A Word on the Subject

Vendetta

When we are poked, prodded and taunted we, as human beings, become irritable and sometimes just downright heated.

Boise State has been thinking about this all year long. The competitive spirit of the Broncos has yet to give way to the cries of the Western Athletic Conference Champions of 2007 who stood right next to them, taunting and tormenting. They reminded BSU of what they had failed to achieve for the first time since joining the WAC in 2001.

“It really pisses me off,” senior linebacker Kyle Gingg said.
Hawai’i started something that has been 11 months in the making. By chanting “WAC Champions” at Boise State last season during preparation for their bowl games, the Warriors will have to be representative of that upon entering the athletic sanctuary that is Bronco Stadium.

“I’ve been excited since they were running out on the field last year,” junior Boise State full back Richie Brockel said. “It really got me fired up. I still got that fire burning and I’m ready to let it go.”

Big words from a big man. How can you blame him? The first step the “Take back the WAC” campaign being waged by the Broncos will be to settle a score with the Warriors.

“Now we’ve got something more to prove,” sophomore BSU linebacker Derrell Acrey said. “This game, they’ve something that’s ours.”

How will they do this?
1. They will need to continue hitting hard.
The Broncos have been able to put fear into many of the big offenses they have faced all season long. Those hits have brought about the “dinosaur arms” described by Broncos’ safety Jeron Johnson. The full return of Acrey will bring just one more pounder into the scheme.

“I need to, I’m going to say, hit harder,” Acrey said. “At my position at middle backer, I need to back everyone up. Make other people right. I’m always trying to make sure that no big plays break.”

2. Take advantage of the turnovers produced by Hawaii.
The Broncos have +3 in the turnover margin while the Warriors struggle at -7. This is very possible with the containment and pressure represented by BSU’s defensive line, especially at the defensive end positions.

The deep linebacker corps will have to find success in the blitz to keep Hawaii quarterback Inoke Funaki in check and scrambling instead of getting his feet underneath him.

3. Come together as a team.
Don’t forget how fun it is to make teams eat their own words. Come together like a magnet drawn to a steel beam.

“Coach says, ‘Bring energy. Bring energy.’” Acrey said. “But he is never saying that to me. Sometimes I bring too much. Sometimes when I am not hootin’ and hollerin’ I’m showing on the field what I can do. Just leading by example… I think that I bring that to the table. Just bringing everyone together.”

4. Finally, establish the run game.
It has not been one of the Broncos’ strengths this season.  Eventually somebody will have to take a shovel and dig BSU’s running game out of mediocre and into dominant – or at least away from 60th in the nation.

The Broncos are looking for blood this weekend. It won’t be done easily.

“We’ll have to play very well to match up against these guys,” Boise State Head Coach Chris Petersen said.
Vendetta is the word. The Warriors have started a fire. Now watch it burn.

KIRK BELL
Sports Coordinator

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