Monday, November 20, 2006.

Open the college football Senior Day storybook, and you might see a guy who just earned a scholarship in his fifth and final season fill in for an injured superstar—and rush for 125 yards and two touchdowns. And you might see a wide receiver who has hardly ever played in his five years at this given school catch his first touchdown pass and get mobbed by about 40 of his closest friends. And you might see a quarterback who’s spent over a year reconstructing his reputation after the worst day of his life have one of the best games of his career, completing pass…after pass…after pass. Well, it was textbook—you know which names to insert where. The best senior class in Boise State history wrapped a bow on the blue turf for the final time Saturday, blasting Utah State 49-10 on a Chamber of Commerce day in Bronco Stadium.

Jeff Cavender’s Statesman quote last week about the offensive line making the running back and not the other way around was hard to get out of your mind. It meant no disrespect to Ian Johnson because the truth, of course, is somewhere in between. It was just drawing a line in the sand for the Utah State game—a promise that the running game could still hum. It did. All this O-line needs is running backs with skills. Johnson’s are obviously considerable, but Brett Denton and Vinny Perretta have them, too. Denton’s career day (125 yards, two touchdowns) and Perretta’s supporting role (51 yards on nine carries) are a testament to the combo plate this year with the offensive line. It proves they’ll be ready to contribute behind Ian in Reno.

Yes, the Nevada game is it. The whole ball o’ wax rolled up into one afternoon on ESPN2. After 11 victories, BSU finds itself at no. 11 in the BCS standings, no. 12 in both polls. A win this Saturday gives the Broncos a 12-0 record and a berth in a BCS bowl, an unthinkable accomplishment. A loss likely keeps them home in the MPC Computers Bowl as an 11-1 team playing what now looks like an entirely unattractive opponent—a lukewarm mid-major, with the ACC unlikely to fill its spot in the game.

Chris Petersen said last night on Sunday Sports Extra that Johnson is unequivocally 100 percent ready to go this week for the showdown at Nevada. The only injury Johnson might have now is writer’s cramp from all the autographs he signed Saturday, but the partially collapsed lung is no more, and he’s been cleared by doctors. So let’s reset his status—1,466 yards and 21 touchdowns, still the nation’s leading scorer. Marshall’s Ahmad Bradshaw has moved into second now with 20 TDs.

The Broncos’ reaction to Jovan Hutchinson’s touchdown catch speaks volumes. This is a team whose chemistry is at the root of its eight-year run of success. There are no cliques—nothing separates black and white, nor first-team and scout team, nor fifth-year senior and true freshman. You could see a grin on coach Chris Petersen’s face just before Taylor Tharp’s perfect fade to Hutchinson in the fourth quarter, as Pete warned the refs to prepare for pandemonium. The mob scene following Hutchinson’s TD tells you as much as anything why the Broncos are where they are.

Jared Zabransky, emotional as he was running out for pregame ceremonies, shook it off immediately and embarked on a record day for accuracy. Zabransky’s 21-for-23 performance broke Ryan Dinwiddie’s record set during his memorable return to action in the ESPN game against Fresno State in 2002. Z has had some big games before, but they always seem to have been punctuated by one great half. This time he was consistent throughout—short throws, medium throws, long throws. I mean, a 91 percent completion rate is pretty consistent. Call it efficient-Z. If he can approach that kind of level this week against admittedly a much, much, much better defense, the Broncos have to feel good about their chances at Nevada.

Are you ready for Nevada? How about back-to-back 42-0 shutouts? The Wolf Pack duplicated its goose-egging of Utah State a week ago with another dominating performance at Louisiana Tech. The Pack denied the Bulldogs in the red zone and took advantage of Tech turnovers, as that facet has been a season-long feast. Nevada is now plus-13 in turnover margin. On offense, with starter Robert Hubbard constantly nagged by injuries, the Wolf Pack has had its own super sophomore come on—Luke Lippencott rushed for 123 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries. The Pack has now outscored its opponents 200-35 during its five-game winning streak.

Idaho left it all on the field against Boise State a month ago and hasn’t been able to get it back. The Vandals last their fourth straight Saturday, getting blanked by Fresno State, 34-0. The last three losses have been routs by a combined score of 147-17. Idaho quarterback Steve Wichman had another nightmare day—he’s gone just 17-for-43 in the last three games with two interceptions, no touchdowns and only 152 yards. It was Senior Day for the Bulldogs, and it was the feel-good game of the season for a team that is limping along at 3-7.

Boise State got what it needed in Taco Bell Arena Saturday night: a win over an upset-minded opponent in the Broncos’ home opener. An 0-2 start would have been a real setback as they seek to slowly build a fan base this season. But Southern Utah was unable to duplicate the magic that took down Utah last week, and BSU cruised to a 77-68 win. Again, Matt Nelson made a difference in the starting lineup and Reggie Larry did the same off the bench. Nelson notched 16 points and nine rebounds, while Larry sparked the Broncos with nine points and three boards.

Now BSU tries to make a Mountain West statement after failing to do so in the season opener at Wyoming. The first of a home-and-home set with Colorado State commences tonight in Fort Collins. The Bronco try to sprint, and the Rams will try to pound, as CSU features two 7-footers in its lineup. This will be an interesting test for Nelson, who at 6-9 will be going up against the best of those twin towers, Jason Smith. Coby Karl, meanwhile, while have some extra adrenalin pumping as his dad George will be in the stands. The Denver Nuggets played at home Saturday night and are there again tomorrow night, allowing George to make the drive up I-25.

The road was looking a little less forgiving the second time around for the Idaho Steelheads until they snuck away with a 4-3 win in Fresno last night. After falling at Bakersfield 3-2 Saturday night, the Steelheads were facing overtime against the Falcons when Cody Blanshan found the net for his first goal of the season with 21 seconds left. Veteran Scott Burt made it happen with hustle, outskating a Falcon to the puck in the Fresno zone and circling behind the posts before passing to Blanshan at the blue line for the dramatic slapshot. That allowed goalie Steve Silverthorn to earn his ninth win of the season. The Steelies now settle in for Thanksgiving in Stockton.

This Day In Sports…November 20, 1999:

Boise State clinches its first Big West championship and first berth in a Division I-A bowl game with a 45-14 win over Idaho at Martin Stadium in Pullman. The Broncos broke the game open with a 21-point first quarter, including a 68-yard broken-play pass from Bart Hendricks to Gavin Reed. Linebacker Kareem Williams sealed it with a 44-yard interception return for a touchdown late in the third quarter. It was BSU’s second straight road win over the Vandals after losing seven straight in the Kibbie Dome.

(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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