The Boise State offense rushed for a season-best 323 yards tonight at Utah State, and it showed the Broncos have taken another step forward ... yes, it's possible.

Jeremy Avery and Doug Martin each ran for more than 100 yards, providing the Broncos with a nice 1-2 punch in the backfield. Avery as the home-run hitter and Martin as the power back is a good combination. Considering the position...read more

Boise State sophomore receiver Tyler Shoemaker will have hernia surgery Saturday and will miss the rest of the regular season.

Bronco sports information director Max Corbet said Shoemaker may still return for a bowl game. The Mountain View graduate was tied for third on the team with 21 receptions. He has 345 yards and two touchdowns this season.

Make sure to check out my story in Friday's College Gameday on the Boise State defense.

Looking at some stats this season and in recent campaigns, there's a bit of a trend that people here may be aware of, but not elsewhere — the Broncos' success is thanks as much to its defense as its high-powered offense.

For one, the Broncos have finished first in the WAC in total defense in...read more

All in all, it was a good day Saturday for Boise State sophomore tight end Kyle Efaw, as he finally got his first touchdown catch. The only downside was what happened a few minutes later.

In the third quarter, Efaw hauled in an 11-yard touchdown pass from running back Matt Kaiserman on a trick play. It was Idaho native to Idaho native against the Vandals, and was also roomate to roomate. However...read more

I'm an avid reader of Gregg Easterbrook's Page 2 column on ESPN.com, and the very end of it was something I found very amusing.

Click here for the column.

Notice that last photo? Boise State. Proposing. Cheerleader. Hilarious.

Apparently Naanee did it as a tribute to Ian Johnson and Boise State. Click here for the story.

Boise State head coach Chris Petersen said Monday that running back Matt Kaiserman and fullback Richie Brockel will miss the rest of the season.

Kaiserman broke his leg Saturday and Brockel has a foot injury that he's battled in recent weeks. Petersen said the senior still needs further evaluation.

Also of note, ESPN.com's Brad Edwards writes that the Broncos are still in line for a BCS...read more

The Boise State athletic department is encouraging fans traveling to Logan, Utah for Friday's game to gather Friday morning to form a Bronco fan caravan.

The caravan will head to Logan from the Bronco Stadium parking lot near the Bronco Shop. The caravan will depart via police escort at 9 a.m. The Bronco Shop will be selling buy one, get one free car flags and 25 percent off car accessories....read more

Boise State receivers Austin Pettis and Titus Young were named the Western Athletic Conference offensive and special teams players of the week, respectively, Monday.

Pettis had eight catches for 123 yards and four touchdowns Saturday in the Broncos' 63-25 win over Idaho. That mark tied the school record for most TD catches in a game. Young had a 100-yard kick return just before halftime that...read more

San Jose State head coach Dick Tomey will announce his retirement Monday, according to the school.

The retirement will be effective following the Spartans' Dec. 5 season finale against Louisiana Tech. The 71-year-old Tomey has coached at the Division I level for 29 seasons and has 182 wins.

The Boise State Broncos are No. 6 in the Associated Press, USA Today and Harris polls, released Sunday.

The top five remained the same (Florida, Alabama, Texas, TCU, Cincinnati). In the AP poll, Florida is No. 1, followed by Alabama, Texas, TCU and Cincinnati. In the USA Today coaches' poll, Florida is tops, then Texas, Alabama, TCU and Cincinnati.

The latest BCS standings will be released later...read more

I posted some audio from Boise State's news conference on our site.

Hear from Derrell Acrey, Kellen Moore and Chris Petersen here.

At the half, Boise State has outgained Idaho by 32 yards (298-266), but leads 42-17.

That's thanks in big part to a Bronco defense that has intercepted two passes and recovered a fumble. Add in Titus Young's 100-yard kickoff return and that's plenty of reason why Boise State is starting to run away with it. His TD came with 14 seconds until halftime and was 13 seconds after an Idaho rushing...read more

I'm covering a little basketball the eve of tomorrow's big football game. Thought I'd pass along a few updates while I'm at it.

The Boise State women's basketball team defeated Western Oregon 76-40, the men's basketball team defeated Loyola Marymount 90-87. Boise State's women's soccer team, in its first-ever NCAA tournament, trails UCLA 4-1 in the second half.

Boise State QB Kellen Moore and Idaho QB Nathan Enderle are both ranked in the top 10 nationally in passing efficiency, and a big part of that is both have a deep receiving corps.

Eight different Broncos have caught touchdown passes this season and five have double-digit receptions. Six Vandals have touchdown catches and they also have five with double-digit grabs.

"It is huge," Boise...read more

ESPN.com's Pat Forde, who had Kellen Moore as his Heisman front-runner last week, wrote today about the Broncos and the BCS.

Forde contends that Boise State and TCU both deserve spots in the premier bowls. He mentions that Boise State beat the likely Pac-10 champs by 11 points and that Iowa, a team that may get an at-large bid, has a less-than-stellar resume.

Click here for the story.

Boise State head coach Chris Petersen held his weekly news conference today and spent a lot of time talking about Saturday's rivalry game and how expectations have changed at Boise State.

Here's a few quotes from Petersen:

On ESPN's GameDay not coming to Boise: "I just think it would've been fun - fun for the town, certainly for our team, for Idaho, I think it would've been...read more

Oregon has reinstated senior running back LeGarrette Blount, who was suspended after he punched Boise State defensive end Byron Hout after the Ducks' 19-8 loss Sept. 3 against Boise State.

Click here for more.

ESPN.com's Brad Edwards weighed in on the latest BCS standings, and said it's a mixed bag for the Broncos.

Edwards said it was bad because of Oregon's loss to Stanford, plus the ease with which TCU has taken care of foes in recent weeks. Should the Horned Frogs beat Utah on Saturday, it almost certainly keeps them ahead of Boise State.

As far as the good, the Broncos being undefeated...read more

ESPN's College GameDay will not be coming for Saturday's Boise State-Idaho game. Instead, the show will air from a Mountain West Conference venue for the third time this season.

The show will air from Fort Worth, Tex., for the Utah-TCU game. In the latest Associated Press poll, the teams are No. 15 and 4, respectively.

Boise State is No. 6 in the Associated Press and USA Today polls. The...read more

Josh Victorian's 75-yard interception return for a touchdown off a Kellen Moore pass proved to be a big momentum changer Friday.

The Broncos had the ball at the Louisiana Tech 26, leading 27-7, but Victorian's score cut the lead to 27-14 and got the crowd at Joe Aillet Stadium back in the game.

It was just Moore's third interception of the season.

"Kellen's human, too,"...read more

Boise State leads Louisiana Tech 27-7 at the half here in Ruston, and the Broncos could be dominating this game even more.

The Broncos have a missed field goal and twice have been stopped on third-and-1 runs at midfield. Still, the Boise State defense has been a menace for Louisiana Tech, giving up just 64 yards. On the Bulldogs' touchdown drive, they had 48 yards of offense and were helped by...read more

You can win a pair of BSU-Idaho tickets by posting a comment here with the following: how many yards will Kellen Moore pass for against Louisiana Tech and how many yards will the Broncos rush for? Answer the two questions by 4 p.m. (MST) Friday. The closest answer to each will be given a pair of tickets.

There's been plenty of discussion about the possibility of ESPN's College Gameday coming to Boise for the Nov. 14 game against Idaho.

With the Vandals in all likelihood headed to their first bowl in a decade and the Broncos unbeaten, possibly headed to another BCS game, it wouldn't be a pipe dream. Also add in the fact that the show has never been to a WAC stadium and it is even more...read more

Boise State junior kicker/punter Kyle Brotzman said he didn't think the first half of his season was much to brag about, but Oct. 24's game at Hawaii did plenty to boost his confidence.

In the win over the Warriors, Brotzman hit 4-of-5 field goals, had a 72-yard punt and also completed a 28-yard pass to Jason Robinson on a fake punt in the 54-9 rout.

"I felt it was a turning point for...read more

We're giving away two pairs of tickets to Nov. 14's Boise State-Idaho game at Bronco Stadium. Read on to see how to win them!

It's pretty simple, actually. Post a comment here on my blog any day (I will post a reminder every day) with the following guesses: how many yards will Kellen Moore pass for against Louisiana Tech and how many yards will the Broncos rush for? Answer the two questions...read more

Boise State head coach Chris Petersen held his weekly news conference today.

He covered everything from Louisiana Tech to Kellen Moore to Oregon's win over USC. Click here for the audio.

Boise State senior cornerback Kyle Wilson was named the Western Athletic Conference defensive player of the week Monday.

Wilson had a 27-yard interception return for a touchdown in the Broncos' 45-7 win over San Jose State. It is the second straight week a Bronco earned defensive player of the week honors. Fresno State running back Ryan Mathews was the offensive player of the week and Idaho kick...read more

The Boise State Broncos moved up from No. 6 to No. 5 in the latest Associated Press poll, released Sunday.

Only Florida, Texas, Alabama and Cincinnati are ahead of the Broncos. Oregon, whom Boise State beat Sept. 3, moved from No. 10 to No. 7 after routing USC. Idaho received two points in the poll.

Boise State stayed fifth in the USA Today coaches' poll, trailing Florida, Texas, Alabama and...read more

Though they came away with a resounding 45-7 win over San Jose State, it doesn't mean the Boise State Broncos will be completely content.

One area the team will likely address is a focus on physicality. The Broncos ran for 140 yards in the game, but had just 8 at the half. Take away Doug Martin's fourth quarter (63 yards) and a Jeremy Avery 38-yard run in the third quarter, and it's not...read more

Boise State leads 24-7 at the half, scoring twice in the last minute of the first half, but it isn't all good for the Broncos.

San Jose State's rushing defense came into the game 118th nationally in rush defense (259.8 ypg), but the Spartans look completely different today, giving up just 8 net yards on the ground thus far. Jeremy Avery in particular has had a tough time, rushing seven times...read more

Boise State junior safety Jeron Johnson has put up a strong season thus far, leading the Broncos with 32 tackles and four interceptions.

Johnson had two interceptions and recovered a fumble last week at Hawaii.

"He's an unsung hero on that defense," Boise State head coach Chris Petersen said. "... he's turned up his pass coverage skills and been a bit more of a ball hawk."

The...read more

If the old PBS show 3-2-1 Contact taught me anything, it's that numbers can tell a story.

So, since the Broncos will be in a bowl and have played seven games, we are halfway through the 2009 campaign already. Here's a look at where Boise State compares so far through seven games compared to last season's final numbers:

Total offense (2009) — 435.6 ypg, 17th in NCAA

Total offense...read more

...at least according to one writer.

CollegeFootballNews.com's Pete Fiutak takes a "brutally honest" look at the Heisman candidates here.

Seemingly in every game this season, someone different has stepped up with a big game for the Boise State offense.

There was Jeremy Avery's 269 total yards against Fresno State, Doug Martin's 116 rushing yards and Tyler Shoemaker's 105 receiving yards at Bowling Green, Austin Pettis' 129 yards and two TDs against UC Davis or Matt Kaiserman's 122 rushing yards at Hawaii.

"Coach...read more

Just thought I'd pass along a quick note regarding some big-time national folks talking about Boise State.

Courtesy of ESPN.com's Bruce Feldman, who posted this on his Twitter:

"I asked Carroll his view on Boise St aftr studying tape: 'They're as well-coached as any team in the country in terms of scheme & execution.'"

Not bad, Broncos.

Follow Feldman on Twitter...read more

A few weeks ago, there were a few peeps regarding Kellen Moore and the Heisman Trophy, but the talk has really ramped up in the last week.

For one, ESPN.com's 2009 Heisman Watch has the sophomore fifth, behind Alabama RB Mark Ingram, Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen, Florida QB Tim Tebow and Texas QB Colt McCoy.

"All Kellen Moore has done so far is position Boise State for a BCS bowl by leading...read more

Boise State had six fumbles Saturday in its 54-9 win over Hawaii, and all were on snaps to quarterback Kellen Moore.

The most notable was when tackle Garrett Pendergast, stepping in for the benched Thomas Byrd, snapped the ball over Moore's head, resulting in a safety. Snaps had been an issue heading into the 2008 season, but seemed to have been fixed entering this campaign.

"We really...read more

Boise State safety Jeron Johnson and quarterback Kellen Moore earned WAC and national honors, respectively.

Johnson was named the WAC defensive player of the week for the two interceptions he had Saturday against Hawaii, and Moore was named a semifinalist for the Dave O'Brien Award. He is one of 15 on the list.

If a team outside the six automatic qualifying BCS conferences finishes in the top 12 in the BCS standings, it earns a bid in a BCS game.

So, what if there's two of them?

Well, the top-ranked team would earn an automatic bid, and the other could get in with an at-large bid. It has never happened, but ESPN.com thinks it might.

Check out its bowl projections here.

I'd be certainly interested...read more

Well, that got out of hand quickly, didn't it? The Broncos lead Hawaii 34-0 at the half, and expect the Mike Coughlin Show for quite a bit of the second half.

Here's some things that have stood out to me:

The Bronco defense, of course. Four turnovers thus far.

Matt Kaiserman. In his first game, the Nampa kid has four carries for 23 yards.

Kellen Moore. I can't add anything surprising...read more

I figured I'd pass along a few notable facts and figures for tomorrow night's Boise State-Hawaii tilt for everyone.

I'm kind of a stat nerd, so bear with me.

One battle I'm interested in is the Broncos' pass rush against the Warriors' offensive line. There's no doubt UH is going to throw a bunch.

Boise State is 76th nationally with 1.67 sacks per game, but had four last...read more

Hawaii junior wide receiver Greg Salas sits second in the nation in receiving yards per game (131.8) and is 19th in receptions per game (7.00).

The Chino, Calif., native came to Hawaii as a defensive back, but then-head coach June Jones liked how he caught the ball and asked if he'd make the move to receiver.

"I figured, what a better place to be a receiver than at Hawaii?," Salas...read more

Considering Boise State has gone through the BCS talk plenty already, it's no surprise the Broncos have essentially said their ranking doesn't matter.

With the Broncos ranked No. 4 in the first BCS poll of the season, some players have weighed in on the subject, including receiver Austin Pettis.

"It's good to look at, but we still have got another half of the season to go,"...read more

Head coach Chris Petersen has said a few times this season that his team takes something new from each win. Considering most haven't been routs, it makes a lot of sense.

For Wednesday's win over Tulsa, it showed the Broncos they have the ability to bounce back ... even if it was two deficits in the first quarter. The 28-21 win also showed them they still need to develop a killer instinct...read more

Boise State came into today's game with six sacks, and Tulsa was among the worst in the nation in terms of giving them up.

Well, thus far, the Broncos are winning that battle.

On the last play of the half, Shea McClellin and Ryan Winterswyk combined for a sack. Quarterback G.J. Kinne has been running for his life thus far.

Earlier this week, I wrote a story on the Broncos' pass rush here...read more

I know there's a ton of rumors floating around Boise about who won't be making the trip down here to Tulsa.

Well, Boise State's sports information department set the record straight, at least regarding those who didn't make the trip. Only guard Kevin Sapien and linebacker Derrell Acrey did not make the team's flight. Joe Kellogg will start in Sapien's place. Brenel Myers started...read more

ESPN.com's Graham Watson posted her three keys for tonight's Boise State-Tulsa game for each team.

Click here.

I agree with them for the most part. Of course, gotta toot my own horn, and point out I mentioned the first key in my story Tuesday on GJ Kinne and the second key Monday on my story on BSU's pass rush. I'll be posting again when I get to the stadium in about two hours...read more

Thought I'd pass along a pretty good read from the Tulsa World to all you out there.

Columnist John Klein wrote today about how the Golden Hurricane look up to fellow "mid-major" Boise State, and though the two play Wednesday, there's plenty of mutual admiration.

Check it out here.

ESPN.com's Brad Edwards took an early look at the BCS standings and put out a mock top 10.

Where did the Broncos fall? Well, No. 5. He has Boise State ahead of USC, but expects the Trojans to jump them thanks to strength of schedule.

Click here for more.

By the way, the first official BCS rankings will be released Sunday.

While Tulsa's offense is a bit of a rarity in college football, with its up-tempo, high-flying, spread style, the Golden Hurricane defense is similar.

Tulsa runs a 3-3-5 defense, and includes some unique positions, such as the Spur and Bandit. Both are safety positions and operate as a linebacker/safety hybrid like the Broncos' nickel.

"It brings a unique flavor ... it's something...read more

The Boise State football team rose back to No. 5 in the latest Associated Press poll during its bye week, and held steady at No. 6 in the USA Today coaches' poll.

USC jumped the Broncos in the coaches' poll. The Trojans are No. 5. Idaho received one vote in the AP top 25.

With the Broncos coming off a less-than-stellar performance against UC Davis on Oct. 3, they are looking forward to improving with their next game, Wednesday at Tulsa.

Since the game is on an atypical night against a team that has posted back-to-back 10 win seasons on ESPN, it's a good showcase for the Broncos — and according to their captain, a way for people around the country to show...read more

Boise State head coach Chris Petersen spoke today mainly about Wednesday's game at Tulsa, and had plenty to say about the Golden Hurricane.

While there wasn't much in terms of news, he had some good things to say about the team and how he thought it was a big game on the schedule once it was released earlier this year. I've thought the same thing. Just about everyone looked at Oregon...read more

With Kevin Sapien out nursing a neck injury last week, freshman Brenel Myers got his first career start against UC Davis.

Head coach Chris Petersen liked what he saw from the Houston native, who seemed to settle down after a false start penalty in the beginning of the second quarter.

"There were a couple things, like everybody, that hurt us a little bit," he said. "But he's an...read more

Sophomore Jamar Taylor, who played last season as a true freshman, will redshirt, Boise State head coach Chris Petersen said Monday.

Taylor has a slight meniscus tear, Petersen said. He could have been able to play Saturday, but with the emergence of Jerrell Gavins, Petersen said the team decided to err on the side of caution. Taylor had 24 tackles and an interception last season.

For audio from...read more

Boise State head coach Chris Petersen was not pleased with his team's performance Saturday in a 34-16 win over UC Davis, and was unusually candid.

Of course, as a reporter, I'm not complaining. Petersen had some good things to say about his team's performance, his feelings on the polls and how his team has plenty of room to improve.

Check out audio from Petersen, Kellen Moore and Jeron...read more

Boise State has 226 yards in the first half, and a 13-0 lead to show for it.

The Broncos failed on a fourth-and-goal at the 1 on their first drive, and punted after getting the ball at midfield on their second. Boise State got inside the five on their third drive, but settled for a field goal.

I'm willing to bet Chris Petersen won't be terribly happy in tonight's postgame news conference...read more

Boise State senior cornerback Kyle Wilson is dinged up and won't start today. Starting in his place will be sophomore Jerrell Gavins.

Guard Kevin Sapien also won't start. Brenel Myers will get the start.

Just as the Hawaii Warriors started to look like they were back on the rise, their stout starting QB is done for the season.

From the AP: HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii quarterback Greg Alexander will miss the remainder of the season due to an injured left knee suffered in Wednesday's loss at Louisiana Tech.

The school announced that Alexander will have surgery Saturday to repair "major ligament...read more

By now you may have heard that Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount may be able to return as early as the Ducks' Nov. 7 game against Stanford.

If not, click here.

Originally, it seemed most were plenty fine with Blount's season-long suspension. My feeling is if he were an underclassman, there would be little talk of him returning. Since he's a senior, I think after the initial shock...read more

You knew it would happen eventually.

With Boise State ranked No. 5 and Kellen Moore having a great season thus far, his name is being mentioned, although not in too much depth, about being a Heisman candidate.

See for yourself here.

Moore wasn't available this week for interviews, but will next week. I'll make sure to ask him about it. I'll go out on a limb and think he'll say...read more

Boise State head coach Chris Petersen held his weekly news conference today and touched on a few notble subjects, especially his team's No. 5 ranking.

Did he say it's the best thing ever? Did he say his team should be No. 1? Of course not. He gave plenty of the same old same, but that didn't stop us from asking. Petersen also spoke a bit about his time at UC Davis, who the Broncos play...read more

The Boise State Broncos continue to rocket up the major college football polls with impressive wins and a little bit of help from the tumultuous nature of the sport.

In the latest AP and USA Today coaches polls, Boise State is No. 5 behind Florida, Texas, Alabama and LSU.

Click here for the full polls.

Bowling Green picked up 65 yards on its first drive Saturday, and it ended with a missed field goal. That was the high point for the Falcons.

The Boise State defense, which was gashed for more than 500 yards last week at Fresno State, held the Falcons to 282 yards, and only 189 of it was through the air. After that first drive, the Broncos gave up only 65 more yards until the Falcons' first scoring...read more

Boise State 49, Bowling Green 14: Jarvis Hodge plunges in from 1 yard out to make it 49-14 with 6:11 to go. Pavel misses XP.

Boise State 43, Bowling Green 14: Sheehan scores on a 6-yard run with 1:01 left in third. Making things a bit more respectable.

Boise State 43, Bowling Green 7: Falcons score on 7-yard pass from Tyler Sheehan to Adrian Hodges with 7:46 left in third, ending the shutout....read more

Boise State is the highest-ranked team to come here to Doyt Perry Stadium, and attendance for tonight's game shows that the game is a rarity.

Tonight's Falcon-Bronco game is sold out, which is the first such game for this venue since 2003.

I shot a photo of the field and stadium about 75 minutes before kickoff. Should be interesting out there. The Falcons are 1-2, but both losses have been...read more

Walk-on kicker Jimmy Pavel stepped in for Kyle Brotzman last week in Fresno when the junior was cramping up. Pavel, a Portland native, made his first career field goal and hit two extra points.

Before coming to Boise State, Pavel used his foot for more than just kicking - he used it to race cars.

Pavel raced dwarf cars and was the 2006 Pacific Hardtop Racing Association's Rookie of the Year...read more

Boise State already has its best regular season ranking, sitting at No. 8 in the latest Associated Press poll, and it's not a stretch to think the Broncos will keep climbing.

Well, one national writer said the Broncos have a chance at not only a BCS game, but the BCS national championship.

ESPN's Pat Forde says the Broncos have an outside shot. Go down to No. 17, his note on D.J. Harper...read more

Boise State head coach Chris Petersen held his weekly news conference today and touched on a ton of interesting topics.

The biggest note should be that he confirmed DJ Harper tore his ACL and will miss the rest of the season. Harper was leading the team in rushing. Doug Martin will now revert to offense, where he will get most of his work in, though he may still play some defense. Petersen didn't...read more

The Boise State Broncos have earned their highest-ever regular season ranking in the latest Associated Press poll, as the Broncos are ranked No. 8.

At the end of the 2006 season, the team was No. 9.

Boise State is ranked ahead of one-loss powers USC, Virginia Tech, Ohio State and Oklahoma. After BYU's loss Saturday, the Broncos are the highest ranked team outside of the six automatic qualifying...read more

I remember seeing Jeremy Avery put up some great showings in the spring of 2007, when he had just finished his redshirt season.

My first reaction was naturally that he wasn't the biggest guy, but also that he ran with authority. He never "danced" and hit holes hard, making it nearly impossible for arm tackles to even slow him down. He was a nice change of pace for Ian Johnson, finishing...read more

Fresno State has thrown for only 10 yards and has been picked off twice, but is still within a touchdown of Boise State at the half.

That's because the Bulldogs have run for 196 yards, including 69- and 60-yard touchdown runs by Ryan Mathews.

The Broncos dominated Oregon's spread rushing attack, but the first time the Bulldogs went to it, they busted a 36-yard run. Both of Mathews' scores...read more

Jimmy Pavel hits a 24-yard field goal with 4:00 to go...his first career FG. We'll see what's up with Brotzman.

Jeremy Avery goes 67 yards on a screen pass from Kellen Moore for a TD...Broncos lead 48-34 with 13:00 to go.

The big play parade continues...Ryan Mathews scores on a 68-yard TD, his third TD of 60 yards or more. Broncos lead 31-24 with 13:26 to play.

Kellen Moore hits Austin...read more

Sophomore tackle Garrett Pendergast will start tonight in place of right tackle Michael Ames.

Ames will back up Pendergast.

For the second straight week, most of the home crowd will be wearing the visitors' colors.

Boise State had a White Out last week at Bronco Stadium, and the Broncos were in their home blues, with Miami (Ohio) in its away whites. Fresno State is in its home reds, and the Broncos don their visiting white uniforms for the first time this season.

There's going to be a few tributes to former Fresno...read more

Fresno State running back Ryan Mathews missed five games last season because of injury, and had eight carries or less in three others.

So far in 2008, he's racked up 213 yards in two games. The Bulldogs have lost just three games when he starts.

"He's a game-changer for sure," junior quarterback Ryan Colburn said. "He's just hungry. He wants the ball in his hands because...read more

Sophomore quarterback Kellen Moore spoke today at his bi-weekly gathering of local media.

Among the topics he covered were Friday's game at Fresno State, what he feels is going well thus far in 2009 and also playing alongside his brother, Kirby.

Check out the audio here.

Boise State head coach Chris Petersen had his weekly news conference Sunday, a mere 16 hours or so after he spoke with us after the 48-0 win over Miami (Ohio).

Since the game is on Friday, today acts like a Monday on the Bronco schedule. Petersen spoke about the short week, a bit about last night's game and also a bit about Fresno State.

Check out the audio here.

The Boise State Broncos are ranked No. 10 in the latest Associated Press poll, released today.

Boise State is just ahead a trio of one-loss powerhouses (Ohio State, Oklahoma and Virginia Tech). BYU is ranked No. 7, which is best among school not in a BCS automatic-qualifying conference.

Click here for the full poll.

I half-jokingly asked Chris Petersen on Monday if his school would ever be known as a defensive powerhouse.

In his typical fashion, he laughed and simply said that the defense is rarely what people pay to see and that it has long been overshadowed during the Broncos' rise in recent years.

Sure, Boise State (particularly during Petersen's run as OC) has been known to put a ton of points on...read more

The Boise State Broncos lead the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks 20-0 at the half, but it hasn't seemed like the resounding whuppin' many expected.

For one, Kellen Moore's 11-of-20 passing for 203 yards doesn't seem too dominant. He'll probably say it was one of the uglier ways he's gotten to 200 yards in a half. He overthrew Richie Brockel badly on one play, had to pounce on a low...read more

Tonight's game against Miami (Ohio) has the feel of a preseason NFL game. The fans are (very) slowly trickling in and the game has been probably the least anticipated I've covered.

Even in games against FCS teams in the past (mainly season openers), there's been the added intrigue of a quarterback's debut or new players in new positions. After the Oregon win, there's a lot less...read more

The Emerald Bowl has renewed its agreement with the Pac-10 conference but will no longer have an ACC team in the game in San Francisco starting next season.

The bowl announced Thursday that it signed a four-year deal with the Pac-10. The Emerald Bowl will have the sixth pick in the conference. The other team in the game will come from either the Western Athletic Conference, Army or Navy.

The WAC...read more

Wide receiver/holder Michael Choate's story is one of the more interesting I've come across.

He went to a tiny high school in Kansas and went on to a pretty good two seasons at Garden City Community College, one of the top junior college programs in the country. His family moved to Greenleaf while Michael was at GCCC and after he finished school there, he came to Boise State. While at Boise...read more

A national writer appeared on the WAC coaches' teleconference Monday and got after Boise State's Chris Petersen a bit for his handling of the LeGarrette Blount/Byron Hout incident.

He posted his story today, and not surprisingly, it's critical of the Broncos.

Click here to read it.

It's yet another sign of the growth of Boise State's program, good or bad. Even when you're...read more

The Boise State Broncos, coming off a 19-8 win over then-No. 16 Oregon on Thursday, are ranked No. 12 in the latest Associated Press poll, released Tuesday. The Broncos are 11th in the USA Today coaches' poll.

BYU, which defeated Oklahoma on Saturday, is No. 9 in the AP poll, the highest among teams outside the six automatic BCS qualifying conferences. The Cougars are 12th in the coaches'...read more

Head coach Chris Petersen spent plenty of time during the WAC teleconference, and then at his weekly meeting with local media today talking about the punch heard 'round college football.

"I think everybody feels bad about the situation," he said.

Petersen said he spoke with Oregon head coach Chip Kelly after the incident and that LeGarrette Blount also called Petersen and Byron Hout...read more

Two more quick addendums regarding the LeGarrette Blount incident...

First, the school's store in Eugene has pulled his No. 9 replica jerseys from shelves — one store associate called it "the Friday from hell." Click here for more.

Second, athletic director (and former coach) Mike Bellotti said he will contact Boise State regarding the replays of Blount's punch on Byron...read more

LeGarrette Blount, the Oregon running back who threw a punch at Boise State's Byron Hout after the Ducks' loss to the Broncos, has played his last game for the Ducks.

Blount, a senior, was suspended for the rest of the season.

Click here for more.

I also got word from Boise State that Hout won't be suspended and that the team will deal with his actions internally.

There were more than a few of us local media types who have seen a ton of Boise State games, and found ourselves pondering how such a big game wound up being one of the Broncos' most boring.

Well, the postgame drama took care of that.

There's been four overtime games with 136 combined points, the legendary Fiesta Bowl trickery and now a Bronco getting cold-clocked after a game by an opponent...read more

Well, of all the scenarios I could imagine happening tonight, I didn't see this.

It's not surprising at all that Boise State is leading at the half. What's a surprise is just how terrible Oregon's offense looks.

Sure, Boise State's defense is playing great and that's a huge part of it, but the Ducks have absolutely nothing going. Jeremiah Masoli looks lost, hurrying passes...read more

Months and months of anticipation is ticking down to a matter of minutes.

Both teams are in uniform, warming up as the fans start pouring into Bronco Stadium.

I can't imagine it being a blowout either way, so each team will have to play to its strengths. I'm really interested to see how Boise State handles Oregon's rushing attack, especially with the Broncos breaking in two new starters...read more

Normally, I have a week where I will write about a game, the game happens, and it's on to the next one. Even for an opener — Idaho State last year and Weber State in 2007 — that's normally the case.

This year? Not so much.

A week of hype? Try months of hype.

There's a story by the Associated Press about what colors Oregon is going to wear tomorrow night. It officially has...read more

Watch ESPN or read any recruiting site, and a lot of experts are enamored with a quarterback's size. Nevermind throwing ability, grit, leadership - if he's 6-5, 230, he's got to be good.

I'd imagine Kellen Moore and Jeremiah Masoli would have something to say about that. Moore's listed at 6-foot, while Masoli's 5-11. Both led their teams to top 15 finishes last season without...read more

Opposing head coaches routinely praise the Boise State coaching staff, and naturally the first thought is directed toward Chris Petersen.

Still, a staff is made up of quite a few more people than just Petersen, and he'd be the first to tell you that. I saw a story from ESPN.com today that was quite interesting. Analyst Kirk Herbstreit has his preseason "Herbie" awards and had Boise...read more

Today was the first day of player interviews leading into Thursday's Oregon game, and it finally means the game is coming up fast for yours truly — it's about time.

The main interviewees were Kyle Wilson and Kellen Moore, who both spoke quite a bit about the Ducks. Wilson talked about Oregon's running threats, mainly, in quarterback Jeremiah Masoli and running back LeGarrette Blount...read more

Boise State head coach Chris Petersen and his players have mostly deflected questions regarding Thursday's game against Oregon, but with it only a few days away, the Ducks are the biggest topic of conversation.

Petersen spoke quite a bit about the hype of the game, its importance for the program, Duck skill players and the physical nature of the two teams.

Check out the audio here.

I just got off the phone after Oregon coach Chip Kelly's 40-minute season-opening news conference, and he had quite a bit to say on the Broncos.

Mainly, he spoke highly of Boise State's experience and noted that despite losses like Ian Johnson, the players coming back still have quite a bit of game time under their belts. He also said it's certainly time to stop thinking about Boise State...read more

As if Thursday's game wasn't big enough, there's been plenty of news all summer long about the talk coming out of Oregon's camp.

There was Jeremiah Masoli calling the loss "embarassing," fellow QB Nate Costa told the UO student paper "they came over here and they really kicked our (butts). And in a way they kind of disrespected us ... ," and now there's RB...read more

Junior middle linebacker Derrell Acrey was named as the starter for Thursday's opener against Oregon after a tight battle throughout Fall Camp.

Though he is the most experienced of the six linebackers that competed for two spots, Acrey wasn't sure of his standing until this week.

"It feels great, I won't lie, but there's no getting comfortable," Acrey said.

Acrey was fifth...read more

The Boise State football team released its first depth chart Friday morning.

No real shocks, but it has Derrell Acrey and Aaron Tevis as the two starting linebackers and Winston Venable as the starting nickel. Tommy Gallarda is listed as the first team tight end. True freshman Aaron Burks is listed as a second-teamer at the X receiver. Here's this first-teamers:

QB: Kellen Moore

HB: Jeremy...read more

Here we are — just more than a week from kickoff. Still, it seems so far away since the Broncos aren't exactly being chatty about the Ducks just yet.

Of course, once Saturday rolls around, it will be all about Oregon as that's the day Chris Petersen will hold his weekly news conference (it's technically the "Monday" of game week).

Folks around the nation are getting into...read more

Apparently, the only known at certain positions for the Boise State Broncos is that there's still plenty of unknowns.

Head coach Chris Petersen held a news conference today, and said the team has not settled on a starting five on the offensive line or a starting duo at linebacker. Last week, linebackers coach Jeff Choate said he hoped to pick his starters Saturday, but if he did, Petersen wouldn't...read more

It's been 33 months since Matt Kaiserman ran the ball against someone not on his own team.

The 2006 Skyview grad grayshirted the 2007 season and did not play last season while he redshirted. Now that he's worn just about every shirt, he's ready to don the blue and orange.

"It's something else," Kaiserman said. "The time has flown by though. I've learned so much...read more

The Boise State football team has its highest-ever preseason ranking in the Associated Press poll.

In the poll, released Saturday, the Broncos are ranked No. 14, while season-opening opponent Oregon is No. 16. The two teams were 16th and 14th, respectively, in the USA Today poll released two weeks ago.

Click here for the full poll.

While Doug Martin stole the show Friday, freshman QB Joe Southwick also made an impact. He hit 13-of-17 passes for 113 yards in the scrimmage.

Though the Broncos would hope not to use one, it appears Southwick has taken the lead for the No. 3 quarterback position. He's looked strong in practices, carries himself very well and throws a great ball from my observations.

"He's an impressive...read more

In last week's scrimmage, the Boise State offense threw for 552 yards, but had 556 less on the ground.

Suffice it to say, in tomorrow's final open scrimmage of the fall, the Broncos are looking for quite a bit of an improvement running the ball.

"It wasn't necessarily that guys were missing blocks or not hitting the hole, it was just that they weren't in the right position...read more

The New York Times' Quad Blog does a great job every season of ranking teams from 120-1. The site has ranked the Broncos No. 17 heading into the 2009 season.

Click here for more.

With the emergence of Ellis Powers last season as a nickel, essentially a linebacker/safety hybrid, the Broncos have adopted a 4-2-5 base defense.

That means there's one less linebacker on the field in most sets. That also means there's quite a bit of competition for one of the two starting spots.

Linebackers coach Jeff Choate said Derrell Acrey, Hunter White and Daron Mackey are competing...read more

Today was the final set of two-a-days and also marked the start of the last week of Fall Camp. The Broncos will practice late Sunday night, then with school starting Monday, will be in regular-season mode.

The schedule will begin to change for the Broncos - Kyle Wilson described his typical slate during his two-a-days to me today.

"Breakfast, meetings, practice, lunch, some time off, meetings...read more

Boise State sophomore quarterback Kellen Moore was named to two more national award watch lists today.

Moore was named to the Manning and Maxwell Award watch lists. The Manning Award is given to the nation's top quarterback after the bowl season, the only major award to do so. The Maxwell Award has been given to the nation's best player since 1935. Moore is one of 33 on the Manning list and...read more

You know the season is coming up real soon when we talk about the "last" of something. In Monday's case, it will be the last two-a-days for the Boise State Broncos during Fall Camp.

The team had two practices a day during the first four days of camp, but they were split between newcomers and veterans. Tomorrow's set will be the fourth two-a-days with the full team.

"It's...read more

It was a big day in the air for the Bronco offense, and the complete opposite on the ground.

The Broncos passed for 552 yards, but ran for minus-4 on 46 attempts.

Here's a few stats for you: Kellen Moore was 16-of-21 for 190 yards, while Mike Coughlin threw for 101 yards and Mike Tamburo had 102. DJ Harper and Drew Wright led with 13 yards apiece.

The receivers had big games: Tyler Shoemaker...read more

Today's first fall scrimmage didn't have one side dominate, and that's probably a good thing.

Typically, the defense or offense is ahead of the other, but both had good moments tonight. The offense made some nice plays in the passing game, with Austin Pettis and Tyler Shoemaker completing long passes. Kellen Moore was accurate, as usual. The defense stuffed the run, for the most part...read more

Of course the Boise State football team would love another trip to a BCS game. I know the fans would, too.

So, how about the Fiesta Bowl again? I enjoyed the trip to Phoenix, and it was a first-class operation. The game was amazing. But would it be the same kind of feeling if the Broncos went again ... and played Oklahoma again?

Well, that's what ESPN is projecting. Click here.

The top play...read more

Most notably in two games last season, there was talk about the physical hits laid down by the Boise State defense.

There was Oregon, with hits on QB Jeremiah Masoli and TE Ed Dickson, and a pair of hits by Jeron Johnson against San Jose State. The Broncos took it upon themselves last season to be a physical defense, and the results spoke for themselves with one of the top defenses in the nation...read more

Oregon QB Jeremiah Masoli and center Jordan Holmes grace the cover of the new Sports Illustrated.

I've posted the image to the right. I'm sure BSU fans are hoping for the legendary SI cover jinx...

Interestingly enough, the magazine has Boise State ranked ahead of the Ducks, coming in at No. 9. Virginia Tech, whom Boise State plays next season, is No. 5.

Boise State coaches have talked about hoping for a set lineup at offensive line, instead of the ever-changing group the Broncos saw last season.

In almost every game, a new combination was used. Andrew Woodruff, Jon Gott and Thomas Byrd were stalwarts, but Cory Yriarte, Kevin Sapien, Matt Slater and Garrett Pendergast all got starts. With Woodruff and Gott graduated, there's plenty of competition...read more

There have been some great nicknames around Boise State the last few seasons: Mad Tad, Gumby, Peanut, etc.

Well, with a newcomer, there's a new one that's the leader in the clubhouse for the 2009 season: T-Pain.

Teammates have called cornerback Jarrell Gavins, a sophomore transfer from El Camino (Calif.) College who hails from Miami "T-Pain." T-Pain is a rapper, is also from Florida...read more

The first practice of today's two-a-days wrapped up a little while ago, and it had some pretty good moments.

Offensively, Austin Pettis had a few great catches, including one in a short-yardage drill, deflecting a pass that was a bit behind him with his left hand, then catching it in the end zone on his back. There also was a huge hit by Jeron Johnson on freshman running back Malcolm Johnson...read more

Today's practice was the first with the full Boise State roster hitting the field at the same time and the first in full pads.

Putting the newcomers with the veterans is always interesting, and Sunday was no different.

"The biggest thing with this is for the older guys to bring the energy and show the younger guys how we do things around here," offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin said...read more

When Boise State sophomore quarterback Kellen Moore spoke earlier this week, he said one of his main goals in 2009 was to take more of a leadership role in his second season as the starter.

"Last year, there were older guys, J.C. (Jeremy Childs), Ian (Johnson), Vinny (Perretta), and they sort of took most of the lead and I tried to slide in there while I could," Moore said.

After a big...read more

Junior defensive end Ryan Winterswyk established himself as one of the WAC's top pass rushers last season with 48 tackles, 11.5 for losses, and 4.5 sacks.

With Mike T. Williams graduated, Winterswyk is now the most experienced member of the defensive line, and he focused on a few things over the offseason to get even better.

"I worked a lot on my change of direction, getting low at certain...read more

Certainly one of the most scrutinized positions this fall will be the offensive line. It doesn't take a successful coach like Chris Petersen or me to explain that it all begins up front for a football team.

After using a different combination of linemen in nearly every game last season, the Broncos are looking for a bit of consistency out of the group.

"It was good and bad," offensive...read more

Boise State sophomore receiver Tyler Shoemaker is primed to make a bigger contribution in 2009 after catching seven passes for 110 yards and two TDs last season.

The former walk-on from Mountain View is slated to be the starter at the "H" receiver position Julian Hawkins (26 catches) vacated. Shoemaker had a strong spring, capped off with a three-catch, 138-yard, two touchdown performance...read more

The Boise State football team is ranked No. 16 in the USA Today preseason coaches poll. Oregon is No. 14.

Click here for the poll.

A name Boise State coaches talked about quite a bit a year ago was Hunter White. The linebacker was coming off a redshirt and was poised to contribute defensively, as well as on special teams.

White had 25 tackles, with two coming for losses, and bulked up over the winter. He had a strong spring and is now listed as the starter at middle linebacker ahead of junior Derrell Acrey.

"He had a great...read more

This morning's storm forced the Boise State football team to change practice venues from East Junior High to the Caven-Williams Indoor Complex on the BSU campus today.

While practice was humming along around 10:30 a.m., the power went out, and the backup bank of lights came on for about 30 minutes. Though it was not nearly as bright as normal, the team kept going, and didn't lose much of...read more

During Wednesday's evening practice, the newcomers took the field for the first time, joining a few other players who redshirted last season or are underclassmen.

I definitely had my eye on the two new quarterbacks, Joe Southwick and Mike Tamburo. Many recruiting experts said the Broncos got a steal in Southwick, and he looks the part. He's got a strong arm and puts some nice movement on...read more

Boise State head coach Chris Petersen just wrapped up his first news conference of the fall, covering an array of topics, with quite a few focused on the first day/week of practice.

Naturally, he got some Oregon questions and deftly avoided any sort of bulletin board material. Petersen also said Titus Young has done what the team has asked since his suspension last season and doesn't expect much...read more

The first practice of Fall Camp for the Boise State football team wrapped up a few minutes ago.

It was a solid first practice, with the defense having a few nice plays, though the offense got a few nice catches, including one fullback Richie Brockel made on his back on a pass from Mike Coughlin.

The quarterbacks were sporting black jerseys instead of the typical red. The newcomers practice at 4...read more

Mike Maynard, who has been the head track and field coach at Boise State the past nine seasons, has accepted the men's head track and field coaching position at UCLA.

Maynard will oversee all aspects of the men's program as well as coach both the men's and women's throwers.

After taking over the Bronco men's and women's programs prior to the 2001 season, Maynard led Boise...read more

OK, Bronco fans...tuck this away. Print it out. Copy and paste it. Tell all your friends. Whatever, but get ready to plan ahead. Here's the color schemes for 2009's home football games:

Oregon (Sept. 3) - Alternating sections of blue, white and orange.

Blue: Sections 7, 10, 24, 27, 30, 101, 104, 107, 110, 124, 127, 130

White: Sections 5, 8, 11, 25, 28, 102, 105, 108, 111, 125, 128 and...read more

Hawaii coach Greg McMackin is being suspended for 30 days and voluntarily taking a pay cut for making a derogatory comment while describing Notre Dame's chant before last year's Hawaii Bowl, according to the Associated Press.

McMackin addressed reporters late Friday after meeting with athletic director Jim Donovan and Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw to discuss Thursday's incident.

WAC commissioner Karl Benson and Hawaii head coach Greg McMackin held a quick news conference a few minutes ago here in Salt Lake City regarding McMackin's use of a gay slur three times earlier this morning.

"I would sincerely like to apologize for the inappropriate verbage of words I used. I have nothing against the University of Notre Dame. I don't talk like that. I'm really ticked...read more

Akey said the Vandals are a better team heading into 2009. He cites depth and competition as reasons to eye success. Idaho is 3-21 under Akey and yielded 513 points last season. With TE Eddie Williams gone, Akey said he hopes to utilize receiver depth to spread the ball around better.

Optimism: The Vandals were 107th against the pass last season, but return talent in safeties Shiloh Keo, Virdell...read more

McMackin called this team "an unknown team." The Warriors return just one full-time defensive starter but saw the offense step up toward the tail end of 2008. The road slate isn't too bad, playing Washington State in Seattle and at UNLV in nonconference. At home, they get Navy and Wisconsin to end the season.

Optimism: QB Greg Alexander started the final six games, throwing for 1...read more

The former Utah defensive coordinator takes over for Brent Guy, hoping to get the Aggies' first winning season since 1996. Andersen will see the return of elusive QB Diondre Borel and top running back Robert Turbin. He moved 15 players from offense to defense and from within the defense to new positions during the offseason.

Optimism: The Aggies should do a good job of running the ball with...read more

I posted Chris Petersen's audio from the WAC media preview in Salt Lake City today.

He talked a bit about the Oregon game and a position-by-position overview, among other things.

Click here.

The Bulldogs won their first bowl game since 1977 and posted their first eight-win season since 1999 in the process. A bulk of starters return, and they are tied for third in the coaches' preseason poll. Top returners include WR Phillip Livas, RB Daniel Porter and FS Antonio Baker.

Optimism: Playmakers. Livas had 607 receiving yards, returned two punts for touchdowns and a kickoff for a touchdown...read more

The Spartans won six games despite lacking much firepower on the offensive side of the ball. A lot of talent returns on defense, including LB Travis Cole and standout brothers Duke (safety) and Carl (DE) Ihenacho. The tough schedule includes games at USC and Stanford, plus a home game against Utah.

Optimism: Defensive line. Tomey said it will be the best he's had at SJSU. Carl Ihenacho returns...read more

The kings of the WAC return a lot of talent after an undefeated regular season, with QB Kellen Moore, WR Austin Pettis, DE Ryan Winterswyk, CB Kyle Wilson and others back. Petersen joked about sporting a tie today to impress the Boise-heavy media presence. Obviously the season opener is being spoken about plenty here, and for BCS purposes, that makes sense.

Optimism: The Broncos' defense should...read more

Boise State head coach Chris Petersen told me a few minutes ago that freshman defensive tackle Michael Atkinson will be suspended for three games stemming from his recent arrest.

He also said Titus Young is expected to be on the field against Oregon in the season opener, while fullback Andy Silsby suffered a knee injury and will serve as a student assistant this season. Freshman receiver Kirby Moore...read more

The Wolf Pack will undoubtedly have one of the best rushing attacks in the nation, led by QB Colin Kaepernick, plus a pair of 1,400-yard rushers in Vai Taua and Luke Lippincott. Top receiver Marko Mitchell is gone, but the defense brings back some experience. Considering the team had the worst pass defense in the nation, that can only help.

Optimism: With an experienced, talented QB and depth at...read more

The former UCLA defensive coordinator takes over a team that has not made a bowl game since 1960. It's a daunting task, as the Aggies lose record-setting QB Chase Holbrook and three of the top five receivers. He's adding in new systems on both sides of the ball, too, replacing the Air Raid offense with more balance and the 3-3-5 defense under Joe Lee Dunn to more of a 4-3 scheme.

Optimism:...read more

The Bulldogs were tabbed third in both preseason polls (tied with La. Tech in coaches), and Fresno State returns its top four rushers and five of its top six receivers. The Bulldogs do lose QB Tom Brandstater and gave up 28 or more points nine times last season.

Optimism: Running back. Anthony Harding is the top returning rusher with 822 yards. He'll also play some fullback, as a healthy Ryan...read more

Western Athletic Conference commissioner Karl Benson is on the podium, and here's a few tidbits on what he's speaking about:

-He said he expects the same nine football teams will be part of the conference in five years

-There are no plans for expansion, as the WAC's athletics directors met in early June and said they were fine with the current nine teams

-Ten of the 39 nonconference...read more

The Boise State football team earned 55 of 58 media votes to win the WAC, making the Broncos the big favorite to win their seventh conference title.

Bronco cornerback Kyle Wilson was named the preseason defensive player of the year, and Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick was the preseason offensive player of the year.

Media poll

1. Boise State (55) 519

2. Nevada (3) 444

3. Fresno State...read more

WAC commissioner Karl Benson let it slip, I guess, tonight that Nevada QB Colin Kaepernick will be the WAC's preseason offensive player of the year.

That's no big surprise, I know...Kaepernick threw for more than 2,000 yards and ran for more than 1,000 last season. For a tall, skinny dude, he can throw down some grub. He took advantage of the hospitality buffet tonight. Benson said the QB...read more

We touched down a few hours ago here in Salt Lake City and I got my first look at the Boise State preseason outlook. It's not a full media guide, as it's rumored it will be put online or on CD.

A few things I noticed: WR Chris Potter is changing his number from 81 to 3. TE Chandler Koch will go from 86 to 88. New QBs Mike Tamburo and Joe Southwick will wear Nos. 9 and 15, respectively. WR...read more

The Boise State athletic department just sent this out to the media:

Boise State University completed its non-conference schedule for the 2010 season when it was announced the Bronco football team will face Virginia Tech on Oct. 2 (Saturday) at FedexField in Landover, MD, the home of the Washington Redskins.

The Broncos and Hokies have been two of the nation's most successful collegiate teams...read more

Today was Idaho and Hawaii's day on the College Football Live tour that covers all 50 states.

There was some talk about the blue turf and a review of the impressive numbers the Broncos have put up this decade. Hosts Erik Kuselias and Shaun King both said they believe Boise State will go undefeated this season. Naturally, there was a look back at the Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma, too. King called...read more

Boise State has an open date in 2010, and there's a high chance it will be on the road against a BCS conference foe.

According to a TV station in Virginia, the Broncos will face Virginia Tech.

Click here for more. I'll try and see if I can get anything official on this.

The Sporting News' Dave Curtis wrote today that he thinks six teams will go undefeated in 2009, causing one fine BCS mess.

Those six? Florida, Oklahoma, Penn State, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame (what?) — and Boise State.

Click here for the story.

His colleague, Dan Shanoff, also suggests it will be a return visit to the Fiesta Bowl for the Broncos. I had a wonderful time in Phoenix in...read more

Boise State got a good commitment from California cornerback Bryan Douglas, and I spoke to him today. Very nice kid — he'll fit in well.

With only a handful of scholarships to give for 2010, the Broncos showed Douglas plenty of interest, and it was appreciated.

"I felt wanted," he said. "I knew it wasn't a place where they just throw out offers."

Bronco defensive...read more

Instead of just putting up my football media preseason poll, I'll do it with a little bit of timely humor.

Here follows not just my picks, but also some Michael Jackson-related points on each team.

Team rankings

1. Boise State — "Dangerous"

The Broncos posted a perfect 8-0 WAC mark last season and return plenty of firepower on both sides of the ball. The defense will be just...read more

It's still more than a month away, but the hype machine for the Boise State-Oregon is going full steam ahead.

Click here for Si.com's ranking of the matchup.

Mandel cites some of the the reasons we all know why it's big, plus the strange fact it's going to be the late ESPN game. It's a big game around here, obviously, but it also will be nation-wide. However, who will be up...read more

From The Associated Press:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch is calling on the Justice Department to investigate college football's Bowl Championship Series for what he views as violations of antitrust laws.

The top Republican on the Senate subcommittee with antitrust oversight, Hatch made the comment Tuesday after conducting a hearing. He said that it is clear to him whether the...read more

Former Boise State and current Colorado head coach Dan Hawkins will open up 10 practices to the public in August.

Click here for the story.

Chris Petersen has closed fall practices to the public, and initially it was met with a bit of anger, but I don't hear folks complaining much that they can't see practice. Does losing only three regular season games in three years make up for that...read more

Wait ... there's articles in there?

Boise State senior cornerback/returner extraordinaire Kyle Wilson was named to the Playboy All-American team Thursday, joining Ryan Clady (2007) as the only Broncos to do so.

Wilson had five interceptions last season and also averaged 14.2 yards per punt return — his three punt return TDs were tied for No. 1 in the NCAA.

...and Oregon is changing its uniforms again.

Now wings are going to be an every day part of the jerseys. The weird pants and steel-like pattern on the shoulders are gone. What do you think?

Click here for a link to a photo gallery.

After nearly two weeks away from work, I'm back! The Boise State athletic department just passed this along, and figured some folks out there may be interested.

Season ticket sales for the 2009 Boise State football season are at 88 percent of last year's record season ticket holder number, with 18,325 season tickets accounted for as of June 22. With the renewal, upgrade and waiting list process...read more

BOISE — Boise State redshirt freshman Drew Hawkins has decided to quit football after suffering a concussion last week.

Hawkins, the son of current Colorado head coach and former Boise State coach Dan Hawkins, has a history of concussions, and his family decided that it would be in his best interests, health-wise, to discontinue playing football.

Hawkins came to Boise State last year as a...read more

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers released former Boise State quarterback Ryan Dinwiddie today.

Dinwiddie started the 2007 Grey Cup for Winnipeg and was 93-of-160 passing for 1,299 yards and five touchdowns with six interceptions last season.

In his Bronco career, Dinwiddie established and still holds school records for passing yards (9,819), touchdown passes (82) and career efficiency (168.79). His pass...read more

One of my favorite Web sites is Paul Lukas' Uni Watch. I've always had a fascination with sports uniforms, and especially college football uniforms.

I'm not big on the so-called "classics" like Notre Dame and Nebraska. Those are kind of boring. Growing up, I loved Colorado's black and gold — yeah, I ended up going there too, but I swear that's not the sole reason...read more

CBSSports.com's Dennis Dodd, whom I recall standing next to on the field at University of Phoenix Stadium trying to interview Vinny Perretta minutes after the Fiesta Bowl, had some real nice things to say about the Broncos heading into this season.

Dodd not only says the Broncos deserve a BCS bowl, but also a national title shot with an unbeaten record.

Click here for his WAC picks. Notice...read more

The Boise State football team will have new uniforms in 2009, and there are a few big changes.

First of all, the home uniforms have a lot of blue, and the numbers are gray with an orange outline. It also says "Broncos" on the BACK of the jersey, with "Boise State" on the back of the leg. The away uniforms have "Broncos" on the front.

Click here for a photo gallery...read more

Former Boise State standouts Gerald Alexander and Ryan Clady were at Borah High on Friday for a charity basketball game to benefit the Ada County Sheriff Employee's Association.

Clady showed up during the fourth quarter of the game because he had a few meetings to attend in Denver, so had to take a later flight than the one he originally booked three weeks ago.

After a rookie season where he...read more

Here's something that will not come to any sort of surprise to Boise State football fans, especially those who follow the team's recruiting.

The "star" system used by recruiting sites like Scout and Rivals are not completely objective. Long have some wondered why a kid commits to Florida and becomes a 4-star overnight but a guy who impresses on tape but is an inch short commits...read more

Boise State sophomore center Thomas Byrd was named to the Rimington Trophy's spring watch list Friday.

The award is given out the nation's top center. Penn State's AQ Shipley won it last season.

Byrd was a stalwart on an offensive line that yielded just 13 sacks last season. He started 12 games last season, one of three linemen to do so, along with Jon Gott and Andrew Woodruff.

Oregon receiver Aaron Pflugrad will transfer, as his father, Robin, was not retained as receivers coach by new head coach Chip Kelly.

Click here for more.

Pflugrad had a big day in Oregon's spring game and also could have returned punts.

Yes, it's another early top 25...but I found this one from ESPN.com interesting since it has Boise State ranked as the top team outside of one of the six automatic-qualifying BCS conferences.

Click here.

Of course a win over Oregon will start the BCS talk, especially since the Broncos will be ranked to start the season, unlike in 2008. I am very intrigued by that Tulsa game, as you very well...read more

The Boise State men's tennis team lost 4-0 to No. 3 Ohio State in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament in College Station, Tex.

It was only the second time in team history that the Broncos advanced past the second round.

SINGLES

1. (#3) Bryan Koniecko, OSU vs. (#72) Kean Feeder, BSU, 6-6, DNF

2. (#9) Steven Moneke, OSU def. (#24) Clancy Shields, BSU, 6-3, 6-3

3. (#25) Justin Kronauge...read more

Boise State head football coach Chris Petersen and his wife, Barbara, have given a $150,000 donation to help fund the new College of Business and Economics building on campus.

The building will be located at the corner of Capitol and University. The building is expected to cost about $35 million.The Micron Technology Foundation made a $12.5 million lead gift in 2007, contingent on Boise State raising...read more

Boise State's women's tennis team defeated No. 24 Alabama 4-3 in the first round of the NCAA tournament Saturday in Athens, Ga.

It was the first-ever NCAA tournament win for the Broncos.

The Broncos won the doubles point and got singles wins from Pichittra Thongdach (No. 1), Vivien Silfany (No. 3) and Klaudia Wlodarczyk (No. 5).

The Boise State men also faced Alabama on their home court...read more

The Boise State athletic programs posted the top Academic Progress Rate in the WAC for five different sports in the 2009 APR report.

The Broncos' football, men's basketball, men's tennis, outdoor men's track and field and men's cross country teams had the top scores.

Boise State also was second among other WAC schools in women's basketball, third in soccer, swimming and diving...read more

College Football News has posted its "way too early" bowl predictions, but considering how much TV and Web space is devoted to college football, even here in May, it's not as crazy as it once sounded.

So, where does CFN project Boise State?

Click here.

It is certainly interesting, especially considering the amount of hype Oregon has been receiving this spring.

In its first season, the Boise State softball team will play in the WAC tournament.

Even though the Broncos were no-hit Friday night in Honolulu, they had already nabbed a spot in the seven-team tourney, which begins Wednesday in Fresno. In the eight-team WAC, seven teams reach the postseason, and Boise State made it by virtue of clinching a better conference record than Utah State.

With 20-plus...read more

The Boise State athletic department has seen 78 percent of its season ticket holders renew for next season.

In spite of the economic downturn, only three percent have dropped their tickets, which is typical. The athletic department announced a hike in season ticket costs in March, and it appears it has had little effect on whether fans want to renew or not.

Boise State athletic director Gene Bleymaier spoke before Congress today regarding the current BCS system.

Click here for ESPN.com's story.

Bleymaier spoke about Boise State's benefits from playing in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, and had a pretty memorable quote:"How many more years do we need to go undefeated before we get a chance?"

We'll have more in Saturday's IPT.

Sports Illustrated posted a list of its top 25 teams after spring practices, and Boise State is getting a ton of respect.

Click here.

Check out Nos. 8 and 11. Very interesting stuff.

Boise State men's tennis players Clancy Shields, Kean Feeder and James Meredith will play in the singles and doubles portion of the NCAA tournament May 20-25 in College Station, Tex.

Shields will be the lone singles particpant, as he is ranked 24th nationally. Feeder and Meredith will compete together in doubles. The duo is ranked 43rd.

The Broncos are ranked 25th as a team and play against...read more

Here's a link from the "read it a bit late" department...

I am a big fan of Gregg Easterbrook's Tuesday Morning Quarterback column, even if I do get lost in his rants on the deficit and astronomy. I did not catch his pre-draft column, but did read his draft reaction. If only I had read what he wrote last week!

Click here and scroll to the bottom.

While Childs was not drafted...read more

The Boise State men's and women's tennis teams received at-large bids in the NCAA tournament after losing in the WAC championship match last weekend in Hawaii.

No. 25 Boise State men will face Sun Belt champion Middle Tennessee State on May 8 in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The winner will face the No. 14 Alabama/Furman winner May 9.

Boise State's women, ranked No. 35, will face No. 24 Alabama in...read more

Former Boise State quarterback Jared Zabransky has found a new pro football home. Zabransky signed with the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL on Monday evening.

Zabransky was on the Houston Texans' practice squad in 2007 and was on the Pittsburgh Steelers' roster last year before being waived in July.

Eskimo head coach Richie Hall said: "Jared Zabransky is an accurate passer, very mobile...read more

Former Boise State standouts Ian Johnson and Vinny Perretta have signed free-agent deals with the Minnesota Vikings.

"They had told me they wouldn't draft a running back since they already have Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor, but that I was the guy they need to fill a role on third downs," Johnson said.

Former Boise State receiver Jeremy Childs has signed with San Diego Chargers...read more

With 256 picks in the NFL Draft this weekend, no Boise State Broncos' names were called.

The two Broncos most likely to get picked were running back Ian Johnson and receiver Jeremy Childs, and now the two will be seeking to sign free agent deals. It is the first time since 2005 no Boise State players were drafted.

Check back later for more on where former Boise State players sign.

Boise State head coach Chris Petersen announced two permanent captains for the 2009 season.

Senior fullback Richie Brockel and senior cornerback Kyle Wilson were selected to lead the team. The Broncos rotated captains each game last season. The Broncos will have two additional captains on a rotating basis each game.

There was a good amount of talk before Friday's spring game about the new format, and it did not disappoint.

Though the score was a lot lower than most fans are used to, the White team won 14-10.

The Blue team featured players like Kyle Wilson, Titus Young, Kellen Moore, Kyle Brotzman and Jeremy Avery, but they weren't able to score enough early to get a comfortable enough cushion.

It also...read more

Former Boise State offensive lineman Andrew Woodruff has agreed to a three-year deal with the CFL's Montreal Alouettes.

Woodruff, a British Columbia native, was drafted 12th overall in the 2008 Canadian draft by Montreal. He started 36 games the past three seasons for the Broncos.

Click here for more.

A lot has been made of Doug Martin's switch to defense, and for good reason. The sophomore is one heck of an athlete, but he's not the only one to make the change.

Chuck Hayes, a sophomore, moved from the defensive line to offensive line full-time this spring after practicing late last season as an O-lineman, but still playing in games on defense.

It's been a good transition, but his...read more

Boise State head coach Chris Petersen held his final weekly news conference of the spring Tuesday, and spoke plenty about the upcoming spring game format.

One team will wear white tops and the other will wear blue Friday. Receivers coach Brent Pease drafted one team and will coach it, while defensive line coach Pete Kwiatkowski did the same.

There was a bit of a price drafting the more experienced...read more

Ian Johnson did a lot to help himself at the scouting combine in February, pretty much assuring himself a pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.

So, now the question is where he might be picked.

CBSSports.com ranks him as a sixth-rounder, as the 189th best available prospect. Click here for their rankings, and click here for a very in-depth profile on Johnson.

NFLDraftSite.com ranks Johnson also as a...read more

Boise State junior safety Winston Venable has some pretty good genetics, even if it's in a different sport.

Venable's brother, Will, is in the San Diego Padres' minor league system, and his father Max Venable played for 12 years in Major League Baseball. With baseball kicking off its season this week, I talked with Will about the sport.

"I love playing it," Winston said. "Obviously...read more

Former Bronco quarterback Nick Lomax has apparently quit football, according to the Yakima Herald-Republic.

Lomax had left Boise State last fall and joined the team at Central Washington earlier this year. He was the leading candidate to replace Mike Reilly, who broke many of Jon Kitna's school records. He was 6-of-13 for 76 yards in his Boise State career.

Click here for more.

Another former Boise State offensive lineman will take over for Jadon Dailey on KIDO 580 AM's Boise State football broadcasts.

Dailey provided color commentary during broadcasts last season, but departed earlier this year. Cavender had been working in the insurance field after playing for the Broncos from 2003-07.

Click here for more.

I spoke with Kyle Brotzman and special teams coach Jeff Choate last week, and spoke a bit about the 2008 season for the kicker and what he can do to return to his freshman form in 2009.

Last season, Brotzman hit 17-of-26 field goals, but missed late kicks against Oregon and Nevada, plus missed a 38-yarder against TCU.

"I've been working a lot on my kicks from the hashes," Brotzman...read more

While I have my qualms with Twitter as a social application (why do people need to know if I'm showering?), I like its possibilities as a tool for giving out information.

So, with that, I have started my own Twitter page (http://twitter.com/BSUDave). I am still learning the basics, so bear with me, but it should be a nice addition to the Boise State coverage once I figure it all out.

Click...read more

Thursday, Sept. 3 vs. Oregon, 8:15 p.m. (ESPN)

Saturday, Sept. 12 vs. Miami (Ohio), 6 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 18 at Fresno State, 7 p.m. (ESPN)

Saturday, Sept. 26 at Bowling Green, TBA

Saturday, Oct. 3 vs. UC Davis, 6 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 14 at Tulsa 6 p.m. (ESPN)

Saturday, Oct. 24 at Hawaii, TBA

Saturday, Oct. 31 vs. San Jose State, 1 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 6 at Louisiana Tech, 6 p.m. (ESPN2)

Saturday...read more

The Fresno State Bulldogs released their schedule Wednesday, and they will play Boise State on Friday, Sept. 18 on ESPN at home.

It will be Boise State's first road game after playing at home against Oregon and Miami (Ohio). The Broncos' complete schedule shoud be out very soon, I promise.

Head coach Chris Petersen sat down today for his weekly spring news conference, and covered a wide variety of subjects.

Petersen spoke about the return of Japanese football coaches to Boise, some walk-ons making noise and a new twist on spring practices with helmet stickers.

Click here for the audio.

Also, a quick note — defensive tackle Mike "Bacon" Atkinson has changed his number...read more

The Boise State football team hit the field Monday for the first time since March 19's scrimmage.

It looked like a few injuries have healed nicely, most notably in punter Brad Elkin, who was supposed to miss the entire spring, but he was out there kicking. Defensive end Shea McClellin also participated in most drills.

Drew Hawkins hit Tyler Shoemaker on a great 50-yard TD pass on an inside slant...read more

The final schedule has yet to be put out for 2009, but the Boise State athletic site has a slight change in the tentative date for the big Boise State-Oregon game at Bronco Stadium to open the season.

The new date? Thursday, Sept. 3.

Perusing some other sites, there aren't many big games that day. South Carolina plays North Carolina State, but that's about it. On the 5th, Oklahoma plays...read more

The Marquette Golden Eagles tied the game up at 79-79 with 38.3 seconds to play, but the Missouri Tigers hit four free throws in the final 5.5 seconds to win their second-round game 83-79 at Taco Bell Arena.

Kim English had a career-high 17 points to lead Missouri.

Wisconsin's Trevon Hughes sank a layup while being fouled with 2.0 seconds remaining and hit his free throw to give the 12th-seeded Badgers a 61-59 win in overtime over the Florida State Seminoles in the first round of the NCAA Tournament here at Taco Bell Arena.

The Xavier Musketeers put together a complete game, topping the 13th-seeded Portland State Vikings on Friday at Taco Bell Arena.

Three Musketeers had 13 points, and C.J. Anderson led with 14. Jamie Jones had a game-high 16 points for Portland State, the Big Sky champions.

The Utah State Aggies held a lead with less than two minutes to play, but could not prevail, falling 58-57 to the Marquette Golden Eagles here at Taco Bell Arena in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Jared Quayle had 18 points and eight rebounds to pace Utah State (30-5).

There's nothing like a college football Saturday. Or Sunday. Or Monday. Or Wednesday.

One of the interesting things about the Boise State football schedule is what wacky (or WAC-y) days of the week games will be played. Remember in 2007 with two Sunday games?

Anyhow, though the Broncos' schedule has yet to be finalized, it looks like they will play at Tulsa on Oct. 14, which is a Wednesday...read more

The scheduling dominoes are still falling, even with less than six months until the 2009 season kicks off.

After Miami (Ohio) decided to drop Colorado from its schedule in favor of Kentucky, another MAC team likely will replace the Redhawks on the Buffaloes' schedule — Toledo. The game will be played the weekend of Sept. 11, right when Boise State was supposed to play against the Rockets...read more

Today marked the beginning of a very exciting, yet very busy week in the Boise sports scene.

We've got spring football (scrimmage on Thursday), BSU men's hoops in the postseason, BSU wrestling at nationals this weekend ... and of course the NCAA tournament.

I thought I'd pass along a few highlights from Monday's football practice: naturally, Titus Young looked great, putting up a...read more

I headed home two days earlier than scheduled from the WAC tournament since Boise State and Idaho combined to go 0-4. Naturally, I had to miss a mascot fight.

Click here

I am currently sitting in a news conference with WAC commissioner Karl Benson, and he said the conference is looking at playing the conference basketball tournament in Las Vegas' Orleans casino in 2011 and 2012.

Benson was at the venue Monday for the WCC tournament and said he was "very impressed."

He also said a decision on the future venue will be made in September. Another possible...read more

The Boise State men's basketball team likely saw its season come to an end Thursday.

There is a chance the Broncos could see an NIT, CBI or CollegeInsider.com bid, but the quarterfinal loss to New Mexico State in the WAC tournament did not help.

Senior forward Mark Sanchez said after the game he wants to wear the Boise State uniform again.

He won't be back next season, so who is?

Well...read more

The Boise State Broncos' hopes for a second straight WAC title and NCAA tournament bid were ended Thursday with an 80-70 loss to the New Mexico State Aggies on Thursday in Reno.

New Mexico State forced 18 Bronco turnovers and attempted 13 more shots from the field in the win. The Broncos were led by senior Mark Sanchez, who scored 25 points and had 11 rebounds.

The Boise State Broncos' season came to an end tonight with a 73-65 loss to the host Nevada Wolf Pack.

When the Broncos played here in Reno in January, they lost by 32. On Wednesday, they led with less than three minutes to go before Nevada's defense clamped down and the Wolf Pack hit 7-of-8 free throws in the final 1:10.

Boise State is set to return three of its top four scorers, including...read more

The Boise State women's basketball team held a lead as late as 2:45 remaining, but could not hold on against the home-standing Nevada Wolf Pack, which took a 73-65 win in the first round of the WAC tournament.

Melissa Rima had 12 points to lead Boise State, all of which came in the first half.

Boise State head coach Chris Petersen had a news conference today, and he mentioned a few players who will not be going full-on during spring practices.

He said defensive end Ryan Winterswyk will not be participating in practices, while offensive tackle Nate Potter and defensive end Shea McClellin may be available after spring break. Linebacker Daron Mackey will only be able to participate in certain...read more

I just got back from the first spring practice of the year, and thought I'd pass along a few notes.

First off, it looks like missing the last 10 games and a few months worth of practices didn't put much rust on Titus Young, who looked very good Monday. He had a few nice long catches and routinely got inside the defensive backs covering him in drills.

Lining up on the other side of him was...read more

With spring football practices kicking off Monday, I thought I'd give my thoughts on five guys I'll be watching and think the fans will want to keep tabs on over the next few weeks.

1. Doug Martin

OK, let's start off with an obvious one. Martin, who intrigued just about everyone after he redshirted in 2007 when teammates and coaches raved about his abilities as a running back, is moving...read more

Here are the matchups for the WAC women's tournament next week in Reno:

Tuesday, 6 p.m. (MST): No. 8 Hawaii vs. No. 9 San Jose State

Wednesday, 1 p.m. (MST): No. 4 Idaho vs. No. 5 Utah State

Wednesday, 3:30 p.m. (MST): No. 1 Fresno State vs. Hawaii/SJSU winner

Wednesday, 7 p.m. (MST): No. 3 Nevada vs. No. 6 Boise State

Wednesday, 9:30 p.m. (MST): No. 7 New Mexico State vs. No. 2 Louisiana...read more

For the second straight season, the Boise State Broncos were unable to win their home finale and will be the fourth seed in the WAC tournament next week.

On Saturday, the Broncos fell 69-60 to the Nevada Wolf Pack at Taco Bell Arena. Three Broncos scored in double figures, led by Anthony Thomas' 12 points.

Boise State will open the conference tournament against fifth-seeded New Mexico State...read more

The Boise State women's basketball team will get the sixth seed in next week's WAC tournament after fallig 58-56 to the Idaho Vandals on Saturday.

Janie Bos attempted two free throws with 3.6 seconds left, but missed both. Heather Pilcher's putback attempt with less than a second remaining was no good.

Here are the seeding scenarios for next week's WAC tournament in Reno. Needless to say, Saturday's Boise State-Nevada game is pretty big.

2009 Men's WAC Tournament Scenarios

Possible Seeds

Boise State

2 If Boise State beats Nevada, New Mexico State beats Hawai'i and Fresno State beats Idaho OR

If Boise State beats Nevada, AND Idaho and New Mexico State both win or both lose...read more

The Boise State men's basketball team won its second straight game with a 79-65 victory over the Fresno State Bulldogs.

Kurt Cunningham led four Broncos in double-digit scoring with 15 points, while Mark Sanchez added 13 points and eight rebounds.

I spoke with Boise State head coach Chris Petersen today, and he said that sophomore Doug Martin will make the move to defense this spring.

Martin played a bit of defense last season and excelled on special teams. Petersen said he will compete to fill in the safety spot vacated by Ellis Powers. Other candidates include Aaron Tevis, Jason Robinson and Winston Venable.

Sophomore Chuck Hayes will move...read more

One of the biggest knocks on former Boise State running back Ian Johnson was his perceived lack of straight-line speed heading into the NFL Combine.

Well, Johnson showed he has some quicks in the legs that carried him for more than 4,00 yards for the Broncos.

On Sunday, he ran the second-fastest time of any running back, posting a 4.46-second 40-yard dash.

Click here for more.

Former Bronco...read more

After leading by as many as 18 points in the first half, the Boise State women saw the game slip away Friday, losing 65-61 to the Utah State Aggies.

The Aggies hit four 3-pointers in the final five minutes to put the Broncos away. Brittany Moore had 17 points to lead Boise State.

Marvin Jefferson scored on a putback with 4.3 seconds left to give Idaho a 56-54 win over Boise State, sweeping the season series.

The Broncos' Paul Noonan missed a 3-pointer as the final buzzer sounded. Mark Sanchez scored 17 points to lead Boise State.

I am sure plenty of fans already do so, but if not, make sure to check out College Football Live today on ESPN at 1:30 p.m.

I will be on the show to talk a little bit about Boise State's schedule. I'll try and do the valley proud.

I know a lot has been said, written or whatever about the crowd size at Boise State men's basketball games, but it was a pretty impressive sight Saturday.

The Broncos had a season-high attendance of 7,587 and routinely gained momentum from making defensive stops. Quite a few Utah State fans were in attendance, too, but they were quieted soon enough after it was clear the Broncos would be in it...read more

BOISE - The Boise State Broncos ended the No. 21 Utah State Aggies' 19-game winning streak, the longest in the NCAA, with a 66-56 win Saturday night.

Boise State never trailed in the second half after taking a 27-25 lead at the half on an Anthony Thomas 3-pointer with two seconds left in the first half. Mark Sanchez scored 20 points to lead the Broncos.

BOISE - The Boise State women's basketball team defeated San Jose 58-53 on Friday night. The Broncos were paced by Marisa Stotler's 14 points.

Boise State trailed at the half, but led by as much as 11 in the second half.

Boise State's first opponent for 2009 suspended two players Wednesday, including one pretty big name.

Oregon coach Mike Bellotti suspended running back LeGarrette Blount and linebacker Terrance Pritchett indefinitely.

Click here for more.

Blount ran for 1,002 yards and a school-record 17 touchdowns last season. He was actually behind Jeremiah Johnson on the team's depth chart, but with...read more

With signing day behind us and spring football lying ahead, there's a bit of a dead period when it comes to Boise State football.

However, I did find something that I thought was pretty funny.

Boise State defensive tackle Ricky Tjonge-A-Tjoe was named to Scout.com's first-team all-name team. Cornerback Ebo Makinde also was an honorable mention.

Click here.

Justin Cabbagestalk. Best....read more

Every year — and I do mean every year — you will read something about if the recruiting sites' "star" rankings matter.

Time and time again it will say the same thing — kind of. It's been successful for USC and LSU. Michigan and Notre Dame? Not really. Schools like Utah and Boise State buck the trend with "under the radar" guys, but end up with great records...read more

Courtesy of the Boise State sports information department...

Nicholas Alexander, DE/OT, 6-4, 230, Fr., Los Angeles, California (Crenshaw HS)

Competed in football and track and field for Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles, earning varsity football letters in football as a junior and senior...Named first team all-city as a senior...Awarded second team all-city honors as a junior...As a senior, started...read more

I am sitting here on the floor of the Stueckle Sky Club after head coach Chris Petersen's Signing Day news conference.

The fans have started to mill in to catch videos of the new recruits and to hear coaches speak about the players. I will be posting more later in the day after talking to a few coaches, but for now, check out Petersen's 40-minute news conference.

Click here for audio.

I spoke with San Ramon Valley (Calif.) quarterback Joe Southwick late last night about finally signing with Boise State.

He was the first known commitment of the 2009 class way back in late May.

"It almost feels like any other day because I've been considering myself a Bronco for so long," he said.

Southwick was one of the top 20 players in the Bay Area, according to the Contra Costa...read more

I talked with Prosser (Wash.) head coach Tom Moore on Tuesday, and we talked about his sons and his program at Prosser.

With Kellen and Kirby Moore set to be living in Boise together, it would seem a natural move for the Moore family to follow suit. Tom Moore is 234-38 in 23 seasons at Prosser.

"I think they like having me a few hours away instead of down the road or something," Tom Moore...read more

Capital offensive lineman Bryant Thomas, who committed to the Broncos in November, is likely to grayshirt, coach Todd Simis said.

Thomas has added about 15 pounds since the season ended and now stands at 6-2, 265.

"I think the plan is he will grayshirt," Simis said. "He's been working hard in the weight room, lifting. He might do some shot or discus in the spring, but he'll...read more

ESPN.com, which has really stepped up its recruiting coverage recently, posted a preview for signing day, which is tomorrow.

Check out the right side, which has three players in the "Under The Radar" header.

Click here.

Already drawing some comparisons to Ryan Clady? Hmmm.

ESPN.com posted a story today about some of the best non-BCS recruiting classes, and Boise State is one of those teams.

It's tough to disagree with them, as this class is shaping up to be pretty darn good. Guys like Joe Southwick, Charles Leno, Jonathan Brown, John Michael Davis and Kirby Moore all had interest from "bigger" schools but will only help continue the Boise State tradition...read more

For all you Boise State fans hoping for a Mountain West bid, it looks unlikely.

The conference is looking for an automatic BCS bid, according to the USA Today. Also, fans may want to take note of the final few paragraphs regarding the Broncos.

Click here.

The Contra Costa (Calif.) Times released its Cream Of The Crop, which compiles the 20 Bay Area players with the most collegiate potential.

Check out the list here.

Boise State already had a pair of commitments on the list, Joe Southwick and Charles Leno, but got a third Sunday afternoon.

The paper reported that Encinal's Jonathan Brown has committed to the Broncos. Brown had offers from the...read more

BOISE - The Boise State men's basketball team kept its slim lead lead in the game, topping the New Mexico State Aggies 87-84 on Thursday.

Ike Okoye, Kurt Cunningham and La'Shard Anderson scored 15 points apiece for the Broncos in the win.

ESPN.com has ranked the FBS teams from 1-119 in terms of prestigiousness, factoring in things such as bowl wins, probation, 10-win seasons and first-round picks.

Boise State is ranked No. 54.

Considering how young the Broncos' program is, how Ryan Clady was the first first-rounder just a year ago and that ESPN is using records and rankings going back to the 1930's, it isn't too bad...read more

Former Boise State running back Ian Johnson was one of three running backs on the West team during Saturday's East-West Shrine Game in Houston.

The East won 24-19. Johnson had 14 yards on eight carries and 43 yards on two receptions.

Former Fresno State tight end Bear Pascoe had two catches for 35 yards.

Not only will Boise State get back cornerback Kyle Wilson in 2009, but he'll be going back to school to get his degree.

Wilson recently visited some students in his home state of New Jersey recently.

Check out the story here.

Wilson was projected as a third-rounder by the NFL advisory committee. From most scouts, I've seen him going before Jeremy Childs, who declared Tuesday, but you...read more

The Boise State women's basketball team trailed the Hawaii Rainbow Wahine 34-27 at halftime Monday, but had a big second half en route to a 70-61 win.

Freshmen Heather Pilcher and Courtney VanBrocklin led the Broncos with 16 and 15 points, respectively.

The Boise State football team will kick off spring practices the week of March 9 and will conclude with the annual Blue And Orange Game on April 17.

Practices will be held the weeks of March 9, 16, 30 and April 6 and 13. The team is scheduled to practice Monday, Wednesday and Friday each week.

It was a nice week for former Boise State Broncos in the NFL, starting with Ryan Clady and Quintin Mikell getting named second-team All-Pro.

On Sunday, two Broncos in the playoffs made some big plays.

Mikell, whose Eagles will play in the NFC Championship, picked off Eli Manning in the fourth quarter, while second-year pro Legedu Naanee had a 4-yard touchdown reception for San Diego in their loss...read more

After their 54-49 win over Hawaii on Saturday, the Boise State men's basketball team is 12-3, off to its best start since posting the same record in 1994-95, when the Broncos went 17-10.

The Broncos' RPI rating as of 7 p.m. on Sunday was No. 47 (according to RealTimeRPI.com), ahead of teams like  Kansas, Utah State, Arizona and Boston College. It looks to be another big year for the...read more

One former Boise State standout earned a huge honor in his first season, while another bided his time.

Denver Broncos rookie offensive tackle Ryan Clady and Philadelphia Eagles safety Quintin Mikell were named to the NFL All-Pro second team.

Clady had the third-most votes amongst tackles, while Mikell was fourth at his position. Mikell, in his sixth season, plays the Giants on Sunday.

ESPN.com...read more

BOISE - The Boise State Broncos let a double-digit lead shrink to six points with less than 12 minutes to play, but had a roaring finish to defeat the San Jose State Spartans 84-64 on Thursday night.

Anthony Thomas led the Broncos with 19 points, six assists and was 5-of-5 on 3-pointers.

The Boise State basketball team has added guard Robert Arnold to the roster.

The 6-foot-6 Arnold had originally committed to join the Broncos in the fall from Antelope Valley Community College in California, but academic reasons pushed his enrollment back to the spring semester.

Arnold averaged 15.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game for AVCC last season, helping the team to a 31-7 record...read more

The Broncos had received a verbal commitment in August from California safety Will Shamburger, whose coach I spoke to soon after and said some great things about the kid.

"I asked him if he could be swayed by a Pac-10 team like UCLA and he told me he was solidly committed to Boise State," head coach Kiki Mendoza told me.

Well, that apparently has changed.

Shamburger has dropped the Broncos...read more

Looking at Boise State's nonconference (and WAC) schedule next season, plus factoring in the Broncos' returning talent, it's not too hard to imagine they'll make another run at a BCS game.

I think Tulsa will be a doozy, but the other road games? Not so much. Fresno State loses some key guys and clearly are a notch below the Broncos in terms of talent. Toledo and Utah State all have...read more

I thought I'd pass along a familiar story I saw on our sports wire today...

From the Associated Press:

"SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah's attorney general is investigating the Bowl Championship Series for a possible violation of federal antitrust laws after an undefeated Utes team was left out of the national title game for the second time in five years.

Attorney General Mark Shurtleff...read more

On the same day where he lost his head coach, Denver Broncos' rookie offensive tackle Ryan Clady got some big-time recognition.

The rookie from Boise State finished in third place in the AP offensive rookie of the year voting. Atlanta QB Matt Ryan finished first with 44 votes. Tennessee RB Chris Johnson had three votes, while Clady picked up two votes.

As I was logging into my Facebook account here in Minnesota for the holidays, I got a request to join a group that said "BSU still rocks."

Wait ... still?

Was losing in the Poinsettia Bowl to the No. 11 team in the nation that disheartening, Bronco fans? Are people are starting to secede from the Bronco Nation?

Winning 12 games is an extreme rarity in college football, and especially...read more

What many expected to be a very evenly-matched battle between mid-major powers proved to be exactly that in the Poinsettia Bowl.

On Monday, TCU coach Gary Patterson kept saying the phrase "one point," talking about the slim margin for error in most games. Well, it came to one point - a 17-16 TCU win.

It's pretty obvious now, but the Horned Frogs' defense is for real. The Broncos...read more

The Boise State Broncos did just about everything right in the first half, except on the last TCU drive.

TCU has outgained Boise State 246-106, but the Broncos own the 13-7 halftime advantage.

The Horned Frogs covered 60 yards in 58 seconds on their last drive, scoring with 24 seconds until the half on a 16-yard Aaron Brown run.

Boise State's defense looked mighty good until that point, despite...read more

Kickoff is in about five minutes. Finally.

I saw WAC commissioner Karl Benson in the hallway here and we spoke quickly about the game matching the considerable hype.

With two really good offenses and two fantastic defenses, I don't see how it can't be.

Tonight's captains are Ian Johnson, Kyle Gingg, Ellis Powers and Ryan Winterswyk. Chuck Hayes carried the Hammer.

For the first time this season, the Broncos will be wearing white uniforms with blue pants.

TCU is opting for their black jerseys and purple pants.

Phil and I just walked around the field for about a half hour. The field's a bit wet down there.

Phil, Greg and I are here at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego about two hours prior to kickoff, and what seems like a long, long wait is almost over for tonight's game.

For me, personally, it's pretty awesome to see a game at the stadium where John Elway won Super Bowl XXXII.

A few players from both teams are out on the field in shirts and shorts throwing the ball around. Kellen Moore is tossing...read more

SAN DIEGO - Boise State's Anthony Thomas and Mark Sanchez combined for 40 points as the Broncos beat San Diego 75-72 at the Jenny Craig Pavilion on Monday night. The win for the Broncos was the team's second straight road win and improves their record to 8-3 on the season.

The University of Oregon just held a news conference announcing the Ducks will have a new head coach in the future.
Not Chris Petersen.
Head coach Mike Bellotti will step aside to become athletic director, while offensive coordinator Chip Kelly will move into the head coaching job. The school did not set a timetable. Click here for the story.

Obviously Idaho is a big opponent for Boise State's football team. Fresno State? Certainly. Well, after last season and some tough games in recent years, Hawaii can be added to that list.
The Warriors were the ones who ended the Broncos' five-year run as WAC champs in Honolulu last November, and that is certainly fresh in the minds of Bronco players.
"They're a big rival for us now," defensive...read more

It looks like the first team offensive line today will be Matt Slater (right tackle), Jon Gott (right guard), Thomas Byrd (center), Cory Yriarte (left guard) and Andrew Woodruff (left tackle).
It's interesting moving Woodruff to tackle. The Broncos have Nate Potter at right tackle on the second team, with Kevin Sapien as the right guard.

Tonight's captains are Jeron Johnson, DJ Harper, Steven Reveles...read more

Johnson said that Harper earned the right to be placed in the goal-line package during last week before the Louisiana Tech game, and he's working this week in practice to get back in that situation.

Johnson has not had a 100-yard...read more

"I think (Boise State) may even have been surprised at how well that kid has been playing," Fedora said. "I think they've just started to hit the tip of the iceberg with him."

At the same time, Boise State head coach Chris Petersen has liked...read more

The Broncos were tough Wednesday, as they have been all season, when their backs were against the wall. Louisiana Tech got inside Boise State territory six times ... and wound up with a total of three points.

It's been impressive how the Broncos have stepped...read more

The Broncos have yielded 203 yards at the half (gaining 232 yards themselves), but own a 21-3 lead. That's thanks to Boise State stepping up at key moments, including a fourth-down stop in Bronco territory. Louisiana Tech also helped when a 21-yard pass on third down that took the Bulldogs...read more

Bingham's injury was not disclosed, though Chris Petersen will discuss it after tonight's game. Tonight's captains are Dallas Dobbs, Jeremy Childs, Kyle Gingg and Jon Gott.

I hope you all listened to KIDO 580 AM before the game ... and that I wasn't too terrible...read more

Hey folks, it's been another long wait for a Bronco game, but it's only about 24 hours away.

I wanted to pass along two quick things...first, make sure to listen to KIDO 580 AM during the 5 o'clock hour tomorrow. I am sure you already do, but if not, let me entice you with this: I'll be a guest on the pregame show. Oh yeah. Should be a lot of fun. I'm excited for the opportunity.

Also, I put up...read more

Chris Petersen thinks Derek Dooley is crazy.

Well, not in a straightjacket kind of way, but the kind where Dooley must get about 14 minutes of sleep a night.

See, in April, Dooley was named the athletics director at Louisiana Tech. He’s the only head coach in the FBS who is also the school’s AD.

“I cannot even kind of imagine,” Petersen said. “I saw him in the spring...read more

So, for Oct. 1's home game against Louisiana Tech, it is as follows:

Even sections, suites, loges, clubs, students and south end zone wear BLUE.

Odd sections, suites, loges, clubs and north end zone wear ORANGE.

Got it? Good...read more

Petersen spoke about Louisiana Tech's athleticism and the Bulldogs' QB, Taylor Bennett, who was once committed to Boise State. Check out the audio here.

Petersen also said defensive back Cedric Febis will be out for the next...read more

The sophomore was thrown out of the game for "hitting a defenseless receiver," on a ball overthrown to Ed Dickson.

"Right off the bat, I was like, 'wow, are you serious?'" Johnson said. "Then after watching the film, it was a bad play by...read more

Head coach Chris Petersen said Monday that Perretta will be checked out Tuesday, and if he doesn't have any headaches resulting from his concussion Saturday, he will do some conditioning, and if he's OK then, he should begin practicing for Oct. 1's home game against Louisiana Tech. It was...read more

Boise State senior linebacker Tim Brady's wife, Brittany, is due to have a child in the spring, the Boulder Daily Camera writes.

Also, I was looking through the BSU media guide, and noticed that the Broncos have only been ranked in the top 20 once this early in the season - the 2005 opener. The BCS is...read more

ESPN's Rece Davis gave Kellen Moore a "helmet sticker" on College Football Final tonight for his performance against the Ducks. WAC player of the week next? Ummm, yeah.

Once Darron Thomas was actually completing passes, unlike his contemporaries, the Broncos could have let things spiral out of control. When Kellen Moore mishandled the snap with a 37-26 lead with less than 7 minutes to play, the Ducks recovered the fumble. It was just what the Ducks...read more

The Broncos lead the Ducks 24-6 at the half, taking advantage of an awful Oregon passing attack and a great performance thus far by freshman QB Kellen Moore in his first-ever road start.

Moore is a stellar 16-of-20 passing for 206 yards and two touchdowns thus far. The...read more

The Broncos will receive the opening kick.

And now it's only a half-hour away.

It was a hot ticket here in Eugene and in Boise. Oregon fans are very knowledgeable and have been looking forward to this one. Heck, I had a cab driver talk about the game with me, and I was impressed. The fans here have...read more

Boise State and Oregon players are warming up on the field below, throwing the ball around, practicing snaps and kicks. I snapped a shot of the stadium before everyone came into the stadium. It's a great view. I'll be back again soon for another post!

The fact tomorrow's game will be very interesting and exciting for all parties involved makes it even better.

We went and checked out Autzen Stadium briefly tonight, and it's a cool venue. It's certainly...read more

Petersen was the receivers coach for the Ducks from 1995-2000 before leaving for Boise State to become the Broncos' offensive coordinator. Oregon coach Mike Bellotti said Tuesday that he attempted to get Petersen back in Eugene after he went to Boise...read more

"We'll know more (Tuesday)," Petersen said. "They're kinda saying it's a 50-50deal."

Petersen also said Titus Young is likely to return for the game. The new Bronco depth chart has Young listed as a co-starter with Jeremy Childs,...read more

There was a State Farm commercial with some silly song where they sing about "fun days" and "Sundays," and shows fans braving the elements or opposing fans. There also was a scene where two Packers are being taped up, and sure enough, one of them...read more

The Bronco offense had a rare, prolonged lapse in offensive firepower Saturday in a 20-7 win over Bowling Green, getting 89 yards in the second half. That being said, however, the defense looked very strong all game long, forcing three turnovers and allowing only a fourth-down...read more

Outside of two missed field goals, little has gone right for the Falcons and their spread offense. Tyler Sheehan has completed a few nice throws, but Boise State's defense has clamped down in clutch situations.

On the other hand, Kellen Moore has been excellent, completing 11 of his 13 attempts. He's hit Jeremy Childs three...read more

Today's captains are Joe Bozikovich, Richie Brockel, Andrew Woodruff and Ellis Powers. Travis Stanaway brought out the hammer.

Anyhow, I'm here at Bronco Stadium, all ready to go, seeing the fans in the end zone seats scrambling for their spots. Bowling Green should be the Broncos' first real test of the year and run an exciting offense, so it will be interesting contest.

All that being said, the odds are stacked against Bowling Green - sure, they...read more