Boise State bills itself as a blue-collar team. The Broncos showed that again Thursday night on national TV in a hard-fought win against a Top 25 team.

But what wasn't workman-like was the actions that led to Oregon's LeGarrette Blount's cheap shot of Byron Hout.

On Friday, Blount was suspended for the season. His career, at least collegiately, is over. By no means am I sticking up for that type of cowardly behavior. As one Duck fan wrote me, he got exactly what he deserved. He put a giant blemish on their program and their school.

But what does Hout deserve? If you look at the replay, he obviously said something inappropriate (while laughing) to Blount while slapping him on his shoulder pad.

I know it was something inappropriate because Boise State head coach Chris Petersen was right there scolding him a half second before Blount hit Hout in the face. Petersen continued to say something after Hout got up from the blow by Blount.

On Friday, Boise State said it was not going to suspend Hout for his actions, but will be punished in-house, which is certainly deserved. WAC commissioner Karl Benson told ESPN that the conference is still reviewing it and will see where it falls with regard to their sportsmanship policy.

If Hout doesn't provoke Blount, would any of this happen? Who knows — he may still have gone crazy.

Boise State has always prided itself on respecting its opponents. Thursday night, what Hout did, though not nearly on the same repulsive level as Blount, was anything but respect.