2010 MAACO Bowl Las Vegas: Boise St. 26, Utah 3


Monson: Utes discover ‘Girlse State’ is one tough witch
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Gordon Monson
Las Vegas
Yeah, but ... what’s their motivation?
That seemed more than just a question surrounding favored Boise — or was it Girlse? — State at Wednesday night’s Vegas Bowl here, it was also a theme and a challenge, just shy of spittle to the face, for the Broncos in their match-up with Utah.
And it went far beyond the Utes tweeting silly little insults about them or woofing on the field at Boise’s players during a show of pregame bravado and stupidity. It went to the pride of a program.
Problem for the Broncos was, it took much of the initial couple of quarters to locate that proper drive, fumbling as they did three times over that span, losing possession twice, and throwing an early pick. Mixed in were dropped passes, penalties, and sloppy play that gave the Utes a chance to throw up a real threat. Utah, though, couldn’t take advantage, committing their own bunches of boneheadedness.
“When you play a team the caliber of Boise State,” Kyle Whittingham said afterward, “you have to be a lot better than we were tonight.”
Bottom line: Boise scored 16 points in the final eight minutes of the first half and moved comfortably through to the end, beating the Utes 26-3.
When BSU quarterback Kellen Moore hit receiver Austin Pettis with a laser touchdown pass midway through the third, giving the Broncos a 20-point lead, Utah’s lights faded to black. It helped the Utes not one bit that they never could get out of their own way, holding on TD throws, missing field goals, and turning the ball over three times.
What happened here Wednesday night taught us what we already knew: The Broncos are better than the Utes.
“They’re great,” said Utah receiver Shaky Smithson. “They compete. They’re fast. They can play.”
Nobody had doubted Boise’s talent as a team, as an outfit that was a contender for a BCS championship, right up until ... that unspeakable night at Nevada when the Broncos failed to nail down, at minimum, a slot in the Rose Bowl. With that loss, they settled for a dubious date with the Utes in a bowl brought to you by a car-painting business.
Uh-oh, better get a reason to play hard somewhere other than the Arroyo Seco.
There were whispers that the Broncos would droop at the prospects of playing at the oversized erector set that is Sam Boyd Stadium rather than at the storied bowl in Pasadena. Beyond that, because of finals-week conflicts, they practiced only half as many times as Utah in the run-up to this game.
Well. None of that mattered.
Boise State went ahead and found its reasons. It outgained the Utes on the ground, 202 yards to 107, through the air, 341 to 93, and overall, 543 to 200. The Broncos, apparently, were neither disheartened, nor bluer than blue to be in Vegas. They did play beneath themselves at times, missing on multiple scoring chances. But what does that say, when BSU isn’t razor sharp, but it still wins by 23?
Utah just couldn’t keep up, offensively or defensively.
“It didn’t go our way,” said Ute safety Brian Blechen.
With that, the Utes’ nine-bowl win streak slammed to a halt with all the subtlety of a Buick running lights-first into a brick wall at 60 mph.
Still, it was OK. This was never Utah’s game to win. It was all about the superior team — You-Know-Who — and whether the Broncos would betray themselves by ducking out down a back alley, running from the disappointment of ruptured expectations.
They didn’t duck down or out any alley.
They fell forward, playing with a purpose, if not complete precision, defeating an opponent that would have had to play perfectly — the Utes didn’t come close — to have any chance at all.
GORDON MONSON hosts “The Gordon Monson Show” weekdays from 2-6 p.m. on 1280 The Zone. He can be reached at gmonson@sltrib.com.

© 2010 The Salt Lake Tribune

2010 Beef O' Brady's Bowl St. Petersburg: Louisville 31, Southern Mississippi 28

Beef O’Brady’s hardware for Louisville football

Picture 3 455x278 Beef OBradys hardware for Louisville football

Back in the Winner’s Circle

The challenge of returning the University of Louisville football to respectability began just over a year ago when an emotional Charlie Strong thanked the school and fans for giving him his shot at a head coaching position.
Over the next year, he would accomplish at Louisville what many believed was out of reach, impossible even.
Turning a laughing stock of a defense into one of the top 15 statistically in the nation. Transforming a cellar dweller in the Big East to being competitive in every game. Motivating Bilal Powell into one of the nation’s most productive running backs. Attracting an average of more than 50,000 fans per game. Taking UofL to a bowl after a three-year absence. Winning that bowl game.
One expects an entertaining football game when Louisville and Southern Mississippi get together in football. The latest meeting was no exception, a game that went down to the final four minutes, with UofL coming from behind to win, downing Southern Miss, 31-28.
What one didn’t expect was a 14-0 deficit in the first four minutes, Strong’s guys getting punched in the face by an adrenaline-pumped Southern Miss offense. Austin Davis throwing a scare into Card fans, first with a 32-yard pass on the opening drive, then catching a pass himself on a trick play.
  • Justin Burke, despite one of the shakiest starts in UofL football history, would not be outdone. Finding a way, between some of the knee-high passes, for touchdown completions to Josh Chichester and Cameron Graham. Between the bad moments finding a way to move the ball, get it done.
  • Bilal Powell, the subject of intense scrutiny from the USM defense film watchers for the past four weeks, finding glimmers of daylight just often enough for 71 yards. Not to be denied those six yards for the touchdown tying the score 21-21 at the half.
  • Receivers Andrell Smith, Doug Beaumont, Graham and Chichester making Louisville fans forget about last season when UofL entered a season with only one receiver who had ever caught a pass in a college game. Whatever happened to Troy Pascley anyway?
  • Chris Philpott, another comeback story in himself, considered just another bad kicker last season, putting it together under the Charlie Strong staff. Making the field goal that would be the difference in the game.
  • Jeremy Wright, one of the future faces of the program, breaking loose for a 95-yard touchdown, providing much-needed relief while Powell is limping on the sideline.
The action in the Beef O’Brady’s Bowl almost a mirror of the past season, Louisville sometimes getting hit hard early, hanging in, climbing back in, putting themselves in a position to win.
Charlie Strong has not only restored faith in the program, he has delivered a future for Louisville football.