2008 Boise State Broncos Season

2008 Boise State Broncos Season, Game Recaps, Scores and Reviews

2008 Boise State Broncos

Dec. 23
2008 Poinsettia Bowl
TCU 17 ... Boise State 16
TCU overcame a 13-0 deficit with a 17-point run with a 16-yard Aaron Brown touchdown run with 24 seconds left to play in the first half, a 32-yard Ross Evans field goal in the third, and a 17-yard Joseph Turner scoring dash midway through the fourth. Boise State answered with a 10-play drive culminating in a 33-yard Kyle Brotzman field goal, his third field goal of the game, with under five minutes to play. The Bronco offense had two final chances with the first one halted by a Stephen Hodge interception of Kellen Moore, and the second one, with six seconds to play, stopped as Matt Panfil stole the ball on a desperation hook-and-lateral attempt. Boise State started off the scoring with two Brotzman field goals and a 20-yard Ian Johnson touchdown run.
Player of the game: TCU S Stephen Hodge made 11 tackles, one sack, an interception, and three tackles for loss
Stat Leaders: Boise State - Passing: Kellen Moore, 22-35, 222 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Ian Johnson, 7-28, 1 TD. Receiving: Jeremy Childs, 7-61
TCU - Passing: Andy Dalton, 22-35, 197 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Aaron Brown, 14-102, 1 TD. Receiving: Walter Bryant, 6-67
Inside The Box Score ... Boise State's Jeron Johnson led all tacklers with 14 stops and an interception ... Third down conversions: TCU 9-of-18 - Boise State 3-of-11. ... Time of possession: TCU 36:07 - Boise State 23:53 ... Rushing yards: TCU 275 - Boise State 28. ... TCU DE Jerry Hughes was held to one sack, but it came on a key play late in the fourth quarter

- 2008 Boise St Preview 
- 2007 Boise St Season

2008 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 9-3
2006 Record: 12-1

Aug. 30 Idaho State W 49-7
Sept. 6 OPEN DATE
Sept. 13 Bowling Green W 20-7
Sept. 20 at Oregon W 37-32
Sept. 27 OPEN DATE
Oct. 1 Louisiana Tech W 38-3
Oct. 11 at Southern Miss W 24-7
Oct. 17 Hawaii W 27-7
Oct. 24 at San Jose St W 33-16
Nov. 1 at New Mexico St W 49-0
Nov. 8 Utah State W 49-14
Nov. 15 at Idaho W 45-10
Nov. 22 at Nevada W 41-34
Nov. 28 Fresno State W 61-10
Poinsettia Bowl
Dec. 23 TCU L 17-16

2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 10-2
2006 Record: 10-3

Aug. 30 Weber State W 56-7
Sept. 8 at Washington L 24-10
Sept. 15 Wyoming W 24-14
Sept. 27 So Miss W 38-16
Oct. 7 NMSU W 58-0
Oct. 14 Nevada W 69-67 4OT
Oct. 20 at La Tech W 45-31
Oct. 26 at Fresno St W 34-21
Nov. 3 San Jose State W 42-7
Nov. 10 at Utah State W 52-0
Nov. 17 Idaho W 58-14
Nov. 23 at Hawaii L 39-27
Hawaii Bowl
Dec. 23 East Carolina L 41-38

Nov. 28
Boise State 61 … Fresno State 10
Fresno State hung tough for a half picking off the Boise State’s first pass of the game with Damion Owens taking a Bush Hamdan pass 68 yards for a touchdown, and then it was all Boise State in the second half with 51 unanswered points overall highlighted by a 90-yard punt return for a score from Kyle Wilson and two short touchdown runs from Ian Johnson. Jeremy Avery also added a 43-yard touchdown run and Kellen Moore threw for two scores. Boise State outgained FSU 494 yards to 294.
Player of the game: Boise State RB Ian Johnson ran 14 times for 128 yards and two touchdowns, and caught three passes for 39 yards
Stat Leaders: Fresno State - Passing: Tom Brandstater, 23-37, 211 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Jamaal Rashad, 12-59. Receiving: Marlon Moore, 9-70
Boise State - Passing: Kellen Moore, 17-23, 213 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Ian Johnson, 14-128, 2 TD. Receiving: Jeremy Childs, 5-37, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Boise State wasn’t going to blow it on Senior Day to a team like Fresno State. Once the offensive line got into a lather in the second half, it was over as Ian Johnson and the running game had huge holes to blow through. It stinks that Bush Hamdan, in his final game, was given the honor of starting and he threw a bad pick six, but he was able to get back in the game and all turned out to be fine. Give the defense credit; it only allowed three points on the day. Fine, so Boise isn’t going to a BCS game, but it deserves it. It would’ve been interesting to have seen what this team could’ve done against a bigger name team.

Nov. 22
Boise State 41 … Nevada 34
Boise State appeared to be on its way to an easy win with a 24-3 halftime lead helped by two Kellen Moore touchdown passes, but Moore suddenly got cold. He threw three interceptions in the third quarter with Jerome Johnson returning one 28 yards for a score and Joshua Mauga taking another 46 yards for a touchdown. Thanks to a 66-yard Ian Johnson run, Boise State stayed ahead, and Moore settled down enough to hit Austin Pettis for a 10-yard score in the fourth. But Nevada fought back with a nine-yard Marko Mitchell touchdown catch and a 25-yard Brett Jaekle field goal, followed up by an onside kick. Down seven, the Wolf Pack had one last shot, but Colin Kaepernick’s final pass into the end zone was batted down.
Player of the game: Boise State QB Kellen Moore completed 29-of-43 passes for 414 yards and three touchdowns with three interceptions
Stat Leaders: Nevada - Passing: Colin Kaepernick, 19-50, 241 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Vai Taua, 14-75, 1 TD. Receiving: Vai Taua, 6-44
Boise State - Passing: Kellen Moore, 29-48, 414 yds, 3 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Ian Johnson, 7-71, 1 TD. Receiving: Austin Pettis, 9-126, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The BCS is way too much to ask for, but Boise State all but locked up an unbeaten regular season by surviving the scare against Nevada. It’ll take a collapse to lose to Fresno State at home; this was the final test. However, Kellen Moore needs a sharp game after his awful third quarter against the Pack with three interceptions and two pick sixes. He rebounded to come up with a big game and pull off the win, but he also allowed Nevada to get back in the game. It was all about the passing game against Nevada, and it’ll be all about the running game against Fresno.

Nov. 15
Boise State 45 … Idaho 10
Idaho got a wild 81-yard touchdown in the opening minute of the game as Daniel Hardy caught pass, was spun around, maintained his balance, and blew past the Boise State defense who thought he was down. That was it for the Idaho highlights as Boise State ripped off 525 yards of total offense with Jeremy Avery giving the team its first 100-yard rusher of the season. Avery ran for a 17-yard touchdown in the first quarter and a 57-yarder in the third, and the defense and special teams got in the act with Kyle Wilson taking a punt79 yards for a touchdown and Ellis Powers returning a fumble 45 yards for a score. The Broncos scored the final 28 points of the game.
Player of the game: Boise State RB Jeremy Avery ran 11 times for 156 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Idaho - Passing: Nathan Enderle, 15-26, 225 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Deonte Jackson, 15-53. Receiving: Daniel Hardy, 4-91, 1 TD
Boise State - Passing: Kellen Moore, 23-31, 210 yds
Rushing: Jeremy Avery, 11-156, 2 TD. Receiving: Jeremy Childs, 11-99
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Boise State finally got the running game working, rolling for 315 yards, but doing it against Idaho is nothing to get fired up about. However, it showed that the offense can be more than just an efficient Kellen Moore throwing the ball, and now Nevada and Fresno State will have to worry about the BSU balance. The defense was fine, but it wasn’t dominant anywhere but on the scoreboard. Idaho had the one big play in the first minute and that was it. Getting into the BCS is still a possibility, but style points against Nevada are going to count and a win by BYU over Utah would help.

Nov. 8
Boise State 49 … Utah State 14
Kellen Moore connected with Austin Pettis for a seven-yard touchdown and Vinny Perretta for a 38-yard score, but he was one of five players to throw touchdown passes for Boise State. Perretta threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Childs, Austin Pettis caught a five-yard touchdown pass from Michael Coughlin, and Tanyon Bissell connected with Childs for a 57-yard touchdown. The defense also got into the act with a four-yard fumble recovery for a score from Ellis Powers in the first quarter. The Broncos got up 28-0 before Utah State finally got on the board with a 51-yard Doug Barbour touchdown grab followed up by a 29-yard Robert Turbin touchdown catch. Boise State outgained Utah State 563 yards to 305.
Player of the game: Boise State QB Kellen Moore completed 27-of-36 passes for 362 yards and two touchdowns with an interception.
Stat Leaders: Utah State - Passing: Sean Setzer, 19-33, 226 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Sean Setzer, 3-18. Receiving: Omar Sawyer, 4-37
Boise State - Passing: Kellen Moore, 27-36, 362 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Ian Johnson, 10-35, 1 TD. Receiving: Jeremy Childs, 7-135, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Boise State was able to get a little bit quirky and experiment a bit to blowout Utah State with ease. Now the Broncos need to put up video game numbers, if possible. In the hunt for a BCS spot, Boise State needs to do something wacky and to overcome the Mountain West champion as far as national perception. At the moment, everyone seems to assume Utah will be in, or maybe BYU, but Boise State needs some luck to make the BCS for the second time in three years. The team is playing so well, outside of the lack of running game, it can start thinking about the big things.  

Nov. 1
Boise State 49 … New Mexico State 0
Boise State was dominant in all three phases as Kellen Moore threw three touchdown passes, including two to Jeremy Childs, Ian Johnson ran for an 11-yard touchdown, and Kyle Wilson added a 71-yard punt return for a score. The defense got into the act, too, holding New Mexico State to a mere 150 yards of total offense including 38 on the ground.
Player of the game: Boise State QB Kellen Moore completed 15-of-23 passes for 246 yards and three touchdowns with an interception.
Stat Leaders: New Mexico State - Passing: Chase Holbrook, 12-20, 64 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Tonny Glynn, 11-37. Receiving: Chris Williams, 4-24
Boise State - Passing: Kellen Moore, 15-23, 246 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Ian Johnson, 10-61, 1 TD. Receiving: Jeremy Childs, 5-84, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Boise State came up with one of its best overall games in the last few seasons by doing everything right against New Mexico State. The only knock would be the penalties, committing 11 for 90 yards, but the offense was balanced, the defense was dominant, and the return game worked well. Now there can’t be any sort of a letdown with layups against Utah State and Idaho ahead before the two final tests against Nevada and Fresno State. In a fight for a BCS spot, appearances matter. Those have to be blowouts.

Oct. 22
Boise State 33 … San Jose State 16
After a slow start, Boise State rebounded with a few long drives culminating in Kyle Brotzman field goals and a 10-yard Ian Johnson touchdown run. Johnson ran for two scores on the day, while Kellen Moore threw two short touchdown passes. The Spartans only cranked out 20-7 yards and nine first downs with 60 of the yards coming on a Brandon Rutley touchdown run. SJSU got a 62-yard interception return for a touchdown from Justin Cole on a perfectly read screen pass. The two teams combined for 22 penalties.
Player of the game: Boise State QB Kellen Moore completed 26-of-40 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns with an interception
Stat Leaders: Boise State - Passing: Kellen Moore, 26-40, 244 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Jeremy Avery, 21-96. Receiving: Aystin Pettis, 6-69, 1 TD
San Jose State - Passing: Kyle Reed, 16-29, 105 yds
Rushing: Brandon Rutley, 2-60, 1 TD. Receiving: David Richmond, 7-24
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Boise State’s offense was fine, but nothing special against San Jose State, while the defense took care of coming up with the win. The Broncos might not be getting into the backfield, but they can tackle and they swarm against the run. While there might have been 11 penalties, they didn’t matter too much considering the offense cranked out long drive after long drive, holding the ball for 39:26, while getting the Spartan offense off the field. Interestingly enough, Ian Johnson is being reduced to more of a role player. He’s the team’s key rushing option, but he’s not the workhorse anymore.

Oct. 17
Boise State 27 ... Hawaii 7
Brandyn Thompson came up with three of Inoke Funaki's five thrown interceptions and Kellen Moore threw three touchdown passes as the Broncos had no problems with the Warriors. Moore threw two scoring passes in the third quarter with a 12-yarder to Drew Hawkins and a 16-yarder to Austin Pettis to put the game away. Hawaii got its touchdown on a three-yard Daniel Libre run late in the second quarter, but it couldn't get the offense moving thanks to the turnovers and five allowed sacks. Boise State outgained Hawaii 367 yards to 288.
Player of the game: Boise State DB Brandyn Thompson came up with three interceptions
Stat Leaders: Boise State - Passing: Kellen Moore, 25-33, 256 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Jeremy Avery, 9-45. Receiving: Vinny Perretta, 7-82
Hawaii - Passing: Inoke Funaki, 17-34, 188 yds, 5 INT
Rushing: Daniel Libre, 7-27. Receiving: Aaron Bain, 6-47
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Boise State isn't the same Boise State, and that's not a bad thing. The running game isn't there, Ian Johnson was held in check by Hawaii, and the offensive line is merely average, but the defense is fantastic and Kellen Moore is doing a great job. The five interceptions of UH QB Inoke Funaki and the constant pressure ended up making the relatively tight game a blowout, but to really be a team worthy of not just going to the BCS, but winning yet another big game, Johnson has to get more in the mix. He needs room to move.

Oct. 11
Boise State 24 … Southern Miss 7
Boise State got three touchdown passes from Kellen Moore with two short ones going to Austin Pettis, but it was the defense that stole the show. The Broncos held USM to 278 yards of total offense and only gave up a 17-yard Damion Fletcher touchdown run in the wild second quarter. All the scoring was done in the second as Boise State started out the scoring with a 28-yard pass to Jeremy Childs, and ended it with a four-yard catch from Pettis. Along the way, the defense stuffed USM on a fourth down and took control of the game. USM was 0-for-4 on fourth down tries.
Player of the game: Boise State QB Kellen Moore completed 21-of-30 passes for 170 yards and three touchdowns with an interception
Stat Leaders: Southern Miss - Passing: Austin Davis, 15-34, 160 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Damion Fletcher, 14-69, 1 TD. Receiving: Gerald Baptiste, 3-53
Boise State - Passing: Kellen Moore, 21-30, 170 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Jeremy Avery 12-56 & Ian Johnson 11-56. Receiving: Jeremy Childs, 10-92, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Boise State went on the road and simply out-physicaled Southern Miss, at least on defense, while Kellen Moore keeps on improving as an all-around passer. This was the big test. The WAC schedule doesn’t really offer any challenges outside of the road trips to San Jose State and Nevada, but those are very winnable. After winning this easily at USM, there’s no reason to not run the table.
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... On a three-game losing streak, the Southern Miss season is quickly slipping away. The Boise State game was a chance to show on a national basis that USM might still be one of the kings of the non-BCS programs, but the loss emphatically showed how things have slipped a bit. The running game couldn’t get going, and the passing game, thanks to a lousy day from Austin Davis, struggled. When the team needed the really hard yards, it couldn’t get them. Now the offense has to crank it up a notch with a trip to Rice up next.

Oct. 2
Boise State 38 ... Louisiana Tech 3
Boise State got up 14-0 in the first half on Kellen Moore touchdown passes from 13 yards out to Julian Hawkins and 44 yards to Chris O'Neill, and then the defense did the rest. Louisiana Tech moved the ball, but sputtered when it got close, only managing a 29-yard field goal in the second quarter. Titus Young ran for a 15-yard score late in the first half, and D.J. Harper put it away with two three-yard second half touchdown runs.
Player of the game: Boise State QB Kellen Moore completed 20-of-28 passes for 325 yards and two touchdowns with an interception.
Stat Leaders: Boise State - Passing: Kellen Moore, 20-28, 325 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Ian Johnson, 9-42. Receiving: Jeremy Childs, 4-36
Louisiana Tech - Passing: Taylor Bennett, 9-27, 202 yds
Rushing: Daniel Porter, 16-68. Receiving: Philip Livas, 3-77
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Bronco running game continues to have a few problems powering the ball, but Kellen Moore and the passing game kept things moving and never let Louisiana Tech get into the game. While this might not be the explosive BSU offense of the pass, it's steady, doesn't make mistakes, and keeps on pounding, even if the rushing yards aren't there. Things are fine around the goal line, but Ian Johnson still needs to get more room to run. The coaching staff did a good job of getting the ball to No. 41 on the move. Johnson caught three passes for 106 yards.

Sept. 20
Boise State 37 … Oregon 32
Boise State exploded with a 24-point second quarter with Kellen Moore throwing for two short scores and Ian Johnson running for a six-yard touchdown. Oregon tried to answer on the first drive of the second half with an 18-yard Jeremiah Johnson scoring run, but the Broncos answered with a 73-yard Vinny Perretta touchdown catch and two of Kyle Brotzman’s three field goals for a 37-13 lead. Oregon lost quarterback Jeremy Masoli to a concussion, and freshman Darron Thomas came in to throw three fourth quarter touchdown passes with two to Ed Dickson to pull within five with less than two minutes to play, but the Broncos recovered the onside kick.
Player of the game: Boise State QB Kellen Moore threw for 386 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception on 24-of-36 passing.
Stat Leaders: Boise State - Passing: Kellen Moore, 24-36, 386 yds, 3 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: Ian Johnson, 19-40, 1 TD. Receiving: Jeremy Childs, 4-100
Oregon - Passing: Darron Thomas, 13-25, 210 yds, 3 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: LeGarrette Blount, 18-99, 1 TD. Receiving: Ed Dickson, 7-103, 2 TDs
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... All of a sudden, with one big road win, Boise State goes from an afterthought to a BCS buster. The Broncos beat the Oregon defense with the big play and a near-flawless performance from QB Kellen Moore. The running game was stuffed, with Ian Johnson only gaining 40 yards on 19 carries, but Moore made up for it by keeping the chains moving and hitting on the long touchdown pass to Vinny Peretta to get up for good. Now the spotlight is on. No one on the schedule is good enough to stay within two touchdowns of the Broncos until the end of the year against Nevada and Fresno State.

Sept. 13
Boise State 20 … Bowling Green 7
Kellen Moore ran for a one-yard score and Ian Johnson scored twice in the second quarter on runs from one and six yards out to give Boise State a commanding lead, and the defense did the rest. Bowling Green managed a four-yard Jimmy Scheidler touchdown catch early in the fourth, but saw its one other promising late drive get snuffed out by a turnover. The Falcons gave it away three times.  
Player of the game: Boise State S Jeron Johnson made 13 tackles with a tackle for loss and a broken up pass
Stat Leaders: Boise State - Passing: Kellen Moore, 18-23, 180 yds
Rushing: Ian Johnson, 13-97, 2 TD. Receiving: Jeremy Childs, 5-79
Bowling Green - Passing: Tyler Sheehan, 21-34, 200 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Chris Bullock, 12-49. Receiving: Tyrone Pronty, 6-74
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... There wasn’t much of a running game against Boise State and the three turnovers turned out to be killers, but the Falcons stayed alive by controlling the clock and getting a shutout from the defense in the second half. Tyler Sheehan struggled to connect on his deep passes to open things up for the running game, while Chris Bullock only got 12 carries and 49 yards against a decent Bronco run defense.

Aug. 30
Boise State 49 ... Idaho State 7
Boise State jumped out to a 28-0 lead highlighted by an 80-yard Titus Young touchdown play and two short scoring runs from Richie Brockel. Idaho State got on the board late in the first half on a two-yard Clint Knickrehm run, but it was all Boise State in the second half as Young ran for a 24-yard score and Tyler Shoemaker caught scoring passes from 56 and 17 yards out. The first score came at the end of an eight play, 99-yard drive.
Player of the game: Boise State WR Titus Young caught seven passes for 142 yards and a touchdown and ran three times for 34 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Boise State - Passing: Kellen Moore, 14-19, 274 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Ian Johnson, 14-87, 1 TD. Receiving: Titus Young, 7-142, 1 TD
Idaho - Passing: Russell Hill, 15-22, 74 yds
Rushing: Ken Cornist, 19-98. Receiving: Eddie Thompson, 10-56
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Broncos needed nothing less than a great opening day performance from Kellen Moore to show that he was the right choice for the job, and he came through against Idaho State with an efficient, mistake-free day. Ian Johnson got limited work, and that's a major plus. Basically, the star of the show will be fresh for Bowling Green in two weeks. It's nitpicking, but hanging on to the ball longer would be nice after keeping it for just 22:53.

2008 Recruiting Class

Star of the Class

Byron Hout, LB, 6-1, 225, Fr., Coeur d' Alene, Idaho (Lake City HS)
A three-year letterman at Lake City High School in Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho...Named the Idaho Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior...Honored as the 2007 5A Idaho Player of the Year by the Idaho Statesman, while also being named first-team all state by the paper...Named the 71st best player in the West by Scout Magazine...Named to the Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, honoring the top 100 players in the West...Ranked as the 33rd best player on the Northwest 100...Earned first-team all-state and first-team All-Inland Empire League honors as a linebacker as a senior after totaling 80 tackles, three sacks, 20 tackles for loss, three interceptions, seven forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries, 10 hurries and a touchdown...As a junior, named the state’s MVP, as well as being named first-team all-state and all-conference as both an offensive and defensive lineman...Finished with 80 tackles, 12 sacks, 16 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles and two touchdowns...As a sophomore, named first-team all-state and all-conference as a defensive lineman after making 85 tackles, four sacks and 11 tackles for loss, while forcing six fumbles and recovering three fumbles

Potential Instant Impact Players

Tyler Jackson, S, 6-0, 185, Fr., Castle Rock, Colo. (Douglas County HS)
A three-year letterman at Douglas County High School in Castle Rock, Colorado...Won the Denver Post Gold Helmet award, presented annually to Colorado’s top senior football player, scholar and citizen (winners must have made first-team all-state, maintained at least a 3.5 grade-point average with a strong academic base and have a proven commitment to their community as well as having demonstrated high character...As a senior named to the All-Colorado first team, which encompasses all the high school divisions in the state...Also earned first-team all-state and first-team All-Continental League after totaling 70 tackles, nine interceptions and 10 pass breakups, while blocking 10 kicks (four punts and six field goals)...As a junior, named honorable mention all-state and first-team All-Continental League after finishing with 60 tackles, six interceptions and 22 pass breakups

Daron Mackey, LB, 6-0, 230, Jr., Bakersfield, Calif. (West HS/Bakersfield College)
A two-time all-conference player at Bakersfield College in Bakersfield, California, where he was also named third-team All-America...Finished sophomore season with 78 tackles, four interceptions, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a touchdown...As a freshman, had 113 tackles, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a touchdown...Junior college coach was Jeff Chudy...A 2006 graduate of West High School in Bakersfield, California...Named all-conference as both a junior and senior, while earning third-team all-state honors as a senior...During senior season, had 143 tackles, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

Rest of the Class
Chase Baker, DT, 6-1, 285, Fr., Rocklin, Calif. (Rocklin HS)
Mitch Burroughs, WR, 5-10, 185, Fr., Meridian, Idaho (Meridian HS)
Van Drumgoole, WR, 5-11, 160, Fr., Caldwell, Idaho (Vallivue HS)
Bronson Durrant, OG, 6-3, 290, Fr., Eugene, Ore. (Marist HS)
Spencer Gerke, OG, 6-3, 240, Fr., Boise, Idaho (Bishop Kelly HS)
Greg Grimes, DT, 6-0, 280, Fr., Sacramento, Calif. (Inderkum HS)
George Iloka, S, 6-3, 200, Fr., Sugar Land, Texas (Kempner HS)
Matt Kaiserman, RB, 5-11 , 190, Fr., Nampa, Idaho (Skyview HS) 
Joe Kellogg, OG, 6-4, 290, Fr., Scottsdale, Ariz. (Saguaro HS)
Chandler Koch, TE, 6-3, 220, Fr., Flower Mound, Texas (Flower Mound HS)
Darren Koontz, DT, 6-3, 255 , Fr., Los Alamitos, Calif. (Los Alamitos HS)
Raphiel Lambert, CB, 5-9, 185, Fr., Portland, Ore. (Jesuit HS)
Shea McClellin, DL, 6-4, 250, Fr., Caldwell, Idaho (Marsing HS)
Brenel Myers, OG, 6-3, 260, Fr., Houston, Texas (Westfield HS)
Dan Paul, LB, 6-0, 230, Fr., Boring, Ore. (Sam Barlow HS)
Chris Potter, WR, 5-11, 170, Fr., Westlake Village, Calif. (Oaks Christian HS)
Tommy Smith, LB, 6-1, 205, Fr., Atlanta, Ga. (North Atlanta HS)
Tom Swanson, OT, 6-5, 260, Fr., Sammamish, wash. (Skyline HS)
Jamar Taylor, CB, 5-11, 180, Fr., Spring Valley, Calif. (Helix HS)
Dominique Vinson, WR, 6-0, 165, Fr., Huntington Beach, Calif. (Edison HS)
Faraji Wright, OT, 6-3, 275, Fr., Vallejo, Calif. (Berkely HS)

2007 Recap

Recap: The darlings of college football a season ago, Boise State was forced to take a WAC seat to Sugar Bowl-bound Hawaii in 2007.  The Broncos reeled off nine straight wins after losing at Washington on Sept. 8, but finished with back-to-back losses at Aloha Stadium, a 39-27 loss to the Warriors for the league title and a 41-38 loss to East Carolina in the Hawaii Bowl.  During the winning streak, Boise State scored more than 50 points four times, largely due to the crisp passing of senior Taylor Tharp, who did a nice job as a one-year stop-gap after Jared Zabransky graduated.

Offensive Player of the Year: QB Taylor Tharp

Defensive Player of the Year: S Marty Tadman

Biggest Surprise: WR Jeremy Childs.  The Bronco staff knew Childs had potential, but few expected it to reach the surface this early in his career.  The sophomore set a school record with 82 catches for 1,045 yards and nine touchdowns, despite skipping the bowl game for disciplinary reasons. 

Biggest Disappointment: The Bronco defense, so solid for more than two months, came apart at the end of the season, allowing Hawaii to rally for a conference-clinching win and East Carolina to pile up 476 yards in the bowl game.  Pirate RB Chris Johnson treated the Boise State defenders like mannequins, zipping past them for a bowl-record 408 all-purpose yards.  

Looking Ahead: Who replaces Tharp at quarterback? Senior Bush Hamdan, junior Nick Lomax, sophomore Mike Coughlin, and redshirt freshman Kellen Moore will duke it out beginning this spring.  The program already received good news when it survived another December without losing coveted head coach Chris Peterson to another school.