From BSU's Big Sky Era

Top 10 Momentous moments From BSU's Big Sky era

t was a typical autumn afternoon on Saturday. Oct. 2, 1970, in Bozeman. Mont.. when the Boise State footooll team lined up for the opening IOckoff. As always. kicker Utuck Holmes glanced up and down the line before he slowly gave the - readyH5igna l. Then, Holmcs licked the Broncos InIO the Big Sky Conference. Fast forward 10 June I, 1996, in Eugene. Ore. Brian Davidson. near clhauSiion after two days of competi tion. sprinted :l.S best he could toward the finish of the 1,SOO-meler Jun, the final event of the NCAA !k<:lllh. Ion. As he crossed the line, he unknowingly be<:ame the last Bronco 10 eveI compete as a Big Slry student athlete. The Broncos built a rich athletic tradition in the Big Sky during the 26 years that elapsed between Holmes' first kickoU and Davidson's final dash to the tape. Now it is all bi:;lory. On July 1, Bob.c Slate became a membe r of the Big West Conferencc. But before we go forward. FOCUS tak.es one ftDa.l n06lalgie look back III BSU'!i Big Sky era With the help of loc.aJ Spocls historilllll> and commentators, we have sele<:te<110 moments in Bronco athletic history thaI ddined the ell, and, in many cases. Irans.c:ended even themsclves. liere, then. are vignettes of thOl>e "momenlOus moments" from the Broncos' years in the Big Sky Conro;rence. 111. /flIU ....'c /,Ut Mlitwr< ~//~t IfIW NCedric Minter, Randy Trautman, Rick Woods and David Hughes - went on to careers in pro football. As defending national champions, the ,1980 1981 team went 10-3 on the season and advanced to the quarterfinals in an TIGHT END DUANE DLOUHY expanded playoff had somehow worked into the system before losing to corner of Eastern Kentucky's end Eastern Kentucky in zone. Bronco quarterback Joe Bronco Stadium. Aliotti rolled left, right, left, and let Criner left the next go with a last desperate wobbler in year and it was Dlouhy'S direction. A catch! THE another six years Joe Aliotti and Duane Dlouhy celebrate the catch that brought the 1980 Division before the historic catch. Below Shawn Beaton with I-AA national championship to Boise Broncos made the championship trophy. State. their next The teams had traded the lead that appearance in day in Sacramento, but the Broncos the national appeared to have the game won with less playoffs. than two minutes to play. Suddenly, EKU beat BSU deep on its only long pass completion of the day. The Bronco lead was gone. Fifty-five seconds - and 80 long yards - remained when the Broncos got the ball back. In a final furious minute RY that will live forever in Bronco lore, Aliotti connected with receiver Kipp Bedard three times, quickly working the confused Colonels back to their own 14- yard line before three passes fell incomplete. One down and 13 seconds lHE CROWD BUZZED stood between the Broncos and their with nervous anticipation long-sought national championship. as the two teams Then, Aliotti's impromptu pass comple prepared to kick off the tion to Dlouhy sent 4,000 Bronco fans in 1971 football season. the stands into delirium. Spectators sensed that The seemingly impossible comeback the symbolic value of the was characteristic of a team that found game they were about to victory amid difficult circumstances. One see was more important year earlier the Broncos breezed to a 10-1 than the outcome. record but couldn't win the league championship After all, this game or compete in the playoffs because they were on Big marked both the begin Sky probation after coach Jim Criner violated confer ning of a rivalry and a ence rules by sending a scout to Northern Arizona in coming-of-age ceremony for 1978. State. On this warm The 1980 season opened with a stunning win over September night the Broncos were Utah in Salt Lake. But the Broncos lost two of their next playing the Idaho Vandals for the three and seemed headed nowhere. They rebounded to first time. win the Big Sky title and advance to the Division I-AA More than 16,000 fans crowded playoffs, which in those days included only four teams. into 14,5OO-seat Bronco Stadium. Few people predicted a win over a tough Grambling The majority of the fans, it seemed, team and its legendary coach Eddie Robinson in the were there to cheer for the Broncos' first round. In one of the best games ever played in opponent. Bronco Stadium, BSU beat cold weather, fog and the The Vandals were no strangers to Grambling mystique to win 14-6, setting up the national Boise crowds. Many times during championship finale against Eastern Kentucky in Boise State's junior college era the Sacramento. Vandals would travel south to

16 FOCUS/SUMMER 1996 ent",loin their local faIlS with ~ "hoone Broncoo their first Bit Sk), cbompioo'hip ,or"" _ often again.t a Pac·8 opponent_ in 14 yea" and an .utomatic berth in the io to. old ...-ooden Brooco Stadium. I-AAplo)'oltii, But """,' the vounted Vandalo would be BSU posled excitin& wins over North playin, _ at all schools - the upstart Tens aruI Appalachian Slale before its descendant c.t that junior coIle8e, semifinal win o.er Marsball, whid! drew. Doi>e SUote, • fresh-faced member of crowd", lII",e lilar! 20,too ",.. ed fans, tbe Dii Sky, baCOl! l""t In Youngsto",u Stau Idabo. the following w..ok in the champjonibip WlliIe 1101 • rOlxineJy succe.sIul rrWAS TIiE CROWNING MOMENT iOO'e, and to lMke monets worse, Aile.. p.-ogram at the time, Idaho ,tin .... of. &10ri0us >e • ...,. It ...... improbable w,," diagnosetl ",itb cancer two day. later. CApCcted to hondJe tile BrOftc,-" ..-ilh co",. comeback ill a iIU>UIl lull of coOleb3cU "The 1995 season W,," ",",ret! h)' Anen'. But oller tbe fiTSt Bronco ~on, tbe atMt a formidable foc lhat Iouked batlle ..-ilh lhc ut the cooch Vandal P"Thl"'ctive chaJlg.d. Led by unstoppable. foughl bock tu Ic..:t the l ..m and BSU 4u.rterh.d Eric Guthri<, Boi.., Slllte BSU seemed hopckssl), bebind finWled 7·4. AIIc~ is continuing his unyoilcd a <--mifin.l> '" the Di.woo recovery ond BSU is prep. ring to entor coach TOllY Kn~p h~d de.i>ed during tile I·AA football playo[[, ., 11K; Thundering Division I·A [ootb.lI this y'M in tho Big wmmcr. On the fint 1""'''''.;00. Guthrie Herd 'tampeded p"-'I llle BroocUl [or W ..tConfcr~na;, hit Don Hut! [or a tOlldl; mounted one 01 th.ir Tbh.n·, Ie..:! fan, '.bock at the foUT til'lt·half "",,",' to 24-14 at haHtime. II the IICrond half the lurned to "'lief one! .mba"...... nt ",hen BSU t1efen", blanked the H erd and the the !""'" finally ended 0{ 42·14_ off.n", ,co.-O Tb< .ictory eNer M;>"h,lI w.. the '94 COIIlpeted 1<>< fund. and pr",rom,. >eOSO([ in microcosm. In , preseason poll, In the early y.ars the Bro"""" tor lbe Broocoo, woo were J-S the pre.ioos mented the Vandals. winnina ",.en of nine year, ...-ere picked In finish fifth in the Bi& ,.m., io the 1970>. Incident' like Jim Sky. In,t.ad !lIey "'enl 1:>-2, tho socond Criner'. oa.. ide kick ia the ...-.ning best lurnarOUJld in I-AA fOOlt>aJ. hi.,,,,,,. momenl' of a victory and the V.ndal" They WQ!\ their fitst "" Somes, iDCIudin& m.rch throop tb. Bronco dressing rOOlJl an excitin& win over Ne.OIdot. After. la.t BOZEMAN WAS AN UNUSUAlLY oontrit>ut:>< h<> in the FieldbollS< ",roc 8,00J bh",.ond.yello .., coocll Deuni:s Eric""" coovencd to ,n regular ..ason tinllle. The win 0'1'''' th. hued Monton. State Bobc.at ze.lots oerial ~ame .nd began a "'in Ol reak LIlat Vandal9 wasdouNy .we"l because not ",emed e>en "o.-e O£1Iery thon usuaL la"ed lor 12 yeo" unlil BSl,; linall)' won only did il end. ,"exing 12-y0 Bronco h",k.tball teom h. d olr.. dy again in 1'1\104, uren 10 theirarduiyal>, il ~a .. the he.ten the '~h \'O'k. durini the ",~ular .....,.,. And !>ere were OIris OIildo, Amell Jone. ~ compony in their face .",in in the fioal pme of the Bill Sky piayol!ii to dotermine the conf~ rence r'1"esentati.. '" the NCAA tournament n.. Broncol h.kl the leod maot of the &ome, ooi.y to !.eO it slip a.. 'ay .Iter MSU "",,"ed f';>lowing a BSU turnover ...-ith 41) ,.,COIIds lelt. It ...-•• bedlam .. the llrOlli& way, the Broocoo cillIIe ~Ul timid - and perhap, """,ewbot POeU" ...... , _ 17 dotermi .. the bo>I W\1O for Iho Bla Sk~ lO\J,narnenL ond IMn belli lIN: Brol'l<:Oll ia tho ti ..Jo. UlI1lM 11'01'1<01 .till ..ore ..lected lor lbei. (tUI·evot NCAA betth, :and v.ded tho .."",n ..il~ • 23 ·6 ,.toN afltt Iosins 10 W.oItiof;too. A,""IIn_ TIlt 19\IJ-IW BItIOe<...-. ~ Montoo1 0<1'71 ..... ud IX Boi ... St:i'< Br""",," Wei"""" '0 SSt: _ ...... batethall.

''''./'OeYe, bolof. in 1:11, Sl.y history "ad SO rnllll~ peoIllo """"" to "",tcb a """,en', a",. ehlld. ha, ~M "" ro pl4, for IN b",~etbILIl ill'rlt, The huge crowd spok. NIlA'J 8~ .. J .....y N.a. vol\Irntf of a pt<>itrutl thaL had dt._ \lIIp,,,,.doD,ed amOLion to ",omeo', ,-~"'h 2, 1974 intimklated - op.insl a powtrfUl Mid\!· .lhIet[cs aL BSU. Coach June D.u!1>e.ty. g.1n team that went"" 10 win tile nnl.ooal w1w llrdel6l~ pmnlOttd ",omen', b.i&e, oh"mplomhip tbe nul ~IIU, b.UltooI lhe d.y sh< "rrivtd in 1989. bod IN TH ~, Ato.'NAL.~ O~ lIlO SKY lJ~t anu • lint·1I.1l1 cue ot ill!&l' tnght. outmbkd an oOl clipped nway lillie WoI ....-r · tor.....~ BuJsan"" ""h"""'-I tum n!c-..l>.-.., DSt:'. domimtion of ...... 100' frocn lin' ll'lC leod. WillllH. Lhog un","". Ia ploy, Udly. V... l>tno.- .. Ihc Bronc", ~cd ulI1iltlN: coorerellC<: dtoppId tholpOt, In lIIoc BT¥«l. I9@? lbd b!r <<».. Y ""fiji, I1Ie ",me into oYertim<. bull ¥nLe, by T_)'UTJ",Hor.lhc B,ion Km, rimmecl """ .nd Lhe B,,,.u;,, D."""", ..on tMlr lint_ever Dia 0 1plnsI Poc.1D aP>da,,1s Ie "'''''' ...... "''''''''IJ ._ed ta"" notdb. A !let., po-eo""'y Wyomi"llwieo Om ... ,.,'"- ca."", i1I "'''r-ionaI bo$kelNiI. ._ .... ~ ....ccmd""""d ._.wly jaininl 0.. JCI/IDton ... ,!If. nnly maol.d I ... ibtonoo f~ r tooW1 ift an f'I!.A ..me.. 1O'(ICIe"...... elbal l :n II ..... ""' __;tqn ,fkllll ~ ~ s.ou... bere JllII. few Jears lor. Jlf'IIR"11loa1 . oronkef~ tile _m plavo«i ia .;.. ...,0;' stJ_ bdolt roadl frocK or Ilftly InrIy Dye uri~ in J\I8J t'1Ill "1Io In QW U""""" Gym. <1._ tQ tbe Pooill"" ill .-d nllmllors lite ct(I....t ,ot III (be ",,",' ~ the ~roo_1(I ... la. ..cI ...... nllt ••pocted I""" I Arid they did. The !Ie'lftlf tbe p ... tIIlt fe.tuted!lle L.... Bmocos qlin IO<>t ~ ..... ular.. _ bi.ghefI natk>nally r3llled I"""", tiLIe. "'innin& 2l $<"lmH ....eM •• I'OmeaI<'Cl C¥(f lO ...... LIn tilt Pavilion ploy bc<:_ routioo. wJth Nlll",1tallool ""'"n~ ~ r.~1a:r sc .""', The i.e. 198'l. "91 and "92 and NCAA appeaf' 21$1 rM>.nCO$ be", Iht a"" .. In 1993 and "94. Dy!lle time he IdL 20lh ranked Gf;' 70--61, whinc IWDa1l hi d <:ba.n~d 10O'<,,,c., MI)D'.n.o W(>n • <:<>in Hlp 10 Bf""",," fin;"bed n(". po ..'e, Idlho Stile, whkh hod won ..ven """,nd 10 in 1996. Tbe program contino 01 the IMt nine COIIference champion,hip". ued to qu.lify for tbe NCAA regional". for '(be UrOOCl"";'; crowd>, and ,,'hen Y",,",'. .." ..11." compiled a 13·1 dual-meet record, 3,500 to 4,000 fan.> tut'lled oot ror tbe leat"" cbarnpiomllijl>. In.'L2, throop 1'1ffi aoo al ain in 1981, '8~ and 'Ro> while t.ld", "",0lI<'l place in 19lH, 'KI, '84 UNDER ED JACOBY, BOISE STATE and 1>1. During that ",on. Ioor BSU track aod [",W team> ba"" fine,bed in the wrestle" - t-"andler. Scott Barrett. top 2fI in !he n~tion fi .. tilJle>. But at the Handy WIl5O!l and Kevin Wood - earned 1974 NCAA Indoor o,ampiomhip!l in AU-Americo bonors """ tbe team pl.ced Oklohoma City, a trio of Bronco othlet", 20th in lhe NCAA champiomllip> in 1982, . u,pri..ed e'en thei,,'eleran c"""" hy BSU joined !he Pac-tO Ifter L1l< Big Sky oornNning their tllents f", a sevemh-pt""e dropped wresllin~, While !he BrO Julie Wagn",', Mrf~a 10 $ymbolizrd the finish and eomin.i: indi.idual All-America ha~e yttto win • cootere""e tille, ,"ve,.1 BI'OO<'o'., .... cc~" iIIgymnas/iC$. booor., indiviJu.l". have ... 00 dlamp;oo,)tijl> and Sho<-plllter Ste.... Muse, In AII compeled in the national NCAA mee!. 1~70s ...lI oompeted II the Ameri""n the yeor bel",., unc",hd 0 Oivi';':'n 1IleYei arul late' .. a member 01 lhr"'" 01 ~-4 '/" &ood lor fiftb ptace: triple \be Mountaio:> W",t AllIlc1ic Coolerenee, jumper Wendell Llwrem:e took lourtb in Cooch Sam SaruJrnire, ,,1>0 arrived in his ••enl with I ~3-!O 'I. effort; oad bigh 1'187, led \be te"", into Oi'Woo I oompeti jumper Troy Kemp finished secood "itb tioioce I ~nth the biJl=t notiorl.1l r . nkin~ becrlminl a DivWon I prrwam, ~nd were e~e r by a Bronco track and roekl ",!u..J - beiinnin, to """" up in national poll". by with Auburo, Baylor IlDburgb. Ly..~ 20, 1993 1'192 That)"'"'" W~Y"'r boc."", the finl Altbougb BSU ha.J enjoyed romitJcr BSTJ ~mn&t to adv~nc e to the NCAA able track ..00 Iidd.lICCeU hotb iIltbe Bi~ finals. Sky ~nd mtiIIc " .. off. After °.uc<:<",fnl rellulars ..."",. the can, at tho NCAA Indo", as atumin~ aboulto write 0 po!\,! in til< > tleldeJ .trOll! tea""'. demic All-Ame'icoo ood the te"", ended W(l[l five tille. - t./o in tbe hip jump Ind even durin, the formative yeo", in the th ...a son rl nked 11th in til< n.tion, one in the Ion,jump ir>door. ond two in SEEKING REGIONAL AND ""lional recog:niliofl as • coU. liate power, lhe BSU men'sl.nio team &ot the boll roIhng ... illl • ''''lory over regional po.. 'er Ulah allbe Nevada Bob', Tenni. Ct.";c tbe hi~h jump ""ldoon, Bronc,," by (',onnar. OIle 01 the mo.t in L .. Vcg... ll ... "" .landrn", ~ vihing lhoiT ooll.~ car",,,, prolific !-COrm in ",bOO history, despite for . pr'Wam lIIal ..... lealoinghowto Mu.<. To coach Ore, Palton, k>cmer in 1988. d'e latter i. '88 u.d '92). ~. tho", wi.,. told tile B""""" th t tltey Ke!np. in pankulM, h2s continu, driblJled and let f" from 'J) fe.t. The cOOlpete, In Panon', lour )'1'o"ot the Bronco Gym c",,,.. d "... , never louder .. hel,". the USU men'. team ha, been . the \>0. 11 ripped the nLi. No time left. dominaJ){ lorce, to say the least. in tbe BrorKXlO ..in 67-Q,. league. When it WOO its lourtlt stroilnl Bi, Connor reP<'ated nis her~ the non Sky cbampionship Ibis 'prin" BSV ..ed: in the Bia; Sty completed a 25-.() loumameU! tide .....p 01 D4c Sky lIome apinst opponents from Weber, hluinj; • 1993-1996. Uelore IMt se.:ond ,'o ovenin"", later men', tennis title tbe Uroncoo had in 20 ye"", ",,!lillieOo. .uch.n in,ilolion, In thc..e pre-Pavilion days, • capacity "'ent on to I""" and lbe Br"""", """",d of Oldy 3,700 noi,~ Ions COIJld fit theiT NCAA finilhed Ihird ill inlo oI. double> to"," of WIth WebL.,- aod Idaho StOll •. _ the BronC

211 rocus/Ou_. ,", Postscript ... SoleClint BStJ'. top 10 momen" ,... ,n', easy. Ther. hove l>een ,,,,ny exceptioo"1 perrc>cruaflC •• '00 QU"!,",,in2 ""hieve _ ment, durini {lie BroIIC"'- lJi& Sl;y .". llete ore • Ie~' "'her meanintfuj ."en" {hat didn"1 mate our top 10 J;,t, OO{ "'-er. import an! nonoll1.,tctt>oll ..in O>'er n.,ioa..,My r>nkooJ FI'<,"", 5[01... 11<\3 .•.• Til< 1'171 C.mclli. >."wI"';. """ 0,,,,, ~L.Le __ Th. ,.",,>AO.·, 00.""""" tnct Cl>1fll1lio<»ltipo. in tOe ",iJ.-~ , . The (OO(boli team", Wlb<>«O ,,,,,.t "' ""~""rl.oy rmm ]lIT! LI"''''J' 197;. __ Tioe n76 """,", ,,0« NUllIfY cltornpj"mhip. ,., 11>0 .,.,.',le"!'"" te.,,'" till< .. 197. __ . TIl< f~" !tip to ."""",, in "ome.-, h"'clholl in 1971 The !i'crtimc "", to 1<,,><1, io I9'>J Imi",. I-A'" n ..i<>oo>.l ..O>iti!>ok. •• , NCAA [IoI).nd E,,!!",", Greco< (triple jump ill "llj.... 1",4 NCAA mo.', sI"Jom clt.",!, llill Sho.,_ .. The 1987 'IK ill 197'1, ". no ~'oo>o.', loll title in 1'1')2 .nd the ._', t

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