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Broncos power up in countdown to H-Bowl
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Countdown to H-Bowl in T-minus five…
There are five conference games the Broncos have to play this year to win the Big West championship and earn a berth to the Crucuial.com Humanitarian Bowl. Two of those games are on the road, while the other three are in Bronco Stadium.
The first of those critical games came Saturday on Boise State’s Lyle Smith Field where BSU had not lost a game in ten outings. The Broncos looked to extend that win-streak to eleven against a North Texas team the current BSU coaching staff had not beaten in two attempts.
Both of those previous games against the lone Big West team BSU had yet to beat were not considered defeats, but the Broncos simply beat themselves. In the two games versus North Texas the Broncos scored a combined 23 points.
But this time Boise State was poised to prove that North Texas was really the Not-so Mean Green of Denton, Tex., and the defending Big West champions did just that.
The Broncos, for the first time all year, played four quarters of football, and let North Texas know Boise State had had enough as BSU pounded UNT 59-0.
The win marked the first time the BSU coaching staff would start conference play off at 1-0.
“It couldn’t happen at a better time (the lopsided victory) as far as placement with the first conference game,” said senior defensive tackle Brad Phillips. “Coach Koetter said earlier in the locker room that we’re going to send a little shock wave through the Big West and let them know that we’re for real and I think we did that today.”
The Broncos (5-2, 1-0) spend the next two weekends on the road, first at New Mexico State and then at Arkansas State.
The road trip brings a little deja vu to Boise State as BSU has been to both Arkansas and New Mexico this season. The Broncos opened up the season at the University of New Mexico with a win. On Sept. 16 BSU fell a foot short of sending the game into overtime versus the Razorbacks of Arkansas.
Now for BSU to get past T-minus four they have to beat New Mexico State (2-4, 1-0). The Aggies come off an overtime win against Arkansas State (0-8, 0-2).
The Broncos have beaten the Aggies in all four meetings between the two.
One loss for any team in the Big West conference could mean they will be home watching the Humanitarian Bowl on the television rather than playing on the blue turf.
Countdown to H-Bowl in T-minus five…
There are five conference games the Broncos have to play this year to win the Big West championship and earn a berth to the Crucuial.com Humanitarian Bowl. Two of those games are on the road, while the other three are in Bronco Stadium.
The first of those critical games came Saturday on Boise State’s Lyle Smith Field where BSU had not lost a game in ten outings. The Broncos looked to extend that win-streak to eleven against a North Texas team the current BSU coaching staff had not beaten in two attempts.
Both of those previous games against the lone Big West team BSU had yet to beat were not considered defeats, but the Broncos simply beat themselves. In the two games versus North Texas the Broncos scored a combined 23 points.
But this time Boise State was poised to prove that North Texas was really the Not-so Mean Green of Denton, Tex., and the defending Big West champions did just that.
The Broncos, for the first time all year, played four quarters of football, and let North Texas know Boise State had had enough as BSU pounded UNT 59-0.
The win marked the first time the BSU coaching staff would start conference play off at 1-0.
“It couldn’t happen at a better time (the lopsided victory) as far as placement with the first conference game,” said senior defensive tackle Brad Phillips. “Coach Koetter said earlier in the locker room that we’re going to send a little shock wave through the Big West and let them know that we’re for real and I think we did that today.”
The Broncos (5-2, 1-0) spend the next two weekends on the road, first at New Mexico State and then at Arkansas State.
The road trip brings a little deja vu to Boise State as BSU has been to both Arkansas and New Mexico this season. The Broncos opened up the season at the University of New Mexico with a win. On Sept. 16 BSU fell a foot short of sending the game into overtime versus the Razorbacks of Arkansas.
Now for BSU to get past T-minus four they have to beat New Mexico State (2-4, 1-0). The Aggies come off an overtime win against Arkansas State (0-8, 0-2).
The Broncos have beaten the Aggies in all four meetings between the two.
One loss for any team in the Big West conference could mean they will be home watching the Humanitarian Bowl on the television rather than playing on the blue turf.
This weekend proved almost devastating for the Vandals as Idaho lost 31-14 to Utah State. With the Idaho loss there are only three Big West teams without conference losses – BSU, Utah State, and New Mexico State. After this coming weekend there will likely only be two teams without a conference loss. Utah State (3-4, 2-0) hosts Arkansas State and should win.
Idaho was thought to be the contender with Boise State for the championship, but with the loss to Utah State the front-runner again appears to be the Broncos.
Don’t count the Vandals (3-5, 1-1) out though. Idaho has proven it can score with just about anyone in the nation and will look for revenge on Nov. 18 in Bronco Stadium as BSU blasted the Vandals 45-14 last season.
But the Broncos won’t be looking ahead as head coach Dirk Koetter won’t allow it.
With only four games remaining in the season for the Broncos it is time to look at who the opponent for the Big West champion will be in the H-Bowl.
The post-season match-up will be between the Big West champion and the second or third place team from the Western Athletic Conference – the same conference Boise State will be joining next season.
The WAC has an agreement with three bowls. The first is the Mobile Alabama Bowl. Texas Christian (6-0, 3-0) is the leading candidate for that bowl which will play against a Conference USA team.
Second on the bowl list for the WAC is the first year Silicon Valley Bowl in San Jose, Calif. The new bowl game will match up a second place WAC team or the champion if the team is Fresno State, San Jose State, Nevada, or Texas-El Paso. Hawaii has a contract that allows the Warriors to play in one of Hawaii’s two bowl games if they are bowl eligible.
A team needs at least six wins to be bowl eligible. The only exception is if the team wins their conference championship.
The way things are shaping up in the WAC it looks like UTEP, Fresno State, or San Jose State will be going to the Silicon Valley Bowl. The WAC representative will play a Mountain West opponent.
The final guaranteed bowl for the WAC is the Crucial.com Humanitarian Bowl in Boise. The H-Bowl will play host to its fourth game this Dec. The Humanitarian Bowl will likely get the third place team in the WAC.
The Broncos are in the driver’s seat to go to the H-Bowl and it looks like Fresno State or San Jose State will be BSU’s opponent. UTEP (6-2, 5-0) could land in Boise since San Jose State (4-3, 3-1) or Fresno State (3-3, 2-1) would be the Bay area favorites to play in the Silicon Valley Classic.
With all that explained Boise State still has four more Saturdays of football to play and if all goes well the Broncos could be playing on a Thursday in December.
T-minus New Mexico State … Arkansas State … Utah State … Idaho … and we have full booster ignition … liftoff. The Boise State Broncos are headed for the Crucial.com Humanitarian Bowl and an exciting trip into the new Millennium.
Contact Pete at Pete@arbitermail.com
Pete Erlendson
