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Home sweet home
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There may not be a team in the nation more in need of a home game than Boise State.
“We play a lot better at home and I’m sure that’s why everyone is excited to have our first home game here,” defensive tackle Alex Guerrero said. “Especially with the caliber of team that Bowling Green has.”
The Broncos had a nation-best 22-game win streak snapped in the Liberty Bowl on New Year’s Eve. Now, two more road games later, Boise State is in the midst of its longest losing streak (3 games) since 1997. That year was the lone season under Houston Nutt, when Boise State went 5-6; the season following the death of former head coach Pokey Allen.
In the six seasons between the two streaks, the Broncos have had three two-game losing streaks. The last one is far too similar to the way the Broncos have began this season. In 2001, Dan Hawkins’ first as head coach, the Broncos started the season playing a South Eastern Conference team and a team from the Pacific 10 Conference.
In 2001, Boise State lost to South Carolina on the road 32-13, and to Washington State at home 41-20. That home loss to the Cougars happens also to be the last time the Broncos have lost at Bronco Stadium. Boise State boasts the longest home win streak in the nation. Guerrero is one of seven seniors that have been with the program during that entire time, and understands the importance of the streak. “It’s huge because you want to hold on to something. We obviously can’t hang on to having a perfect season now, but I want to be able to leave with a perfect record here at home.”
The team has won 25 straight games at home by a margin of 48.2-15.6. The Broncos may need to score that much to keep up with the high-powered offense of Bowling Green Wednesday night. Quarterback Omar Jacobs leads an offense that has averaged 41 points per game this season.
Senior offensive tackle Daryn Colledge said that it’s going to be a ‘real challenge’ against Jacobs, but also said that everyone is excited.
“We just need to play our type of football. I think that if we can play our football, we can just run all over the defense, get some rushing yards and throw for some stuff. Just play some Boise State football,” Colledge said.
A home game may be what the Broncos have ordered. The Liberty Bowl was very close to a road game. As Louisville was just a hop, skip and a jump away from Memphis, the game had a home field advantage for the Cardinals. The season opener at Georgia this season was the largest crowd Boise State has ever played in front of.
The players on offense may also get a chance to come together a bit on the field now that a home crowd will allow them to hear quarterback Jared Zabransky at the line.
“We are excited about being home and to get back in the football field to show that those first two games that wasn’t the typical Boise State football team and start getting back to our winning ways,” Zabransky said.
The home field advantage goes the Broncos way also because Bowling Green has not played a road game west of the Great Plains since 1992 when they played in the California Raisin Bowl against Fresno State in Fresno, Calif. in 1991. The Falcons beat Fresno State, 28-21. But, the last regular season road game out west for Bowling Green was at Arizona in 1987 when the Wildcats beat BGSU 45-7.
However, this Bowling Green team is lethal with a combined record of 39-12 record since the 2001 season, which was the first season under now Florida head coach Urban Meyer.
“It’s going to have to be a no mistake game,” Guerrero said. “A guy like Omar Jacobs, who is probably having a better year than he did last year, and the year he had last year was just ridiculous. He just destroyed Wisconsin’s defense. It’s just something we will have to come in with a positive mind. “We can’t be all, ‘oh we just lost two games.’ We have to come in here and do this, just like we did with Timmy Chang and Ryan Moats last year. It’s just something that we are pretty good at home. I just hope we can do it. I’m confident that we will because we love the crowd out here and we want to show them that we can still play.”
Trevor Horn
Sports Editor
