Kellen Moore Named Male Student-Athlete of the Year in the WAC

Quarterback Kellen Moore was named the 2009-2010 Western Athletic Conference Jeo Kearney Award winner as the outstanding male student-athlete in the WAC.

The award, which is given annually to the top male & female student-athlete in the conference, is named in honor of former WAC Commissioner Joe Kearney who guided the league from 1980-1994.

Moore is just the 2nd Bronco to win the award.  Two-time NCAA National Champion javelin thrower Gabriel Wallin also earned the award for the 2004-2005 season.

This past season, Moore guided the Broncos to a perfect 14-0 record, including a victory over TCU in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. He earned first-team All-American honors from ESPN.com, SI.com and CBSSports.com, finished seventh in the voting for the Heisman Trophy and was named the WAC Offensive Player of the Year. He set the NCAA single-season record for the lowest percentage of passes intercepted at 0.69 percent, throwing just three picks in 431 attempts. On the season he completed 277 of 431 passes for 3,536 yards and 39 touchdowns.

"Kellen is the type of student-athlete we strive to recruit to Boise State,” Boise State Director of Athletics Gene Bleymaier stated. “He does an excellent job in the classroom, is outstanding on the playing field and represents the University in a first class manner. I don't think we could ask for anything more from out student-athletes.”

Southern California LB commits to Boise State

The Boise State Broncos have received a verbal commitment from Emil Smith, a 6'2", 200 pound linebacker from Rancho Verde High School in Moreno Valley, CA. 

Smith is the 6th player to commit to the Broncos this off-season.  The linebacker attended the Boise State Football Camp earlier in the month and picked Boise State over UTEP, Air Force, San Diego St. and Duke.

Smith is listed as a 3 star recruit by Rivals.com.  WeAreSC.com (an ESPN affiliated website) lists Smith as the 3rd best linebacker in Southern California heading into his senior season. 

He was first team All Inland Division as a junior, however he made the team as a defensive lineman.  Smith is expected to play outside linebacker at Boise State.

Another Preseason Top 25 Released

Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook announced its preseason top-25 rankings this week, which features Boise State as the No. 3 overall team heading into the fall. The only teams earning higher rankings than the Broncos were Ohio State (No. 1) and Alabama (No. 2).  

Blue Ribbon also honored Boise State junior quarterback Kellen Moore by selecting him as one of five players to be featured on the publication cover. Moore was joined by Mark Ingram (Alabama, RB), Ryan Mallett (Arkansas, QB), Case Keenum (Houston, QB) and Terrelle Pryor (Ohio State, QB).

The Blue Ribbon poll is the sixth since the end of the 2009 season that is projecting Boise State to open next season in the top-five. The Broncos were also ranked No. 2 by Sports Illustrated and Lindy's Football Preview, No. 3 by SportingNews and ESPN College Football Live, and No. 4 by Athlon Sports.

Along with the high team praise, a pair of Boise State student-athletes were also honored by being named to preseason watch lists for the Outland Trophy and the Bronco Nagurski Award. 

Offensive lineman Nate Potter was named to the Outland Trophy watch list, which honors the top interior lineman in college football every season. 

Defensive end Ryan Winterswyk has been selected as a player to watch for the Bronco Nagurski Award, which recognizes the top defensive player in the country each year.

Potter, a junior from Boise, Idaho (Timberline HS), is coming off an outstanding sophomore campaign in which he was voted first-team All-Western Athletic Conference. He played in 13 games for the Broncos, which included nine consecutive starts to finish the season. Potter is one of 63 players named to the watch list, which will be narrowed to three finalists in late November.

Winterswyk, a senior from La Habra, Calif. (La Habra HS), has been a centerpiece on the Boise State defensive line over the past couple seasons as a first-team All-WAC performer in 2008 and 2009. He finished his junior season with 41 tackles, 17.0 tackles for loss and 9.0 sacks. Winterswyk is one of 74 players selected to the Nagurski Award watch list. Five finalists for the award will be named on Nov. 18.

Moore and Johnson Named Preseason All-Americans by Sporting News

Boise State’s Kellen Moore and Jeron Johnson both received individual national accolades, Tuesday (June 22), as both Broncos were selected to the Sporting News Preseason All-American Teams for their projected impact heading into the 2010 college football season.

Moore, a junior quarterback from Prosser, Wash. (Prosser HS), was named second-team preseason All-American by Sporting News after an outstanding sophomore campaign for Boise State. Moore finished 2009 with the second highest pass efficiency rating (161.65) in the country having completed 277-of-431 passes for 3,536 yards, 39 touchdowns and just three interceptions. His incredible ratio of pass attempts to interceptions set an NCAA single season record at 0.69 percent.

For his role in helping guide the Broncos to a perfect 14-0 season and a win in the 2010 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, Moore was named Western Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year. He was voted first-team All-American by ESPN.com, SI.com and CBSSports.com, and third-team Associated Press All-American. Moore also finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting. This isn’t the first preseason honor for Moore by Sporting News, as he was also named a preseason Heisman candidate and ranked on the top-25 players in the country list by the magazine at the end of May.

Johnson, a senior safety from Compton, Calif. (Dominguez HS), earned the first preseason All-American honors of his career following another dominating season on the Boise State defense in 2009. He was selected third-team All-American by Sporting News. Johnson was voted second-team All-WAC for the second consecutive year as a junior after leading the Broncos in tackles (91). He also recorded four interceptions, which ranked second on the team.

Boise State will kick-off the 2010 season on Sept. 6 (Monday) when the Broncos travel to Landover, Md. to meet Virginia Tech at Fed Ex Field.

The game is scheduled for 8 p.m. (EST) and will air on ESPN.

SPORTING NEWS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN TEAMS

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE

QB Ryan Mallett, Arkansas

RB Mark Ingram, Alabama

RB Dion Lewis, Pittsburgh

OL Mike Pouncey, Florida

OL Jason Pinkston, Pittsburgh

OL Rodney Hudson, Florida State

OL Stefan Wisniewski, Penn State

OL Jake Kirkpatrick, TCU

TE Kyle Rudolph, Notre Dame

WR Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma

WR A.J. Green, Georgia

K Kai Forbath, UCLA

KR D.J. Monroe, Texas

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE

DL Jared Crick, Nebraska

DL Robert Quinn, North Carolina

DL Von Miller, Texas A&M

DL Adrian Clayborn, Iowa

LB Greg Jones, Michigan State

LB Vontaze Burfict, Arizona State

LB Luke Kuechly, Boston College

CB Patrick Peterson, LSU

CB Brandon Harris, Miami

S Rahim Moore, UCLA

S DeAndre McDaniel, Clemson

P Drew Butler, Georgia

PR Greg Reid, Florida State

SECOND TEAM OFFENSE

QB Kellen Moore, Boise State

RB LaMichael James, Oregon

RB Jacquizz Rodgers, Oregon State

OL Matt Reynolds, BYU

OL Chase Beeler, Stanford

OL Kyle Hix, Texas

OL Dan Hoch, Missouri

OL Butch Lewis, USC

TE Ben Guidugli, Cincinnati

WR Julio Jones, Alabama

WR Michael Floyd, Notre Dame

K Grant Ressel, Missouri

KR Chris Owusu, Stanford

SECOND TEAM DEFENSE

DL Marcell Dareus, Alabama

DL Sam Acho, Texas

DL Greg Romeus, Pittsburgh

DL Ryan Kerrigan, Purdue

LB Akeem Ayers, UCLA

LB Travis Lewis, Oklahoma

LB Don’t’a Hightower, Alabama

CB Kendric Burney, North Carolina

CB Prince Amukamara, Nebraska

S Mark Barron, Alabama

S Tyler Sash, Iowa

P Tress Way, Oklahoma

PR Jeremy Kerley, TCU

THIRD TEAM OFFENSE

QB Case Keenum, Houston

RB Ryan Williams, Virginia Tech

RB John Clay, Wisconsin

OL Caleb Schlauderaff, Utah

OL Anthony Castonzo, Boston College

OL Barrett Jones, Alabama

OL Zach Hurd, Connecticut

OL Clint Boling, Georgia

TE D.J. Williams, Arkansas

WR James Cleveland, Houston

WR Jonathan Baldwin, Pittsburgh

K Alex Henery, Nebraska

KR Tyron Carrier, Houston

THIRD TEAM DEFENSE

DL Allen Bailey, Miami

DL Jurrell Casey, USC

DL Cameron Heyward, Ohio State

DL Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma

LB Tank Carder, TCU

LB Lawrence Wilson, Connecticut

LB Kelvin Sheppard, LSU

CB Trevin Wade, Arizona

CB Curtis Brown, Texas

S Jeron Johnson, Boise State

S Deunta Wiliams, North Carolina

P Derek Epperson, Baylor

PR LaVon Brazill, Ohio

Phil Steele's Boise State Projections

Phil Steele's College Football Preview is out.  Some call it the "bible" of college football.  Steele is a well respected prognosticator in sports media.  That being said, Steele seems hot and cold on the Broncos for this upcoming season.

The Broncos are picked 6th in Steele's preseason poll. 2 spots behind TCU.  In his "power poll", the Broncos fall to 7th, switching spots with Nebraska who was 7th in his preseason poll.  As far as strength of schedule, last season, the Broncos had the 114th toughest schedule according to Steele, this year he ranks the Broncos schedule as the 87th toughest in the nation.

He projects the Broncos to have the nation's 7th best passing attack, 2nd best in scoring and 3rd best in total offense.  On defense, the projections are 8th in rush defense, 10th in scoring defense and 7th in total defense.

Steele lists Broncos QB Kellen Moore the 12th best signal caller in the nation, behind the likes of Andy Dalton of TCU and Jerrod Johnson of Texas A&M although he does put Moore as the 6th leading contender for the Heisman trophy.  Jeremy Avery ranks 38th among the nations top running backs.

On the bright side, he lists Austin Pettis 9th and Titus Young 23rd  among receivers,  Nate Potter 19th at the guard position.

On the defensive side of the ball, Ryan Winterswyk checks in at 14 at d-end, Billy Winn at 37 among tackles.  Winston Veneble is listed as the 51 best outside linebacker, Brandyn Thompson is rated the 19th best corner, George Iloka is 34th among free safeties and Jerod Johnson is the highest ranked Bronco coming in at 7th among strong safeties to round out ranked Bronco defenders.

On special teams, Titus Young is the 8th ranked kick returner.

Boise State checks in as the nation's 6th ranked quarterback unit, behind WAC foe Nevada.  The running game comes in at 26th, receiving corps is 28th, and the offensive line 17th.

On defense, Boise State has the 21st rated D-line, 9th rated linebackers, 17th among defensive backfields and 2nd at special teams.

The bowl projections may have some Bronco fans scratching their heads.  Steele forecasts the Broncos to play Stanford in the "Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl"  Formally known as the Emerald Bowl, the game takes place in San Francisco at AT&T park, home of MLB's San Francisco Giants.

Steele does have a non AQ team going to a BCS bowl.  He sees TCU facing Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

Another D-Lineman commits to the Broncos

Robert Ash, a 6'3", 245 pound 3 star defensive end from Elk Grove, CA (Cosumnes Oaks High School) verbally committed to Boise State yesterday.

Ranked No. 82 overall at his position, Ash, declined offers from Colorado, Nevada, Washington, Washington State, San Diego State and Oregon State.

Ash had 53 tackles, 11 for loss, four sacks and three blocked kicks as a 2009 junior.


"I am excited to announce that Robert has verbally accepted a scholarship offer to play football for the #2 team in the nation, Boise State University," said his coach Ryan Gomes.

"Coach Petersen and his staff feel they've gotten one of the best D-lineman on the West Coast and a young man that represents their core values of character and integrity," said Gomes

Another recruit commits to the Broncos

The Boise State Broncos got a big commitment today out of California.

Jeff Worthy, a 6'4", 275 pound defensive lineman from La Habra, California gave the Broncos a verbal commitment after attending the Bronco's football camp.

Before Worthy left Boise State's camp last week he got an opportunity to sit down with coach Chris Petersen to talk about his future. That's when Worthy started to really get the feeling that he belonged there and so Sunday he decided to commit to the Broncos.

Worthy id the 4th player to commit to the Broncos in the last 2 weeks.

Worthy, who is entering his senior season at Whittier Christian has offers form Nebraska, SMU, Cal Poly, San Jose State, Washington State, Oregon State and Arizona State.  Worthy also considered Oregon, although they has yet to formally offer him a scholarship.

"It was a bit of a surprise when they offered," Worthy said of Boise State. "My coach told me to call them up and they offered. Coach Petersen and Coach K seem like they have a real good head on their shoulders. They've done amazing in the WAC and they've been winning Bowl Games. They seem passionate about football and what they're doing at Boise State."

Jeff racked up an amazing total of 19 sacks during the 2009 season. He says his success is all in the technique. "Big guys aren't known for much technique," Worthy said. "Me, I have flawless technique. I bring swag and passion to the field as well," he added.

 Idaho Statesman Reporter Chadd Cripe reports on another Bronco commitment.

Rocky Mountain High wide receiver Dallas Burroughs, brother of Boise State wide receiver Mitch Burroughs, orally committed Thursday to sign with the Broncos in 2011.

Burroughs (5-foot-8, 175 pounds) also had offers from Army and Utah State, he said. The Meridian resident attended Boise State's camp this week and committed in a meeting with coaches Thursday.

"It's just always been my dream school and to get to play with my brother would be really sweet," Burroughs said.

Burroughs ran the 40-yard dash in 4.44 seconds during a combine this summer, he said. He won the state title in the 100 meters last month with a time of 10.63 seconds.

"He's an exceptional player," Rocky Mountain coach Jason Warr said. "... He's one of those kids you don't see very often and definitely makes your program better."

Dallas is faster than Mitch, Warr said. Mitch, a Meridian High graduate, is a sophomore who made 11 catches last season.

"Dallas just has the ability to stretch the field," Warr said. "Even at the next level, I think he'll have that ability."

Burroughs is the third known commitment for 2011. The others are quarterback Jimmy Laughrea of Rocklin (Calif.) High and defensive end Sam Ukwuachu of Pearland (Texas) High.

Gridiron Dreams 2010 Football Camp

Here's a chance to get your youth football player some excellent and professional mentoring from some Bronco greats!

Kyle Wilson, Richie Brockel, Quintin Mikell, Ryan Clady, Daryn Colledge, Korey Hall, Derek Schouman, Legedu Naanee, Gerald Alexander, Ian Johnson, Vinny Perretta, Taylor Tharp, Alex Guerrero, and Jerard Rabb will be on hand to show your camper how it's done.

The camp takes place on July 17th & 18th at the Optimist Youth Sports Complex.  This is an AWESOME opportunity for your child from ages 7 to 18 years old.

For more information go to Gridiron Dreams.

USC Linebacker Considering Transfer To Boise State

USC Trojans redshirt junior linebacker Jordan Campbell has become the first player to defect from the land of Troy and take advantage of an NCAA-regulated free-transfer policy for juniors and seniors, telling ESPNLosAngeles.com Monday he has already told USC he will transfer.


Contacted Monday evening, a school spokesperson could not confirm that USC had received notification of his decision.


But Campbell's decision to leave the Trojans is especially interesting because of the circumstances surrounding his time at USC. A high school All-American out of Norco High who struggled to find playing time at USC during his three-year career, Campbell ended spring practice not officially on USC's roster due to a violation of head coach Lane Kiffin's newly instituted "zero-tolerance" policy.


Instead of being forced to sit out a season and thus forfeit his penultimate year of eligibility -- as would have happened if he decided to transfer even a month ago -- Campbell will be immediately eligible upon enrolling at his new school.


"I decided to transfer because it was a blessing in disguise," Campbell said by phone Monday. "The opportunity to go to any other school that I wanted to without sitting out a year -- that was awesome."


According to NCAA spokeswoman Stacy Osburn, any USC junior or senior is essentially allowed to re-open his recruiting process with only one caveat: the player's next school would have to submit an official waiver to the NCAA asking to waive the "year in residence," which would likely be approved.


In three years with the Trojans, Campbell starred primarily on special teams while earning just one start -- against Washington State in 2009. He led the Trojans in tackles against the Cougars with eight but sprained his ankle late in the game and missed the next three contests while recovering.


He said he lost his place in the depth chart because of the injury. By the time he was healthy, his spot was no longer available and he felt he had lost valuable competition time.


"I'm confident enough in my game where I can go to another school and start for the next two years," said Campbell, who added that he is considering a number of schools, including Boise State. "And there's a lot of guys here who could do the same thing, but we're at SC and we came into SC to compete and battle for those starting positions."


Campbell, who has a large USC tattoo on his arm, said he will remain a Trojan fan, no matter his next destination. But, he said, "at the end of the day, I have to do what's best for my family and for myself."


Asked if he could see his transfer foretelling the exodus of a number of other Trojan juniors and seniors, Campbell said, "I can't comment on anybody else because I don't want people to be persuaded by my decision. But I'm saying we have four, five starters across the board at USC. You go into another school, you have a lot of opportunities to go out there and be the man, play every single game."


In a brief Thursday press conference following the official announcement of the NCAA-imposed sanctions, Kiffin was asked if he was concerned about the potential that Trojan juniors and seniors would transfer because of the eliminated restriction.


"If someone wants to leave the best place in the country to play football, we won't stop them," the first-year coach said.


The loss of Campbell leaves the Trojans significantly short-handed at linebacker, a spot where they had already been suffering from a lack of depth. In Devon Kennard, Chris Galippo, Malcolm Smith and Michael Morgan, USC has four supremely talented linebackers. Unfortunately, the Trojans -- playing a 4-3 system under assistant head coach Monte Kiffin -- have only three starting spots available. But behind those four is only one letterwinner, redshirt junior Shane Horton, and two other scholarship players, redshirt freshmen Simione Vehikite and Marquis Simmons.


USC does have two linebackers enrolling in the fall: junior college transfer Glen Stanley (Thatcher, Ariz./Eastern Arizona JC) and Hayes Pullard (Los Angeles, Calif./Crenshaw).

Early Point Spreads Are Out

The Golden Nugget sports book in Las Vegas has released early point spreads for some select games on the 2010 schedule.  Five of Boise State's bigger games already have lines out....

Favorite            Line        Opponent

Boise State       -2.5       Virginia Tech (FedEx neutral)

Boise State       -14        Oregon State (Home)

Boise State       -28        Louisiana Tech (Home)

Boise State       -20        Fresno State (Home)

Boise State       -13        Nevada (Away)

The Broncos will be favored in their other seven games, and judging the point spreads for the five listed, they should be rather large spreads.

    
Obviously Las Vegas see quite a few Bronco blowouts this year.

Texas Longhorns reject invite to join Pac-10

We will  have to wait to see how this affects the Mountain West, but here is a story from the Dallas Morning News concerning Texas' decision to stay in the Big XII.

Several small details need to be ironed out, but the framework of an agreement appeared to be in place Monday afternoon.

Pac-10 Commissioner Larry Scott confirmed that the University of Texas has declined an invitation to join the conference. The decision will preserve the Big 12 as a 10-team conference, assuming Texas A&M elects to remain. Texas A&M officials were deliberating Monday afternoon. 

In a brief phone conversation, Scott said: "We've been informed by University of Texas president Bill Powers that Texas will stay with the Big 12. We have not received definitive details about this decision. It is our understanding that Texas was going to meet the terms that we have proposed." 

As he left the Main Building, Powers declined comment. 

Big 12 member schools and TV partners met Monday to work on a lucrative television deal that would convince the University of Texas and three other schools -- Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech -- to abandon pursuit of Pac-10 membership. 

The TV dollars were also enough to convince Texas A&M to stay with the conference. The Aggies had been pursuing a bid to the Southeastern Conference. 

Under Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe's plan, Texas would see a sharp increase in revenue under a new cable TV right deal with Fox Sports. Because of the Big 12's revenue sharing formula, Texas would probably make more than the $17 million average, perhaps close to $20 million. The Longhorns would also be allowed to form their own network, something that would not be allowed in the Pac-10. 

A source said the network could eventually produce up to $5 million in revenue based on projections, which would likely bring Texas more money than a move to the Pac-10. 

Another reason the conference remained intact was team travel, especially without the possibility of Texas A&M, despite the Pac-10's hope to focus on divisional travel and avoid numerous distant road trips to the Northwest. 

The fate of the conference born in 1996 when the Big 8 merged with four members of the Southwest Conference has been at risk for days, and Texas emerged as the key to the Big 12's survival when Nebraska (Big Ten) and Colorado (Pac-10) decided to leave over the next two years. The Pac-10 has courted Texas and other Big 12 South Division schools, while Texas A&M reportedly expressed interest in going to the Southeastern Conference barring a better offer. 

Big 12 officials have told member schools that the loss of the Denver television market and Nebraska would not weaken the league's negotiating position with TV networks as much as feared, the person said.

Texas, the biggest and most lucrative of the Big 12 members, has been the pied piper in the league discussions, with other schools seemingly ready to line up behind the Longhorns once the school decides where it wants its cash cow football program to compete. 

Regents at Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State have scheduled meetings Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss conference allegiances. Texas A&M regents are expected to meet later this week.

Dallas Morning News and Wire Reports Contributed

More Conference Realignment News

The Big 10 now has 12 teams, the Big XII has ten teams, the Pac 10 has 11, and wants more.

Conference re-alignment rumors are swirling.

Yesterday it was a done deal, Texas would accept an invitation to the Pac 10 and bring Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Texas A&M with them.

Then this morning, Texas A&M seemed poised to join the SEC, leaving the Pac 10's dream of 16 teams in doubt.

Now, this afternoon, word out of Texas is that there is an 11th hour deal to keep the remaining Big XII teams together in a ten team conference.

Based on a television deal in the works that could pay them upwards of $25 million per year, Texas is leaning toward staying in a 10-team Big XII for the foreseeable future.

Big XII commissioner Dan Beebe has been negotiating a new contract with broadcasters.

Teams like Texas and Oklahoma would receive large revenue boosts...up to $20 million dollars per season.

Because the Big XII does not have equal revenue sharing...lower teir teams would take in between $14 to $17 million annually.

Here's why all of this is happening.

The Big 10 and the SEC bring in over $200 million annually from television rights fees.

Right now...the Big XII brings in around $78 and the Pac 10 $58 million, well short of their rival conferences.

With conference realignment, the Pac 10's hope was to negotiate a deal similar to what the Big XII and SEC get.

Now, that being said, all of the sudden the Mountain West could be put in the spotlight, or more specifically, the University of Utah.

According to sources, the Pac 10 will look to Utah to be their next invite to join the conference.

If that happens and Utah jumps from the Mountain West ship, the conference will once again be down to nine members including the newly added Boise State.

So, with the Mountain West at only nine teams, if in fact Utah does leave, what's next?

One possibility is to add Fresno State or Nevada.

A few other teams under consideration are SMU and Houston from Conference USA. they would both be Texas teams that could begin a rivalry with current Mountain West member, TCU.

There are all sorts of scenarios that could play themselves out today, but all of them hinge on an official announcement from Texas that they do plan to stay in the Big XII.

"Lunch with Leon"

I know this isn't football related, but still... enjoy!


Boise State Athletics is hosting two 'Lunch With Leon' events over the next week, and any and all fans are invited to have lunch, meet new Bronco head men's basketball coach Leon Rice and mingle with his coaching staff.

The first 'Lunch with Leon' is scheduled for this Tuesday (June 15) during the noon hour at the Parkcenter Red Robin, located at 211 W. Parkcenter Blvd. Coach Rice and staff will greet folks, visit with fans table to table and provide the lunchtime scoop on Bronco basketball.

The following Tuesday (June 22), 'Lunch with Leon' takes on a prime time flavor at the Chicago Connection in the El Dorado Business Center, two blocks south of Eagle Road and Overland. The event begins at 5:00 pm and runs till approximately 7:00 pm. Coach Rice and his staff will hold a similar meet and greet, act as guest servers and Chicago Connection will have complimentary slices of pizza for fans.

A reservation is not needed for either event and the lunches/dinner are open to the public.

COMMENTS FROM AROUND THE MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE

Air Force Academy
“We welcome Boise State and think they will make a great addition to the Mountain West Conference.” ~ Air Force Director of Athletics Dr. Hans Mueh

“Boise State adds to the desire of the presidents, athletic directors and coaches from the universities of the Mountain West Conference who want the additional dollars and exposure which comes with an automatic BCS bid. Boise State has large and explosive athletes that will fit with the many football players at current MWC universities that will eventually be drafted by the NFL.” ~ Air Force Head Football Coach Troy Calhoun

“The Mountain West Conference is an outstanding basketball league and, with the addition of Boise State, has just gotten stronger.” ~ Air Force Head Men’s Basketball Coach Jeff Reynolds

University of New Mexico
“There is no doubt the addition of Boise State strengthens the membership of the Mountain West Conference.  Most people know about Broncos football, which has been among the nation’s best for the past decade, but they really have a strong athletics program across the board.  They won the overall sports title in the Western Athletic Conference this season and currently rank 58th in the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup. They also have a very strong APR.” ~ Paul Krebs, UNM Vice President for Athletics

“The Mountain West Conference showed its commitment to getting a BCS bid with the addition of Boise State.  Boise State enhances the MWC from a football standpoint and strengthens our push for national recognition.  BSU, with its two BSC bowl appearances, adds validity to an already strong conference and we look forward to playing them on a regular basis.” ~ Mike Locksley, New Mexico head football coach

“Adding Boise State is great for football.  Consequently, it’s a plus in the MWC’s pursuit of landing an automatic bid into the BCS.” ~ Steve Alford, New Mexico head men’s basketball coach

University of Utah
"We are excited to have Boise State join us in the Mountain West Conference and I am very supportive of the decision reached by our league presidents. Boise State is a wonderful addition and makes sense on many fronts. The MWC has made big inroads in establishing a national presence and adding Boise State will help keep our league keep moving in that positive direction." ~ Utah Director of Athletics Dr. Chris Hill

"We view the addition of Boise State as a positive move. They have an exceptional program and will strengthen the position of the Mountain West Conference on a national level." ~ Utah Football Coach Kyle Whittingham

University of Wyoming
“We’re delighted to have such a competitive athletic program join the Mountain West Conference,” said Buchanan. “Boise State has an especially strong football program, and that’s going to be a great attraction for Cowboy football fans now every year. We look forward to competing with the Broncos in every sport.” ~ University of Wyoming President Tom Buchanan

Video: Mountain West Press Conference

Video: Mountain West Press Conference - Broncosports.com - The Official Athletics Website Of Boise State University

What's being said about Boise State joining the Mountain West

BroncoSports.com

Chadd Cripe - Idaho Statesman

Brian Murphy - Idaho Statesman

Dave Southorn - Idaho Press Tribune

Salt Lake Tribune

Bleacher Report 

OBNUG

ESPN - Mark Schlabach

FOX Sports 

Boise State Joins the MWC

Boise State has given the Mountain West Conference a 10th program.

Boise State is leaving the Western Athletic Conference, a league the Broncos have dominated for a decade in football, the MWC confirmed with a statement Friday.

"We are pleased and excited to welcome Boise State University to the Mountain West Conference," commissioner Craig Thompson said in the news release. "Since our inception just 11 short years ago, the Mountain West has experienced tremendous success, and the addition of Boise State will further enhance that strength. The MWC continues to strategize regarding potential membership scenarios and bringing Boise State into the Conference is an important part of that evolution."

Boise State becomes the second institution to join the Mountain West in the past six years, after TCU was added in 2005. The conference was founded in 1998 with eight members.

The Mountain West also includes Brigham Young, Utah, Air Force, Wyoming, UNLV, San Diego State, New Mexico and Colorado State.

"It will be a privilege to compete and partner with such a successful group of member institutions," Boise State president Robert Kustra said in a statement. "This move is in the best interests of Boise State's future, and the university is excited to be part of one of the nation's most outstanding conferences."

Thompson had said Monday the Mountain West would hold off on expansion until the dust settles in the other conferences.

WAC commissioner Karl Benson figured Boise State was bound to bolt for the Mountain West. So much so that as the WAC board of directors and athletic directors assembled in Las Vegas for the conference's annual meeting this week, they discussed contingency plans.

The conference didn't want to be caught off guard.

"I think everyone was anticipating and expecting it," Benson said in a conference call Monday night. "All the signals out there were pointing in the direction that any invitation would come today. ... This is an unbelievably volatile period. The poker playing that is going on I think is unprecedented.

"Regardless of what changes might occur, we are poised to move forward either with our existing membership or with any membership changes that may occur."

Benson said there wasn't any bitterness toward Boise State officials at the meeting, the relationship remaining quite cordial.

The WAC is keeping its options open, too, scouring for schools. Benson said there are five or six candidates from the Football Championship Series the conference is keeping an eye on.

However, Benson wouldn't elaborate on which schools might potentially be in the mix.

"Regardless of what the Mountain West might do, or Boise State might do, the WAC is going to continue to be a credible and recognizable conference," Benson said.

Broncos football coach Chris Petersen, who has compiled a 49-4 record and won three WAC titles in four years, said Monday the decision doesn't change anything about his plans for next season.

"We have a very challenging non-conference and conference schedule ahead of us and we are not planning to change our goals because of today's decision," he said.

Thanks to ESPN for their reporting

Bronco Offense vs Defense Softball Game & Home Run Derby

The Boise State Football team is coming out the Boise Hawks stadium so the offense and defense can face off in a softball game and homerun derby on Saturday at 6:30, Hawks Stadium.

The proceeds of the game go to support The First Tee of Idaho, which is a non-profit organization that teaches participants life skills using the game of golf as the foundation. 

Tickets are only $5 per person and $20 for a family of 5! 

Come support The First Tee of Idaho and watch the Boise State Offense and Defense duke it out for best on the softball field! 

There will be a time for autographs after the game! Tickets can be purchased on the Boise Hawks website or at the door.

Taylor Tharp signs af2 contract

The Utah Blaze announced the signing today of former Boise State QB Taylor Tharp.

Tharp spent the 2009 season with the Boise Burn of the af2. He played collegiately at Boise State where he was named second-team All-Western Athletic Conference as the starting quarterback.

Tharp completed 259-of-379 passes for 3,070 yards with 28 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

His single season after graduation marked the record books for the fifth most total offensive yards in school history (379), the second most completions in school history (259), and the fifth most touchdown passes in school history (28).

As a back-up quarterback in 2006, Tharp completed 11-of-13 passes for 88 yards and a touchdown. In 2005, he played in eight games, completing 21-of-37 passing for 271 yards and a touchdown. Tharp was a back-up in 2004 and redshirted in 2003.

Broncos get commitment from Texas Defensive End

The Boise State Broncos have received an oral commitment from defensive end Sam Ukwuachu from Pearland, Texas.

Ukwuachu, the 2nd player to commit after Jimmy Laughrea, is 6 foot 5 and 203 pounds.  He was co-defensive MVP in his district.

He was recruited byover a dozen other schools, including Baylor, SMU, Northwestern, Illinois, Colorado, Virginia, Louisville, Houston, Utah State, Kansas and North Texas.

"He's a guy with a lot of potential," Pearland High coach Tony Heath said. "... He has a great work ethic. He's very quick very fast off the edge. He plays with really good technique."

Boise State linebackers coach Jeff Choate and defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski visited Pearland during the school's spring football practices. They convinced Ukwuachu to choose Boise State over Louisville and Illinois, two of his top contenders.

"I just know how much they believe in me, how much they pursued me," Ukwuachu said. "I like to play for people who know I can do it. That's what convinced me that I wanted to play with these coaches."

Ukwuachu plans to visit Boise for the first time later this month. He already is familiar with the Broncos.

"I've been watching them for a long time," he said. "I was always a fan of Boise State."

He began playing football in seventh grade but his college dreams date even farther back.

"I've been wanting to go (Division I) since I was little," he said. "That's all I wanted to do, play football and go to school. This is a dream come true for me. It's surreal. It feels like I was just a freshman yesterday. Now all this is happening. I just can't believe it."

Thanks to Chadd Cripe of the Idaho Statesman for his report and to ESPN & OBNUG.

Boise State and the Mountain West wait for the dust to settle

Another great article by Dave Southorn of the Idaho Press Tribune 

Monday seemed like the perfect time for the first salvo in the college football expansion battle.

Perhaps the sport’s best-known underdog would be offered to join a more prestigious conference, the Mountain West, and become one of the big dogs.

An invitation did not come at the conference’s meetings in Jackson, Wyo., and now Boise State will have to wait for the established powers to make their moves.

“We’re going to continue to monitor the landscape nationally,” Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson said. “... Everything’s still on the table and continues to be live.”

Many expected the nine Mountain West Conference presidents to vote on whether or not to invite the Broncos, but they did not even get to the point of a vote, with other conferences in flux.

Speaking to the Fort Collins (Colo.) Coloradoan, Colorado State athletic director Paul Kowalczyk said his fellow athletic directors were nearly unanimous in telling their presidents to include Boise State. That idea was tabled for the time being, with potential huge changes coming soon.

“It is probably not a bad way to go right now, given the shifting sands,” Kowalczyk said. “If you move too fast, you don’t know how the rest of the situation’s going to play itself out, and you may miss an opportunity.”

The first moves may happen this week, even as early as today.

Colorado’s regents met Tuesday night, and OrangeBloods.com, suddenly a big-time source for Big 12 expansion-related news, said the school could announce a move to the Pac-10 as early as today. The  Boulder Daily Camera, however, cited a school spokesperson, who said no announcement is imminent. Reports have stated that Missouri and Nebraska have until Friday to tell the Big 12 whether they plan to leave for the Big Ten or not.

The Mountain West presidents are expected to discuss expansion again in about two weeks, when UNLV’s president will return to the country from Japan. Then again, the football world may not wait.

“If things start changing and parts start flying — they have phones in Japan,” Thompson said.

Notre Dame is rumored to be being courted by the Big Ten, and should the Fighting Irish accept, the Big Ten will cease looking to add any other teams. There also are scenarios involving the Pac-10 wanting to take six Big 12 teams, with Nebraska and Missouri opting to leave, forcing the four remaining Big 12 schools to find new homes.

Under that scenario, they could jump to the Mountain West with Boise State. Or the Mountain West could just grab Colorado, possibly leaving Boise State in the Western Athletic Conference.

“This is an unbelievable, volatile period, and the poker playing that is going on is unprecedented,” WAC commissioner Karl Benson said.

Though the Mountain West Conference meetings went without an invitation, Thompson stressed that it wasn’t a given heading into it, and that the possibility of expansion is “very much alive.”

“It might have gotten a little bit off track — we never said there would be a vote at this meeting,” Thompson said. “It was presumed, it was reported, it was suggested, and in some cases, hoped for.”

The Boise State Broncos land another QB

Rocklin High quarterback Jimmy Laughrea, who will be a senior in the fall, has given a verbal commitment to attend Boise State on a football scholarship.

Laughrea will follow the path of Rocklin High graduates Chase Baker and Holden Huff. Baker is a junior that starts on the defensive line and Huff, a tight end who graduated from Rocklin this year, will also play for the Broncos.

Boise State, which has established itself as a powerhouse in football in recent seasons, went 14-0 last season.

Although he can’t officially sign yet and his commitment is only verbal, Laughrea says it’s for sure that he will be attending Boise State.

“I’m not changing my mind,” said Laughrea, 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds. “That was the dream plan – get (picking a college) out of the way before the season. I didn’t even think I would get it out of the way before the summer. I’m set and it’s an awesome feeling.”

Laughrea was Rocklin’s starting quarterback during his sophomore and juniors seasons. Rocklin went 14-1 last season but Laughrea wasn’t able to play in the Division II state bowl game in Carson because of a broken, non-throwing arm suffered in the previous game.

He broke the same arm again about three months ago but he says he is healthy now.

“I got cleared to start lifting and the plate couldn’t handle the weight I was lifting and it just snapped,” said Laughrea about the second break. “I didn’t even notice. It just kept bending and the doctor said the plate is broke and that I have to redo the surgery.”

Laughrea had to sit out the baseball season because of the injury.

“I’ve been cleared for a month and a half now to do everything – the main thing is flexibility and weights,” Laughrea said.

Laughrea completed 157-of-287 passes for 2,635 yards, 22 touchdowns and nine interceptions last season. He also rushed 43 times for 383 yards and six scores.

Laughrea was the MVP for the quarterbacks at the Stanford Nike Combine in mid May.

“The first day was the combine. They invited you to the second day if you did good on the first day,” Laughrea said. “I went there last year as a sophomore and was watching. They split up the kids into groups and last year I was with the young kids and I remember watching (BYU’s) Jake Heaps and he got the (quarterback) MVP. And I was hoping that I would be that good next year. And I guess I could be that good.”

Laughrea visited Boise State May 28 and 29 and gave his oral commitment on May 30. He says that the Boise State coaches have told him that he will be the only quarterback they recruit from the class of 2011.

“For quarterbacks they are done (recruiting for 2011) – I’m the one quarterback,” Laughrea said. “And I’m going to red-shirt (delay his freshman season by one year) because (Boise State starting quarterback) Kellen (Moore) will be a senior so when I get there I can hopefully learn a lot from him. And that will be great for me. And right now I’m just working to get bigger, stronger and faster.”

Not playing football right away at Boise State is the same path that Rocklin graduates Baker and Huff chose.

Baker, a 2007 Rocklin graduate, sat out one season before joining the team as a red-shirt freshman for the 2008 campaign. Huff says he may delay his freshman season by two years. He says he is probably going to gray shirt instead of start at Boise State right away. He plans to attend Sierra College for one semester (less than 12 units) and then start at Boise State during the spring semester of 2011.

Laughrea says he is very close with Huff but that he doesn’t really know Baker.

That will change this weekend.

“I don’t know (Baker) very well but I will be spending the night at his house on Friday because I’m going up there for their camp,” Laughrea said.

Huff was the reason that Boise State first found out about Laughrea.

“They started talking to Holden a little bit during my sophomore year so I talked with (Boise State special teams/linebacker) coach (Jeff) Choate and then we played my junior season and after that a bunch of schools started talking to me including (Boise State),” Laughrea said. “(Boise State) coach (Bryan) Harsin, the quarterback coach (and offensive coordinator), started getting to know me and then I also got a call from (head) coach (Chris) Petersen about a month and a half ago and that was pretty cool. And I’ve been talking to him a little bit.”

Along with Boise State, Laughrea also had scholarship offers from Washington State, Wyoming, Utah State, San Jose State and Sacramento State.

“We are excited about Jimmy signing with Boise,” Rocklin varsity football coach Greg Benzel said. “We feel we have developed a connection with Boise (with Huff and Baker). I have been impressed with how Jimmy has handled this whole process. His desire to get better is still as strong as ever.”

Laughrea was 100-for-203 passing for 1,522 yards, 12 touchdowns and eight interceptions for the 4-6 Thunder as a sophomore. He also rushed for two scores.

Laughrea was Granite Bay’s starting quarterback on the freshmen team in 2007. Laughrea has always lived in Rocklin but he started high school at Granite Bay as his father was employed there. Laughrea battled injuries throughout his freshman season and it eventually ended early because of a broken collarbone.

Looking Ahead To Virginia Tech

Thanks to Richard Cirminiello from Scout.com for an excellent article about Virginia Tech

If consistency had colors, they’d be maroon and orange. And it would look an awful lot like Frank Beamer.

Over the last 23 seasons, Beamer has been a model of stability in Blacksburg that has permeated throughout his program. Over the last 17 years, Virginia Tech hasn’t missed the postseason, finishing in the Top 20 on 14 different occasions. Since 2004, Tech and Texas are the only schools in America to have won 10 games each year. Like their coach, the Hokies continue to be rock solid.

Last year was supposed to thrust Tech into the national championship hunt for the first time in a decade. It didn’t happen. In fact, even the Hokies’ quest for a third straight ACC title ended with a rocky close to October. Still, in typical Tech fashion, it rallied to five consecutive wins to end the year, capped by routs of rival Virginia and Tennessee in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

The expectations in Blacksburg are not as lofty as they were at this time last year. That tends to happen when a program loses almost half of its starters to graduation. Doubting Virginia Tech, however, would be foolish. As recently as 2008, the Hokies proved their mettle in a supposed rebuilding year, winning the conference and the Orange Bowl. For a change this fall, it’s the offense that’ll be ahead of a defense that’s missing seven starters, eight if LB Barquell Rivers is slow to return from a quad injury.

The attack built a head of steam by scoring at least 36 points in the final four games, and brings back QB Tyrod Taylor and one of the best tandems of backs in the country, Ryan Williams and Darren Evans. If the Tech D takes some time to gel, it’s going to benefit from a clock-milking offense that can control the tempo of any game. Oh, and as long as coordinator Bud Foster continues to shoo away offers to leave, the defense will be just fine in time.

No one is talking about a darkhorse run for the brass ring this year. Beamer and his Hokies prefer it that way. They’re just going about their business as usual, with lunch pail in hand and yet another 10-win season on the to-do list.

What to watch for on offense: The distribution of the carries. Ryan Williams is a bona fide star. Uhhh, but then again, so is Darren Evans. With access to the last two ACC Rookies of the Year, the staff’s biggest concern will be keeping everyone well-fed. Heck, third-stringer David Wilson would start for half of the nation’s schools, but might wind up redshirting if he’s not needed. The good news is that Williams and Evans appear to be each other’s biggest fan, and are two very different backs. While the latter is a punishing, between-the-tackles runner, the former is a dynamo, with game-breaking all-around skills.

What to watch for on defense: The development of the new ends. When Jason Worilds decided to leave early for the NFL, it was a double-whammy for a line that already knew it would be without Nekos Brown on the other side. The Hokies are losing a lot of speed and pressure on the edge, and are banking on a pair of unproven players to pick up the slack. Senior Steven Friday has no starting experience and a linebacker’s build, and junior Chris Drager is a converted tight end still adjusting to the finer points of beating blockers. If Tech is to survive the loss of so many regulars, it’ll need these two vets to set the tone up front.

This team will be far better if: The offense takes another stride toward being balanced. It was no coincidence that the Hokies’ late-season success in 2009 occurred as the offense came alive. Virginia Tech might need to pick up where it left off last winter, scoring a few more points until the rebuilt defense finds a rhythm and solidifies the two-deep. Few opponents will stop the running game, but if Tyrod Taylor keeps growing as a complete quarterback, this will be the program’s most potent and balanced attack since Mike Vick was still in school.

The Schedule: The Hokies can make a major statement in the season opener at FedEx Field in Landover against Boise State. A win over the Broncos would set the tone for a big season with a relatively light slate, considering Tech plays in the tougher of the two ACC divisions, missing the big boys (Clemson and Florida State) from the Atlantic and getting Georgia Tech at home from the Coastal. Considering the Boise State game will be like a home date crowd-wise, seven of the first nine games are essentially at home including a nice run of four straight home dates in the middle of the season. Basically, there's no excuse to not be 9-0 before the piper is paid with road games at North Carolina and Miami in back-to-back weeks.

Best Offensive Player: Sophomore RB Ryan Williams. Okay, so it wasn’t Herschel Walker or Adrian Peterson, but Williams still had one of the great debuts ever for a running back. A projected backup in the summer, he seized the opportunity after starter Darren Evans was injured, rushing for 1,665 yards and 21 touchdowns on 293 carries. After one season, he’s already the total package at the position, moving with speed and power in a compact, 5-10, 211-pound frame. If Evans doesn’t steal too many touches, Williams is gifted enough to vie for national honors.

Best Defensive Player: Senior CB Rashad Carmichael. At this time last year, Carmichael was fighting for a starting job and considered one of the key question marks on defense. Today, he’s arguably the Hokies’ best all-around defender and a defensive back who’ll use 2010 as a springboard to the NFL. Effective in run and pass defense, he’s very aggressive for a 5-11, 190-pounder, making 55 tackles, four tackles for loss, and six interceptions. He has the cover and ball skills to cut off half the field for opposing quarterbacks.

Key players to a successful season: Sophomore LT Nick Becton and junior LG Greg Nosal. Since so many holes are being filled on defense, no single player qualifies on that side of the ball. Instead, Tech needs to be sure that Taylor’s blind side is protected and the left side of the line rebounds from the graduations of Ed Wang and Sergio Render. The maligned front wall showed plenty of progress down the stretch a year ago, a trend that needs to continue if the offense is to reach its full potential.

The season will be a success if: The Hokies win the ACC championship. Hey, no one is underestimating the wholesale changes taking place on defense and special teams, but this is Tech. The way the program recruits and develops players, rebuilding is not in their lexicon. Plus, the offense has enough firepower to carry the team a long way. The Hokies get last year’s champ, Georgia Tech, at Lane Stadium and a few extra days of preparation before decisive back-to-back games at North Carolina and Miami in November.

Key game: Nov. 13 at North Carolina. Yes, the opener with Boise State will draw a much bigger audience, but the Hokies gauge success these days by ACC titles. And nothing that happens in Landover, Md. on Labor Day night will impact the league standings. The championship could go through Chapel Hill this season, especially with so many Tar Heel stars putting off the NFL Draft in 2010. Their defense versus the Tech running game will be a can’t-miss game-within-the-game.

2009 Fun Stats:

- Average yards per reception: Virginia Tech 17.5 – Opponents 12.5

- Rushing touchdowns: Virginia Tech 33 – Opponents 10

- First half scoring: Virginia Tech 232 - Opponents 102

Head coach: Frank Beamer

24th year: 187-92-2

Returning Lettermen

Off. 20, Def. 17, ST 2

Lettermen Lost: 22

Ten Best Virginia Tech Players

1. RB Ryan Williams, Soph.

2. QB Tyrod Taylor, Sr.

3. CB Rashad Carmichael, Sr.

4. RB Darren Evans, Jr.

5. WR Jarrett Boykin, Jr.

6. DT John Graves, Sr.

7. OT Blake DeChristoper, Jr.

8. C Beau Warren, Sr.

9. WR Danny Coale, Jr.

10. LB Barquell Rivers, Jr.

2010 Schedule

Sept. 6 Boise State (in Land.)

Sept. 11 James Madison

Sept. 18 East Carolina

Sept. 25 at Boston Coll

Oct. 2 at NC State

Oct. 9 Central Michigan

Oct. 16 Wake Forest

Oct. 23 Duke

Oct. 30 OPEN DATE

Nov. 4 Georgia Tech

Nov. 13 at North Carolina

Nov. 20 at Miami

Nov. 27 Virginia