Author: Kevan Lee

Last year’s Idaho Vandals team was historically okay, even going so far as to win a bowl game. Was Vandal success an aberration? Or did it signal a turnaround for the Idaho program?

Share your thoughts after the jump, and see what the Vandals have been up to this spring and how they plan on replacing OG Mike Iupati. What are your thoughts on the 2010 Vandals? Think Robb Akey is a tool? Let’s discuss.

All this week, OBNUG will be checking in with Boise State’s 2010 opponents to see how their spring is going. Now: Idaho. Next: Hawaii and Utah State. Previously: Virginia Tech. Wyoming. Oregon State. Toledo. Louisiana Tech. San Jose State and New Mexico State.

The last indelible image of Idaho’s 2009 season

 

The Vandals capped off a surprising 8-5 season with a Human Bowl win on a last-second two-point conversion that local media and fans erroneously and sacrilegiously compared to Boise State’s 2007 Fiesta Bowl heroics. 

Seriously?

The 2007 Fiesta Bowl: Brilliantly scripted plays run to perfection, an undefeated season on the line, a BCS bowl, 60,000-plus in attendance and a national network audience.

The 2009 Humanitarian Bowl: A fluky catch to get in the red zone, a pretty bad throw for a TD, bad clock management (not shown), absolutely zero stakes, 30,000 or so in attendance plus a curious and confused ESPN2 audience, the distinct smell of Moscow.

Not the same.

How the Vandals did against the Broncos last year

In what was billed as the renewal of a storied rivalry, the Broncos used a Titus Young kickoff return and a Brian Reader turnover fest to cruise to a 63-25 win in a game that was often not even that close.

What has changed

The Vandals are without all-world, world-sized OG Mike Iupati as well as three other starting offensive linemen from last season. Starting with four fresh faces on the line will be tough enough. Replacing leading rusher DeMaundray Woolridge and leading Ed McCaffrey look-a-like Max Komar will be even tougher. But the toughest of all? Playing your home games in a giant tupperware.

The biggest change for the Vandals will be that teams will give the requisite 110 percent against them this year as opposed to the 75 to 80 percent that Idaho got in years past. This is a Vandal team with a target on its back – a small, rather insignificant target, but a target nonetheless. Colorado State’s revenge will be sweet.

What hasn’t changed

A whopping ten players return on defense for the Vandals, including overrated safety Shiloh Keo. Is bringing 10 players back on defense really a good thing for a defense that gave up 157 points in three consecutive games to close the season? Nope.

Nathan Enderle is back under center and fresh off being named one of Sporting News’ Top 25 quarterbacks of 2010. Enderle is apparently the new Chase Holbrook. Deonte Jackson will likely be the team’s new running back now that he is fresh of a one-year stint of not mattering because Idaho had better players for awhile there.

Biggest spring storyline

Who will fill in along the offensive line?

How important is the offensive line to the success of the Idaho Vandals? Well, the defense isn’t going to stop anyone. Nathan Enderle cannot exactly be described as “evasive” (I would go with “slippery portly”). And the best chance that Idaho has of winning games is outscoring the other team and hoping that Robb Akey doesn’t have to make late-game clock management decisions.

The Rat Pack of Vandal line possibilities include Guy Reynolds, Jr., Clell Hasenback, Tevita HalaHolo, and Tyron Novikoff. And I am pretty sure that at least one of those is a real person.

The question: Have the Vandals turned the program around or are these still the same old Vandals?

Last year’s 8-5 season came out of nowhere, considering that Idaho had been all kinds of bad in years prior. The Vandals were considered one of college football’s biggest surprises, and with a complete lack of historical perspective, media sources have pegged U of I as one of the WAC’s strongest teams heading into 2010.

How can that be? The Vandals I know are inept, bumbling, and outmatched in almost every way. Could they really have gone from jayvee to annual bowl eligibility in the span of one season?

There are plenty of people who believe so. Those who are pro-Vandals credit Robb Akey with a tremendous turnaround, and they believe the team has that ethereal quality of simply knowing how to win.

Those who are anti-Vandals believe that the real Idaho was the team that lost four of five down the stretch, gave up copious amounts of points, and benefited from the inevitable swing of parity.

Which side do you take?

Before you answer, here are couple of things to consider about how the Vandals might turn out in 2010. First, here is a look at Idaho’s nonconference schedule:

• North Dakota
• Nebraska
• UNLV
• Colorado State
• Western Michigan

The Little Giants could go 4-1 against that schedule, which is fitting because I always pictured Rick Moranis playing Robb Akey in the Robb Akey career biopic Oh Mustache, My Mustache. 

Now consider this: The Vandals went 5-1 in games decided by seven points or less last season. Football is a funny game in that a bounce of the ball one way or another can often decide close games. Chances are good that you cannot replicate a 5-1 record in close games year after year. One can assume that Idaho was no better than five of the teams they beat. The Vandals were only more fortunate.

So are the Vandals destined to repeat the success of 2009? Or was last year a once-in-a-blue-moon season?

You may start disliking this person

 

Robb Akey

If you weren’t disliking him before, you should really be disliking him now. The affable Akey has gone from public whipping boy to media darling. People love his quotes. They love his enthusiasm. They consider him one of the hottest coaching prospects in all of America and yes we are talking American football coaching prospects.

Akey is now mentioned in the same sentence as Chris Petersen, and I do not mean sentences like, “Chris Petersen is the best coach in America and – hey, Robb Akey, I was still eating that!” That fact alone is enough reason for me to dislike him.

Spring schedule

• March 23: Spring practice began
• April 23: Spring game

Spring reading

I want so badly for the Vandals to have a fan blog so that I can have an archenemy and you all can have a place for flame wars. Oh, Joe Vandal, why must you be illiterate? In lieu of a blogger, Vandal coverage can be found at the Lewiston Tribune and Scout.com. The closest thing to a blog is the work of student journalist Travis Mason-Bushman who has a mad crush on Vandal basketball.

To the comments …

Are the Idaho Vandals for real? What are your thoughts on the supposed renaissance of Idaho football? Do you think Nathan Enderle will be a competent quarterback in 2010? Share your thoughts in the comments and in the poll.

Poll

Have the Vandals turned the program around or are these still the same old Vandals?

• 
  New Vandals
• 
  Old Vandals

  252 votes | Results

Boise State head coach Chris Petersen paid a visit to Idaho Public Television’s Dialogue program recently to discuss pretty much every topic you could think of. National championships? Check. Playoffs? Check. Red-headed in-state step-programs? Check.

After the jump, read some highlights of Coach Pete’s interview, watch the video of his Q&A, and share your opinion in the comments about what stood out to you.

Boise State’s Chris Petersen on IPTV’s Dialogue

Click picture above to view full video (30:00).

Update 3/24: Videos now available on YouTube. Embedded below.

Web extra:

Click picture above to view full video (5:00).

Update 3/24: Videos now available on YouTube. Embedded below.

Highlights

Interviewer extraordinaire Joan Cartan-Hansen, who apparently is the James Lipton of Idaho Public Television, did the question-asking for Coach Pete’s segments, and she channeled Chris Myers at his smuggiest for her opener:

So … no pressure. National championship?

Coach Pete was diplomatic in his response, essentially stating that things will take care of themselves.

It really doesn’t matter what the outside noise has to say about us. We have a lot of pressure on ourselves because of our standards that we try to operate by day-to-day, and those are the things that we really need to focus on rather than our record.

I think if you get caught up in those things, you’re headed down the wrong path.

When asked for his true feelings on the Idaho Vandals, Coach Pete took the high road and claimed that he condones Vandal success in any instance where the two teams are not facing each other. State pride seemed to outweigh the fact that the Vandals are the scourge of the earth. I am so conflicted right now.

When the topic turned to playoffs, Coach Pete came about as close as he has ever come to denouncing the BCS.

Everyone at the end of the day wants to solve it on the field. I don’t think I’m any different than that.

The main factor keeping Coach Pete from selling out to the pro-playoff side is bowl games. He likes them. Players like them. Roady’s truck stops like them. He would be in favor of a playoff system if there were a way to keep bowl games mostly in tact.

Speaking of bowl games, do you remember the 2007 Hawaii Bowl? At least one Boise State player does, and he remembers it fondly.

I had a player a couple years ago talk about the experience we had when we went to Hawaii and played in the Aloha (sic) Bowl and lost. It was one of the most painful games that I have been a part of for a long time. But the players were talking about that afterward. A couple months later, “Coach, I’m never going to forget the time I had in Hawaii.”

Chadd Cripe needs to get to the bottom of this.

Finally, a few throwaway questions at the end of the “Web Extra” interview included what Coach Pete does for a gameday tradition (he wears the same hat until the Broncos lose) and what book he is currently reading. He could not have picked a more appropriate piece of literature:

 

If you had any concerns about the state of Boise State football, Coach Pete is obviously on top of it. Amazon describes the book thusly:

Decline, it turns out, is largely self-inflicted, and the path to recovery lies largely within our own hands. We are not imprisoned by our circumstances, our history, or even our staggering defeats along the way. As long as we never get entirely knocked out of the game, hope always remains. The mighty can fall, but they can often rise again.

On a related note, Robb Akey’s current reading list includes:

 

Extra

Anything stand out to you from the interview with Coach Pete? Surprised to hear his stance on a playoff? Confident that the Broncos have the best coach in America? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

The WAC schedule is expected to be released as early as the end of the week, and not a day too late. I need all the time I can get to write my fan fiction for the 2010 WAC conference season.

After the jump, discuss who will get the coveted early season showdown, share your thoughts on which games are destined for ESPN, and let me know what team you think will be opposite the Broncos in the de facto season finale title game.

Boise State’s WAC home-and-away schedule

The dates have not been set for Boise State’s 2010 conference schedule, but the opponents and venues have. Going opposite of where the Broncos played in 2009, here is what Boise State conference games will look like in 2010:

• @ Idaho
• @ Nevada
• vs. Fresno State
• vs. Utah State
• vs. Hawaii
• vs. Louisiana Tech
• @ San Jose State
• @ New Mexico State

I’ve mentioned it before, but it bears repeating: At first glance, the Broncos made our pretty well with this year’s conference games. BSU’s away games are against awful New Mexico State, nearly-defunct San Jose State, an Idaho team that may be no good at all, and Nevada.

What do you think about Boise State’s conference games? Think the home schedule is tougher than the road schedule?

Boise State’s dates that are set in stone

The nonconference schedule has been finalized now that BSU’s games against Virginia Tech and Toledo are for sure. Here are the dates; plan your fall weekends accordingly.

• September 6 vs. Virginia Tech (Washington, D.C.)
• September 18 @ Wyoming
• September 25 vs. Oregon State
• October 9 vs. Toledo

The Broncos asked ESPN to help them clear the team’s schedule on the weekend of September 11 to avoid a quick turnaround following the season opener on a Monday night. So unless the Broncos plan on playing into December, the team will burn its bye on the second week of the season. Is this a good thing? I would prefer that the Broncos have a week closer to midseason to rest up, recoup, and recover. Then again, midseason means the start of the WAC schedule, so they kind of already have a few byes built-in. Rimshot!

 

Would you rather see the Broncos have a game on the first weekend of December if it means another bye during the year?

The early-season conference game

ESPN loves to get the Broncos on the air early with a conference game stuck in the middle of the team’s nonconference schedule. Last year, it was Fresno State. The year before it was Louisiana Tech. This year?

One thing that is clear is that the game, if it were to be played, would take place on the weekend of October 2. And chances are also good that it will be a Friday night game because Joe Tessitore needs his Broncos coverage. If it is a Friday nighter, that would put some pressure on the Broncos to bounce back from a game against Oregon State only six days prior.

Here are some possibilities for the early-season showdown:

• vs. Fresno State
• @ Idaho
• vs. Utah State
• @ Nevada
• vs. Louisiana Tech

Through the magic of deductive reasoning, I think we can narrow this one down pretty well. The Broncos played on the road in their first conference game last year and were at home for the first one the year prior. I bet that ESPN keeps the trend going and airs a game from Bronco Stadium for this one. (Plus, if it is a Friday night game, Gene Bleymaier would probably want the Broncos to play at home to avoid the rigors of a road trip.) The Broncos played Fresno State in the conference opener last season, and I would be surprised if ESPN chooses to do such an obvious rematch.

That leaves: Utah State or Louisiana Tech. ESPN went the Bulldog route two years ago, so my money is on the Aggies coming to Boise in early October. What team do you think will get the honors? Will the WAC pull a fast one and choose to feature other teams besides Boise State?

The ESPN games

Last year, four of Boise State’s eight conference games were scheduled to air on ESPN’s family of networks (and a fifth – Idaho – was added during the season). What will the Broncos do for an encore? Here are the WAC opponents that I bet the Worldwide Leader would like to see.

• vs. Fresno State
• vs. Utah State
• @ Idaho
• @ Nevada
• vs. Louisiana Tech

If ESPN keeps its system of four conference games per year, which one gets left off?

The de facto WAC championship game

ESPN and WAC commish Karl Benson love to finagle a fake conference championship game each season by attempting to pair the WAC’s two best teams in a Black Friday showdown. Two years ago, it was Fresno State. Last year, it was Nevada. Chances are good that either team could be chosen for this year’s “championship game.”

Nevada will likely be No. 2 in the preseason conference rankings, and the Colin Kaepernick-seeks-vengeance storyline will be tough to ignore. However, ESPN has yet to pit the same WAC teams together in back-to-back years in the Thanksgiving weekend WAC showcase. For that reason alone, I think that the WWL might look elsewhere.

Fresno State is certainly a possibility. The Bulldogs played Boise State down to the wire (relatively speaking) last year in an ESPN primetime game. But by now, almost everyone is wise to the fact that Fresno in September is not the same as Fresno in November. Plus, the last time Benson and friends trusted the Bulldogs with a championship-caliber matchup, Pat Hill’s gang laid a giant egg in Bronco Stadium with a 61-10 loss in 2008.

So if Nevada and Fresno are not the choice, then who does that leave?

How about the Idaho Vandals?

Don’t get me wrong. I think this would be a mistake of epic proportions if ESPN and the WAC thought that Idaho and Boise State would make a good championship game. But I would not be surprised if ESPN thought that the rivalry storyline, the resurgence of the Idaho football program, and the in-state drama would make for must-see TV at the end of the season. What would surprise me? ESPN being able to fit more than one HD camera inside the Kibbie Dome.

Fun fact: Kibbie Dome built with Legos. (via www.uihome.uidaho.edu)

If Idaho is the best alternative, I think ESPN would be better off repeating the Nevada championship game. I don’t wish for a national audience to have to see the inside of the Kibbie Dome for three-and-a-half hours.

Your turn

How do you expect the WAC schedule to shake out? Can ESPN choose anyone other than Nevada to play in the WAC title game? What conference games may end up on the ESPN family of networks? Share your thoughts in the comments, and vote in the poll.

Poll

Who will face the Broncos in the de facto WAC championship game?

56%

Nevada

334 votes

27%

Fresno State

164 votes

11%

Idaho

68 votes

3%

Other

20 votes

586 votes

| Poll has closed

The NCAA released a report on attendance numbers for football games in 2009, and the results reflect a down economy and America’s love of HDTV. Why go to a game when I can watch Joe Tessitore’s pores?

After the jump, take a look at the numbers for the last year in attendance, including a mixed bag for Boise State’s year at the gate. How did the Broncos compare with the rest of the country? Let’s find out.

Boise State has some good news and some bad news when it comes to football attendance

The good news for the Broncos? Attendance improved by an average of 507 people at home games this year. The bad news? Boise State added 1,400 seats prior to the season.

• 2009:  32,782 average attendance
• 2008:  32,275 average attendance
• Capacity in 2009: 33,610

While the numbers for the Broncos were not ideal (sellouts are becoming rarer and rare in Boise unless a winning team is in town), at least Boise State did not see a huge drop in attendance like many other Division I-A schools. Go celebrate and light some $100 bills on fire, Gene Bleymaier. You deserve it.

Stop the ride; NCAA attendance wants to get off

With a hat tip to Blutarsky, we learn that the NCAA attendance figures have reached a plateau.

After three consecutive record-breaking seasons, college football attendance declined slightly for the first time in five years. A total of 48,284,673 fans attended games at all 630 NCAA schools during the 2009 season (including home games, neutral-site games and postseason contests), a drop of 554,330 from the record set in 2008.

Perhaps this is the opportunity that women’s lacrosse has been looking for. Strike while the iron’s hot, ladies.

The WAC not the least attended conference in football … taste our hotness, Sun Belt!

After the big six conferences (of which the SEC was tops with a 76,000 average and the Big East was bottom with a 44,000 average), the remaining non-BCS attendance numbers look like this:

• Mountain West: 33,202
• Conference USA: 26,600
• WAC: 22,749
• Sun Belt: 16,463
• Mid America Conference: 15,317

Who knew the MAC would miss Chad Pennington so much?

The WAC lost an average of 1,700 in attendance from last year, which wasn’t the worst among non-BCS teams (Sun Belt) but definitely was the second worst. Through the sheer force of commissioner Craig Thompson’s will, the Mountain West improved its average attendance by nearly 1,200 per game. Also helping boost attendance: The fact that no one can find The .mtn on their channel lineup.

Put the children to bed; it’s time for WAC team-by-team figures

Karl Benson did not want me to show you this.

Team	2009	2008	2007	2006	2005
Boise State	32,782	32,275	30,338	30,453	30,112
Fresno State	33,578	37,864	36,291	38,551	39,307
Hawaii	36,725	41,010	43,514	36,589	32,735
Idaho	12,546	15,340	11,479	14,543	15,175
Louisiana Tech	20,000	18,020	18,562	14,586	16,416
Nevada	17,500	19,043	17,087	16,728	15,076
New Mexico State	16,511	17,756	14,412	17,596	12,557
San Jose State	15,344	20,952	15,465	18,854	12,506
Utah State	15,971	14,736	13,131	11,360	10,896

Some observations:

• There is a rule for Division I-A teams that says you must get at least 15,000 people to show up to your games if you want to remain in Division I-A. Supposedly, you cannot have two consecutive seasons of sub-15,000 attendance or else you get the boot. As you can see from Utah State’s run from 2005 to 2008, this rule is more like a helpful suggestion.
• Last season every team in the WAC crossed over the 15,000-person threshold except for one: the Idaho Vandals. Getting an average of 12,500 folks to get all claustrophobic up in the Kibbie Dome is quite a letdown for a team that experienced a semi-renaissance last season by not audibly sucking wind. Perhaps the Vandals need to go 1-11 again to get those overall bibs back in the seats.
• Who was San Jose State’s attendance taker in 2008? I want him to do my taxes.
• Utah State went over 15,000 for the first time last season. The key? Recruiting players from large families who live locally.
• Louisiana Tech is obviously just rounding its figures.
• Utah State, Louisiana Tech, and Boise State were the only WAC teams to see attendance increase from 2008 to 2009.
• Among the biggest losers in 2009: Hawaii, which lost over 4,000 people on average from 2008. Not to be outdone, San Jose State had 5,600 people choose to do something better with their time than attend San Jose State games.
• I’m pretty sure the New Mexico State attendance taker needs corrective lenses because I have not seen 16,000 people combined in Las Cruces for the Broncos last two trips there.

Your turn

What are your thoughts on the attendance figures for college football? Think the recession has the most to do with the drop in attendance? Worried about WAC teams getting kicked out of Division I-A? Think Bronco Stadium should be more full than it is? Share your thoughts in the comments.

As Bronco fans are well aware, Boise State returns 23 starters off of last year’s Fiesta Bowl team. If only other college football teams were so lucky.

The opponents on the Broncos’ schedule do not have the hoards of returners that BSU does, but several teams are in just fine shape. The worst of the bunch? Virginia Tech and Toledo. The best of the bunch? Idaho and Nevada. After the jump, view the breakdown of Bronco opponents’ returning starters and discuss just how much experience matters in big-time college football.

Team-by-team breakdown of returning starters

The following chart lists Boise State’s 2010 opponents by number of returning starters. The chart lists offensive and defensive returning starters. Special teams returners are listed in the total, but I didn’t think anyone cared enough to see a breakdown of how many WAC punters are coming back.

	Returners	Offense	Defense	QB
Idaho	18	6	10	Yes
Nevada	18	9	7	Yes
Fresno State	17	7	9	Yes
New Mexico State	17	8	7	Yes
Oregon State	17	8	8	No
San Jose State	17	9	7	Yes
Wyoming	17	8	7	Yes
Utah State	16	7	8	Yes
Hawaii	15	6	7	Yes
Louisiana Tech	15	7	6	Yes
Toledo	13	6	6	No
Virginia Tech	13	8	5	Yes

 

Many thanks to Phil Steele for compiling this list of returners. His full post on this topic is worth the read if you have 15 minutes to blow and enjoy tables.

 

Virginia Tech fans to get very familiar with their gameday program

It is no secret that the Hokies do not return loads of players off of last year’s team. For this reason and perhaps for this reason alone, the opening weekend clash with the Broncos makes scheduling sense for BSU.

But the least experienced team on the Broncos’ schedule? I never saw that coming. I mean, who knew there were 17 players who wanted to come back to New Mexico State?

The Hokies will be hurt the most on defense where only five starters from last year’s team return. So the question becomes: Just how much does experience matter at this level of college football? Teams from BCS conferences have the luxury of reloading with deep talent (something that Boise State can also do now), so it would reason that attrition matters less and less. What kind of impact do you think experience will have on the Labor Day game in D.C.?

Idaho returns 10 starters on defense. Too bad for Idaho.

Experience typically means success, unless your team is experienced in letting offenses run all over you.

Returning 10 players off a defense that gave up a WAC-worst 35 points per game is not necessarily a good thing for the Vandals. Though they sit at the top of the returning starters chart for Boise State’s opponents, their defensive largess is unfortunate. The Idaho Vandals: Finding new ways to lose since the late 90’s.

2010 will be the year of the QB in the WAC

Here’s something that will most definitely appear in a WAC press release this offseason: Every single WAC starting QB from last season returns in 2010.

The WAC is the only conference in college football that can claim this. But if you are taking this news as a sign of trouble for the Broncos in their WAC schedule, rest easy. This is the WAC we are talking about, and even in a year when all the starting QBs return, more than half of the starting QBs might not be starters come opening week.

No doubt you will see Colin Kaepernick, Diondre Borel, and Nathan Enderle under center for their teams. But take a look at the rest:

• Hawaii’s Bryant Moniz: Could be replaced by up-and-comer Shane Austin
• LaTech’s Ross Jenkins: Charged with drunk driving this offseason, Jenkins may not fit into new coach Sonny Dykes’ passing scheme
• Fresno State’s Ryan Colburn: Barely beat out fan favorite Derek Carr last year
• San Jose State’s Jordan La Secla: The Rich Kotite of WAC quarterbacks
• New Mexico State’s Jeff Fleming: Made Chase Holbrook look like Tecmo Bowl Joe Montana last season

If the WAC QB shuffle happens, it would be the reverse Tom Brandstater effect – replacing a veteran QB because the veteran QB is awful. Thank goodness Boise State’s quarterback controversies don’t go down like this.

Expectations will be high in Nevada

The Wolf Pack return 18 starters from last year’s team. The Wolf Pack are still coached by Chris Ault. Push.

Other interesting notes:

• Broncos will only face two teams that do not return their starting QB from last year.
• Oregon State and Arizona State are the only two schools in the Pac-10 to not have a returning starter at QB.
• If returning starters are any indication, the Toledo matchup could be more lopsided than anyone expected.
• Sporting News’ Brian Cook did a breakdown of Phil Steele’s roster analysis, and among a list of interesting conclusions was this one:

Looking for teams that are probably going to enter next season overrated? Find teams that return quarterbacks and a lot of offense but lose a bunch of defense. Alabama is a clear winner here with a fairly meh quarterback back along with eight offensive starters but just two guys on defense coming back and neither specialist. The Tide has the fewest returning starters of anyone the SEC.

If Boise State starts preseason at No. 2 or No. 3 and Alabama is indeed overrated, the Broncos would be in national championship contention awfully quick.

How much does experience matter?

In the case of Boise State’s matchup with Virginia Tech on Labor Day, I would like to say that experience makes all the difference in the world and just hand the national championship trophy to the Broncos already! But I know that is not true.

Coaching matters. Schemes matter. Talent matters. There are a lot of ways to overcome a lack of experience, so basing a prediction of any sort on experience alone is irresponsible. For example, take a look at the 2008 Boise State team. The Broncos had to replace 18 seniors who graduated in 2007, including Marty Tadman and Taylor Tharp and the majority of the starting offensive line. And all the 2008 team did was put together one of the best seasons in Boise State history.

On the other hand, think back to Boise State’s Fiesta Bowl win over TCU. A lot of experts have said that the Horned Frogs suffered because their team did not have the previous Fiesta Bowl experience that the Broncos had. (I only sort of buy that argument since a good number of Bronco players on the roster last year were not a part of the 2006 Fiesta Bowl team.) Experience is magnified on the big stage, and the stage won’t get much bigger than Labor Day night in Washington, D.C.

Your turn

Yesterday’s post about Boise State’s toughest non-BCS opponents sparked some interesting discussion, and the poll results had Wyoming as a close second to Nevada for toughest non-BCS game. After seeing this list of returning starters, does your scheduling vote change? Are Nevada and Wyoming still Boise State’s toughest non-BCS opponents? How much of an impact will experience have in BSU’s Labor Day matchup with VT? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Hype over the Broncos’ Season of Destiny has been mostly focused on the Labor Day clash with Virginia Tech and the home visit of Oregon State. After those two games, what tough ones do the Broncos have left?

Join me after the jump for a discussion of what games might be BSU’s toughest non-BCS matchups, and leave your thoughts and vote in the poll to share your opinion. Is it Nevada? Fresno? Idaho 2.0? Let’s discuss.

Boise State’s 2010 schedule

The Broncos’ non-conference schedule is set in stone with a September 18 date at Wyoming and an October 9 game against Toledo. The WAC schedule will be announced later this spring (last year’s came out on April 1). Home-and-away games seen below are alternated from last year’s schedule.

• @ Wyoming
• vs. Toledo
• vs. Fresno State
• vs. Hawaii
• vs. Utah State
• vs. Louisiana Tech
• @ Idaho
• @ Nevada
• @ San Jose State
• @ New Mexico State

 

The easy ones

@ San Jose State

@ New Mexico State

Two years ago, a trip to San Jose would have been trouble for the Broncos. Not anymore. For whatever reason, the Spartans are on the slow, steady FCS decline and there are few indications that this trip to Sparta will be tough (unless they play it at 9:00 a.m. on a Saturday, which they are likely to do).

I don’t even know where to begin with New Mexico State. What’s the over/under on how many people show up to this one? 5,000? 6,000 on a free tapas night?

Boise State kind of lucked out by scoring two if its four conference away games against these two. The fix is in, right Fresno fans?

Ah, the excitement of double-jointed necks. (via www.utrockets.com)

The tougher ones

vs. Hawaii

vs. Louisiana Tech

vs. Toledo

Hawaii is a tough one to pick because the warriors almost always find a way to be competitive over the course of the season but not necessarily against the Broncos and not maybe ever against the Broncos in Boise. I’d be much more likely to label this one competitive if it were played on the islands.

LaTech is breaking in a new head coach, and even the last one had his troubles bringing the Bulldogs to Boise. The good news for LT is that there is an 80 percent chance that Taylor Bennett will not be their starting QB in this one.

The only thing I know about Toledo is that they took Fresno State to double overtime in a 55-54 loss a couple years ago. Boise State is not Fresno State. Thank GOODNESS.

Note to future QBs: This is not the proper form for throwing a football. (via images.athlonsports.com)

The competitive ones

@ Wyoming

@ Idaho

@ Nevada

vs. Fresno State

vs. Utah State

Wyoming is a Mountain West team, so by college football law, I am required to label them no worse than “feisty.” But hey, they beat Fresno State in a bowl game last year. (Note: Boise State is not Fresno State. Thank GOODNESS.)

The Vandals will either build on the success of last season with another bowl-eligible year, or they will fall flat on their face. Personally, I am going with the face falling, but I know there are plenty of people who think the Vandal resurgence is for real. These people were also fans of Crystal Pepsi.

Mmm, soda water. (via www.colourlovers.com)

A road trip to Nevada will always make the list for Bronco “Games to Watch” so long as Chris Ault is there and Nevada continues to run up the score against bad defenses. The game will be Colin Kaepernick‘s last chance to beat the Broncos during his Nevada career, so there’s that added motivation. Fourth time’s a charm?

Fresno State was annihilated by the Broncos the last time the two teams met in Boise. Perhaps with the confidence of last year’s shootout and the infusion of new talent and a member of the Carr family, the Bulldogs might put up more of a fight. And if not, we’ll at least be treated to the Pat Hill face.

Were it not for the Vandals, USU would have been the WAC’s surprise team last year as they found a way to become relevant again in the conference. Conventional wisdom would say that the Aggies don’t belong in this group of competitive games. I beg to differ. Diondre Borel will be a better quarterback than Colin Kaepernick by the time his career is over. I have already ghostwritten a Graham Watson article stating such.

My ranking of Boise State’s toughest games in 2010

I’ll go in reverse order to create suspense and to stick it to the Nintento DS Brain Age quiz that said I was 46 years old (no offense, 46-year-old readers):

10. New Mexico State

9. San Jose State

8. Hawaii

7. Louisiana Tech

6. Toledo

5. Idaho

4. Fresno State

3. Wyoming

2. Nevada

1. Utah State

That’s right, friends. Get ready for seven months worth of “Boise State CANNOT afford to overlook Utah State” stories from me. They’re happening. I’ve already written the rough drafts.

Of course, picking Utah State is going way out on a limb, but if all the cards fall right (cards including run defense and pass protection), I could be on to something. The more likely pick is obviously going to be Nevada and Fresno State, but I have a feeling that Wyoming will be a tougher draw than people think, too.

Your turn

After Virginia Tech and Oregon State, what will be Boise State’s toughest game this season? Is Wyoming all it’s cracked up to be? Will Kaepernick’s last stand be anything to worry about? Am I insane in thinking Utah State is good? Share your thoughts in the comments, and vote in the poll.

Poll

What is Boise State’s toughest non-BCS game in 2010?

35%

Nevada

230 votes

19%

Fresno State

127 votes

7%

Idaho

47 votes

29%

Wyoming

193 votes

2%

Utah State

17 votes

3%

Toledo

24 votes

1%

Other

11 votes

649 votes

| Poll has closed

The recruiting rankings are in, and just like in the old WAC days, Boise State and Fresno State are comfortably atop the conference standings.

After the jump, find out how each WAC team did in recruiting and watch video of some of the new stars of the conference. Plus, weigh in on whether or not a great recruiting class for Fresno will translate into wins down the road. See you in the comments.

The following rankings are courtesy of Scout.com and Rivals.com. The overall rankings are a reflection of the total number of points each school earned. Since Boise State’s recruiting class only had 10 players, a better measure is the average points for each recruit.

		Scout					Rivals
	Commits	Overall	WAC	Avg Pts	4-star	3-star	Overall	WAC	Avg Pts	4-star	3-star
Fresno State	21	63	2	2.38	1	5	52	1	2.81	1	15
Boise State	10	96	1	2.40		6	82	3	2.80	1	6
Louisiana Tech	18	94	3	2.11		3	93	5	2.50		10
Idaho	18	104	4	2.06		4	97	7	2.28		7
Hawaii	28	81	5	2.04		2	65	2	2.39		11
Nevada	26	95	6	2.04		3	96	6	2.32		9
Utah State	23	107	7	1.96		1	108	9	2.14		4
New Mexico State	17	110	8	1.94		2	87	4	2.39		7
San Jose State	25	90	9	1.92		4	100	8	2.24		6

Did Fresno State set itself up to be Boise State’s main WAC competition for years to come?

Assuming a) that Boise State stays in the WAC for several more years and b) that recruiting rankings mean anything, Fresno State turned in the most competitive class of the 2010 recruiting season and made the biggest strides toward competing with the Broncos down the road.

That said, the Bulldogs class was not exactly as star-studded as Utah’s or BYU’s. It was more so just an old-fashioned solid class and stands out as much for its above average rankings as for its opposition to the Mendoza averages of everyone else in the conference.

If we are supposed to believe that recruiting rankings mean something, then Fresno State and Boise State are the cream of the WAC’s crop. Of course, once you factor in the Pat Hill Coaching Experience and the attrition of a debilitating non-conference schedule, that may just render the Bulldogs’ recruiting advantage moot.

Fresno State’s recruiting class

The Bulldogs’ 2010 class was a step into the future where football teams pass to get first downs and student body left is a euphemism for campus politics. After landing QB Derek Carr in last year’s class, Fresno pulled off a coup by getting two WRs, Davon Dunn and Josh Harper, to decommit from Cal and join the team.

Pat Hill spoke about the impact of the incoming WR recruits and how it might impact the Fresno offense:

“I think we’ve really given ourselves a chance to do some different things here because of personnel,” Hill said while discussing his 2010 recruiting class for the first time. “Next year and the years to come, our big playmakers are on the perimeter. … That personnel shift is due largely because of the quarterbacks that we have here. We have guys that can really throw it.

Somewhere, probably at an LA Fitness spinning class, Tom Brandstater weeps.

The nation’s No. 1 punter, Matt Darr, chose the Bulldogs over USC most likely because Lane Kiffin is a nub. Depending on which recruiting service you prefer, either Darr or Dunn represent the Bulldogs’ four-star recruit from the 2010 class.

The class was the highest-ranked group in Pat Hill’s tenure at Fresno, but whether it translates to wins on the field remains to be seen. One of the Bulldogs’ biggest areas of needs was defensive help, and the 2010 class fell short. Safety Edward Dillihunt was Fresno’s best defensive pickup.

Top recruit: WR Davon Dunn

How they will use him

Inappropriately, especially in big games.

Louisiana Tech’s recruiting class

Derek Dooley did pretty well in his Tennessee recruiting debut, and his replacement at LaTech, Sonny Dykes, didn’t do too shabby himself. In two weeks with the Bulldogs, Dykes was able to keep most of the early verbal commitments from Dooley’s tenure, including Denton, Texas, QB Taylor Burch.

“It was a little mixed up after Dooley left, but he wasn’t the reason I was going to Tech,” Burch said. “I talked with Coach Dykes, and he seems like the guy I want to play for. It wasn’t really hard for me.”

Also, that forehead!

Top recruit: WR Tim Molton

A transfer from LSU, Molton should boost LaTech’s receiving corps and fit in nicely with whatever Texas Tech-like offense Dykes decides to install.

How they will use him:

On deep routes that Ross Jenkins will inevitably underthrow.

Idaho’s recruiting class

The Vandals pulled off several rare feats on signing day.

1. They did not finish toward the bottom of the conference in recruiting.
2. They discovered that high school football is indeed played in the state of Idaho.
3. They made mention of their winning program ad nauseum.
4. They stole a recruit from a Pac-10 school.

All in all, if you were a Vandal fan, you had to be happy both because Idaho pulled in a decent class and because I heard the McRib is coming back to McDonald’s. Among Idaho athletes, the Vandals got DT Tyler Kuder from Payette, OL Spencer Beale from Lewiston, QB Justin Podrabsky from Lewiston, and RB Jayson Washington from Moscow. Just stay away from Capital High, Robb Akey. You can have all the Minico players you want.

Top recruit: RB Ryan Bass

Bass spent two seasons at Arizona State before coming over to the Vandals to play with cousin Marsel Posey, a wide receiver on the team. Bass is most notable for being a former Parade All-American. I believe he was in the issue with Mike Myers and Cameron Diaz on the cover for Shrek 2.

How they will use him:

Keeping RB Deonte Jackson off the streets at night.

Hawaii’s recruiting class

The Warriors went after four main areas with their recruiting push – DE, OL, CB, and WR – and they went four-for-four with a large class that was one of the WAC’s best behind the Broncos and Bulldogs. The Diet Coke was flowing freely at the Hawaii athletic department last night!

Of note, DE VJ Fehoko signed with Utah. Fehoko is the third son of the Hawaii mascot. Man, I love Hawaii journalism.

Top recruit: DE Beau Yap

Yap was a Baylor commit until this week when he turned down the Bears in favor of his hometown Warriors. Choosing Waco, Texas, over Honolulu, Hawaii? Yeah, I guess I can buy that. The 6’2″, 230-pound pass rush specialist should help out a lackluster Warrior front four.

How they will use him:

In a Greg McMackin PSA.

Nevada’s recruiting class

The Wolf Pack went heavy on the offensive and defensive lines with 14 of their 26 commits playing in the trenches. The biggest uglies were DT Willie Faatauelafo (6’3″, 292 pounds) and OG Avery Poates (6’4″, 308 pounds). Rumor has it that Colin Kaepernick wore inflatable leg casts when he met the two new recruits, just in case one of them fell down and rolled into Kaepernick’s shins.

Top recruit: QB Cody Fajardo

The Wolf Pack lost out on a QB prospect when Eagle High’s Taylor Kelly decommitted and went to Arizona State. Fajardo came onto the recruiting radar late with a state title run and received offers from Nebraska and Arizona after committing to Nevada. He is a dual threat and the likely replacement for Colin Kaepernick either in 2011 or beyond.

How they will use him:

If Kaepernick is any indication, they will not be using Fajardo to complete more than 60 percent of the team’s passes.

Utah State’s recruiting class

Note to self: You don’t want to have your recruiting story start out like this:

When looking at Gary Andersen and Utah State’s recruiting class, the word that can best describe the Aggies’ haul is progress.

The Aggies turned in one of the WAC’s worst classes, and not even the lipstick of progress can make this pig look good. According to Scout’s rankings, the Aggies had only one three-star recruit. According to the spin masters at the Salt Lake Tribune, Utah State now has the depth needed to withstand one or two injuries … to QB Diondre Borel. Two of the Aggies’ best recruits QBs Jeremy Higgins and Alex Hart, the latter a local product.

Perhaps the best news out of the USU class was that the Aggies scored a couple of Florida prospects. The pipeline to Logan is alive and kicking!

Top recruit: OLB Chris Fox

The 6’3″ LB had plenty of offers from USU-esque schools, including Nevada and NMSU. He was the highest-ranked player according to Scout’s rankings.

How they will use him:

As a distraction to how awful the rest of the defense is.

New Mexico State’s recruiting class

Depending on which service you like, the Aggies either had a pretty good recruiting class or a typically anticlimactic recruiting class. Either way, at least head coach DeWayne Walker has his priorities straight:

The defensive line and offensive line were a focus for Coach Walker’s second signing class as head coach. The Aggies signed three defensive lineman and three offensive linemen.

Are they any good? Beats me. There is at least one good one in the bunch (see below) and three of the six were three-star players according to Rivals. If the lines work themselves out, NMSU might not be awful forever.

Top recruit: OL Aundre McGaskey

McGaskey was a JC star at Brinn Community College where he excelled at pass blocking, standing around prior to games, and sitting on people.

Plus, he has the intimidation face down pat:

How they will use him:

At QB because, really, who else do they got?

San Jose State’s recruiting class

In case you missed it, 2010 LOI Day marked the official transition of the San Jose State Spartans into the third spot on the WAC’s bottom tier, previously held by the Idaho Vandals. OK, that might not be completely true. After all, I am still pretty convinced that Idaho is a one-year wonder and that one poor recruiting year does not doom a program.

Still, there was not a whole lot to write home about with the 2010 SJSU class. The Spartans may have picked up their skill players of the future with three-star signings at QB, RB, and WR. If those players pan out, the Spartans 2010 class might look a whole lot better than it does right now.

Top recruit: RB Forrest Hightower

The Spartans got their Jeremy Avery with the commitment of Hightower. The 5-11, 170-pound back is shifty and elusive, and he could be the offensive help that the team needs in a couple years.

How they will use him:

Extensively because SJSU cannot pass worth beans.

Your turn

What do you think about Fresno State’s recruiting class? Any incoming WAC players have you worried? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Award season is just around the corner, and after this week’s games, the WAC will be naming its players of the year and coach of the year. Does Boise State deserve to sweep the awards?

After the jump, take a look at how each award race is shaping up and share your comments on how likely a Bronco sweep would be.

Offensive Player of the Year

Candidates

• Kellen Moore
• QB Colin Kaepernick, Nevada
• RB Ryan Mathews, Fresno State

The race for this year’s WAC OPOY has been eerily reminiscent of those maddening JumboTron plane/waterboat/car races they have at sporting events. One minute the red one is the lead. The next minute, it’s the yellow one. Would someone please just end the thing so that we can all mentally prepare for the hidden-ball-in-helmet video?

Mathews was the overwhelming favorite for this award at the season’s halfway point, but as is Mathews M.O., he got injured and has fallen behind. Next in line was Kaepernick who spearheaded a revitalized Nevada team as it ran off eight straight wins. However, it appears that the player with the most momentum at the end of the season is Moore, who clearly outdueled Kaepernick in the de facto WAC championship.

The favorite? Moore. It would be an abomination if anyone other than Moore took home OPOY honors. In other words, it would be a lot like last year.

(Note: All three players should return next year, providing quite the hype-fest for Karl Benson and the WAC. Has he already printed the media guide cover?)

Defensive Player of the Year

Candidates

• Ryan Winterswyk
• DT D’Anthony Smith, Louisiana Tech
• LB Ben Jacobs, Fresno State
• S Shiloh Keo, Idaho
• DE Dontay Moch, Nevada

Out of the three WAC awards, I think this one will be the closest one to call. Each of the above four players has had a special season. Idaho’s Keo is second in the WAC in tackles and has been the sole playmaker on a much-improved Vandal defense. Jacobs has been an animal, recording 82 tackles, 3 FFs, 3 FRs, and two blocked kicks; plus, the WAC loves choosing linebackers (see Solomon Elimimian last year). Smith is the most NFL-ready defensive player in the conference, and while his numbers aren’t outstanding, his impact certainly has been. Moch leads the conference in TFLs and is in the top three in sacks.

And then there’s Winterswyk. He currently leads the WAC in sacks (8.0) and sits second in TFLs (15). He has been a disruptive force all season long, hassling quarterbacks and stuffing the run. Has he been Boise State’s best defensive player this season? I would say yes. And in a year when there is no clear-cut player deserving of WAC DPOY, wouldn’t it make sense to choose the best player on the conference’s best defense?

The Statesman unveiled its choices for WAC awards this week, and they come to a different conclusion than I did.

Boise State cornerback Kyle Wilson is the choice in a year without a dominant player. Wilson is an All-American whose production – three interceptions, two pass breakups, two touchdowns – doesn’t show his true value.

Do you think Wilson has played better than Winterswyk this season?

Personally, I think that Wilson had a better 2008. Anyone who says that teams do not throw Wilson’s way this season is absolutely wrong. Teams most certainly throw his way, and he has been surprisingly undisciplined with penalties and tackling at times this year. Don’t get me wrong. Wilson is still an all-time great Bronco. I just don’t see him deserving DPOY honors this season.

If we’re talking about who is more valuable to the Broncos’ defense, then I think Wilson might win. But as far as the player who has had the better season, I think that player is Winterswyk.

Is there another player on the Boise State defense you think has had a better year? Jeron Johnson? Billy Winn?

Coach of the Year

Candidates

• Coach Pete
• Robb Akey
• Chris Ault

The only reason I listed Ault above is that I can see some people giving him credit for bringing Nevada out of that 0-3 hole and running off eight straight wins. That said, I think the discussion is really between Robb Akey and Coach Pete.

But really, should it even be a discussion? No doubt Akey worked some miracles with the Vandals this year in bringing them to 7-5. However, he lost his team’s three biggest games and only won one out of five games after becoming bowl eligible against a weak schedule. The Vandals lost by double-digits to the conference’s three best teams, giving up 133 points combined to Nevada and Boise State. And to put the cherry on top, Idaho dropped its season finale at home against a three-win Utah State.

On the other hand, Coach Pete has gone undefeated with the youngest team in the country.

If the WAC is serious about awarding COY to the coach who had done the best job this season, the award will go to Coach Pete. Year in and year out, he pulls off an incredible job, and it would be a shame if he is punished for his consistency.

(Note: I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the turnaround that Hawaii’s Greg McMackin has done with the Warriors. The season could not have started worse for UH – McMackin’s homophobic/apologetic blunder at media days, the Warriors’ 2-6 start, the loss of their starting quarterback. But four straight wins, including a victory over Navy, has Hawaii on the cusp of a bowl. Who would have thought that was possible a month ago?)

Your turn

Who do you think will win this season’s WAC awards? Share your winners in the comments. Also, please weigh in on who you think has had the better season: Ryan Winterswyk or Kyle Wilson.