The Breaking Point

When Boise State takes the field perfection is always what is expected, so when the mighty Bronco’s don’t march out to a 21-0 lead in the first five minutes of any game anxiety is sure to start in.

The Broncos are not so much feared right now as they are desired by their opponents, desired because they have shown the way to the promise land of BCS bowls and national attention. Bronco opponents don’t have the feeling of inevitability that say Michigan opponents back in its glory days had, and for that we often get to see the best Boise States opponents can give.

Saturday night against UNLV we saw a great example of that, for 2 quarters of play UNLV players were flying around the field, exploding off the line into contact and tackling with ferociousness not seen from them all season. At times it looked as if Boise was struggling, again in another death match, but then came the BREAKING POINT, that’s point in every Bronco game when the will of the opponent was broken.

Last night that was the accumulation of 7 points to close the half and the severity of collisions to start the second and like a crumbling cookie it went from a 21-14 close game to being over in less than 7 minutes of play from Tyler Shoemaker overcoming his drops until 8 minutes into the 3^rd then again 2 seconds into the 4^th to  DJ Harper cherry on top 36 yard power run 2 minutes later and for the last 12 plus minutes Boise States second team took over and they too found the end zone while also giving up a score to UNLV’s A squad.

Last night’s game was just a replay of the seven that had preceded it.  From Jerrell Gavins pick of Arron Murray with 5:38 to go in the first half against Georgia, to 1 minute 22 second drive executed to perfection in Toledo by Kellen Moore and crew to end the half against MAC leaders Toledo Rockets.

Following two road games to start the season  the Bronco’s came home to play an experienced Tulsa team that has dreams of BCS bowls as well, Tulsa the C-USA leader knows the Bronco’s well and have played them to the edge on their own turf back in 09 and were itching for some pay back only to have Boise State drive 76 yards on the opening drive in 6 minutes, but hope springs eternal as Boise put the ball on the turf and turning it over however the game was already over as the long drive had gutted Tulsa defense and Boise went on to put up 27 unanswered points, only after Boise had subbed out its offense and defense did Tulsa put up its points, making the score look closer than the game actually was.

Nevada was a revenge game for the Broncos regardless to what coach Petersen says, the first 18 minutes was the typical death embraced between the WAC leaders and the Broncos as Boise States defense refused to allow the Wolf Pack offense any room to breathe allow Kellen Moore and the Boise State offense to get rolling the breaking point came at the 8 minute mark as Kellen Moore found Red Shirt Freshmen Matt Miller for a 3 yard TD. At the start of the 4^th coach Petersen as to make a point at 30-0 called off the dogs and started clearing the benches.

Fresno State is the exception to the rule, maybe because they do have a good coach you knows what he’s up against and knows what it takes, whatever the reason Fresno has a complete mental block when it comes to Boise State, they know the inevitability of it all and appear to just show up so for them the breaking point is the film room on game week, they just want to come out of the game still intact physically.

For Colorado State it was accumulative, three consecutive 3 and outs followed by Bronco TD’s and by the start of the second quarter the game was over the Rams were looking for the exits.

Air Force brought many first for Boise State, for only the second time in years they were not wearing their Blue on Blue uni’s, their first MWC home game and the first time they had ever faced a military academy’s triple option, I don’t want to say there was a point where the whole team broke but eventually they did, and no doubt they took Boise’s D-line to its limits and tried coach Petersen’s patients then most certainly did, but when Air Force failed to not only convert a fake punt but had it blow up into a Boise State TD the game was over, Air Force was never again in a position to win the game.

TCU hasn’t really had a breaking point this year, they have lost games but I don’t think it can be said they had been taken to a point where they gave up and had no hope until the clock went to zero. Fact is in Boise States three games against TCU though they have lost 2 of the 3 we have yet to break them. This might be the last time we play TCU in many years to come, could this be the year we finally find their breaking point?

For Boise State these breaking points are very important to their success, certainly many times teams have come up against Boise State and some times in the beginning they have made them look average. That’s when Boise States coaching comes in and makes the fixes, adjust the game plan and refocuses, take the screen play to Matt Miller last night that opened up Boise States scoring that was an adjustment to what UNLV was doing and the result was a quick and easy TD. Boise States coach have coached these young men up so well that their execution on game changes get the desired results and this in the end is what makes beating Boise State so difficult. Clearly Boise State does everything it can to make others focus in on what they are doing with all the offensive and defensive shifts and movement, but what goes unseen is how well they do in making in game adjustments to what they are seeing on the field.

The fearlessness and trust in the players that the coach have in their players is what allow a seldom use special teams player to have the authority to call for a fake punt play on the field and then to execute it to perfection, no time outs required. This very confidence in his players and fearlessness to trust them to do as taught separates Boise State from every other team in America, as we all watched last night as Kellen Moore went from Heisman candidate QB to playing offensive coordinator of the second team offense leading the offense from the sideline. In all my years I have never ever seen a coach do that!

Boise State doesn’t just have good football players Boise State has football smart men playing on their Blue field, and with this philosophy Boise will continue to recruit Boise men and build what others can only dare dream of.