So how about position battles in fall camp? There aren’t that many on a team that returns 18 position starters. The most interesting spot will be weakside linebacker, vacated by Chris Barrios. In ESPN.com’s WAC Spring Recap, Brett Edgerton summed it up pretty well: “At linebacker, the Broncos knew they were set in the middle (Korey Hall) and on the strong side (Colt Brooks), but they weren't sure about the weak side. They are now. It's not clear who will start, but it's clear BSU will be fine with a new sophomore starter, either Kyle Gingg or David Shields. Gingg reminded some of Andy Avalos with the way he was always around the ball, while Shields made a smooth transition from the middle.”

Both made impact plays on the first series of the Blue & Orange scrimmage in April, Shields with a brick-wall tackle on Brett Denton and Gingg with an interception of Jared Zabransky. Both have interesting sidebars, too. Shields is a sophomore from St. Louis whom the BSU coaching staff discovered while recruiting quarterback Taylor Bennett at Lafayette High. (Bennett’s the guy who committed to the Broncos—then reneged and was on the sideline with Georgia Tech for the Humanitarian Bowl against Tulsa.) Shields was a running back at the time and converted to linebacker after arriving at BSU in 2004. Gingg was one of the guys thrown into the fire last September at Georgia, getting the start when Brooks was suspended for the opener.

Former Boise State standout Kimo von Oelhoffen has a dual role as a free agent signee with the New York Jets. As a 13-year veteran with a new Super Bowl ring from Pittsburgh, von Oelhoffen brings stability to the Jets defensive line. But he’s also a teacher of sorts, with his primary pupil being Sione Pouha, a third-round draft pick last year out of Utah. Pouha’s a 6-3, 325-pounder with loads of untapped potential, and Von Oelhoffen has been tutoring him on technique, especially with his hands. Kimo’s moving on from the memory most fans nationally have of him: the hit on Carson Palmer in the playoffs that buckled the Cincinnati quarterback’s knee. That he has been generally forgiven by NFL players and the public is a testament to von Oelhoffen’s reputation.

Last week it was five Utah State players being cited for marijuana possession. This week there’s something considerably more serious, this time at San Jose State, where a guy who was supposed to compete for a starting cornerback slot has been jailed on robbery charges and has been accused charged of 13 additional crimes. Ellis Jones allegedly used classified ads on the Craigslist website to lure victims and pulled off four such stickups in San Jose in June. Coach Dick Tomey had already suspended Jones from the team after he was arrested for a couple robberies in Visalia.

The Boise Hawks second series of the summer with Salem-Keizer ended up just like the first one—a single win in five tries. The victory was convincing, though, an 11-2 shellacking that sends the Hawks to Eugene with renewed vigor tomorrow. Home runs by Alfred Joseph and D.J. Lewis highlighted the night, while Russ Canzler had four RBIs and Mario Mercedes went 4-for-5. Now they’re done with the Volcanoes until perhaps the Northwest League Championship Series next month. The 1-4 sequel against Salem-Keizer was harder for the Hawks to take than the original episode six weeks ago, as expectations were high for the team after it stormed into first place in the East Division with a 20-5 run.

The little Cinderella run of former Boise Hawk Aaron Guiel with the Yankees is probably coming to an end with the trade for outfielder Bobby Abreu. Guiel played Sunday for the Yanks, going 2-for-3. But it was a safe bet he wasn’t going to be in the lineup last night with the arrival of Abreu, who could eventually be a permanent replacement for the injured Gary Sheffield. Guiel has been the Yanks’ band-aid in right field. It’s still been a fun ride for the 33-year-old veteran, who was designated for assignment by the lowly Royals a month ago. Then he finds the Yankees, of all people, claiming him off waivers. Guiel had one of the longest waits of any Hawk alumnus to get to the bigs—he way back in 1993 on the Northwest League championship team and didn’t make his Major League debut until 2002, at the age of 29.

This Day In Sports…August 2, 1961:

On the heels of Frank McGuire’s resignation, North Carolina promotes Dean Smith to head basketball coach of the Tarheels. Smith would go 8-9 in his first season—but it would be the only losing campaign in 36 years of college coaching in Chapel Hill. Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982, Smith would step down after the 1996-97 season with 879 career victories—the most in college basketball history. And better than a 96 percent graduation rate for his lettermen.

(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment Sunday nights at 10:30PM on KTVB’s Sunday Sports Extra and anchors five sports segments each weekday on ESPN Radio 1350 KTIK.)

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