boisesuns
Standing Tall And Traded
8 Eeastern time on ESPN2
Fresno is having a down year, but they always play tough.
Boise State`s Ian Johnson leads the nation in touchdowns with 18. (AP)
Game of the day: Fresno State at Boise State
By Jason Logan
Tue, Oct 31, 2006
Game: Fresno State (1-6, 0-7 ATS) at Boise State (8-0, 3-4 ATS)
Line: Boise State is a 25-point home favorite.
Total: Oddsmakers have set the total at 58.
Blue crush
The blue "smurf turf" at Broncos Stadium might be fun to look at on television, but playing on it is a different story. The Boise State Broncos have won 34 straight games on the bright blue Astroturf, stemming back to 2001.
The team has put up an average of 459.5 yards per home game and scored 40 or more points in every game at Broncos Stadium this season. They are third in the nation in scoring (39.8 points per game) and have played over the total four times in its eight games.
Fresno State knows the perils of playing on the Big Blue. The Bulldogs haven’t won there since 1996 and have been outscored 100-37 in the last two meetings at BSU. Fresno is not only facing one of college football’s most explosive offenses, but also a stingy Broncos defense. Boise State has allowed only 16.1 points per game this season on an average of 310.6 yards.
Money in the tank?
Football bettors might not be the only ones getting paid if Boise State defeats Fresno State on Wednesday night. The undefeated Broncos are making a serious bid for a BCS berth this season, and have a greater chance with the number of bowl games increased to five.
A Bowl appearance will not only be beneficial to BSU but also to the entire WAC, including Fresno State who could see over $600,000 of a possible $9.27 million. In order for this money to find its way back to FSU, the Bulldogs would have to lose Thursday, setting up a sticky situation for head coach Pat Hill and the athletics program.
“You gotta beat `em," Hill told reporters. "Nobody`s gonna take it easy. At least I hope not."
Fresno State is in dire need of funding after cutting its wrestling program to scrape up $400,000 for this season. Coach Hill is aware of the ramifications of his team purposely losing the game and assured conspiracy theorists that his program can not be bought no matter how desperate the school is for money.
Broncos’ workhorse
Boise State’s powerful offense rides on the shoulders of running back Ian Johnson. The 5-foot-11, 194-pound lightning bolt has rushed for 1,181 yards this season and a nation’s best 18 touchdowns, including four in his last two games.
“If a guy tries to arm tackle him, he’s going to break that,” Broncos coach Chris Petersen told reporters. ``If we give Ian a chance, he’s always going to get positive yards.”
Johnson is averaging 147.6 rushing yards per game and will face a Bulldog’s defense that has given up 131.4 yards on the ground a contest. Fresno State has lost its last six games, including a 38-6 beating by the LSU Tigers in which it gave up 184 rushing yards.
Bulldogs relying on young pups
Due to a rash of injuries and an epidemic of underachieving, the Fresno State Bulldogs are depending on some young, untested players to get them through the remainder of the season. While most bettors would pile on the Broncos for Thursday’s game, a quick look at these youngsters’ performances last week might persuade you there is green to be made off these greenhorns.
Sophomore quarterback Sean Norton, who took over for the disappointing Tom Brandstater, looked steady against LSU as he passed for 134 yards on 13-for-20 attempts. The week before, Norton managed to throw three touchdown passes and only one interception for 225 yards in his debut against Hawaii.
Norton isn’t the only inexperienced player on the FSU attack. Freshmen receivers Chastin West and Marlon Moore have filled in due to injuries to starters Paul Williams and Joe Fernandez.
"We`re playing four redshirt freshman receivers and Norton`s a brand-new quarterback, so it`s been challenging, and this is a fun group to coach," Hill told the Idaho Statesman. "Williams and Fernandez, I don`t know if they will play as much as the young kids. We`ll be fine. This won`t last for long here."
Both West and Moore combined for 174 yards against the Rainbow Warriors and will see more playing time if injuries continue to plague the Bulldogs.
Weather
Game time temperatures will be around 35 degrees with partially cloudy skies. The forecast is calling for zero chance of precipitation and a slight breeze blowing East-Southeast at 5 mph.
Here's Ian Johnson destroying Oregon State:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQCGNgU18MU
Fresno is having a down year, but they always play tough.
Boise State`s Ian Johnson leads the nation in touchdowns with 18. (AP)
Game of the day: Fresno State at Boise State
By Jason Logan
Tue, Oct 31, 2006
Game: Fresno State (1-6, 0-7 ATS) at Boise State (8-0, 3-4 ATS)
Line: Boise State is a 25-point home favorite.
Total: Oddsmakers have set the total at 58.
Blue crush
The blue "smurf turf" at Broncos Stadium might be fun to look at on television, but playing on it is a different story. The Boise State Broncos have won 34 straight games on the bright blue Astroturf, stemming back to 2001.
The team has put up an average of 459.5 yards per home game and scored 40 or more points in every game at Broncos Stadium this season. They are third in the nation in scoring (39.8 points per game) and have played over the total four times in its eight games.
Fresno State knows the perils of playing on the Big Blue. The Bulldogs haven’t won there since 1996 and have been outscored 100-37 in the last two meetings at BSU. Fresno is not only facing one of college football’s most explosive offenses, but also a stingy Broncos defense. Boise State has allowed only 16.1 points per game this season on an average of 310.6 yards.
Money in the tank?
Football bettors might not be the only ones getting paid if Boise State defeats Fresno State on Wednesday night. The undefeated Broncos are making a serious bid for a BCS berth this season, and have a greater chance with the number of bowl games increased to five.
A Bowl appearance will not only be beneficial to BSU but also to the entire WAC, including Fresno State who could see over $600,000 of a possible $9.27 million. In order for this money to find its way back to FSU, the Bulldogs would have to lose Thursday, setting up a sticky situation for head coach Pat Hill and the athletics program.
“You gotta beat `em," Hill told reporters. "Nobody`s gonna take it easy. At least I hope not."
Fresno State is in dire need of funding after cutting its wrestling program to scrape up $400,000 for this season. Coach Hill is aware of the ramifications of his team purposely losing the game and assured conspiracy theorists that his program can not be bought no matter how desperate the school is for money.
Broncos’ workhorse
Boise State’s powerful offense rides on the shoulders of running back Ian Johnson. The 5-foot-11, 194-pound lightning bolt has rushed for 1,181 yards this season and a nation’s best 18 touchdowns, including four in his last two games.
“If a guy tries to arm tackle him, he’s going to break that,” Broncos coach Chris Petersen told reporters. ``If we give Ian a chance, he’s always going to get positive yards.”
Johnson is averaging 147.6 rushing yards per game and will face a Bulldog’s defense that has given up 131.4 yards on the ground a contest. Fresno State has lost its last six games, including a 38-6 beating by the LSU Tigers in which it gave up 184 rushing yards.
Bulldogs relying on young pups
Due to a rash of injuries and an epidemic of underachieving, the Fresno State Bulldogs are depending on some young, untested players to get them through the remainder of the season. While most bettors would pile on the Broncos for Thursday’s game, a quick look at these youngsters’ performances last week might persuade you there is green to be made off these greenhorns.
Sophomore quarterback Sean Norton, who took over for the disappointing Tom Brandstater, looked steady against LSU as he passed for 134 yards on 13-for-20 attempts. The week before, Norton managed to throw three touchdown passes and only one interception for 225 yards in his debut against Hawaii.
Norton isn’t the only inexperienced player on the FSU attack. Freshmen receivers Chastin West and Marlon Moore have filled in due to injuries to starters Paul Williams and Joe Fernandez.
"We`re playing four redshirt freshman receivers and Norton`s a brand-new quarterback, so it`s been challenging, and this is a fun group to coach," Hill told the Idaho Statesman. "Williams and Fernandez, I don`t know if they will play as much as the young kids. We`ll be fine. This won`t last for long here."
Both West and Moore combined for 174 yards against the Rainbow Warriors and will see more playing time if injuries continue to plague the Bulldogs.
Weather
Game time temperatures will be around 35 degrees with partially cloudy skies. The forecast is calling for zero chance of precipitation and a slight breeze blowing East-Southeast at 5 mph.
Here's Ian Johnson destroying Oregon State:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQCGNgU18MU
We started out slow but turned it on late. We needed to win big and we did. The fans did alternating sections of color for this game and I thought it looked great on TV. I wasn't a fan of the White pants with blue tops though. I prefer all blue so we can "Blend in to the turf"
