Firsthand Fandom: The Full Fiesta Bowl Experience

Brandyn Thompson had one more play in him. I knew it.

Andy Dalton dropped back, seconds ticked off the clock and the Frogs were in need of a touchdown and extra point to tie -- or they would go for 2 and put the game away.

As he surveyed the field, I looked into Dalton's eyes from my seat in the end zone bleachers (Boise State's end zone, of course). He looked panicked, unsure, most likely from Kyle Wilson's snot-bubbler blindside sack earlier that left the quarterback in a heap on the University of Phoenix Stadium field.

Finally, Dalton launched a pass to the left sideline (to my right). Thompson, making my thought as prophetic as a time traveler who's already seen what happens, stuck out his hand and tipped the ball into the waiting and willing hands of nickel Winston Venable.

I went nuts. If the people around me didn't already know me, they would have been scared. But I didn't care. We had just won our second Fiesta Bowl and had beaten newfound nemesis TCU at the same time. I was on cloud nine. The entirety of Bronco Nation was on cloud nine. We were on top of the world.

The 2009 football season, and subsequent Fiesta Bowl, took place during my final year as an undergrad student at BSU. I was a proud member of the Keith Stein Blue Thunder Marching Band. Interim band director had taken the whole group to the Valley of the Sun in a convoy of 4 charter busses to support the team.

Memories of the trip to the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego the year before were still fresh. TCU had beaten us 17-16 in a game many expected the Broncos to win. We were out for revenge, though I was skeptical of the chances of that happening.

The busses drove 16 hours, most of it through the heart of Nevada on the Extraterrestrial Highway. We stopped in Ely for some grub along the way. The sign at an Arby's restaurant read, "Broncos trample Toads. Welcome BSU band."

When we to the Phoenix area, our hotel was in a beautiful part of Scottsdale. We spent time in Tempe, Glendale, Chandler and Phoenix. It was incredible.

I sat in an outdoor pool at midnight on January 1. That did not suck at all.

It was incredibly warm. I was sweating profusely during the Fiesta Bowl parade. It was worth it.

When game day arrived, we rolled up to the stadium. If you've never seen University of Phoenix Stadium, it looks like one of those Jiffy Pop stovetop popcorn skillets with an aluminum bag that's been fully popped.

Inside, it's massive. It's an NFL stadium, after all. We walked around in the bowels of the structure. The bleachers I sat in were removable, which was important because the grass field was on a giant "tray" that could slide outside and get some sun when needed. Incredible ingenuity.

At kickoff, the stadium electric; half purple and half blue and orange.

When Thompson got his pick-6, I was confident. After the Kyle Brotzman to Kyle Efaw pass on a fake punt, I was ecstatic. When Doug Martin cartwheeled into the end zone for what became the game-winning touchdown, I went out of my mind.

You know what happened next. Game. Set. Match. Goodbye Toads.

I still smile every time I think about that trip and the game. It set Boise State apart from the rest of the non-BCS schools and firmly onto the newly-minted "power program" shelf. Being a fan and representative of the university was one of the greatest experiences of my life.

The last two seasons have been hard at Boise State. Whether it was Petersen, Prince, Kwiatowski, complacency or a combination of any or all of them, the team was down. The mystique was faltering, but not totally gone (sorry Rocky Long). Change was needed, though some of us, including me, didn't know it yet.

Change has done Boise State well. Harsin is our blue and orange knight. How fitting that he has the Broncos back in the Fiesta Bowl in his first season as the head coach, just like Petersen once did.

Win or lose, Boise State has reestablished itself as the premier "Group of 5" team, one that has stood the test of time and is far from the one-year wonders that pop up every season.

Those who are in Glendale for the game, keep all this in mind. Cheer loud, enjoy the moment and take lots of pictures. It's a bowl game, but this particular Fiesta Bowl is Boise State once again showing the nation and naysayers it is here to stay.

Go Broncos.

One year later the world hasn't ended; a look back at Petersen going purple

When I was younger, I had a favorite blanket. It was my constant companion while at home and I thought about it often while I was away. 

I had separation anxiety from my "blankie."

One day I came home from school to find blankie was missing. The devastation was severe. It was ugly. I had a crisis on my hands. I interrogated the only suspect, my mother, and she cracked. 

Blankie was gone forever, never to return. My mom had thrown the ratty thing away, and I immediately knew life was over. Permanently altered. 

Why go on? What is life without your favorite blue blanket? Oh how I longed for it. 

As time passed, I replaced the hole in my heart left by blankie with other things; sports, video games, girls, etc. Before I knew it, the blanket never crossed my mind, even accidentally.

I was over it. I had finally let go. The wounds were healed, and, you know what? My life was pretty darn good. 

As a longtime Boise State fan, Chris Petersen was my college football blankie. Strange comparison, I know, but think about it. How did you feel when he left for the purpler grass at Washington?

Like crap. I know I did. 

When Ian Johnson scored the 2-point conversion against Oklahoma in the first Fiesta Bowl and Petersen did his double fist pump celebration, the man immediately became my idol. When he left, that role model was ripped from me just like my mother removed blankie from my life.

I went through the stages of grief. That night when Huskie Athletic Director Scott Woodward flew to Boise and the news leaked that Petersen was leaving, I was in denial. No way. That guy loves Boise. He IS Bronco football. 

What were we going to do without Petersen? Life was over. We were screwed. It sucked. We were never going to win again. Rip up the blue turf and sell it to some high school in Alaska. 

But, time passed, as it always does, and the wounds began to heal. The Petersen-shaped hole in my heart was partially filled by Bryan Harsin's energetic, BAMFy attitude and confidence. 

When August rolled around and Boise State faced off against Ole Miss in Atlanta, I saw a team with energy, fight and desire. 

I saw Boise State was still Boise State, Petersen or not. The loss to Air Force had me worrying, but what transpired after that has me as giddy as a 13-year-old girl at a Justin Bieber concert. 

One year later, Petersen is no longer a concern. I wrote a piece saying I was rooting for Petersen to fail at Washington a couple of months ago, but even those feelings are now watered down. In fact, I find myself cheering for him. I discovered I still have a deep, deep respect for him and his work. 

Now he just needs to beat Oregon and we'll be even. 

Life goes on. It's actually pretty sweet. Life after Petersen hasn't been all candy canes, puppies, rainbows and gumdrops, but it's been far from the Broncopocalypse we all expected it to be.

I bleed blue. Always have and always will. So carry on, fellow Bronco fans. Who we are wasn't forged by just one man, one season or one win. We are a conglomeration of everything we've been through and experienced, including the departure of a beloved coach and role model. 

Enjoy what's left of this season. I sure will. At least we aren't on flight watch and coach Defcon alert this time around. 

Go Broncos!

Why Boise State fans openly root against Chris Petersen -- and it's not what you think

I'm trying. I really am.

I have nothing but respect and admiration for Chris Petersen and what he did and meant for Boise State. Not just football, but the entire university and town. 

But I hope he fails miserably, faster than one of those stones the aliens used to build the Egyptian pyramids sinking to the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. 

I can't help it. 

I try to tell myself not to feel that way. My mind tells me to knock it off, to wish Petersen the best in his new endeavors at Washington. But my heart sends my brain packing faster than a weekend trip to see the in-laws gone bad.

And my disdain for Petersen is actually not directed toward him at all. It's the narrative that has been created around him that I can't stand.

Every single media member/institution outside of Boise says the Broncos are on a downward trend because Petersen WAS Boise State football. He built the program, sculpted it, molded it and built it to the top, then bailed when it had reached its peak. There is nothing left, they say.

It's not Petersen's fault, really. He did what was best for him and his family when he chose to dawn the Huskie purple. But that narrative must die. Burn its remains and salt the earth from which it was born. And in order for that thought to be silenced for good, he must fail miserably. 

Petersen's demise solidifies Boise State as a self-sustaining, successful football program. It means he didn't make Boise State, but rather Boise State helped him. It was a symbiotic relationship. 

Houston Nutt set the bar for ex-Boise State coaches. Dirk Koetter and Dan Hawkins followed suit. 

Why should Petersen be any different? Fans have dubbed it the Curse of Pokey Allen, a fitting and so far undefeated name.

The Broncos will continue to win games, it always have. That partially discredits the "Petersen made Boise State" narrative. The Huskies flaming out worse than the Hindenburg blimp seals its fate. 

History is bound to repeat itself. 

"The only writing on the wall Petersen saw was Joe Southwick's name trickling down a Hawaiian hotel balcony."

If I may, I'd like to borrow a page from Peter Griffin's book and let you know what really grinds my gears. 

Lots of things, actually. But, mainly, blanket generalizations and people who use a hope or a wish as a legitimate reason to make their claims. Doing a little research never hurt anyone. 

What's my point? I'm getting there. But first, let me set it up properly.

Naturally, as a biased fan of Boise State, I offer no apologies for my thoughts and opinions. In fact, I may cram them down your throat from time to time. 

Don't tempt me. 

As I watch the 2014 football season unfold (one I'm really enjoying, by the way), I can't help but ponder on what has happened to the Broncos in the past couple of years. 

Boise State went from BCS-busting Cinderella to washed up chump that clings to past successes faster than a Devan Demas 40-yard dash, according to clueless outsiders without a lick of knowledge or understanding. 

How quickly the Broncos were dethroned while the likes of Fresno State (lol) and Utah State (double lol) were crowned. 

Death. Taxes. Boise State winning football games. Take it to the bank. Tell your friends about it. 

It's not going to change. 

It's crucial to recognize, however, the fact that some things are indeed different. This is not the same BSU team that won a couple of Fiesta Bowls. And that's fine. As much fun as it is to cream every team we play, the aura of college football is that of challenge and emotion. Let's play on Saturday (maybe on Friday, in our case) and enjoy the ride. 

I am forever grateful for what Chris Petersen did at Boise State and for what he meant to the city and the program. That will never change. He built the indoor practice field and new facilities by the sweat of his brow for heaven's sakes.

But let's be clear, Petersen was not an infallible football god. I'm as guilty as the next person when it came to propping him up as such. It's interesting to look back and see that was not the case. Yes, Pete made mistakes. 

And with his departure came the idiot parade. It was one ridiculous argument after another as to the "true" reason for his departure. Allow me to address the one that bothers me the most. 

Petersen "saw the writing on the wall" at Boise State and left while the going was good. He saw that Boise State was on a downward trend and bailed. 

Are you serious? Are you really that naive? Such logic is as fallacious as a Jameis Winston explanation. 

Boise State's final two seasons under Petersen were far from spectacular. In fact, many aspects were downright putrid. He's as much responsible for that as he is the Fiesta Bowl years. Don't take the good and heap praise on him only to ignore or dismiss the negative in order to support your argument.

And let's not forget one of the greatest college quarterbacks in the universe played for him during the glory years. Petersen's recruiting at that position was suspect at BSU (Remember, Justin Wilcox brought Kellen Moore to Boise).

Petersen must have had a crystal ball because the only writing on the wall he saw was Joe Southwick's name trickling down a Hawaiian hotel balcony.

Or his own shortcomings at Boise State that came creeping back to haunt him.

And that's the key. A head coach is only as good as his assistants. Once Justin Wilcox, Bryan Harsin, Marcel Yates, Mike Sanford and Co. left, that was it. Their replacements under Petersen were subpar, to say the least.

Robert Prince, anyone?

With Harsin leading the way, the Broncos will continue to out-recruit its peers and win. It will be near impossible to replicate Petersen's 4-year run with Kellen Moore, but Boise State is not "slowly fading away," as some claim. Just look at the team's overall record: 399–153–2. 

Oh, and only two coaches have ever had losing records with the Broncos, and one of them wasn't even around for a full season (Houston Nutt in 1997 was 5-6 and Tom Mason was 1-9 in 1996).

Claiming Boise State is done as a successful and even dominant program is uneducated and lacking in historical perspective and knowledge. No, the Broncos aren't going anywhere, despite anyone's wishes or desires disguised as evidence.

Neither am I. 

10 minutes of fame? Since 2007, Boise State has had 4 first-round draft picks to Ole Miss' 3.

The amount of trash talk, worried tweeters and shaken confidence coming from the Ole Miss camp less than two weeks before the matchup with Boise State is a microcosm of the current state of both programs.

The feeling emanating from Oxford, Miss., is a mix of weary enthusiasm and unsupported confidence. My favorite comment came via Twitter from @TheNotoriousJON: "@JRodrigues89 but this Boise State team isn't of the same caliber that beat Georgia back in the day. To big a game for a first year coach..." https://twitter.com/TheNotoriusJON/status/501008268375105536

We can't overlook this one, either: "@Rafter17 @JRodrigues89 pretty sure Harsin is not on the level of Peterson Boise's 10 minutes of fame is up..." https://twitter.com/TheNotoriusJON/status/501030644718534656

Now, we can't put too much emphasis on the thoughts of some random tweeter with 271 followers, I did a little bit of research.

Since the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, the game that catapulted Boise State into the national spotlight, the Broncos have gone 79-13, winning four bowl games, including the 2010 Fiesta Bowl over TCU. The Rebels have a record of 42-41 with four bowl wins as well, none of which were BCS Bowls.

Now before I hear any, "But we play in the ESS EE SEE PAWWWWWWWL! The best conference in the history of the world PAAAAAAAAAAWL!!!!" Comments, let's look at success another way.

Again, since 2007:
First-round draft picks-
Boise State: 4
Ole Miss: 3

Total NFL Draft picks-
Boise State: 13
Ole Miss: 13

How about that? As Kris (@lostriver76) put it: "Pretty sure BSU's "10mins" of fame are 9 1/2mins longer than any Ole Miss has had." https://twitter.com/lostriver76/status/501040945413255168

By no means am I guaranteeing a win over Ole Miss on August 28. In fact, I've said multiple times Boise State has a lot working against it and a victory would almost be a miracle. Clearly, however, Boise State is far from an afterthought for the Rebels. And any notion, talk or claim that Boise State's 10 minutes of fame" coming from an Ole Miss fan is laughable.

If nothing else, these stats show Boise State is on par or above the success rate of many SEC teams. Win or lose in Atlanta, the Broncos have made a name for themselves, regardless of what Ole Miss fans say.

The effects of "Power-5" autonomy on the FCS

For the record, I am 100 percent in support of the NCAA allowing conferences to vote for their own autonomy. This is the best thing that could happen to college football.

After all, the person who takes their ball and goes home in a fit of anger is my absolute favorite (like BYU. If the Pac-12 won't take us, we'll go play by ourselves). If you don't like the rules, why not change them? It's a win-win for everybody!

If you can't tell, I'm joking. This stuff has me more upset than when Friends ended.

I do not claim to be any sort of expert on the business side of college athletics, but my experience as a beat writer for an FCS football team does give me some insight. Let's explore.

If your team plays in one of the "less fortunate" conferences, I'm sorry to say this: At this point, you have to be wondering if your players will even have scholarships available much longer. Without the revenue sharing from bigger conferences, each school is left to fend for themselves. Of course, their conferences will jump to the aid. But, and excuse this comparison, but a bum doesn't have much financial backing to help support a hobo.

I covered the Idaho State football team for three seasons. This "Power 5" autonomy vote even affects the FCS level. Schools in the Big Sky, as well as other FCS teams, play one or two "body bag" games a season. They earn hefty sums of money that is used to fund their entire athletic department. With the autonomy given to power FBS schools, the likelihood of these money games continuing is very, very small.

When it comes down to it, however, FCS schools are in a better position than FBS programs in non-Big 5 conferences. Sure, there will be long-term effects, but that level of football is secure. Big Sky commissioner Doug Fullerton said so on numerous occasions during meetings and press conferences I attended.

In fact, remember back in 2010 when Montana (and Montana State, as a necessity of maintaining a rivalry) considered jumping to the FBS level and joining the WAC? The Grizzlies said no and continue to be an FCS playoff stalwart.

Think about this: To date, the only football programs to move from Division 1AA (now FCS) to Division 1A (now FBS) and have success are Boise State and to a lesser degree Nevada. That's it. The rest have done nothing note-worthy, including Idaho.

Getting back on track, Montana's decision to stay put was incredibly smart. It will be even harder to succeed at the FBS level without membership in a "Power-5" conference.

Will the non-power conferences return to an FCS-type of membership? Will they accept the change or fight back to be included? Will conferences support their teams or will it be a fend-for-yourself deal?

Regarding Boise State, the Broncos have the national notoriety, money and ability to stay close to on par with the "Power-5." Who knows how long they can keep it up or if an invite to join the "elite" will ever come.

Seriously consider this: Would it be the worst thing in the world to accept defeat (if it comes to that) and join a stable conference, albeit at a lower, less money-driven level? Seriously. Consider the options.

Perspective is like a Sour Patch kid; sour and sweet

With just 41 days left until Boise State takes the Harsin show on the road and faces Ole' Miss. in the Peach State, I can't help but look back at what we experienced during the 2013 college football season.

There were moments of glory (winning at Utah State), but there were plenty of cringe-worthy and agonizing horrors (San Diego State, BYU -- the worst one, in my opinion). The Broncos finished with a disappointing 8-5 record, the season culminating with a loss to Oregon State in the Hawaii Bowl. Oh, and our head coach left. There's that, too.

Let's not forget our starting quarterback jacked up his ankle on the first play of the game against the Wolfpack of Nevada and then he (allegedly) urinated off a balcony in Hawaii and was sent home.

Yeah. I'd take a mulligan on a lot of those moments if I could.

As painful as it was to go through all that, and watch Chris Petersen sneak his way out of town for purple-er (not a word, I know) pastures, it could have been worse. Let us embrace the motto that our blue and orange-clad savior Bryan Harsin has supplied and forget about last season. It's time to attack the future. Seriously. Let's maul, maim, harm, injure, upend, tackle, mangle and otherwise pee on (too early?) the future.

But first, let's take a step back and gain some healthy and important perspective.

After the pineapple-scented dust had settled (in Hawaii, after all), Boise State was 8-5. Looking at the season from a somewhat historical view, take this into account:

- The last time the Broncos lost won eight or less games was in 2001 (8-4)
- There were 17 teams at the FBS level with eight wins in 2013.
- 33 teams had nine wins or more
- 68 teams had seven wins or less
- Idaho has not won eight games in a season since 1998 (finished 9-3)
-Furthermore, the Vandals have had just 12 seasons of eight or more wins since 1954, and that's only because they played seven-game seasons before that

So, relax Bronco Nation. The sky is not falling. Far from it, actually. Time will tell whether or not Harsin can continue the winning tradition at Boise State, and the pieces are there to make it happen.