Atta boy, RD!

Well, Ryan Dinwiddie made his coach look like a genius...again. On Thursday night in Winnipeg, RD gave a positively Dinwiddie-like performance—and Boise State fans who have longed to see Ryan light up defenses one more time had their chance (if they get channel 39 on their antenna). Dinwiddie, as I blogged earlier this week, was given the reins of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers after their incumbent got them off to an 0-4 start. Dinwiddie not only tossed for 450 yards and a score...he tossed the game winning touchdown with only seconds left on the clock. I gotta tell ya, to see Dinwiddie's pure elation after he tossed that game clincher almost brought a tear to my eye—the guy's been through a lot and it's about time he was given the opportunity to shine once again. Boise State, by the way, got a lot of free pub during the game as Dinwiddie's college roots were mentioned time and again, as well as his teammate's, Cam Hall.

Dinwiddie looked so poised, confident and accurate—I could've sworn I'd stepped back into the year 2003. Now if I could just figure out why they only got three downs (or "doons" as the announcer kept referring to them), why the teams got a point for missing a field goal and why the uprights were at the very front of a 20-yards-deep endzone all would be right with the world.

Atta boy, RD! We haven't forgotten about you.

Story

ex-BSU player bested by Idaho Vandal

Round one of the hip new Canadian game called "don't tear your Achilles" goes to a Vandal, according to a canada.com news article. Rolly Lumbala, a 10-year player at Idaho is a Canuck...so is former Boise State reserve linebacker and special teamer Josh Bean. Both players have returned to their homeland in pursuit of a dream to play a bizarre brand of football in the CFL. Bean knows what it is like to win...Lumbala does not—but Lumbala has defeated BC's training camp, while Bean did not.

Bean tore his Achilles at the Lions' camp and will have surgery this Friday, but he's already got words of encouragement for his obscure Vandal counterpart.

When you've got to handle a losing situation for three, four, five years, you might not be interested in football anymore. You've got to credit him for overcoming that situation and coming here to excel.

Ha ha, nice one Josh...way to remind Lumbala of his utterly squandered years in Moscow. Actually, reminding your bitter rival of how many years of losses they racked up is considered a high compliment in Canada.

Bean will be rehabbing for six to nine months while he gets cozy with his Canadian girlfriend.

...my girlfriend's from here [Coquitlam] so I'll just move in with her. I'll stay around the facility [Surrey practice field] all season for my rehab.

No word on what a Coquitlam is, yet...I think it may be a kind of herbal ointment.

Bean's health defeat at the hands of a Vandal wasn't the only surprising news, however...it turns out Boise State isn't even in Idaho.

Bean played for the Boise State Broncos, who went 32-7 over the linebacker's final three seasons, including a perfect 13-0 in 2006 when the Montana team upset Oklahoma in an epic and WAC-ky Fiesta Bowl

Crap!

Full story HERE

Catching up with Alex Guerrero

It's a long offseason...so for the next 100+ days we're going to be throwing out some exclusive interviews with ex-players, analysts and fans. Our second such interview is with Alex Guerrero, an all-time great for the Broncos at Defensive Tackle. Alex was a four-year starter at Boise State and on some incredible Bronco squads. I caught up with Alex (shown above, during his one season with the Rhein Fire of the now-defunct NFL Europa) and got the 411.

DREW: Where are you right now and what are you up to?
Well right now I’m living in California and I’m training for my upcoming CFL season (with the Hamilton Tiger Cats).

DREW: How did you come to find yourself at Boise State?
Well, its kind of a long story, it pretty much all came down to my grades. In high school, my grades weren't the best and I didn't go to a big-time school so it wasn't a recruiting hot spot. So, not too many schools came around, but luckily my friend Scott Smith was a big-time recruit and he was bringing a lot of coaches in and I remember one day he turned down a trip to Boise and I said "Hey, coach I’ll take a trip" he said they liked me but my grades weren't good enough.... so after that they kept in touch with me (when no other team did) so when I finally became eligible I stayed loyal to them and on my trip with them I signed.

DREW: Do you still keep in contact with ex-players or coaches from BSU?
Yes, I try to keep up with some, the one I’ve probably been in contact with more is my ex D-line coach, Romeo Bandison.

DREW: What was your proudest achievement at Boise State both on and off the field?
My proudest moment at Boise State on the field was my final game at Boise State against Boston College. That night I promised myself and my coach that I would have my best game yet…and I did just that…I stepped up to the challenge that I put in front of myself and that’s why it was my proudest moment. Off the field, I would have to say it was winning the Humanitarian award.

DREW: I recall a particularly big hit by you in the 2004 UTEP game...was that your most memorable hit? If not, what was?
My most memorable hit was not by me, it was to me. I remember in the Oregon state game I was on the punt return team and I let my guard down for a second and next thing I knew, my ass was on the ground and I was cheap-shotted by the punter, I got up and told him how big of mistake he had made, and I [showed him] by having 2 sacks and 7 tackles....`

DREW: What was it like playing in Europe?
Europe was a unique experience. It was good to play against other good players and see how I could match up. I left there with some unfinished business though, I wish the league wouldn’t have gone under....but I plan on making up for that in my upcoming CFL season.

DREW: Being on a 2004 team that was a hairs-breadth from perfection—did you still feel a little down about missing out on the magical 2006 season?
They say you can’t change the past and to always look forward, but with the 2006 season being so magical, like you said, there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t wish I would have red-shirted and played in that game—but what’s done is done and I’m happy some of my best friends from my recruiting class got the chance to play and benefit from that game.

DREW: Did you watch the Fiesta Bowl? How did you feel afterwards knowing that you helped start that amazing run?
I flew straight out from Minnesota on the day of the game and I was in the front row with some ex Boise players like Ben Chuckovich, Chris Carr, Gabe Franklin, Robby Jones, Brian Decker and my family—it was one of the best days of my life.

DREW: You received a humanitarian award while at Boise State...how important do you think it is for athletes to be good role models and engage the community?
Being a role model is something I always prided myself with. I always told the younger athletes that I met that being a role model is essential because we are given an opportunity to be looked up to by younger kids and every little thing that we can do to make a difference is our responsibility.

DREW: The white patch in your beard...birthmark or real source of your power?
Both. I like to think of it as something that makes me unique. Plus, chicks dig it....hahahaha

DREW: What side of Bronco Stadium do you love more...the side that yells 'BOISE' or the side that yells 'STATE'?
Again I’ll say ‘both’, because I love that chant....I still have dreams about me playing in Bronco Stadium and hearing that chant.

DREW: Do Bronco players (especially out-of-staters) fully understand the Vandal rivalry? Do Bronco players hate the Vandals as much as the fans do?
What pissed me off the most about the whole Vandal thing is people really thought they had a chance...other than that they were just like any other team—I was out to dominate them.

DREW: Boise State recently switched broadcasters after 35 years and there is an announcer vacancy—Are you interested?
Still got a lot of football ahead of me, so I’m good for now—but in the future you never know what can happen. I have always wanted to be a football analyst so maybe one day I’ll do a Boise State game. That would be a dream come true.