Stream-of-Consciousness Notes
2010 Fiesta Bowl - TCU vs. Boise State
By
Pete Fiutak
-
2009
Fiesta Bowl Stream-of-Consciousness Notes
Pregame
-
Let's not worry about what this game isn't. It's isn't for the national title, and no, the winner doesn't deserve
a nod or votes for the national championship. It's
not the 2007 Fiesta Bowl made magic against Oklahoma
with every gimmick ever devised. And it's not a
matchup of nice, cute stories. TCU and Boise State
have been good for a long time and they deserve to
be given more consideration by the human pollsters
during the season, but for now, just enjoy what
should be one of the best bowl games of the season.
At least that's the hope.
- However, No. 4 TCU should be playing No. 3
Cincinnati in this game for the right to finish the
year third, or even second depending on what happens
in Pasadena. Boise State should've played Florida in
the Sugar.
- How does Michael McDonald still have a career
after the 40-Year-Old Virgin?
- Sorry, but an eagle flying through University of
Phoenix Stadium doesn't quite compare to the jets
flying over the Rose Bowl.
- I know I'll get hammered on this on several
different levels, but the Verbal Kint hand crimp of
a horned frog sign that TCU fans do is just plain
silly.
- (Warning ... this only works if you can read it in his voice.) I'm Sam Rosen coming to you from lovely Glendale,
Arizona, where the sunsets are lovely in the Valley
of the Sun. I think the weather here is gorgeous, as
I was telling that alter cocker Maury over there
in 3B. He hasn't left Boca in 25 years and he's all ferdrayt.
- Really, why don't we have a playoff?
- I'm Sam Rosen and I'm excited for this game, but
not as excited as I was over the nice piece of fish
I had over at Max & Benny's, where they have the
delightful bowl of pickles sitting on the table for
you as the perfect complement to a corned beef
sandwich with a shmeer of gravy so mouth-watering
that it'll make you plotz.
- Why does Gary Patterson need a visor inside an
enclosed stadium?
FIRST QUARTER
TCU on its own 23
- I think TCU is winning this game because of its
defense. The offense doesn't have to do anything
crazy and it doesn't have to take too many chances.
Establish the run right away behind the big,
talented line and wait for the defense to do the
rest.
- TCU comes out throwing on the first play and
swarming on the second against the run.
- QB Andy Dalton has to get on the move early.
- Fantastic punt pinning Kyle Wilson deep. He can't
have the ball in his hands on the move.
Boise State on its own 15
- OHHHHHH. Kellen Moore, overshot his
target by ten yards for what would've been a 85-yard
touchdown.
- Moore is too pumped up. This game is in his hands,
but he's way wild for him.
- How did Jerry Hughes not get nailed with a penalty
for pushing Moore after the whistle?
- Three and out. Had Moore misfired on three
straight passes at any time this year?
- Do NOT punt the ball to Jeremy Kerley. Punt it out
of bounds, take a knee, whatever. Don't let him kill
you.
- The Broncos do a nice job of stringing him out.
- TCU is establishing a chippy tone early. This is
an attitude game for the Horned Frogs so far.
TCU on its own 31
- Go to what you do with the zone
read. Run the offense.
- Boise State can run to the ball, but Oregon game
aside, I think it can be powered over. TCU has to
pound away and see early on if the Broncos have an
answer up front for the massive front five.
- Am I insane that I sort of like the porkier
version of the Taco Bell diet chick better?
- I still believe the Taco Bell diet ads are done by
The Onion.
- Touchdown Boise State on a misfire from Dalton.
Brandyn Thompson took advantage of a horrible,
horrible play by Dalton, who locked in on his target
starting last Tuesday and took the pick for an easy
score.
- If nothing else, maybe this will stop the steady
diet of Andy Dalton For Heisman e-mails that fill up
my inbox on a weekly basis.
- I don't think TCU believed before this game that
it could lose this game, or even be challenged.
It'll be interesting to see if the offense comes out
conservative.
- Dalton is honking on the sideline, obviously
ticked about the broken off route by Antoine Hicks,
but Dalton never took his eyes off him.
Boise State 7 ... TCU 0
TCU on its own 24
- Dalton comes back trying to make up
for his pick six by forcing a throw into triple
coverage.
- TCU, RUN YOUR NORMAL OFFENSE. Make Boise State
stop the rushing aspect of the zone read.
- That's a third straight awful decision by Dalton.
He had Ryan Christian wide open but didn't show any
touch, allowing Kyle Wilson to easily bat it away.
- Three plays, three passes. Boise State didn't stop
the run on the previous drive.
- 11 of the 12 things Tim Ryan have said so far have
been excuses for TCU.
- TCU is playing like a bully who needs to try to do
some pushing because it's insecure. The Horned Frogs
are so much better than they played in the first
five minutes.
- I'll be Ryan ... TCU needs to settle down.
Boise State on its own 26
- Kelly Griffin blows up a BSU running
play. And there are the TCU fans with their Verbal
Kint quotation marks.
- BSU, run right at Hughes. Don't let him chase down
plays.
- No, no, no, no, no. That's not going to work.
Delays aren't going to fly against this defense.
Everything has to be decisive, quick-hitting ...
- Like that. Moore throws a strike to Austin Pettis
for the first down.
- BSU has had two open target on both bomb attempts
with Moore being off on each one. The offense isn't
afraid of the TCU corners.
- And the TCU fans rejoice ..."Back when I was picking beans in Guatemala, we used to make fresh coffee, right off the trees I mean. That was good. This is sh** but, hey, I'm in a police station."
- The BSU receivers are abusing the TCU corners. The
Horned Frogs can't cover Titus Young or Pettis.
- Moore is locked in. He's making the right reads,
he's in a rhythm, and he's throwing darts.
- Don't look now, but the impenetrable TCU D is
getting picked on. Why? There's no pass rush. Moore
is getting time and he's making the right reads.
- 36-yard field goal try...
- Nope. Kyle Brotzman pushed it wide.
- And the TCU fans rejoice ... "Where's your head, Agent Kujan? Where do you think the pressure's coming from?"
- I'm now annoyed by Ryan calling last year's
Poinsettia Bowl the "Poin-seeee-et-tia Bowl" twice
now.
TCU on its own 21
- Dalton isn't getting any open
targets to throw to. He has had to try to make
things happen so far.
- I'm Sam Rosen, and this is one of the things I
love about college football: the bands. You know who
had a good band? That Benny Goodman. The first time
I heard him I had to fend off that schmendrick
Herschel Weinstein to get dances with all the pretty
girls.
- Dalton ... TURN YOUR HEAD. He's not reading the
Bronco defense at all and he just got mashed by Kyle
Wilson on a corner blitz.
- Uh oh ... Dalton is down. He got laid out by
Wilson who nailed him with a perfectly clean hit.
Wilson could've blown him up with a kill shot, but
didn't.
- It's third down and TCU might want to get this
drive over with, but if it's Marcus Jackson under
center, he needs to connect on a pass right away or
the Bronco safeties will cheat up and erase the run.
Boise State on its own 27
- Dalton got the wind knocked out of
him.
- This is just about as bad as TCU can play, and
Boise State has had a lot to do with that. But it's
only 7-0.
- Again, I guarantee you that TCU is stunned that
it's not winning this game easily.
- No, no, no, no, no, no. Again, that's not going to
work. Don't string out the TCU defense and try to
stretch out an option play.
- Moore reacted to pressure that wasn't there, threw
off his back foot, and missed.
- The Boise State offense didn't go back to what
worked on the last drive. It got way too cute.
TCU on its own 26
- The punters are doing a great job.
- TCU isn't sharp. Lots of ticky-tack, false
start-type of mistakes.
- Dalton is back in.
- Nice play call to settle Dalton in. He flairs a
quick pass out to Christian who gets free and close
to a first down.
First Quarter Score: Boise State 7 ... TCU 0
SECOND QUARTER
- ANOTHER TCU false start.
- TCU, you have running backs. Use them.
- It's almost like both teams are trying to empty
their playbooks instead of going at the opposing
team's relative weaknesses.
- That's the third shot of the Boise State pep
chicks or the band that showed someone yawning.
- Dalton makes a magnificent throw between three
defenders and it's dropped. No one's making plays.
Boise State on its own 23
- Both of these teams would be down 21
to Florida by now.
- No. You can't use Misirlou to promote The
Hangover. That song is forever associated with
the opening of Pulp Fiction.
- For the first time all game, BSU gets a little bit
of running room. I'm a big fan of Doug Martin. He's
a tough, decisive runner who's always making
something positive happen.
- Finally, a Jerry Hughes sighting.
- Hughes jumps. He's misreading Moore's cadence.
- Moore throws a perfect strike to Titus Young. He's
getting the time and he's delivering.
- Brenel Myers moved outside and is now handling
Hughes well.
- The Broncos are using Young in every way possible.
- THERE'S Hughes. Just as I praise Myers, Hughes
flies into the backfield and sits on Moore's head.
Boise State might have to start providing more help
on him.
- 4th and three and Boise State is going for it on
the TCU 25. This seems like more of a statement that
the Broncos don't believe in Brotzman at the moment
from 42 yards out than a statement trying to be made
against the TCU D.
- Yes, I'm questioning TCU's defense. What are you
doing giving Austin Pettis a five-yard cushion on
4th and 3?!
- Boise State needs to get a TD on this drive. TCU
is too good not to start playing better.
- No, no, no, no, no. I'm still not sure why Boise
State thinks it can use delays and thinks it can run
wide on this swarming D.
- Has TCU's offense had the ball this half?
- Oh Kellen ... Moore had a wide open Chris Potter
and airmailed his throw. He's way, way too good to
be struggling with his consistency.
- Brotzman easily nails the field goal.
Boise State 10 ... TCU 0
TCU on its own 20
- Does TCU panic? There might be a
feeling setting in that it needs to do something big
soon to change the momentum.
- Boise State is playing far faster right now.
- Bad Tostitos promo shot. Someone's holding a bad
of chips and it looked like he pulled one out of a
Boise State player's butt.
- That's fine. It only went for a five yards, but a
Joseph Turner power run got things moving. Keep at
it, don't go for the home run, and get that running
game working.
- And is all goes down the toilet. Dalton takes his
eyes off the snap and loses it for a huge nine-yard
loss.
- Dalton isn't even thinking about going to a second
read. The Broncos are going to pick him off again
for a huge play before this game is over.
- MVP ... TCU P Anson Kelton.
- And the TCU fans rejoice ... "Keaton always said, "I don't believe in God, but I'm afraid of him." Well I believe in God, and the only thing that scares me is Keyser Soze."
Boise State on its own 4
- This is where Hughes has to earn his
money.
- Again, Boise State doesn't really seem to believe
that the TCU corners, with Rafael Priest out, can stop
Young and the Bronco
receivers.
- And yet again, the TCU fans rejoice ... "Are you trying to get a rise out of me, Agent Kujan?"
- TCU CB Greg McCoy has wheels, but he's getting
ripped apart.
- Moore is getting all the time he wants to throw.
- HOW IS THAT DEFNESIVE PASS INTERFERENCE?! Young
pulls down Jason Teague on a Moore pop fly. The
Horned Frogs got totally screwed on that call.
- Hughes isn't getting to Moore, but he's making
plays. He came up with a nice batted down pass on
third down.
- Kerley is way overdue to do something interesting.
- Ryan had it right when he said, "uh oh." Kerley
should've done more with a bad punt.
TCU on its own 38
- Two minutes to play and TCU has done
nothing offensively. Dalton is having an awful game.
He's not reading the BSU D at all ...
- ... and then he makes an excellent read and gets a
first down play on a nice read an throw to Antoine
Hicks.
- Dalton isn't getting much help from his targets.
- If TCU scores on this and it's 10-7 at halftime,
TCU might as well be up by two scores. Again, this
is as bad as it can play, and again, Boise State has
had a lot to do with this.
- One minute to play. Dalton is playing better in
the hurry-up, but he's still locked on to every
primary target.
- Touchdown. This play has been set up all first
half, and Dalton comes up with a fantastic throw to
Curtis Clay on a slant and go. Brandyn Thompson
gives with a pick six, and he gives back by biting
on a fake and getting burned deep.
- This is devastating for the Broncos. Basically,
it's 7-3 TCU even after the Broncos owned this half.
Boise State10 ... TCU 7
Boise State on its own 9
- With less than a minute to play,
yeah, Titus Young was right to bring it out, even if
it didn't work.
- Take a knee. You have the lead, Boise State. Get
in the locker room ...
- ... but TCU has two timeouts left.
- .Uhhhhh, TCU, why aren't you calling a time out?
Major gaffe here. With this defense, you make Boise
State snap the ball deep in its own territory every
chance you get.
Second Quarter Score: Boise State 10 ... TCU
7
THIRD QUARTER
Boise State on its own 32
- TCU has just 28 rushing yards in the
first half. That's TCU's fault.
- I'm not sure why Boise State isn't going with more
quick hitting passes. It's almost like the Broncos
are playing into TCU's speed and aggressiveness
instead of taking what's being given. Young and
Pettis can catch 6-to-9-yard passes all game long.
- Three and out. Yes, I'll say it. Boise State's
coaches are calling a dumb offensive game. 3rd and
short and it ran wide?! On TCU?!
TCU on its own 24
- There we go. Fine. An inside
hand-off only goes for a yard, but TCU has to
establish something on the ground. Use the big beefy
guys up front.
- But that only works if Dalton is making the right
read on the option.
- Based on the way the offenses are playing,
Florida, Texas, and Alabama would KILL these two
teams.
- I've been overly critical of Dalton because he's
better than this. This time, he makes a great play
and fires a perfect pill for a first down with
Broncos in his face.
- Basically, Dalton is looking at whoever isn't
being covered by Kyle Wilson and going that way.
- I want a cute blond girl following me around with
water at the ready like a head coach gets to have.
- BSU S George Hoka is killing the TCU quick passing
game.
- No excuse. Dalton had all the time in the world to
throw, he never turns his head to find a second
receiver, and he misses on 3rd and 10.
Boise State on its own 17
- Again, I really like Doug Martin and
he's the perfect player for what Boise State needs
to do. There's no dancing, no finesse. Attack
straight ahead and don't mess around.
- And the TCU fans rejoice ... "You tell me, Agent Kujan, if I told you the Loch Ness Monster hired me to hit the harbor, what would you say?"
- 3rd and 1 and Martin powers for the first down.
Quick, decisive, and effective.
- The Broncos are WAY overdue to do something
gimmicky, and Moore is WAY overdue to connect ...
- ... on a deep pass. As I wrote that. Kyle Efaw got
open and Moore found him for a 28-yard play.
- Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, how is that not TCU's ball?!
Martin put it on the turf ...
- Yup, Hughes strips Martin and rips it out.
TCU on its own 44
- Late in the third quarter and TCU
has to take advantage of this. This is the break it
needed.
- TCU is having the same problem that Boise State is
having with its play calls. Too much horizontal and
not nearly enough vertical.
- Best play call of the day. Dalton comes up with a
perfect fake and reads that Jeremy Kerley FINALLY
gets a little room to breathe with Kyle Wilson
backing off. Great call, great play great throw,
first down.
- TCU on the Boise 15.
- Both defenses are way too disciplined. None of the
misdirection stuff is working.
- It seems like there are five different levels of
TCU cheerleader.
- Again, dumb. It's 3rd and long and it's a
four-yard pass on a play that hasn't worked all game
long and has no chance whatsoever this close to the
goal line. It's one thing to take what a defense
gives you, and it's another to try to make the play
that needs to be made.
- Field goal. And for some reason, the TCU fans are
rejoicing ... "It's all there. May I have a cigarette?"
Boise State on its own 27
-Two straight plays, two straight wide
throws.
- Texas, please be watching this and realize this
isn't going to work against Alabama.
- I'm sorry to be so harsh, but this is insane.
BOISE STATE ... YOU ... CAN'T ... MOVE ... THE ...
BALL ... ON ... TCU ... WIDE. My kingdom for a
downfield throw.
TCU on its own 25
- With one minute to go in the third
quarter, it's sort of too late to start establishing
the run.
- (Heavy sigh) Dalton AGAIN fails to look off his
receiver, locks on to Jimmy Young, Boise State
swarms all over the throw and comes up with the pick
...
- Or not. The ball hit the turf.
- Another great punt from Kelton. If TCU wins this,
he's the most valuable player by far.
Boise State on its own 27
- Boise State's best play call of the
night. Everyone swarms to stop Martin and Jeremy
Avery slips open for a 13-yard gain.
- Maybe, just maybe, Boise State has used the first
three quarters to set up one big downfield pass
play.
Third Quarter Score: Boise State 10 ... TCU
10
FOURTH QUARTER
- Avery is starting to be used more.
Fresh, speedy legs late in the game.
- 3rd and 3. Let Moore make a play down the field.
- He gets the chance and makes a nice throw, but
Jason Teague makes a great play to force a punt.
TCU on its own 2
- Teague makes a big play, and then
gets hit for a penalty to put TCU back deep.
- TCU, go vertical. Get one of your speedy targets
on the outside and see what you can get deep.
- Dalton hits Jimmy Young wide for first down of ten
yards.
- FINALLY ... Dalton connects with Young deep, but
if he had floated it out a few yards more Young is
gone for a touchdown. Instead it's at midfield.
- OHHHHHHHH. Boise State almost picked off a Dalton
quick pass, but Jonathan Jones almost got the
deflection for a big TCU play.
- Dalton has shown no deep arm whatsoever. Again,
had he been able to push it deep, Antoine Hicks
makes a big play, Instead, he underthrows him and
gets picked off by Brandyn Thompson.
Boise State on its own 22
- This is SO headed for overtime.
These two offenses have been too mediocre, and the
defenses have been too good.
- TCU, get ready ... the trick play is coming. Sniff
it out.
- Moore isn't having any luck. His receivers that
were open in the first half are blanketed now.
- Nothing is happening for the Bronco attack and
it's going to come up with something quirky to shake
things up. It has to, but the third down play goes
nowhere ...
- And there it is. A fake punt for 29 yards on a
great throw by Kyle Brotzman with a man in his face.
He calmly finds an open Kyle Efaw for a huge first
down.
- When a kicker is the best passer in the game,
there's a problem.
- Boise State is energized and Moore is on. The O
line is doing a FANTASTIC job of keeping Moore
clean.
- Where was this offense all game long? Moore is
finding the right receivers, TCU has failed to come
up with any pressure, and now it's down to the one.
- Jerry Hughes, time to get off the milk carton.
- Martin punches it in and the game has finally
shown a sign of life after roughly 53 minutes of
offensive futility.
Boise State 17 ... TCU 10
TCU on its own 24
- TCU needs to go back to the hurry
up. It needs to find something to get into a groove.
- Thompson is getting picked on with Dalton not even
thinking about going at Kyle Wilson, and he's coming
up with a huge day.
- DALTON ... LOOK FOR A SECOND RECEIVER. He's
getting the time and he's forcing it to his primary
target every time with little luck.
- And again, Kelton bails the team out of a jam with
a big kick.
Boise State on its own 36
- Doug Martin ... run him and get this
clock, now at 6:47, down ...
- ... it's Avery on the run.
- Wow ... Ian Johnson and that cheerleader are still
married after two years?! Everyone is making it
sound like that's a big deal.
- Why?! The play calls have been awful. Simply
awful.. On 2nd and 12 Boise goes to a short pass
that would've gained two yards, at most, and then
comes a moon shot pass out of bounds. There should
be four minutes left in this game, but there's ...
- ... and then a bad line drive punt to Kerley, who
comes up with a huge return.
TCU on the Boise State 32
- OHHHHH. Dalton finally comes up with
a fantastic throw and Hicks drops a touchdown.
- Boise State comes up with a strong pass rush and
forces a 3rd and 13.
- More pressure and Dalton comes up with a good,
quick read to get in range for a fourth down play.
- And yes, 4th and 6 with 4:33 to play, with the
offense struggling this much, you go for it.
- Please, TCU, throw it past the first down line.
- Dalton doesn't turn his head AGAIN, so he doesn't
see an open post route for a touchdown. Instead he
forces a short-range pass that doesn't work and
Boise State takes over. The Bronco secondary is in
Dalton's kitchen and is making biscuits.
Boise State on its own 27
- NOW YOU RUN THE BALL. Eat up clock.
Your offense isn't going anywhere, anyway. with just
over four minutes to play, force TCU to burn its two
timeouts, and go and rely on the defense that has
been so brilliant all game long.
- Kellen Moore makes a nice, cool throw to his
brother for the first down. TCU has one time out
left.
- Give the TCU fans credit; they're still doing the
claw thing.
- 3rd and 5 for Boise State ... 1:30 to play. Moore
has to make one throw for 14-0.
- Nice call be TCU bringing the house. Moore doesn't
pick it up and throws it away.
- Great point by Ryan. Moore should've sat down to
force TCU to burn its last time out.
- 1:16 to play, and ...
TCU on its own 1
- Alright, Andy Dalton. If you do
this, your bad night gets wiped away.
- He's going to get all the ten-yard throws he
wants.
- Out pattern to Hicks ... first down at the 12.
- Completion to Kerley short of a first down and the
last time out is called.
- 54 seconds to play.
- First down on a nice throw by Dalton up to the 36.
- Downs don't mean anything. Take one shot deep to
Hicks and see if your 6-2 target can make a play on
the 5-10 Thompson.
- Or get the pass interference. Dalton goes to Jimmy
Young and Jerrell Gavins comes up with a very
questionable-looking pass interference call ... but
two officials threw the flag.
- :36 to play at midfield. No timeouts.
- Great, great, great presence from Dalton. He
doesn't panic, finds Kerley, first down with :29 to
play.
- And then Dalton turns into Chad Pennington and
noodle arms a long out throw that hangs up in the
air for an hour and a half. Thompson bats it up,
Winston Venable gets there and gets the win.
- That was a great TCU team that Boise State just
manhandled.
FINAL SCORE: Boise State 17 ... TCU 10
|