Boise State Shows That Miracles Can Come True
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by user Leslie Monteiro
We watch sports for so many reasons. We admire the entertainers in sports. We like to see great teams show their greatness. We want to witness a good sports story.
We wait for a day when a mid-major college team win a national championship in a mainstream sport. We are still waiting. At the mean time, we can enjoy the incremental things like the run that George Mason had in the NCAA Basketball Tournament last year. George Mason made it to the Final Four, which is unheard of for a mid-major school let alone getting to the Sweet 16.
We may have seen something better on Tuesday night. We saw the little guy standing up to a big bully at the Fiesta Bowl. We wonder if we were ever going to see a mid-major beat a big-time football program. It was not looking good in the final seconds, but a miracle happened. The Boise State Broncos tied the game on a hook and ladder play to go to overtime and then their running back, Ian Johnson scored the two-point conversion in overtime to shock the world. THE BRONCOS ACTUALLY BEAT THE SOONERS 43-42.
The team made Johnson do his thing thanks to Vinny Perretta finding Derek Schouman, who stepped up big down the stretch. It was a beautiful trick play that was drawn up.
What a way to kickoff the new year!
It goes to show you that good things can happen to those who wait and good things happen to good people.
This is clearly the sports story in 2007. It is hard to see anything top that. What the team from Boise did was something else.
Their first-year, head coach, Chris Petersen did a great job of having his team ready to play. It showed from start to finish. He had his team play through the script. He wanted them to establish a tone by being physical early. His playcalling was awesome as his team executed several trick plays in the end. His decision to go for two to win the game was a very smart one. It was smart because his team was running out of fumes. Johnson's execution made him look really good.
What a job Petersen did in replacing a great coach, Dan Hawkins, who did a good job building up that program. Colorado has to be encouraged at that development because they know Hawkins will do the same for their team.
Their quarterback, Jared Zabransky was awesome. He showed some heart out there. He made great decisions. He made plays when it mattered the most. He played like a leader. The stats do not lie. He threw three touchdowns in this game, which is why he won the offensive MVP award of the Fiesta Bowl.
Oklahoma drew first blood in overtime. Adrian Peterson, who really was a non-factor, got the ball and scored to give them the first points of the overtime period. Peterson played his first game since suffering a collerbone injury against Iowa State. It was remarkable that he played after everyone thought that he would be done for the year. The layoff clearly affected him to make a difference in this game. This was the only points scored by them in overtime. It was a 42-35 that was short-lived.
This crazy outcome started with 47 seconds left of this game. Oklahoma was in a position to win this game. They were leading 35-28.
Zabransky went long to his tight end, Schouman in the Sooner 40. The quarterback's momentum derailed when he got sacked and then when his pass to Drisan James, who scored two touchdowns in this game, was deflected. It came down to the 4th and 18. The big play of the game came here.
Zabranksy threw to James and then James passed it to Jerard Rabb, who ran like the wind to get to the end zone. The Broncos were within one.
The University of Phoenix Stadium erupted with happiness when this scene unfolded. The place went much crazier when the Broncos scored in that play than when the Sooners took the lead. The sounds of the game at the time spoke volumes.
Broncos kicker Anthony Montgomery had the big kick of the night. He tied the game at 35.
This might have been better than what happened at overtime. Without that, there is no way that this game ended in overtime.
The excitement started in the fourth quarter. Everyone's favorite team in this game was leading 28-17. The Sooners planned on ruining everyone's favorite parade. They drew the first strike by finishing a good run to end the third quarter. Oklahoma was able to be in a position to kick the field goal. They got the field goal by their kicker, Garrett Hartley. The score was 28-20.
Let the suspense begin. Would Boise State hold on? Would midnight strike for the Cinderella team? Would the Big Bully have its way? There was no question that America was being tuned in to this. Most people in the East Coast stayed awake till 1 a.m. eastern to watch this beautiful ending.
Boise State were showing signs of vulnerability in the final minutes of regulation. They just looked exhausted. Oklahoma's quarterback and Oklahoma's wide receivers were able to maul through the defense. The feeling was that Oklahoma was ready to have the last laugh.
Oklahoma sure made Boise State fans squirm when they tied the game. First, Thompson threw a touchdown pass to Quentin Chaney. Boise State's lead was now 28-26. For the Sooners to put the game in OT, they needed to go for two.
Sooners got an advantage with flag interference so they got another opportunity to do it again.
They finally did it. Juaquin Iglesias, who performed great, made the catch that tied the game at 28.
Boise State was clearly unraveling. Zabransky threw the ball that was not even close to his receivers. It turned into an easy interception by Marcus Walker. Walker was not even being tackled. Oklahoma got a very easy lead.. This sequence was poorly played by the Broncos.
Sooners took the lead 34-28. The PAT made it, 35-28.
When Oklahoma was about to win the game, there were so many emotions that took place by people who watch the game. There was sadness that entered in the living rooms except for the state of Oklahoma and the Sooner Nation around the country. Fox's Fiesta Bowl play-by-play announcer Thom Brennaman was frustrated when Oklahoma was leading. Boise State fans at the game had that sense of resignation when Oklahoma tied it. Oklahoma fans and their marching band were quiet all night. They were able to show their faces and flex their muscles when the game was tied. They thought things were going to be okay. They thought Boise State played over their heads and that reality would set in.
Those people thought wrong because the Broncos never gave up. They never cried woe is me. They just kept playing. They made things work. They did not roll over when things went wrong. Maybe the Minnesota Golden Gophers new coach will use the tape of this game to teach his new team that teams can overcome adversity. That type of attitude and coaching spur the WAC champs to victory at Glendale.
Oklahoma thought that they got their opponent where they want them to start the second half. It did not start that way. Their quarterback got picked off again. It was his second interception. Boise State safety Gerald Alexander swiped the ball off Thompson to give his team the ball.
It did not get better for Mr. Thompson. He got picked off again by his tormentor, Marty Tadman.
The scorecard was this. Thompson had three interceptions and Tadman had two picks and a touchdown.
Tadman's second pick of Thompson resulted to him scoring. It was 27-10. The PAT made it 28-10.
Oklahoma got a touchdown right away thanks to a ball that landed on the Broncos player. They were able to get the ball back and they made hay with it. Peterson ran for a touchdown to put his team back in the game. His touchdown and Hartley's extra point cut the deficit to 28-16.
Boise State let Oklahoma know that they were at Glendale to win this contest. Their play exemplified that in the first quarter. They were very physical on offense, defense, and special teams.
Boise State were attacking Oklahoma's primary offensive players, Thompson and Peterson to start the game. Their defense were all over the place in that quarter.
Their offense was running very smoothly. Zabransky went deep to his wide receiver, James to give the underdog team an early 6-0 lead. Montgomery kicked the extra point to give them a 7-0 lead.
Boise State rode the wave of momentum with that lead. They stopped Iglesias cold on his track when he was returning a kickoff. This put Oklahoma on a bad field possession. They forced Oklahoma's quarterback to make a turnover. Broncos defensive end Mike T. Williams got the ball from the turnover.
Broncos made the Sooners pay for their mistake by scoring a touchdown. Johnson got his first touchdown of the night by ramming through the endzone. The touchdown plus the extra point made it 14-0
Coach Stoops was clearly stunned at how the Broncos were taking his team to the cleaners. Oklahoma fans were stone-faced in the stands. Oklahoma members of the marching band were shocked. These people did not know what hit them in the first quarter. If they did not know what hit them at that time, imagine what an eye-opening experience the ending was.
Oklahoma finally answered Boise St's punch. Thompson was moving the ball well. He was able to get a touchdown as result of the offensive flow that he was creating. He threw to Manuel Johnson to give his team their first points of the game. It was 6-0. The extra point by Hartley made it 14-7.
Boise State continue to keep the pressure going on Oklahoma as the game was in the second quarter.
Tadman intercepted Thompson's pass. This was Thompson's first interception of the game and second turnover of the game.
The Sooners were starting to move the ball much better than they did in the first quarter, but again the Broncos defense made stops. This forced the Sooners to kick a field goal. Hartley kicked it to make it 14-10.
Oklahoma's defense was starting to get to Boise State's quarterback. They were blitzing him and tackling him around. To Zabransky's credit, he made couple of plays. He threw a first down pass and he ran for the first down. He was able to find James and James was able to get past his defenders on his way to the endzone. It was James's second touchdown of the game. It gave the Broncos a 20-10 lead. Montgomery's point after made it 21-10.
This touchdown by the Broncos was huge as they headed to the locker room at halftime. It stopped Oklahoma's momentum. It gave them a breathing room that was much needed.
As much as people want to talk about how the Fiesta Bowl winner accomplish this by tying the game in the end and going for two to win it in OT, their play in the first half was the catalyst to the team's win. This should be talked about more than the ending.
It is not how you finish, but it is also how you start. A good start can do wonders. It is amazing why teams in any sport of any level never stress this.
The Sooners have nothing to be ashamed of. They played great. They got off to a rough start, but they hung in there and they showed up at the nick of time. Their quarterback had a rough night, but his hot play was the reason why they were in the position to tie and win the game. He did not get flustered. They made the Broncos earn their win. This should be a tribute of what they do. There should be no one laughing at the Sooners because it would insult what the Broncos did.
They had a great season considering that their quarterback, Rhett Bomar, was dismissed by the team for violating NCAA Rules. He worked for a private business. Their current quarterback is actually a wide receiver. It is a tribute to him and his coaching staff that he did well. They did this without their best runningback. Anytime, a team can win a tough conference in the Big 12 with all those injuries is something to be commended.
One has to figure that their fans are happy after a day of reflection.
Boise State fans has to be loving this. This week is their week. They deserve this along with their team. It is nice to see the state of Idaho enjoying this moment.
The National Championship Game is Monday night, but does anyone think that game will top what happened at the Fiesta Bowl. Sure the national championship is nice, but odds are everyone will continue to talk about the Fiesta Bowl. The Orange Bowl did not get much attention even though Wake Forest and Louisville went hard at each other for the first three quarters on Tuesday night. It was all Broncos, all the time.
Boise State should finish #2 in the AP and BCS rankings based on this accomplishment. They certainly have to get the BCS elists attention about playing in a Bowl Championship Game and they certainly have to make the bigwigs think about the playoff system. Who are we to say that they can not beat a great team after this? Oklahoma is considered a great team in college football. Here's hoping one day, that they will be a playoff system featuring only the conference winners.
Fairy tales can really come true after all. We live with stories like Ian Johnson scoring the game-winner follow by him proposing to his beautiful girlfriend in an interview with Fox's Chris Myers after the game.
You could not make this up.
