12 FOCUS WINTER 2007 the Broncos’ EPIC JOURNEY It started in December 2005 with Chris Petersen’s promotion from offensive coordina- tor to head coach and ended on New Year’s Day 2007 with a stunning and astounding 43-42 overtime win over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl (pictured). FOCUS looks back at the 2006 Boise State football team’s 13-0 storybook season. (John Kelly photo) FOCUS WINTER 2007 13 yes, IT REALLY HAPPENED By Bob Evancho At times, it still seems surreal — as if what we watched unfold on the evening of New Year’s Day didn’t really happen: Did we just tie the game on fourth-and-18 from the 50 with seven seconds left? Did Vinny just hit “Shoe” with that TD pass? DID IAN REALLY JUST SCORE ON A STATUE OF LIBERTY TO WIN THE GAME?! MAGIC MOMENTS Ian Johnson races to the end zone for the game-winning 2-point conversion against Oklahoma as guard Jeff Cavender (64) watches. Opposite page top: Fiesta Bowl Defensive MVP Marty Tadman rejoices in the PHOTOS JOHN KELLY victory. Bottom: Quarterback Jared Zabransky hoists the Offensive MVP award. 14 FOCUS WINTER 2007 y now, we all know it wasn’t a dream. And by now, the adjectives B to describe that win and those moments have been exhausted. Weeks later, Bronco Nation has come back down to Earth. Since Boise State’s sublime 43-42 overtime win over Oklahoma in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, the mood of the Boise State faithful has slowly changed from unfettered exuberance to warm contentment, the kind that lasts for months. But in that afterglow of Boise State’s win in the Bowl Championship Series, its No. 5 ranking and 13-0 season, there are other points to ponder — aspects to the victory over the Sooners that may take weeks, months and even years to come to the fore and for us to fully appreciate. Boise State President Bob Kustra’s column on page 5 and the article on page 17 delineate some of the early benefits the university has enjoyed on the heels of the Broncos’ monumental season. But what about the more long-term repercussions? Could the 2007 Fiesta Bowl be Super Bowl III redux? Will the Broncos’ stunning win serve as the tipping point that eventually changes the way the BCS is structured — similar to aftereffects of the New York Jets’ 16-7 Super Bowl triumph over Baltimore in 1969? The Jets of the lightly regarded American Football League, led by star quarterback Joe Namath, were 18- point underdogs to the Colts of the NFL. But Namath led the upstart Jets to the win — an upset of historic proportions that validated the AFL and altered the landscape JOHN KELLY PHOTOS JOHN KELLY of pro football. Fast-forward to Jan. 1, 2007, with the Broncos as latter-day Jets playing on behalf of the nation’s mid-majors and FOCUS WINTER 2007 15 ORANGE RUSH Defensive tackle Phillip Edwards races to join his teammates in the end zone victory celebration moments after the Broncos’ Fiesta Bowl win. “When we get to a playoff system — and we will, sooner or later — the Bronco victory will be a watershed event.” JOHN KELLY non-BCS leagues and the Sooners of the haughty advocates of a playoff system. How many such BCS cartel representing the lordly NFL of the upsets have gone unrealized, they ask, because late 1960s. In terms of historical significance, the system has excluded worthy teams from some observers think the Broncos’ win has similar non-BCS conferences? What might have happened potential. if the Broncos had been given a crack at [national “What I’ve learned from BSU’s win — which champion] Florida?” sportswriters are calling the greatest college Sure, it’s hard not to get carried away in the football game ever — is how wrong the euphoria of the Broncos’ improbable triumph — establishment is,” wrote Idaho Statesman columnist especially given the manner in which they won Dan Popkey. “When we get to a playoff system — and only time will tell if their win over the — and we will, sooner or later — the Bronco Sooners will create the same ripple effect the victory will be a watershed event.” Jets’ landmark victory did 38 years ago. In a lengthy feature on Boise State’s victory, But in the words of Rodgers and Hammerstein: Austin Murphy of Sports Illustrated said the game “You got to have a dream. If you don’t have a “helped the Broncos strike a blow for mid- dream, how you gonna have a dream come majors everywhere … It served as a godsend for true?” 16 FOCUS WINTER 2007 University reaps the benefits of BRONCOS’ HISTORIC WIN By Frank Zang hen Gov. Butch Otter opened his inaugural address on Jan. 5 by saying, “How ’bout them Broncos!” it W succinctly captured the watershed moment that occurred in the history of Boise State University four days earlier. Syndicate. Copyright 2007 King Features Much like Doug Flutie’s “Hail Mary” pass in 1984 put Boston College on the map, Boise State’s thrilling 43-42 overtime win against Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl, and the way it happened, has been a defining moment for the university. Or, as Boise State President Bob Kustra puts it, “Everything is different now.” TANK MCNAMARA (c) 2007 Millar/Hinds. In the 24 hours after the game, hundreds of congratulatory UNIVERSAL PRESS SYNDICATE. Reprinted with permission of e-mails poured into the President’s Office, a movie producer All rights reserved. inquired about optioning the exclusive story rights, and star running back Ian Johnson and his new fiancée, Bronco cheerleader Chrissy Popadics, were whisked to New York City for a Good Morning America appearance. That was only the beginning. The Broncos became part of pop culture, ranking high on the Yahoo and Google searches and appearing in comic JOHN KELLY strips for Tank McNamara and Mallard Fillmore. The top 10 signs that “You’re Watching Too Much College Football” on the Late Show with David Letterman included, “Canceled family trip to Mexico, going to Boise State instead.” It’s true. In the week after the Fiesta Bowl, online inquiries from prospective students increased 135 percent with requests from Maryland, Maine, New York, West Virginia and beyond. Boise State’s graduate school received 10 times as many application inquiries as it normally does in early January. The growing city of Boise has embraced its hometown university and a generation of blue and orange fans has been born. Business marquee signs throughout the Treasure Valley celebrated the season with declarations such as, “Coach Pete for President,” “Thanks Broncos For The Best Game Ever…We Believe,” and “French Dip Chips Coke $6…Way To Go BSU.” The community outpouring was all the more evident on Jan. 20 when the Bronco coaches and players were officially welcomed home as conquering heroes. A parade down Capitol Boulevard in 30-degree temperatures attracted 20,000 people to honor the team. Lines began forming eight hours in advance of a football player autograph session. At the Boise State men’s basketball game against Hawaii that night, people stayed until FOCUS WINTER 2007 17 CHILI RECEPTION Business marquee signs throughout the Treasure Valley heralded Boise State’s win. Previous page: National media attention in- cluded mention in the comic strips Mallard Fillmore and Tank McNamara and feature articles in Sports Illustrated and USA Today. MELISSA HARRIS 11:30 p.m. to have their photo taken with the Fiesta in the Liberty Bowl. Proceeds from Bookstore sales Bowl trophy. support student scholarships and operating expenses. One of the biggest coups occurred a few weeks later The Bookstore shipped online merchandise sales to when the Broncos’ Fiesta Bowl win was the subject of a all 50 states with the highest sales volume in Idaho, seven-page feature in Sports Illustrated. A photo of tight California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona and Texas. end Derek Schouman and the headline “The Boise State As a point of comparison, 10 years ago, the annual Miracle Game: How They Pulled It Off” shared the cover insignia merchandise sales from the Bookstore totaled with Peyton Manning. $222,000. Beyond the unprecedented media exposure and And what the future holds is even more exciting, enhanced fan base, the BCS-busting season has affected says Kustra. the university’s bottom line. After the Fiesta Bowl, a “The really interesting thing about our position in mailing to donors that history right now is that included a copy of a The growing city of Boise has when it’s written one day, USA Today cover story embraced its hometown university when we are larger than on Boise State inspired and a generation of blue and orange we are now and we have California alumnus the academic and athletic Doyle Heaton to send fans has been born. reputation of a Pac-10 a $250,000 pledge in support of a new building for the university, one might say these were the glory days,” says College of Business and Economics (page 6). Boise State’s president. “These were the idyllic moments In the month of December, the Boise State Bookstore in our history when the size was right, when quality recorded its best month ever for insignia merchandise was right, and when we clearly had an opportunity to sales at $752,000. The previous best month was distinguish ourselves as a metropolitan research university. $359,000 in December 2004 when Boise State played And we moved forward and beyond that.” 18 FOCUS WINTER 2007 JOHN KELLY PHOTOS JOHN KELLY MELISSA HARRIS THE JOURNEY BEGINS GENE BLEYMAIER HAS BEEN ON A ROLL.