Eye on the Opponent: Boise State

Sooner Gameday Central | Season Stats | Sooner Experience

TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL
Big 12 Champion and No. 7-ranked Oklahoma (11-2 overall, 7-1 Big 12) travels to Arizona to play WAC Champion and undefeated Boise State (12-0) in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Day. It's the fifth BCS bowl game in seven seasons for the Sooners and OU's eighth consecutive bowl since 1999 (every year of head coach Bob Stoops' tenure). The Sooners have the second-most BCS appearances (five) of any program -- one behind Florida State.

Fifth-year seniors including Paul Thompson and Rufus Alexander complete their tour of all four BCS bowl games (Fiesta, Rose, Sugar, Orange). OU becomes only the second school to send its players to all four in a career (Miami accomplished it in 2000-2003). The Fiesta Bowl is the program's 40th bowl appearance overall. At 24-14-1 (.628), Oklahoma ranks No. 3 on the all-time bowl victories list.

Boise State
Location	Boise, Idaho
Enrollment	18,876
Conference	WAC (Western Athletic)
Home Field	Bronco Stadium (30,000)
Head Coach	Chris Peterson (First Season)
Record This Season	12-0 overall, 8-0 WAC
Record Last Season	9-4 overall, 7-1 WAC
Overall Series Record	First Meeting

Oklahoma has never played Boise State. The Sooners are 7-0 against current members of the WAC including wins against Utah State (3), Hawaii (2), Fresno State (1) and New Mexico State (1). Oklahoma defeated Fresno State, 52-28, in Norman during the 2003 season in the last meeting between the Sooners and a member of the WAC.

NCAA Stats	Oklahoma	Boise State
Passing Offense (Rank)	188.3 (70th)	201.4 (55th)
Rushing Offense	177.3 (21st)	222.8 (6th)
Scoring	29.4 (26th)	39.4 (2nd)
Total Offense	364.7 (42nd)	424.2 (11th)
Rushing Defense	97.8 (18th)	82 (7th)
Passing Defense	182.3 (37th)	191.7 (48th)
Scoring Defense	15.3 (17th)	17.5 (18th)
Total Defense	280.2 (17th)	273.7 (14th)
Schedule Strength	13th (Sagarin)	78th (Sagarin)

Boise State's 2006 Season
Boise State rolled through its non-conference schedule with wins against Sacramento State, Oregon State, Wyoming and Hawaii. The Bronocs then went 8-0 in conference with the closest game at San Jose State, 23-20. BSU concluded its perfect conference record with a 38-7 win at Nevada.
2006 Season Schedule & Results

Last Game - Boise State 38, Nevada 7
Ian Johnson ran for 147 yards and three touchdowns and Jared Zabransky passed for 299 yards to lead Boise State to a 38-7 win over Nevada on Saturday, wrapped up a spot in the Bowl Championship Series for the unbeaten Broncos.
Game Recap | Game Stats | Season Stats

Boise State Key Players
No. 25 - LB Korey Hall, Sr.
No. 57 - DT Andrew Browning, Sr.
No. 20 - S Marty Tadman, Jr.
No. 79 - OT Ryan Clady, Soph.
No. 5 - QB Jared Zabransky, Sr.
No. 31 - LB Colt Brooks, Sr.
No. 66 - OG Tad Miller, Jr.
No. 2 - S Gerald Alexander, Sr.
No. 8 - CB Orlando Scandrick, Soph.
No. 23 - PR/KR Quinton Jones, Sr.

In the News
Truth be told, I honestly can't think of a better team to match up with than the University of Okalahoma. Not because OU is a bad or overrated team they're not, they're a great team but because they represent everything that is wrong with college football today...
Idaho Press-Tribune

Boise State coach Chris Petersen watched just the last few minutes of the Big 12 title game on TV. He didn't need to watch to know what the Broncos are up against a program that has won seven national championships and has spent more time in the top five of the polls...
Idaho Statesman

Oklahoma should have been considered for the title game in some way. I know, there's really no way to justify a Sooners appearance in the national title game with their two losses, but if I had to choose the second best team in the nation it would be Oklahoma...
Idaho State Journal

In a Sooner season that was supposed to be dominated by the initials A.D., it instead belonged to P.T. It was Thompson who rescued this fall from ruin with his unselfish switch from wide receiver to quarterback and his unflinching play when the Sooners kept absorbing...
The Oklahoman

The biggest game in Boise State football history? Don't even bother to ask. It's this year's Fiesta Bowl, when the No. 9 Broncos take on No. 7 Oklahoma. Eleven short years of competing in Division I-A football, and Boise State is playing in its first Bowl Championship...
Tulsa World

The Boise State football team has built itself on no-name recruits. That trend, which has started to change in the past few seasons, looks like it may continue to evolve. This season's team of players, who vaulted the Broncos to the Fiesta Bowl, was built on a slew...
Idaho Press-Tribune

“The ride continues. In some ways it really starts now because we've got football and recruiting,” Petersen said. “I will say this: I don't want to get away from the type of guy that's got us where we're at. The blue-collar guy, the guy that might be over-looked, that might...
Boise State Arbiter

Have you noticed how the Bob Stoops-Paul Thompson bandwagon has picked up a whole bunch of new passengers the past few days? These are the same folks who ripped Oklahoma's coach and the Sooners' quarterback most of the season. They said Stoops didn't...
Tulsa World

With more than 5,000 orange and blue clad faithful in attendance at Taco Bell Arena, the Boise State football team and fans let out a cheer heard throughout Idaho, as the team received the official BCS invite to take on 10th ranked Oklahoma in the 36th annual Tostitos Fiesta Bowl...
Boise State Athletics

They don't have a shot at a national title as George Mason did in March. But they're running with the big dogs. Against Oklahoma, the Broncos will get their first crack at one of the game's 10 all-time winningest programs. "I think this is the historic moment for Boise State...
USA Today

Boise State coach Chris Petersen knows his Broncos have a lot to prove when they face Oklahoma in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1. "We know we've got to go out and compete well and show well, or people will be saying, 'Yeah, they shouldn't have been...
ESPN

Boise State sophomore tailback Ian Johnson finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting, which was announced Saturday night. Johnson received one first-place vote, 13 second-place votes and 44 third-place votes for a total of 73 points. He is the first Bronco...
Idaho Statesman

"When we look over requests, it's really splitting right down the middle. Each team is calling equally, and from a tourism standpoint, it looks like Boise visitors will be well represented," Pino said. Recent history shows that Broncos fans take to the road when games of importance...
Arizona Republic

When Adrian Peterson went down with an injury, Patrick stepped up. The junior has compiled 705 yards, including four 100-yard games. Against Oklahoma State he rushed for 163 yards on 23 carries and a TD. Ian Johnson, Boise State - The sophomore is one of the best...
CBS SportsLine

“It will be interesting to see when they get against these guys who are a little better (and) a little bigger athletes,” Smith said. “But nobody will go after them (Oklahoma) any more than these guys (the Broncos) do.” Petersen, who has gotten to know Smith well during his...
Idaho Statesman

“I think it helps take our program to the next level to be mentioned in the same breath as Oklahoma,” Broncos head coach Chris Petersen said. “Those guys are perennial football powers year in and year out. For us to compete in a game like this, it shows where our program is headed...
Idaho Press-Tribune

That game shows why Oklahoma would be foolish to take the Broncos lightly. "It will not be hard for us to focus in on this," Sooners coach Bob Stoops said. "I look at people's track records. I look at what people have done over a great period of time, and Boise State...
FOX Sports

OU will be favored, but BSU is here for the following reasons: RB Ian Johnson is second in the nation at 146.6 yards per game, leads Division I-A with 24 TDs and may be as good a runner as there is in the country. QB Jared Zabransky has 54 TD passes as a three-year...
Tulsa World

Boise State sold out its allotment of 17,500 Fiesta Bowl tickets Saturday two days before fans who were not season-ticket holders, students or staff were to get their chance to buy them. The school is trying to acquire additional tickets. If some are available...
Idaho Statesman

The prize for the Broncos is a spot in the Fiesta Bowl opposite Oklahoma on Jan. 1 in what without question is the No. 1 sporting event in the history of the school and the city. The Sooners are 11-2, although one of those losses came to Oregon in the infamous "Instant Replay Game"...
CBS SportsLine

"People are just crazy, going cuckoo that the Sooners are coming to town," Junker said. "People have OU roots. We've got them by the hundreds -- probably by the thousands." The Sooners (11-2) and Broncos (12-0) meet at University of Phoenix Stadium at 7 p.m. on Jan. 1...
Tulsa World

Boise State sophomore tailback Ian Johnson landed on another All-America first team Friday. CBSSportsLine.com named Johnson to its team. On Thursday, SI.com named Johnson to its All-America first team. So far, Johnson has been shut out by the five NCAA-recognized...
Idaho Statesman

The Fiesta Bowl trophy ultimately will belong to the Oklahoma Sooners or the Boise State Broncos. But until game day on Jan. 1, football fans can check out the statue up close at Molina Fine Jewelers, 3134 E. Camelback Road in Phoenix. The high-end jeweler designed...
Arizona Republic

Scouting the Broncos
  Official Athletics Site
  Idaho Statesman Coverage
  Idaho Press-Tribune Coverage
  Boise State Arbiter (Student)

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