|
The Broncos' Austin Pettis blocks a kick by Hokies punter Brian Saunders in the first quarter at FedEx Field Monday. Boise State's special teams upstaged Virginia Tech's units.
Boise State running back D. J. Harper breaks away from the Virginia Tech defense on his way to a third-quarter touchdown Monday night.
Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore proved he could engineer a comeback on hostile turf against a BCS power. |
LANDOVER, Md.--
It's tempting to ask what more Boise State needs to do. Wasn't Monday night's gripping 33-30 victory over 10th-ranked Virginia Tech at FedEx Field enough to convince whatever skeptics remain that the Broncos are legitimate?But the Broncos are used to having to prove themselves. And they're well aware that their low-profile league means they're held to a higher standard than their BCS conference brethren.
"We look at every game as a one-game season," senior cornerback Brandyn Thompson said. "The next game is a one-game season. Now we've got to win the rest of 'em."
He's right. Had Boise State lost Monday, it would have had no shot at winning a national title. Zero.
If No. 1 Alabama stumbles this Saturday against Penn State, the Tide would have an uphill road to winning a second straight crown. But it wouldn't be impossible. Ditto for No. 2 Ohio State against Miami.
But Boise State, because it's not a BCS conference member, can't afford a single misstep. Impressive as it was, Monday night's win was merely defense exhibit A.
"This is just the first step, but it's a big step, because it sets us up for a lot of things," said senior receiver Austin Pettis, who caught the game-winning touchdown pass from Kellen Moore with 1:09 remaining.
Barring something unforeseen, Boise State has one more major hurdle to a second straight undefeated regular season: a Sept. 25 home game with Oregon State. Among Western Athletic Conference foes, only Fresno State seems capable of challenging the Broncos--and that game will be played Nov. 19 on Boise State's signature blue turf.
Through their recent excellence (113-17 since 2000), the Broncos have become a litmus test for college football aficionados. They've been the people's team since their Jan. 1, 2007, overtime Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma, after which running back Ian Johnson famously proposed to his girlfriend.
And with 21 starters back, Boise State opened the season ranked No. 3 by The Associated Press. Monday night did nothing to refute that. Said Moore: "We're certainly proving people right, right now."
But major-conference snobs are loathe to include Boise State in their billion-dollar fraternity, which helps explain why the Broncos and TCU met in last January's Fiesta Bowl (a de facto JV championship) despite 13-0 records.
The Broncos converted
"As physical as they were up front, a lot of times I got the ball with defenders in my face," said Tech tailback Ryan Williams, who scored three touchdowns but was held to 44 yards on 21 carries.
" Talent-wise, I thought we'd have the upper hand," he said. "But they were more disciplined and better prepared. When you can stop our running game, because we're a running offense, it's pretty hard to get into the game."
Considering that nearly three-quarters of the announced crowd of 86,587 were wearing maroon and orange (and looking better than Tech's ghastly black uniforms), Monday night's clash was tantamount to a home game for the Hokies. That's why Boise's poise was all the more impressive.
"[We] should gain a little respect, to beat Virginia Tech out here, basically playing a road game," said Moore, who threw for 228 yards and three touchdowns.
Apparently, they did. Boise State jumped from fifth to third yesterday in the coaches' poll and stayed No. 3 in The Associated Press poll, earning seven No. 1 votes and closing the gap on Alabama and Ohio State.
But there are 11 more opportunities to prove themselves--and avoid giving their critics reason to dismiss them. That's why, to a man, the Broncos repeated the one-game-at-a-time mantra.
"I think our guys get it," coach Gary Petersen said. "The words they speak aren't our words, They aren't my words. We've got a lot of guys who've played a long time. They know we're going to have a lot of tight games. If we lose our edge, we're going to get beat."
That's not likely for a talented team that knows even one misstep would be one too many.
As Moore said: "If you trip up, forget about it."
Get ready for a season-long debate, because the Broncos aren't going anywhere--except perhaps to Glendale, Ariz., for the BCS championship game.
Steve DeShazo: 540/374-5443
Email: sdeshazo@freelancestar.com
