Robert Kustra Responds

During an editorial board meeting with the Idaho Statesman, I was asked to comment on Coach Petersen’s statements from the WAC media day regarding the future of the Boise State-Idaho rivalry game. I agree with the Coach in this matter that if the game continues, it should be held in Boise and not a home and home series. I think there are good reasons for that position.

I’m afraid their questions hit a sore spot, however, as someone had sent me the recent “Reasons to Hate Boise State” article from the U of I student newspaper.   It troubles me that the occasion of an annual football game causes the air waves and Internet to be full of disparagement of Boise State’s students, faculty and programs, year after year.  I have tremendous pride in Boise State, and my response was harsher than I intended.

I have enjoyed my working relationship with U of I’s president, Dr. Duane Nellis, and the friendship of many of the University of Idaho’s alumni in the Valley.  I think Idaho’s universities are working together better than ever, thanks in no small measure to the encouragement and leadership of the members of the State Board of Education. 

I hope that all of us can demonstrate civility and sportsmanship for the rivalry game this year and remember that the two universities share mutual goals of excellence in education, affordability, and pride as an Idaho institution of higher learning.  As it should be, I plan to leave the scheduling of football games to our very able athletic director, Gene Bleymaier, as I have for the past seven years. 

Boise State's President On Vandal-Bronco Rivalry

Bob Kustra, president of Boise State, told the Idaho Statesman today that he sees no need to play the the University of Idaho in Moscow — or in Boise — after the football teams meet for the last time this season before BSU moves to the Mountain West Conference. His reason for wanting to stay away from Moscow? “It’s a culture that is nasty, inebriated and civilly doesn’t give our fans the respect that any fan should expect when visiting an away team.”

Kustra’s comments come a day after Broncos coach Chris Petersen, when asked if BSU was willing to do a home-and-home series with Idaho, said, “Why would we go (to Moscow)? I don’t think our fans even like to go up there. Most of Idaho’s fans are in Boise anyway.”

Idaho coach Robb Akey has maintained that the 40-year rivalry should continue “the right way” — with both teams getting home games.

University of Idaho president M. Duane Nellis responded, saying “I was disappointed to learn of President Kustra’s reported remarks during his meeting with the Idaho Statesman editorial board. I’m sorry to hear that Bob feels so negatively about his visits to Moscow. Both the University of Idaho and the city of Moscow take great pride in the friendly, welcoming and warm environment that a quintessential college town like ours can uniquely provide.

“Bob is right that athletic rivalries bring out passion in people for their alma maters; I’ve seen this first-hand between national rivals like West Virginia and Pitt, or Kansas and Kansas State. And I’ve experienced this here in our own state – both positive and negative. People with passion for their institution can say and do things that they regret. It’s unfortunate that this happens and all of our institutions should work to ensure that we don’t accept this unacceptable rhetoric. Late last week, I reached out to Bob to let him know that I was personally disappointed in the student opinion piece published by our student-run newspaper. I shared that disappointment with the Argonaut editorial board as well.

“In-state rivalries are meant to be fun. Our long-time rivalry with BSU is important to the state, the economy, and the fans from both teams. We embrace and celebrate that rivalry and I very much hope it continues. It goes without saying that we value our relationship with Boise State both on the field and court and in the many ways in which our two institutions work together to serve our state and its citizens.”

WAC Coaches and Media Pick Broncos to Capture 2010 Football Championship / Kellen Moore Named Preseason Offensive Player of the Year

Boise State University was once again picked by the league’s head coaches and media to capture the 2010 Western Athletic Conference (WAC) football championship, as the league’s annual media gathering gets underway for two days here in the capital city of Utah.

A winner of seven of the past eight WAC titles, Boise State was a unanimous selection by the head coaches receiving eight first place votes for a total of 73 points.  The University of Nevada received the remaining first place votes as coaches are not allowed to vote for their own team. 

On the media side, the Broncos received 42 of the 43 votes cast the league’s media members for 386 points.  Nevada once again was selected to finish second with the remaining three first place votes and 333 points. 

Both polls selected Fresno State to finish third, but each split with the middle spots rankings mixed. The coaches selected Utah State fourth, Hawai’I fifth, Idaho sixth and Louisiana Tech seventh. The media had Idaho fourth, Louisiana Tech fifth, Utah State sixth, and Hawai’I seventh.  Both the coaches and media ranked New Mexico State eighth and San Jose State ninth.

Boise State finished the 2009 season with a 14-0 record, winning the WAC regular season title with a perfect 8-0 mark for the sixth time since 2002. The Broncos capped their perfect season with a 17-10 victory over TCU in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and enter the 2010 season tied with Alabama for the longest active winning streak in the nation at 14. Boise State returns the 2009 WAC Offensive Player of the Year in junior quarterback, Kellen Moore, who is 26-1 all-time as a starter.

Moore, a junior QB from Prosser, Wash., (Prosser HS) was second in the nation in passing efficiency with a 161.7 rating last year. He completed 277-of-431 passes for 3,536 yards and 39 touchdowns with just three interceptions while leading the Broncos to a perfect 14-0 record and a victory in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. As a starter, Moore is now 26-1 in just two seasons. He was named the WAC’s Freshman of the Year in 2008 and the Offensive Player of the Year last season.

Nevada defensive end Dontay Moch was selected the league’s preseason defensive player of the year. 

Bronco players report to preseason camp on Aug. 5 (Thursday) with the first practice day on Aug. 6 (Friday).  The team will split up their practices between veterans and rookies, with the first practice where all the players participate together on Aug. 10 (Tuesday).

The 2010 season starts on Sept. 6 (Monday) when Boise State travels to FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland to face Virginia Tech.  The game kickoffs at 8:00 p.m. (ET) and will be televised nationally by ESPN.

Coaches Poll

Rank	Team	Points
1	Boise State (8)	73
2	Nevada (1)	56
3	Fresno State	52
4	Utah State	42
5	Hawai'i	39
6	Idaho	38
7	Louisian Tech	31
8	New Mexico State	21
9	San Jose State	17

Media Poll

Rank	Team	Points
1	Boise State (8)	386
2	Nevada (1)	333
3	Fresno State	300
4	Idaho	207
5	Louisiana State	200
6	Utah State	196
7	Hawai'i	166
8	New Mexico State	81
9	San Jose State	66

Local Artist Creates Stunning Bronco Images

If you have seen the 6 poster series released last season featuring the Boise State football team and wondered who the artist was, well I have found him.

Greg Sims is a local commercial photographer, but to leave it at that would not do him justice.  Greg is an extremely talented photographer and graphic artist. He has won numerous awards for his work.  He is also co-owner of Tri-Digital Group, a high end digital commercial photography studio. 

Take a look at some of his work at Tri-Digital Group's website or at Greg's Blog or at his Flickr page.  

Of course, Greg does much more than just Broncos stuff.  From aviation to landscapes to food photography, his talents are spectacular.

Just an outstanding artist!

Image used courtesy Greg Sims.

Kellen Moore Named to Manning and Davey O’Brien Watch Lists

Kellen Moore, set to begin his third year as the starting quarterback at Boise State University, has been named to the Manning and Davey O’Brien Award’s watch lists for the 2010 season.

In two seasons guiding the Bronco offensive unit, Moore has completed 558 of 836 passes (66.7%) for 7,022 yards, 64 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.  Last year he set the NCAA single season record for the lowest percentage of passes intercepted at 0.69% (3 of 431).  He also had the top touchdown to interception ratio in the country last year completing 39 touchdown passes to just three interceptions.

Following last year’s performance, Moore was selected first team All-American by ESPN.com, SI.com and CBSSports.com.  He was also a third team selection by the Associated Press and finished seventh in the voting for the Heisman Trophy.

A junior from Prosser, Washington (Prosser HS), Moore has a record of 26-1 as the Bronco starter.

The Manning Award has honored the top collegiate quarterback in the country for the past six seasons.  It was created by the AllState Sugar Bowl to honor the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning.  Ten finalists will be announced on November 29 (Monday) and the winner will be announced January 19 (Wednesday).  The Manning Award is the only quarterback award that takes into consideration the candidates’ bowl performance.

This is the second straight season Moore has been named to the Davey O’Brien Watch List.  He joins a list of 30 of the top collegiate quarterbacks in the country, including six semifinalists from last year which included Moore.  The award is the oldest (34 years) and presented annually to the nation’s best quarterback.  The watch list will be narrowed to 16 semifinalists on Oct. 25 (Monday), and the three finalists will be announced on Nov. 22 (Monday).  The 2010 winner will be announced on The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show on Dec. 9 (Thursday).

The Davey O’Brien Award is the oldest national quarterback award and represents the enduring character O’Brien exhibited while playing his collegiate football at TCU in the late 1930s.

Boise State 2011 Commit Emil Smith Dies in Head-On Car Crash

A crash just after midnight Sunday claimed the lives of two Perris, CA men, one a Rancho Verde High School football star.

Dimitri Garcia, 22, and Emil Smith, 18, died from injuries suffered in the crash on Domenigoni Parkway in Hemet, authorities said.

Smith was a defensive lineman at Rancho Verde. He had recently committed to play football at Boise State University.

"We heard the sad news this morning about Emil Smith. Coach (Chris) Petersen and his staff are definitely saddened by the passing of this young man," Max Corbet, a spokesman for the university's athletic department told the Idaho Statesman.

Witnesses said Garcia, the driver, lost control of a yellow Dodge Neon then hit the dirt median and spun into oncoming traffic.

A minivan headed east couldn't avoid the Dodge, slamming into the driver's side of the car, Hemet police said in a news release.

Witnesses pulled Smith, the passenger in the Dodge, out of the car and used an ice chest to put out a fire in the car, police said.

Smith was taken away by ambulance and died later at Menifee Valley Medical Center.

Garcia had to be extricated by emergency crews and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the minivan, Hector Bonilla, 38, of Hemet, and his son, who police did not name, were taken to a local hospital with minor injuries.

Police are investigating whether alcohol was a factor in the crash.

Kellen Moore Named To Davey O'Brien Watch List

The Davey O’Brien Foundation announced the 2010 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award^® (The O’Brien) Watch List today.

This year’s list, which was compiled by a subset of The O’Brien National Selection Committee, features 30 of the nation’s top collegiate quarterbacks who were selected based on player performance during the previous year and expectations heading into the 2010 college football season.  

In addition to 2009 O’Brien Finalist Case Keenum (Sr., Houston), five 2009 semifinalists are included on the list: Matt Barkley (Jr., USC), Jacory Harris (Jr., Miami), Jake Locker (Sr., Washington), Kellen Moore (Jr., Boise State) and Ricky Stanzi (Sr., Iowa).

The 2010 O’Brien Watch List features 13 seniors, 12 juniors and five sophomores. The ACC and Big 12 lead all conferences with five candidates each on the list. The Pac-10 is represented by four players.   

Appearing on the Watch List is not a requirement for a player to be awarded The O’Brien. Quarterbacks from all 120 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) schools are eligible for the award until the field is narrowed to 16 semifinalists on Monday, Oct. 25. The Foundation and the Selection Committee will announce three finalists on Monday, Nov. 22. The 2010 winner will be announced on The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show on Thursday, Dec. 9.

The 34th Annual O’Brien Awards Dinner will be held Feb. 21, 2011 at The Fort Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

Bronco offense gets another commitment

From Brian Murphy of the Idaho Statesman:

Texas high school offensive lineman Rees Odhiambo is Boise State’s latest commitment for the Class of 2011.

Odhiambo, a 6-foot-3, 298-pounder from Mansfield (Texas) Legacy High, committed to Boise State last week, his coach Chris Melson told the Idaho Statesman on Tuesday.

The Broncos were the first school to offer Odhiambo, Melson said.

“He thought about it for about a month,’ Melson said. “A lot of schools are recruiting him now. He thinks Boise’s the best place for him. He’s very, very excited.”

Odhiambo, who lived in Kenya as a child, started playing football as a sophomore, Melson said.

“He’s made huge strides every year. It’s amazing the amount of improvement in strength and understanding,” Melson said. “He’s an extremely hard worker. He lives in the weight room.

“… Rees is going to be all upside.”

Melson said Odhiambo has a huge frame, great feet, big arms and is extremely flexible. Odhiambo plays tackle at Mansfield Legacy, but projects as a guard at the collegiate level.

Mansfield Legacy runs a spread offense and Odhiambo moves well in getting downfield on screens and zone blocking.

Boise State assistant coach Brent Pease visited the school several times, Melson said, and offensive line coach Chris Strausser attended a practice to watch Odhiambo.

The Broncos offered scholarship to two Mansfield Legacy safeties as well, but they chose Nebraska and Missouri, Melson said.

The Broncos know the area well. Redshirt freshman wide receiver Aaron Burks attended nearby Mansfield Timberview High School.

Read more from Murphy at Murph's Turf.

Broncos 8 to 1 Favorites To Win Championship

Bodog released their odds to win the 2011 BCS National Championship and the Boise State Broncos come in as 8 to 1 favorites to take home the trophy.

Of the 51 teams that Bodog will accept action on, the Broncos have the 4th best odds to win it all.  Alabama is a 4 to 1 favorite to repeat, Ohio State checks in at 6 to 1 and Oklahoma is 15 to 2 favorites.

Virginia Tech is an 18 to 1 pick.  Other notable teams are Florida (10-1), LSU (25-1), Miami (18-1), Nebraska (15-1), Oregon (35-1) and Iowa (20-1).

TCU (18-1), Utah (100-1) and BYU (125-1) are the only other non-AQ schools receiving action at Bodog.

You can also bet the field and receive 25 to 1 odds.

Boise State Recruiting And Kellen Moore's Heisman Possibilities

Boxscorenews.com has a couple of good articles for Boise State fans.   

This one focuses on the Bronco's success in recruiting and how the team maintains it's better than average 

graduation rates.

A second article looks at Kellen Moore's Heisman chances for this up-coming season.

Enjoy...it's kind of a slow day for Bronco news.  By the way, I am working on my 2010 season prospectus as we speak.  It should be out by the end of the week.

Top Non-AQ Players...According To ESPN

Graham Watson has been counting down the top Non-AQ players in the nation and the list culminated with Boise State's Kellen Moore being named the top non-AQ player in the land.  The Broncos landed two others on the list.  Austin Pettis came in at 12, Titus Young tied for 13.

Not on the list were Ryan Winterswyk, Nate Potter and Billy Winn, three players that arguably belong on the top 25.

Broncos Get A Vote For #1

I don't know how I missed this poll, but Fanhouse put out it's post-spring top 25 poll on May 28th.  Boise State gets the nod as the #1 team.  This is the only poll I've seen that has the Broncos as the top team.  Here's a list of other polls that have been released...

Lindy's #2

Bleacher Report #2

Sports Illustrated #2

Sporting News #3

FoxSports #3

ESPN #3

NationalChamps.net #3

Athlon Sports #4

Rivals.com #4

Phil Steele #6

Vegas Odds To Win The BCS Title Are Out

Brobury Sports, an on-line sports book, put out it's odds for teams to win the college football BCS Championship.  The top 4 teams listed are Alabama (6 to 1),  Ohio State (6 to 1), Florida (6 to 1) and Oklahoma (6 to 1).

After that, it gets pretty interesting for Boise State fans.  The on-line casino lists Boise State at 12-1 odds to take home the trophy.  Tied with Nebraska, Texas and TCU at 12 to 1 odds, the website says...

"This is the year for Boise St. They start the year in the preseason polls in the number three spot, and they finally got a schedule that will earn them respect. The offense returns 11 starters, including Heisman candidate Kellen Moore, and the defense returns ten starters, so basically the entire team is back from a 14-0 campaign. The first game of the season will set the tone. If the Broncos are able to beat Virginia Tech in Maryland then they will become the favorites to play in the BCS Championship. They still have potential stumbling blocks in Oregon St and on the road against Nevada, but it will be a fun year to watch the Broncos of Boise St."

Following right behind the Broncos is Virginia Tech at 15-1 odds.  Here's what the site had to say about the Hokies...

"The Hokies return eight players on offense to include potential Heisman candidate QB Tyrod Taylor. The problem will be on defense and special teams as the Hokies are in the difficult position of returning just four starters. Beamer Ball is all about defense and special teams, so look for the Hokies to reload, but it might be a tough transition. An opening tilt against Boise St could make or break the Hokies when it comes to winning a BCS Championship."

The Oregon Ducks follow Virginia Tech at 18-1 odds, followed by Iowa (25 to1), Miami (25 to1), Notre Dame (30 to1), Arkansas (35 to 1), LSU (35 to1), Pittsburgh (40 to1), Georgia (40 to1) and Wisconsin (40 to 1).

Boise State Football Stocking Up On 'D'

Dave Southorn of the Idaho Press Tribune has a great article about Boise State recruiting this off-season.

http://www.idahopress.com/sports/article_bde9b718-85a9-11df-bc52-001cc4c002e0.html

65 days until the big game against Virginia Tech!

San Jose State Responds To Boise State leaving The WAC

There are many opinions concerning the Broncos move to the Mountain West Conference.  Here's one from the perspective of San Jose State.

San Jose State Imagining life without Boise State

I'm sure many Bronco fans will continue to look at the WAC after the Broncos leave for the Mountain West, and the conference will most likely be much more competitive after the Broncos make their move,

Bronco Football Team Gets Commitment From Canadian Safety

Taylor Loffler, a 6'3" safety from Canada has given a verbal commitment to play football for the Broncos in 2011.

Loffler, who also plays quarterback for his high school team, had an offer form Oregon State as well.

"I talked to the coaches again, and I really like the coaches there," he said. "The coaches are pretty much the thing that got me going to Boise. I got a really good feel for coach (Chris) Petersen.

"All the coaches were really upbeat and I really liked that. It really felt like home."

Loffler also got a great feel for the city of Boise, especially since he grew up in Billings, Mont. before moving to Kelowna, Canada.

"I really liked the city," he said of Boise. "It's not a real big city and very similar to where I used to live with the terrain and everything."

Loffler confirmed that the Broncos are bringing him in as a safety and he will take his one and only official visit to BSU after his senior season is complete.

Loffler is the 7th player to commit to Boise State this off-season.

QB Jimmy Laughrea, 6-2, 185, Rocklin (Calif.) HS

DE Sam Ukwuachu, 6-5, 203, Pearland (Texas) HS

WR Dallas Burroughs, 5-8, 165, Rocky Mountain HS (Meridian)

DT Jeff Worthy, 6-4, 280, Whittier Christian HS (La Mirada, Calif.)

DL Robert Ash, 6-3, 255, Cosumnes Oaks HS (Elk Grove, Calif.)

LB Emil Smith, 6-1, 205, Rancho Verde HS (Moreno Valley, Calif.)

S Taylor Loffler, 6-3, 195, Kelowna (British Columbia) Secondary