Thursday, December 27, 2007.

I noticed this item from a National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame release and found it interesting in the context of today’s Boise State program. “December 27, 1999: Marshall concludes an undefeated (13-0) season by downing Brigham Young 21-3 in the Motor City Bowl in Detroit. The Thundering Herd advances to 35-4 in three years after moving up to NCAA Division I-A. Marshall also finishes a school-highest No. 10 in the final polls.” That sounds familiar, begging the questions, “Where did Marshall go from there?” And, “Where does Boise State go from here?

Well, the Herd won the MAC again two of the next three years, then notched their 20th consecutive winning season in 2003, highlighted by an upset of sixth-ranked Kansas State. Thus, Marshall’s Division I-A glory run of sorts stretched to seven years. But the Thundering Herd is just another Conference USA team today, having just finished their fourth consecutive non-winning season (a pair of 6-6 records, a 4-7, and this year’s 3-9). Marshall is now stocking up on junior college transfers in an effort to win again—now.

Boise State, on the other hand, is coming off its sixth straight bowl season and its seventh 10-win season in a golden era that is now nine years long. BSU and other mid-majors around the country looked at Marshall as the blueprint in 1999—now the Broncos have far surpassed any lasting mark the Herd left at the end of the 20th century. Only now, perhaps, is BSU realizing how difficult it’s going to be to sustain that success. East Carolina proved Sunday night what hunger can do; some in Greenville, NC, are calling it the biggest win in the history of the program. What’s happened to Marshall over the past four years shows how fleeting fame can be, and why 2008 is important on the blue turf.

The rumor mill du jour has West Virginia interested in Boise State’s Chris Petersen to the point that the Mountaineers may have asked BSU’s permission to speak to him. BSU told KTVB last night Pete has “no comment”. With WVU suddenly left without a coach this late in the game after Rich Rodriguez bolted for Michigan, why wouldn’t Petersen’s name come up? That would be an interesting move for a guy who’s spent his entire life and recruiting career on the West Coast. Uh, except for one season as quarterbacks coach for West Virginia’s rival, the University of Pittsburgh. That was 1992.

With Fresno State and Georgia Tech taking up temporary residence in Boise, we can now get serious about the extended forecast for the Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl. You know they are. According to the National Weather Service, Monday is predicted to be partly sunny with a high of 31. That’s five degrees below normal, but if there is indeed some sun—and no wind—everyone will be just fine. To be sure, there have been colder H-Bowls, like last year (if only because the game was played at night), and 1999 when it was 24. And there have been warmer ones. It was a blustery 52 two years ago for Boise State and Boston College and a sunny, calm 50 for Idaho and Southern Miss in 1998.

One of the great benefits of the ACC affiliation with the Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl is the opportunity to see future NFL talent. There are five Georgia Tech players who are on that trail, having been named to postseason all-star games. So you can watch for these guys: linebacker Gary Guyton, who’ll play in the 83rd annual East-West Shrine Game January 19 in Houston; and punter Durant Brooks, running back Tashard Choice, defensive end Darrell Robertson and linebacker Philip Wheeler, who were selected for the 2008 Senior Bowl January 26 in Mobile, AL. Brooks, a first-team All-American, was winner of this year’s Ray Guy Award as the nation’s best punter.

Come out to Taco Bell Arena Saturday night if you want to see 20th-ranked BYU, because you won’t see much of the Cougars otherwise. This 10-2 team is tailor-made for ESPN coverage this winter, but the Mountain West is stuck with the terrible TV contract that has left it with “the mtn.” network. That’s a shame, because this Cougar squad is worth the price of admission. It’s much better than the one that came through Boise last year and lost to the Broncos, 72-68. In that one, BYU star forward Trent Plaisted was held to eight points on 3-of-9 shooting. This season, Plaisted has been in double figures in scoring all 12 games, averaging 17½ points and 10 rebounds.

With its roster in a state of semi-flux, the Idaho Stampede leaned on an ol’ standby or two last night to post a 114-99 win over Bakersfield at Qwest Arena. Lance Allred was the man, as he notched 24 points and 14 rebounds and Randy Livingston dished out a massive NBA D-League record 22 assists to lead the Stampede to their third straight win (all versus the Jam). Mouhamed Sene, assigned to the Stamps by the Sonics on Christmas Eve, got his feet wet with eight points and four rebounds in 17½ minutes. Sene had played in just nine games for Seattle this season, putting up just under two points a game and just over one rebound while averaging just four minutes.

Talk about a team laying in wait. That would be Las Vegas after suffering its first regulation loss in 21 games in a 2-0 defeat at the hands of the Idaho Steelheads in Qwest Arena last Saturday. Now the Steelheads have to deal with the Wranglers in Vegas tonight. The Steelies will need a big night from their defensemen. Since the Wranglers lead the ECHL by far in fewest goals allowed, it would behoove the Steelheads not to give up many themselves. To that end, Idaho’s Darrell Hay is coming off a good week. The veteran defenseman had three assists in the three-game series against Las Vegas in Qwest Arena and was instrumental in preserving the Saturday shutout. And that effort was sandwiched around Hay’s second consecutive election to the ECHL All-Star Game. He’ll be joined by teammates Greg Rallo and Kellen Briggs January 23.

This Day In Sports…December 27, 1998:

A high point in Jake Plummer’s NFL career, when Chris Jacke hits a 52-yard field goal as time runs out to give Arizona a 16-13 win over San Diego at Sun Devil Stadium. The victory clinched the Cardinals’ first (and still only) playoff berth since moving to Phoenix from St. Louis in 1988. The following week, Plummer would lead the Cards to their first playoff win in half a century with a win over the Dallas Cowboys.

(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 1350 KTIK/The Ticket. He also handles color commentary on KTVB’s telecasts of Boise State football.)

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