Monday, November 17, 2008.

The scales have tipped decisively in favor of Boise State in the new century in the Bronco-Vandal rivalry. Each team has its streak in the series, with the Broncos' run reaching double digits with their 45-10 win over Idaho in Moscow Saturday. The Vandals, of course, had a 12-game streak from 1982 to 1993. But there's a big difference between the two. The average margin of victory in Idaho's string was 16 points, with six games in a row decided by a touchdown or less. During the Broncos' run it's been 32, with no winning margin of less than two touchdowns. The Vandals' streak was impressive in that they beat a team with a winning record in all but three of those 12 years. Idaho went 104-42 overall during those seasons, while BSU was 77-59. It's a different animal now. In the past 10 years, the Broncos are 106-19, while the Vandals are 30-85.

The denial is over. It's clear now that, for whatever reason, Jeremy Avery has become Boise State's best running back. The sophomore speedster ran for 156 yards and two touchdowns on just 11 carries against Idaho, breaking a 34-year-old school record with 14.2 yards per carry. It was a performance that the Broncos had been waiting all season for--and had expected sooner or later from Ian Johnson. One of the most popular players in school history, Johnson has taken on different roles for the team this year, and one of them no longer appears to be feature back after he had just 14 yards on eight carries in Moscow. Ian did score his 54th career rushing touchdown, tying him with LaDainian Tomlinson on the WAC all-time list and leaving him three short of record-holder Marshall Faulk.

Save for the bizarre first play from scrimmage, Daniel Hardy's rolling over Kyle Gingg and sprinting for an 81-yard Idaho touchdown, Boise State's defense held the Vandals to three points and 248 yards. If Idaho was to have a chance, it was going to have to establish a running game, and that didn't happen. With Deonte Jackson being held to a long run of seven yards and Princeton McCarty to eight, the Vandals netted just 104 yards and 2.9 yards per carry on the ground. Now the real fun begins for the defense, as it tries to reverse the abysmal memory of last year's performance against Nevada in BSU's 69-67 four-overtime win on the blue turf. BSU has to face Colin Kaepernick and company, and this year they lead the nation in rushing at 325 yards per game.

When I saw BSU's Doug Martin making a beeline for the center of the field Saturday with The Hammer, I thought, "Uh-oh." The Broncos made their little statement, though Martin didn't (as some accounts had it) pound the hammer on the "I" logo. He just kind of struck a pose, with a whole bunch of his white-clad friends. Coach Chris Petersen said he had a long talk with the team about the detour yesterday. "Don't make us take the hammer away," he told players. It did make for a very passionate opening to the game, separated by a few minutes as it was by Hardy's improbable touchdown. Yes, the rivalry is alive. I think they have the soap and toilet paper cleaned off KTVB's news vans now.

Whereas "10" was the theme Saturday for the Broncos in their win over the Vandals--10-game winning streak in the series and 10-0 on the season, their eighth 10-win campaign in the past 10 years--BSU rolled nines all the way across in the polls yesterday. The top 16 remained the same in the AP, Harris and Coaches Polls this week, with the Broncos staying at No. 9. They also remained ninth in the BCS standings (nothing changed above them), with Utah still at No. 7. The only sure way into a BCS bowl for BSU is still victories over Nevada and Fresno State, and a loss by the Utes to BYU this Saturday.

This tidbit comes from the Salt Lake Tribune: "Poinsettia Bowl president Larry Baber attended Saturday's game to watch Utah (beat San Diego State, 63-14). The only chance Utah could slip to the Poinsettia Bowl is if BYU beats Utah. Otherwise, Baber said he expects the Poinsettia Bowl will have TCU as its MWC representative. Indications are that the Las Vegas Bowl will take BYU, even if the Cougars lose to Utah, he said. 'The Las Vegas Bowl has made that very clear,' he said. Baber said the Poinsettia Bowl would love to match its MWC representative with Boise State. For that to happen, the Pac-10 must fail to qualify enough teams to send a team to the Poinsettia and the WAC would have to have four teams with 7-plus wins. 'That would be ideal for us,' he said." Both the Pac-10 and WAC scenarios are possible.

Looks like it was too little too late at Utah State for Brent Guy. The Aggies gave it a go at Louisiana Tech Saturday, falling by just a touchdown at 45-38. But reportedly there'll be a press conference in Logan today announcing that Guy will not return next season. The former BSU defensive coordinator is 8-38 in four seasons with the Aggies. Guy will coach USU's season finale November 29 against New Mexico State at Romney Stadium. John L. Smith's name keeps coming up down there--be it legitimately or from wishful-thinking boosters.

It's official: no redshirt year for LaShard Anderson at Boise State. The sophomore point guard was on the floor when the season started for real Friday night, scoring 13 points in the Broncos' 100-68 win over Division III Pacific University. The guy under whom Anderson's studying, junior Anthony Thomas, showed some real point guard stuff, though. Thomas, the lone return starter from last season's WAC championship team, dished out 11 assists. Tonight BSU gets a stern test, though, on the road to Siena for a return trip from last February's BracketBuster weekend. The Saints came into Taco Bell Arena in that game and rocked the Broncos, 93-70. Tonight's contest is Siena's season opener.

Idaho's hoops season opened as well, with the Vandals blowing past NAIA Evergreen State in Memorial Gym Friday night, 91-69. Then yesterday the Vandals got a reality check at Michigan State in a 100-62 pounding in East Lansing. It's going to take some time for new coach Don Verlin, who overhauled the roster and has only four players from last season's 8-21 team: post Luis Augusto and perimeter players Brandon Brown, Trevor Morris and Terrence Simmons. The Vandals have only 10 eligible players on their roster this season.

The Idaho Steelheads were on both ends of blowouts over the weekend in Las Vegas. After the Steelheads pounded them 6-1 Friday night, the Wranglers got payback with a 7-1 rout of Idaho Saturday. In the Steelies win, Steve Gainey was at the center of the storm, with two goals, two assists and a plus-five rating. Nothing went right on either end of the ice in Saturday's fight-marred contest, as Matt Climie couldn't stop the Wranglers' onslaught. Climie was pulled from the pipes early in the second period after he had given up two goals in a 41-second span to stake Vegas to a 3-0 lead. Then Rejean Beauchemin proceded to yield four more the rest of the way. The Steelheads return home versus Stockton Wednesday nght.

This Day In Sports...November 17, 1968, 40 years ago today:

In the most famous NFL TV game of all-time, the New York Jets have just taken a 32-29 lead in Oakland on a field goal. NBC then cut away from the game to show "Heidi", a two-hour children's special. NBC's phones in New York just about blew up. All the while, the Raiders were scoring twice in the final minute to win, 43-32.

(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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