The season is almost here. 9 days.
Can you feel the excitement?!
I have spent the summer reading about the Broncos and the WAC and what could happen. First off, it has been great hearing Boise State mentioned in nearly every single national season preview article I’ve seen all year (not to mention all the “who is the next Boise State?” articles). Absolutely amazing. If you would have told me 5 years ago that we would be this well covered, I would have called you crazy. I read that the fallout from the Fiesta Bowl has been estimated to be over $100 million in free publicity for Boise State University and the State of Idaho. I can absolutely believe that.
Second… most, if not all of the articles that mention Boise State, or the WAC are pointing to the showdown November 23rd on the Island as Boise State visits Hawaii. People are calling that the battle for the BCS. Hyping it beyond belief. I want to get on the record, here before the season even starts with this:
University of Hawaii WILL have at least one loss before we meet them for that game.
I know they have a cupcake schedule (including two 1-AA teams) and have the offense from hell. But what no one is talking about is their defense. Last year, they were middle of the WAC or lower in just about every defensive statistical category. Plus, they lost their defensive coordinator, Jerry Glanville, who headed off to be the head coach of Portland State. Yeah, they bring back 8 defensive starters, but none of those guys were all that good to begin with. Historically, their defense has never been good under June Jones. Nor have they EVER played well when on the mainland.
You watch. Someone will catch them napping. Brennan will have an off day (or perhaps an injury), and the typical Hawaii defense will give up enough points to lose.
Best bets for their losses? I’m going with at San Jose State (10/12) – an improving team with good speed… New Mexico State ON the island (10/28)they have a great QB too… or at Nevada (11/16) provided Nevada can get some fans in the stands and show up to play. Both of those are iffy. The wild card is Fresno. Who knows what they will do this year.
Honestly, absolutely nothing in the world would make me happier than to see Idaho step up in that temple of gloom they play in up there and spank Hawaii back to Oahu. If they can get an offense, the Vandie’s D just might be good enough to pull something like that off.
My favorite Hawaii story was the game in 2004 here. We had a game with them that was on ESPN. Their QB, Timmy Chang, was all set to break the 1-A passing yards record in the game. He needed 241 yard and had been averaging well over 300 for the season. Seemed like a no brainer.
Only, he played like shit and managed to NOT break that record, but threw 4 picks to set the all time interceptions record instead. Essentially, they crapped the bed on the big national TV stage and got spanked 69-3. It was treeee-mendous.
Anyway, the amount of Bronco coverage in this thing is probably going to spike here over the next few months… So, if you don’t like that stuff, you don’t have to read it.
But its football season and cool outside.
Absolute heaven.
I think you may be right on about Hawaii. They do need some defense and don’t have much. BSU may have a loss going in also, but who knows. I doubt we will be 11-0 going into Hawaii. I do remember eating Tommy Chang’s lunch, and that could (?) happen to Brennan, but he is a better QB than Chang ever thought he was.
Hawaii’s big problem is the loss of Glanville. Big shoes to fill there. and the fact that they sometimes play miserable on the mainland. A cold wet/snowy field in Reno could be enough to eat them alive also. That is the weekend before we play them I believe. They may still have frostbite when the Bronco’s arrive in Hawaii.