Boise State's Magical Run
Football Flashback
Each week, we will travel back to a team/game/player from the 21st century and potentially relive each moment/season. We will also fast forward to present day to give an update on what the situation looks like for that specific team/game/player. This week's flashback is dedicated to a Cinderella Story. When asked to name a team that overcame adversity to win a game in college football, most people point to Boise State and their Fiesta Bowl game against Oklahoma.
2006 was a year that would spark debate about smaller schools belonging in the national championship conversation. Many purists believed (and still do) no small school belonged or even could compete against a bigger school with better athletes. Boise State came into the Fiesta Bowl with 5 consecutive Western Athletic Conference (WAC) championships, but no one considered them to be relevant on a national scale. 2006 proved to be another great year for the Broncos as they finished the regular season 12-0 while beating a couple bigger schools in Oregon State and Utah (winning by a combined score of 78-17 in those games). Led by running back Ian Johnson, the offense relied heavily on the run and threw sparingly. Quarterback Jared Zabransky threw the ball well when called upon, throwing for 2587 yards with 23 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. This formula worked well for Boise State, and Gophers fans can look to this as an reference for 2016. A stingy Broncos defense that only allowed 15.6 points per game gave the offense much needed breathing room. All of this success came in coach Chris Petersen's first year as a head coach in Boise, but the challenges were only beginning.
The BCS system prevented the Broncos from playing in the national championship game, however it did allow them to participate in the 2007 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl (making Petersen the fourth rookie head coach to lead a team to a BCS bowl game). They may have bit off more than they could chew as they drew #7 Oklahoma led by a familiar Minnesotan name: running back Adrian Peterson. Oklahoma was coming off an 11-2 season in which they won the Big 12 Conference by beating Nebraska in the championship game. Peterson and the Sooners were predicted to be a top 5 team and national title contender. Peterson's season was put on hold with a broken collarbone, but returned to form shortly after his return. With Peterson, Oklahoma was favored by 7.5 points, and many thought they would run over Boise State.
The game was a battle, with the Broncos proving they belonged for most of the game. Boise State actually led 28-20 until a Sooners touchdown and two point conversion tied it with 1:26 to go. On the ensuing first play from scrimmage, Zabransky threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown by Marcus Walker. Many thought that play was the dagger in the Broncos upset hopes, and the next three plays didn't prove otherwise. Zabransky was sacked , threw a pass that was dropped, and threw another that was incomplete. Boise State faced 4th and 18, and the chaos ensued. Words cannot explain the ending of the game, but Chris Petersen's unprecedented and innovative play-calling sparked a wave of trick plays across the nation. A hook and ladder, wide receiver pass to a tight end, and a statue of liberty play later, and the Broncos stunned the Sooners. In what could arguably be the greatest upset in college football history, the underdog left the college football world stunned.
PRESENT DAY
It's interesting to look at teams in the past and see where they have gone from that point forward. It's hard to believe it has already been ten years since that season was played. Here is a quick look as to how both teams have fared over the last decade.
Oklahoma: Considering the Sooners have gone 93-27 (.775) since this game, I don't think it had any effect on them. If you also consider they made it to the BCS championship game in 2008, it's safe to say the Sooners kept rolling. Coach Bob Stoops is still the head coach, and led the Sooners to the College Football Playoff last year. Oklahoma should be a contender for the 2016 playoff, so Stoops' job shouldn't be in jeopardy. Adrian Peterson was the big name of this game, and he declared for the NFL Draft that year. He's had an excellent career in the NFL, but I wonder which loss was hardest to stomach: this loss to Boise State, the NFC championship game in 2009, or the playoff loss to Seattle in 2015 (sorry Vikings fans).
Boise State: Boise wasn't a stranger to success in the years leading up to 2006, but this game put the Broncos on the map nationally. Every year, they are a favorite Group of 5 team to make some noise. Since the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, Boise State has produced an astounding 100-19 (.840) record. That record has them in the same conversation as the Ohio State's and Alabama's of college football. Chris Petersen's mastery of play calling set off an explosion of trick plays throughout the next decade. Ask anyone about trick plays in college football, and a vast majority can point to Boise State's miracles in the Fiesta Bowl. Petersen left Boise State in 2013 when there was a vacancy at Washington, his current employer. Zabransky went undrafted in the 2007 NFL draft and never made an NFL roster, however he was selected to be on the cover of the video game NCAA Football 08 (EA, please bring this game back, thanks). Ian Johnson would play two more years for the Broncos, and eventually signed with multiple teams, but like Zabransky, couldn't stay on a roster for an extended period of time.
Result: Boise State 43 Oklahoma 42
Ranking: Top 5 Upset of all time
Impact: explosion of trick plays, people picked their jaws up off the floor, Boise State explodes onto the national scene.
