Tuesday, October 20, 2009.

History would dictate that the Hawaii game this Saturday presents an interesting dynamic for Boise State cornerback Brandyn Thompson, who's still looking to find his groove this season. Opponents' big plays have seemed to congregate on Thompson's side of the field, including two of Tulsa's three touchdowns in last week's 28-21 Bronco win. That came a week and a half after he had some flags fly his way in the victory over UC Davis.

It was after the game at Hawaii two years ago that Thompson set his sights high for 2008. As a true freshman having to come on for an injured Orlando Scandrick, Thompson watched a Colt Brennan pass sail over his head and into the arms of C.J. Hawthorne for a 38-yard touchdown that sealed the Warriors' 39-27 victory, snatching the WAC championship from BSU. Last year, Thompson got payback with three interceptions in the Broncos' 27-7 win on the blue turf. Now, there's no better time nor place for the junior from Elk Grove, CA, to right his ship in 2009. Thompson has one interception so far this season.

One constant at Hawaii, year in and year out it seems, is injuries. Some of them are devastating, like the season-ending ones suffered by quarterback Greg Alexander at Louisiana Tech and star receiver Rodney Bradley at Idaho. Others are of the nagging variety, like the ones that will keep starting defensive tackle Vaughn Meatoga and wideout Royce Pollard out for the Boise State game this week after missing last Saturday's loss at Idaho.

What says "team" better than no WAC Players of the Week? Boise State is 1-for-21 in WAC honors this season despite its 6-0 record and No. 4 BCS ranking. But really--what Bronco player has had those slam-dunk, eye-popping numbers in a game this season that draw that type of award (outside of Titus Young's kickoff returns at Fresno State, which did earn him WAC Special Teams Player of the Week)? Then again, what says "breakout season" better than lots of WAC Players of the Week? Idaho defensive end Aaron Lavarius became the sixth Vandal to be honored this season, taking the defensive award after two sacks and a crucial forced fumble in the fourth quarter of the 35-23 win over Hawaii.

Pass efficiency rating has always defined Nathan Enderle during his Idaho career. And it's certainly defining him during his junior year. Enderle went 14-of-17, a career-high 82 percent, for for 226 yards, including a 60-yard touchdown pass to Maurice Shaw in the Vandals' 35-23 win over Hawaii Saturday. His efficiency rating for the game was 213.4. That jumped his season number to 151.3, now 18th in the country and third in the WAC behind national leader Kellen Moore of Boise State and injured Hawaii quarterback Greg Alexander, who won't qualify in statistics after this week. It's a meteoric move for Enderle, who was 85th nationally last year with a rating of 118.2. He didn't rank in the top 100 as a freshman with a subterranean mark of 93.7.

Fresno State's Ryan Mathews has a huge lead atop the FBS rushing list right now, averaging 162 yards a game, over 25 yards a game better than Marshall's Darius Marshall. Mathews hasn't slowed down since his 234-yard blistering of Boise State a month ago. He almost eclipsed that Saturday, running for 233 in a 41-21 win over San Jose State. In between the Broncos and Spartans Mathews amassed 145 yards at Cincinnati and 149 at Hawaii. He's gone over the century mark in every game this season.

Former Boise State star Gerald Alexander appears to be entrenching himself now as the No. 1 strong safety in Jacksonville. Alexander started his third straight game Sunday in the Jaguars' 23-20 overtime win over the Rams, making four tackles on defense and two more on special teams. He got his first Jacksonville start October 4 when Sean Considine was unable to go due to a groin injury. For the season, Alexander has 24 tackles and an interception, bouncing back nicely from a fractured vertebrae with the Lions a year ago that sidelined him for the rest of the season.

The Idaho Steelheads have added a second player to their roster with a little NHL experience. That can't hurt. Defenseman Aaron MacKenzie joins the Steelheads after six seasons in the AHL. MacKenzie made his NHL debut last season, skating in five games for the Colorado Avalanche. Fellow Steelies defenseman Mike Stuart has played three career NHL games. MacKenzie will travel with the club to Utah this weekend for a two-game series against the Grizzlies.

Former Idaho Steelhead Aaron Gagnon made his NHL debut last Friday for the Dallas Stars, going scoreless and penalty-less in a 3-0 loss to the Boston Bruins. Gagnon didn't play in the Stars' 4-1 loss last night to the L.A. Kings. The 23-year-old center played 26 games for the Steelheads two seasons ago, scoring eight goals with 15 assists.

While former Boise State teammate Troy Merritt labors through the final events of the Nationwide Tour, Graham DeLaet is putting a cherry on top of a stellar 2009 season. The Saskatchewan native was the top money winner this year on the Canadian Tour, and now he's extending that success in international play. In his fifth event on South Africa's Sunshine Tour over the weekend, DeLaet won the BMG Classic in Johannesburg by one shot over Jeff Inglis of England. DeLaet was just the third Canadian in the past 12 years to win the "Order of Merit," topping Canada's money list. The other two were Jon Mills in 2003 and Mike Weir in 1997.

This Day In Sports...October 20, 1990:

The Oakland A's are swept in four games by the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series. This came two years to the day after the A's were finished off in five games by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the '88 Series. In that one, Oakland was never able to recover from the legendary Game 1 homer in the bottom of the ninth by the Dodgers' hobbling Kirk Gibson.

(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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