See you Latah

Hooray for county puns! The Vandals had exactly one big play and exactly one decent drive yesterday afternoon as they were annihilated for the 10th straight time by the undefeated Broncos. On the first play from scrimmage, Vandal receiver Daniel Hardy turned a short-gainer into an 81-yard TD after the Bronco D gave up on the play, thinking he was down. It was a heads up play by Hardy...and it was the last big play the Vandals would have all day. Sure, the Broncos chose to let the Vandals stay within striking distance at the half by missing two field goals and not capitalizing in the red zone, but once the 3rd quarter started, it was curtains for the Black and Gold.

Jeremy Avery showed why he should get the lion's share of the carries torching the Vandals for 156 yards and two TDs on only 11 carries. I will say this now: Ian Johnson deserves the WAC TD record and the coaches should do everything in their power to give it to him...but Avery is the better back for this offense and as such, should get the touches. Kellen Moore failed to throw a TD for the first time since game two, but was an efficient 23/31 on the day with no turnovers. Hey Kellen, corner fade to Pettis...that's all I'm sayin'.

Ellis Powers repeated his feat of returning a fumble for a TD and Kyle Wilson ran back yet another punt for a TD. The defense looked solid against the run and didn't allow anything over the top, but still look a bit soft over the middle against non-spread offense. Thankfully, next week's tumble against the Wolf Pack will feature the spread option and power run game...two things the Broncos handle very well.

With the 45-10 win, the Broncos move to 10-0 for the 3rd time in 5 seasons and clinched at least a share of their 6th WAC title. They will can claim the outright title with a win over Nevada on Saturday.

Lucky number seven

Can I go back to Cal?

San Jose State was game, but the Broncos defense was stellar once again and the offense found a 165 lb. spark in Jeremy Avery and the Broncos ran their record to 7-0. The Spartans offense looked flustered all night long, but the Spartan defense kept things tight for most of the night with a pick-six, endzone fumble recovery and some very solid play from their D-line. With a 33-16 final, the Spartans scored the most points against the Bronco defense since the September 20th game at Autzen, but really can only be held to account for 10 of those points. I will give a lot of respect to the Spartans...they play hard and that defense is for real...if they can find an offense they may be very good. As it stands, however, the Broncos were the better team tonight and will probably not face a stiff test for weeks.

Quick Hits

• Austin Pettis has some sticky hands
• Jeron Johnson is a stud, but needs to dial it down a notch at times...personal fouls hurt.
• Jeremy Avery is one slick dude and tough, too.
• Dick Tomey needs some ginseng.
• Kyle Efaw should've had a TD.

Every time Boise State wins, an angel gets his wings.

Broncocountry's Forseyfan11 made the following vid...a few reasons to get pumped for the '08 season. The scary part?! We have these guys and Austin Pettis back AND add rageaholic Doug Martin to the backfield. WAC defenses and incontinent Vandal coaches just collectively wet themselves.

Got Milk?

BSU got their mojo back—and they picked a perfect night. Friday night on ESPN2, BSU answered two big questions that had been swirling around the program for two weeks; the first one? Where the heck is our defense? The answer, on Friday, was: RIGHT where we left it, with Marty Tadman, Jeron Johnson (back after a 3-game absence) Kyle Gingg, Ryan Winterswyk and the rest of the crew—BSU's defense played phenomenal football for 3 quarters, putting big hits on Fresno QB Brandstater and shutting down the potent Bulldog run game. The second big question? Can two freshman running backs really move the ball on Fresno with Ian johnson out? The answer to this was a resounding "YES". Redshirt freshman Jeremy Avery and True Freshman DJ Harper exploded against Fresno and combined for over 200 yards in the first half of the game. DJ Harper had a breakout night, and possibly a pivotal night in his development as a Bronco; rushing for over 150 yards and a clutch TD run where he fought off multiple tackles and dove into the endzone. Avery looked smooth as silk as he made quick cuts, juked defenders and followed his blocks masterfully, en route to a 125 yard game and 3 TDs.

The Bulldogs came out quickly, matching BSU's first TD and then taking an early lead as Clifton Smith raced to the endzone after fielding a BSU punt. DJ Harper's TD knotted the game up at 14 and then a huge field-goal block by Orlando Scandrick and crew put the Broncos in position to kick their own—leaving the score 17-14 at the half.

The Dawgs have been known this year for huge second-half efforts, so the Broncos needed to stay focused and make the necessary adjustments—they did. BSU, behind terrific efforts by Avery and freshman kicker Kyle Brotzman, were able to outscore Fresno 17-7 in the second half—sealing a 34-21 win, keeping pace with WAC first-place team Hawaii, and winning their 6th game in 7 tries against the Bulldogs.

The stat of the game? BSU's defense held Fresno to 1 of 13 on 3rd down conversions. An amazing stat for a Bronco defense that had struggled mightily in their previous two WAC contests. Jason Robinson's interception on 4th and long was the night's only turnover and clinched the night for Boise. All told, BSU beat Fresno at their own game—they ran the ball down their throats. BSU outgained Fresno 282-89 on the ground and 440-352 in total yards. Taylor Tharp looked efficient and managed the game well for Boise State as the passing game never really took off, Austin Pettis made a clutch diving catch on 3rd and long to keep one Boise State scoring drive alive, and Marty Tadmand and Dallas Dobbs both contributed 9 tackles on the defensive side of the ball.

Fresno is a talented and, like the Broncos, young team and I was impressed with the following players: Marlon Moore, AJ Jefferson, Bear Pascoe, and Clifton Smith. With these youngsters and Pat Hill's tutelage—Fresno should be a force to be reckoned with in the WAC in coming years (alongside BSU, of course)

All in all, a very solid, hard fought victory for the Broncos who return home for San Jose State on Saturday. With the defense seemingly righting their ship, I expect pretty smooth sailing through November until the epic showdown with Hawaii (who is 8-0, but hasn't played anyone with a pulse yet).

The Milk Can stays in Boise for one more year.