What the Smurf?!?
In one chaotic half plus one tough to swallow overtime, Boise State fell from more than the ranks of the unbeaten against Nevada. They fell from their perch at the top, where the air is crisp, and the proposed bowl games actually mean something
SCOTT JACOBS
All season long the debate was whether Boise State belonged amongst the nation’s elite. Whether they were worthy of being the first non-automatic qualifier to break through to the BCS National Championship game. Well, stick a fork in em, cause last night night, in a wild, instant classic thriller, Nevada (yes Nevada) rendered that argument moot.
With a couple missed kicks from their normally reliable kicker, a miracle wasted, and a big halftime cushion squandered, Boise State not only fell from the ranks of the unbeaten on Friday night, they fell from grace. Their cushy pedestal as king of the non-AQ’s relinquished to TCU, A likely Rose Bowl berth in the Grandaddy of them all, relinquished as well.
Yes, Boise State may have one of the best teams in the country. But it no longer matters. Because in one half and an overtime, the Broncos went from “the team that could,” to “the team that couldn’t.” Blame the kicker, blame a normally polished set of receivers, blame a defense usually as sturdy as a rock, it doesn’t matter. Boise State had the BCS locked up, until a game Wolf Pack team came and snatched it from them.
Just like that, the one loss-Broncos slid into a shocking three way WAC tie with other titans of the conference, Hawaii and Nevada. More amazingly, the Broncos will freefall from BCS busters to either the Humanitarian Bowl or the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl. Boise State, their kicker especially, is going to have a hard time fighting nausea after losing to the Pack, who had come close to knocking off mighty Boise in recent years, but always fell short.
Notching their first ever win over a top 10 team, and by far the biggest win in school history, Nevada pulled off a win that everyone said they were capable of all season long, but no one thought they would. Not to mention their first win over the Broncs since 1998.
With their raucous 34-31 triumph over the Men of Blue Turf, in front of a jacked up Reno sell out, the Wolf Pack finally got a program defining win, and validation that not only are they top 25 caliber, but that they can compete against the big boys. Okay, so maybe not on a weekly basis, but on this night, they were good enough.
It took them awhile, and that slow start almost cost them. But climbing back slowly from an early 17-0, and then 24-7 hole, the Pack slowly began cutting up Boise’s usually stout D with their potent running game, led by their fearless leader Colin Kaepernick.
But even after tying the game up at 24, Boise State came right back on a screen pass to Doug Martin who weaved his way to a 79 yard touchdown. That briefly sucked the life out of the crowd, but not the spirit of Nevada, who worked their way down-field, securing the touchdown they needed with just 13 ticks on the clock.
But back came the resilient Broncos. On the next play from scrimmage Kellen Moore hit Titus Young on a 53 yard missile, as Young sprawled out to make the incredible, seemingly-game sealing catch. Young quickly rolled to the ground before calling Boise’s last timeout, and on came the normally reliable Kyle Brotzman to attempt a chipshot.
He missed wide left. His 26 yard attempt sailing asunder, as Nevada’s snake-bitten faithful broke into pure bedlam. In overtime, after a failed drive by Moore and Co. Broztman was given a second chance, and the NCAA’s active points leader, shanked another chippie, this one a 29 yarder.
Needing just a field goal to pull off the stunner of the season, Nevada calmly drove down the field, positioning their red-shirt freshman kicker Anthony Martinez for a 34 yard attempt. He wasn’t going to miss. He didn’t. Nevada had been through too much in this quiet under-appreciated rivalry (The 10:30 pm Eastern time start didn’t help either).
It wobbled gently, but o so beautifully through the uprights, setting off a celebration that surely went well into the Nevada night.
And on a day, where Oregon outgunned Arizona, and Auburn held serve in a comeback Heisman winning campaign for embattled quarterback Cam Newton, it was Boise that fell on Playoff Friday, a Black Friday to forget for those who love blue turf.
But what a game. What a nightcap to a tremendous day in college football. And for those arguing the greatness of college football’s regular season, Friday only gave them fuel to light the playoff argument on fire.
Where ever you stand on the debate, there’s no debating this: Boise State’s lack of close games cost them in the end. Call LSU’s Mad Hatters what you will, but when push comes to shove the Tigers know how to win the close ones.
On Friday Night Boise’s unbeaten bid fell short. And with it, their hopes for being the first to crash college football’s ultimate party, died with it.
Photo: AP
All season long the debate was whether Boise State belonged amongst the nation’s elite. Whether they were worthy of being the first non-automatic qualifier to break through to the BCS National Championship game. Well, stick a fork in em, cause last night night, in a wild, instant classic thriller, Nevada (yes Nevada) rendered that argument moot.
With a couple missed kicks from their normally reliable kicker, a miracle wasted, and a big halftime cushion squandered, Boise State not only fell from the ranks of the unbeaten on Friday night, they fell from grace. Their cushy pedestal as king of the non-AQ’s relinquished to TCU, A likely Rose Bowl berth in the Grandaddy of them all, relinquished as well.
Yes, Boise State may have one of the best teams in the country. But it no longer matters. Because in one half and an overtime, the Broncos went from “the team that could,” to “the team that couldn’t.” Blame the kicker, blame a normally polished set of receivers, blame a defense usually as sturdy as a rock, it doesn’t matter. Boise State had the BCS locked up, until a game Wolfpack team came and snatched it from them.
Just like that, the one loss-Broncos slid into a shocking three way WAC tie with other titans of the conference, Hawaii and Nevada. More amazingly, the Broncos will freefall from BCS busters to either the Humanitarian Bowl or the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl. Boise State, their kicker especially, is going to have a hard time fighting nausea after losing to the Pack, who had come close to knocking off mighty Boise in recent years, but always fell short.
Notching their first ever win over a top 10 team, and by far the biggest win in school history, Nevada pulled off a win that everyone said they were capable of all season long, but no one thought they would. Not to mention their first win over the Broncs since 1998.
With their raucous 34-31 triumph over the Men of Blue Turf, in front of a jacked up Reno sell out, the Wolfpack finally got a program defining win, and validation that not only are they top 25 caliber, but that they can compete against the big boys. Okay, so maybe not on a weekly basis, but on this night, they were good enough.
It took them awhile, and that slow start almost cost them. But climbing back slowly from an early 17-0, and then 24-7 hole, the Pack slowly began cutting up Boise’s usually stout D with their potent running game, led by their fearless leader Colin Kaepernick.
But even after tying the game up at 24, Boise State came right back on a screen pass to Doug Martin who weaved his way to a 79 yard touchdown. That briefly sucked the life out of the crowd, but not the spirit of Nevada, who worked their way downfield, securing the touchdown they needed with just 13 ticks on the clock.
But back came the resilient Broncos. On the next play from scrimmage Kellen Moore hit Titus Young on a 53 yard missile, as Young sprawled out to make the incredible, seemingly-game sealing catch. Young quickly rolled to the ground before calling Boise’s last timeout, and on came the normally reliable Kyle Brotzman to attempt a chipshot.
He missed wide left. His 26 yard attempt sailing asunder, as Nevada’s snakebitten faithful broke into pure bedlam. In overtime, after a failed drive by Moore and Co. Broztman was given a second chance, and the NCAA’s active points leader, shanked another chippie, this one a 29 yarder.
Needing just a field goal to pull off the stunner of the season, Nevada calmly drove down the field, positioning their redshirt freshman kicker Anthony Martinez for a 34 yard attempt. He wasn’t going to miss. He didn’t. Nevada had been through too much in this quiet underappreciated rivalry (The 10:30 pm Eastern time start didn’t help either).
It wobbled gently, but o so beautifully through the uprights, setting off a celebration that surely went well into the Nevada night.
And on a day, where Oregon outgunned Arizona, and Auburn held serve in a comeback Heisman winning campaign for embattled quarterback Cam Newton, it was Boise that fell on Playoff Friday, a Black Friday to forget for those who love blue turf.
But what a game. What a nightcap to a tremendous day in college football. And for those arguing the greatness of college football’s regular season, Friday only gave them fuel to light the playoff argument on fire.
Where ever you stand on the debate, there’s no debating this: Boise State’s lack of close games cost them in the end. Call LSU’s Mad Hatters what you will, but when push comes to shove the Tigers know how to win the close ones.
On Friday Night Boise’s unbeaten bid fell short. And with it, their hopes for being the first to crash college football’s ultimate party, died with it.
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