Bronco Fans Were Ready for Duck Season

                The Oregon-BSU game was long awaited by fans for both teams.   With Masoli’s comments of wanting revenge from last season’s late hit and with Blount telling Sports Illustrated BSU needed a “[butt] whipping”, the game meant more than a BCS eligibility for Bronco fans.

                Boise fans had been preparing themselves for months before this game.  Shirts came out saying “The myth is true, Ducks do crash in the blue.”  Local radio stations broadcasted songs that were written about Duck season opening up for the Broncos.  Boise fans did everything they could to make it to the game.

                Students lined up early Monday morning.  Thousands of students were spread between four locations all in hopes to get their student tickets for the game.  Based up a general observation, if you weren’t in line by 4:00 AM, you didn’t get your ticket. 

                Game day Thursday finally arrived.  As the three Oregon buses pulled into the BSU parking lot hundreds of students were there waiting for them.  A group of students had rubber ducks they hung by a small rope and taunted the busses rolling by.  The students began chanting “[buck] the ducks!”

                It was hostile territory for the Ducks.  They entered into a stadium that had a record sell-out crowd.  The Bronco fans never went silent.  You could see the confusion from Coach Kelly trying to get the play calls to Masoli.  It was evident the message wasn’t getting through.  The crowd would like to imagine they had a part in that.  The Bronco defense would too.

                For the last two seconds of the game the crowd was already yelling in congratulations for the Broncos.  It stopped when the replay of Blount’s sucker punch was displaying on the screen.  When the crowd saw what happened they began yelling and booing.  They watched as Blount tried getting into it with a few fans in the bleachers. 

                Put yourself in Oregon’s position for a moment.  Imagine being in the Pac-10 where you play in stadiums with attendance well over 50,000.  Imagine coming to Boise State: a stadium that holds only 34,500 fans and a WAC team with a lot of hype.  Apart from getting no first downs in the first half, your best rusher getting -5 yards, and a meager 8 points on the board, you are finally boo-ed off the field as you leave.  Welcome to Bronco Nation.