Wednesday, November 12, 2008.

How is Idaho approaching Saturday's game against Boise State as a 34-point underdog? Just as you'd expect the Vandals to. Coach Robb Akey said, "It is a great opportunity that is presented to us. I was happy to see them win that game (against Utah State) and come up here with the unblemished record. There's going to be a lot of attention on this ballgame. Beyond the rival game alone. The impact our winning could have on the BCS race. The rival game anything can happen. It's an opportunity to get some notoriety real fast. I want our guys to understand how much fun it is to play in those games that do have national recognition; that are very important games. I would to believe that as we continue getting this thing built we're going to be on the other side of that fence in games in the future."

Yesterday I talked about the five freshmen Idahoans who have been key parts of BSU's 9-0 start. Conversely, there's only one player from the state of Idaho on the Vandals' entire two-deep. That's defensive end Taylor Rust, the former Timberline High standout. Rust has 29 tackles this year, but only half a sack. Pressure on Kellen Moore will be critical for Idaho Saturday. Akey says Rust has meant far more to his program, though. "He's a guy who's not going to be the biggest defensive end in college football," said Akey. "(But) he's made himself as strong as he can be. He plays full speed all the time and he's smart about what he's doing, which enables him to get the job done." Akey points out that Rust is one of only two seniors anchoring the Vandal defense right now.

It finally got there--the Boise State game will be Idaho's lone sellout of the season. The game also sold out two years ago and provided the best atmosphere in Kibbie Dome history, but that was at a time when the Vandals were riding a three-game winning streak and were tied with BSU atop the WAC under Dennis Erickson. Since that day, they are 3-24. It has taken awhile to fill it up for this year's BSU game. Idaho has averaged 15,008 a game in its five home dates, but those are tickets sold, and media reports had the crowd at the San Jose State game two weeks ago pegged at only 9,000. The Vandals are ranked 117th in FBS attendance, but it won't seem like that Saturday.

Does the Mountain West Conference want to strike while the iron is hot? It's obvious the MWC covets the automatic BCS berth that currently belongs to the Big East. So would the league act quickly to fortify itself? The Mountain West has three teams in the Top 25 (Utah, BYU and TCU), and the Big East has none. Now comes word that, well, the conference is seeking a fourth? Paul J. Schneider reported on KTIK yesterday that a "reliable source" (who would annihilate him if his or her name was revealed) says Boise State has received a letter indicating that the Mountain West will invite the school to the conference next spring. MWC commissioner Craig Thompson still maintains there's been no formal discussion about expansion and no conversations with Boise State. And Schneider followed up later, saying that BSU spokesman Frank Zang denies there's any such letter or discussion.

If Boise State finishes undefeated and doesn't go to a BCS bowl, the attention the Broncos have received from BCS bowl officials could influence where they do go. The visit to Bronco Stadium by Sugar Bowl officials Saturday accentuated that, as did a game story in the New York Times from last Thursday's Utah win over TCU. "'These teams are very much in all our mitts,' said Eric Poms, one of several Orange Bowl committee members in attendance (in Salt Lake)." Poms said that the major bowls were more open to selecting nontraditional teams, noting that Boise State brought 30,000 fans to the Fiesta Bowl two years ago and Hawaii brought 15,000 to the Sugar Bowl last season. 'As college football evolves, so does the bowls,' Poms said."

WAC commissioner Karl Benson engineered a trade to get BSU's undefeated 2004 team into the Liberty Bowl. There could be another such opportunity out there this year, but in Brian Murphy's Statesman column Saturday, Benson appeared to be cautioning fans from getting their hopes up. Then again, does SI.com's Stewart Mandel know something we don't? Here's what Mandel thinks will happen: "The WAC will free up 12-0 Boise State from its own bowl lineup (just as it did in 2004) so that the Broncos can take the Pac-10's vacant spot in the Poinsettia Bowl and face 10-2 BYU."

BSU apparently has what it wants a couple seasons down the line: spirited competition at the quarterback spot. The Statesman reports that the Broncos have a verbal commitment from Mikey Tamburo from suburban Atlanta, adding him to a stable that already includes Bay Area standout Joe Southwick of San Ramon Valley. Tamburo was said to have 19 other scholarship offers, one of them from the new cradle of quarterbacks, Tulsa. He led North Gwinnett High to a second-place finish in Georgia's highest classification last season. Scout.com has the Broncos' 2009 recruiting class at 17 now.

There are 15 Idahoans who already have an undefeated regular season in the bag. They play for Carroll College, which has gone unbeaten for the second straight year. The Fighting Saints have won 26 straight games, including the 2007 NAIA national championship. The latest win was a 28-7 decision last Saturday over Eastern Oregon, with Capital High grad Zach Richardson, a senior, scoring his first career touchdown on a 25-yard interception return. Five Carroll players are from the Treasure Valley. In addition to Richardson, there's senior kicker Zach Thiry of Bishop Kelly, sophomore wide receiver Pete Richter out of Timberline, freshman tight end Dominic Santucci from Eagle, and freshmen linebackers Doug Adams of Caldwell and Will Wright of Fruitland. The Saints start their push for a sixth national title in seven years a week from Saturday.

The gnawing need for offense was somewhat satisfied last night for the Idaho Steelheads, who scored four goals against Fresno. The Falcons, however, tallied five times in a 5-4 victory at Qwest Arena. It was a wild third period, with the Steelies rallying from a 4-2 deficit with goals from Steve Gainey and Marty Flichel. But Fresno's Mike Radja scored unassisted with eight minutes left to decide it. Meanwhile, Matt Climie, the Dallas Stars prospect, had an off night. The Dallas Stars prospect allowed five goals in 24 shots. The Steelheads and Falcons meet again tonight.

The decision got a bit tougher last night for BSU men's basketball coach Greg Graham. To play or not to play LaShard Anderson this season? Anderson poured in 19 points last night as the Broncos beat Concordia 94-77 in their second exhibition game. He also played a solid floor game, with three steals and a block. Anderson, a sophomore, does have a redshirt year available after playing as a true freshman last season at Irvine Valley College. BSU opens the regular season Friday night in Taco Bell Arena against Division II Pacific University. Meanwhile, a three-pointer by Northwest Nazarene's Louie Beech with 33 seconds left sealed a 76-71 Crusaders win over the College of Idaho in the United Heritage Tipoff at the Idaho Center,

This Day In Sports...November 12, 1969:

Minnesota's Harmon Killebrew, the proud product of Payette, is named the American League's MVP after a season that saw him lead the AL with 49 home runs and 140 runs batted in. Killebrew led the Twins to the American League West title in the first year of divisional play in major league baseball. He would play six more seasons, ending up with 573 home runs and a place in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984.

(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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