos have been the highest scoring team in the nation since 2000. In that same time frame, the TCU Horned Frogs have had some of the nation's most dominant defenses, so most are probably expecting this game to be a battle between a high-scoring offense and a tough-as-nails defense...but looky here: Boise State's got a defense too...and a darn good one.

TCU is currently ranked No. 2 in the NCAA in scoring defense...the Broncos are No. 3. TCU, at 10-2, have given up an average of just under 11 points per game, the Broncos, at 12-0, have given up an average of just over 12 points per game—the TCU defensive "advantage" comes out to only 1.4 points per game.

In total defense, the gap widens, with TCU still claiming the No. 2 national ranking and giving up a paltry 215 yards/game while the Broncos fall in at No. 16, giving up 294 yards/game. Most would agree, however, that the most important stat line on defense is points allowed, and the Broncos and Horned Frogs have been stingy all year.

Now, the Mountain West Conference is a slightly better conference from top to bottom, but the WAC has more prolific offenses from top to bottom, so we'll call defense a push.

Let's not forget that the defenses, a strength for both teams, will not be playing each other in San Diego; however, they'll be lined up against the opposing offenses, and that's where I see some separation forming between the two squads.

Offense wins championships too

The Broncos' offense, though streaky at times during the season, still managed to sneak into the top 15 (No. 12) scoring offenses in the nation (higher than any Mountain West team) and is ranked 12th in passing offense as well.

The fact that the Broncos only rank 49th in rushing offense is a moot point, since the Horned Frogs are tops in the country in stopping the run and likely won't allow much to the Broncos anyway. Boise State's offensive success, quite simply, rests on the shoulders of freshman phenom Kellen Moore, who, outside of Oklahoma's Sam Bradford, will be the best quarterback that TCU will see this year.

Moore has had big games against the biggest competition this year and will be the key to a Bronco victory. Moore, who has only thrown nine INTs against 25 TDs this year, will need to maintain his accuracy (70 percent) and cut down on the costlier turnovers (like the three picks he's thrown this year that have been returned for TDs), and the Broncos will be fine.

The Broncos' O-line, which has seen a number of looks and taken a while to gel, will have their hands full with TCU's All-American DE Jerry Hughes, who will be looking to get in Moore's grill all night and rush him into making a bad decision.

Moore is more than capable of making quick reads, but has, on a few occasions, made the wrong one...against TCU this would be disastrous. Look for the Broncos to use a two-back set to disrupt the pass rush of the Horned Frogs and to try to sneak out a few of the Broncos tight-ends to open up the passing game a bit more.

The Frogs also placed three DBs on the MWC first or second team defense, so Jeremy Childs, Austin Pettis, Vinny Perretta, and company will need to run precise routes and go after the football aggressively to keep the fierce Frog secondary at bay.

When the Frogs are on offense, the Broncos need to stay disciplined against a deceptively good Frog rushing attack. Though TCU's top rusher only has 494 yards rushing on the year, the team has the 13th ranked rushing attack in the country.

The Boise State linebackers and safeties will need to play their assignments and keep tackling like they have in the open field or the Frogs will be able to chew up the clock on the ground. The Broncos have already faced the nation's No. 2 rushing attack in Reno, and handled it well, so I doubt the Frogs will find their offensive groove on the ground.

That means that sophomore QB Andy Dalton will have to spark the Frogs's offense through the air, bringing about my mismatch of the game. The Frogs' passing offense is ranked 70th in the nation, and Dalton has only been completing about 58 percent of his passes on the year. Dalton will have to play above himself to get over on a Broncos secondary that is stacked with speed and talent.

Boise State is third in the nation in pass efficiency defense...and while the Frogs are no slouch at No. 4...Andy Dalton is simply not Kellen Moore, to put it delicately. Look for the Broncos to bring the pressure on the ends from Byron Hout and Ryan Winterswyk early and often to force Dalton to put the ball in play where Kyle Wilson, Brandyn Thompson, George Iloka, or Ellis Powers can get at it.

The Broncos' squad has intercepted 20 passes on the year and would love to make these game-changing plays on TCU. In the two previous games that Dalton played against top current top 10 opponents, he threw zero touchdowns and completed barely over 40 percent of his passes.

The Broncos won't allow Dalton to get in a groove, and I would expect him to throw for a low percentage, if not turn the ball over a time or two. The Horned Frog offense relies on field position to power the ball into the end zone from the red zone.

The Broncos' D can't and won't allow the Frogs to win the field position battle; their best chance, in my opinion, to score offensively on the Broncos.

The Specialists

Helping either team in the vital field position battle will be the kicking and kicking coverage teams. TCU and Boise State both have excellent punt returners, Kyle Wilson for the Broncos and Jeremy Kerley for the Horned Frogs.

Wilson is averaging 14.69 yards per return and has really found his groove as of late returning three punts for TDs in the last five games.

Kerley is averaging 13.88 yards per return. Neither team has received many kickoffs throughout the year, so a large advantage does not present itself in the kickoff return game. TCU's Aaron Brown has performed well on returns and returned one for a TD during the year, so we'll say that the kickoff return advantage leans slightly in the Horned Frogs favor.

As far as kickoffs go, Boise State's Kyle Brotzman has kicked 13 touchbacks on the year, with two kicks on the year going out-of-bounds, while TCU's Drew Combs has eight touchbacks on the year, with four going out-of-bounds.

Brotzman, who pulls double duty as the team's punter certainly has the edge on leg strength and control, it would seem...though neither team has allowed a kick return for a TD and both are holding their opponents to under 20 yards per kickoff return—we'll call this one a push.

On the punting side of things, Boise State's Kyle Brotzman has been really booming his rugby-style punts this year but hasn't ascended the collegiate rankings, for lack of attempts. Brotzman's 45.48 yards/punt average has kept Bronco opponents safely on their own side of midfield and TCU's Anson Kelton's average of 42.04 is not too shabby either.

The punt-return coverage favors the Broncos by a wide margin..as they've given up only 94 yards in punt return yardage all year and allowed no scores...TCU has allowed 193 punt return yards on the year and gave up a return TD against Stanford—Kyle Wilson will certainly test the Frog return coverage and hopefully can put the Bronco offense in business against the tough Horned Frog D.

Special teams as a whole will favor the Broncos.

The Intangibles

The matchup will certainly pit two top notch defenses against each other, but will also line up two of the great mid-major coaches in the nation across from one another. Boise State's Chris Petersen is widely known as an offensive genius, and his OC protege Bryan Harsin will no doubt throw some new wrinkles at the Frogs' D.

The Broncos love to put multiple men in motion and confound defenses with misdirection plays, reverses and halfback passes. Gary Patterson's defenses are quick and nasty and there is little doubt that Kellen Moore will have to think quickly and get rid of the ball in a timely manner.

As I've said before, if Moore does not turn the ball over, the Horned Frogs will be in for a long night. That said, TCU's defense held Oklahoma's Sam Bradford to his lowest completion percentage of the season, but he still tossed four TDs.

I think we can expect Moore to dip below his 70 percent completion average on the 23rd, but the yards and TDs will come...especially if the Horned Frogs sellout to stop the Bronco run game.

It's tough to place an advantage in the "intangibles" category here; both coaches will have their team prepared and both want a win badly. Maybe the Broncos have more to prove after the betting lines opened with them being undefeated underdogs...We'll see on Dec. 23 in San Diego.

Go Broncos!