Dominique Vinson and other Bronco casualties [Statesman]
As excited as we have been this summer about early commitments, Bronco fans could be just as concerned about the number of players leaving the team. The latest casualty is WR Dominique Vinson, a grayshirt last season who had some exciting expectations this fall. Let's go to the Statesman for the details.
No details of Vinson's departure were available.
Oh.
Vinson's departure adds to the rather long list of Bronco players who will not be back this year (mentioned by us and FFBSU), including some for medical reasons and a few for personal reasons. Depressed yet? If not, then this might do it for you (from the Scott Slant):
Ebenezer Makinde, recruited out of Phoenix as an "athlete" (meaning he'd be plugged in where he fits the best), might be waffling. Tim Schultz (Rivals.com) writes, "Makinde gave a verbal commitment to Boise State at the end of May and while he says he's still committed, he would like to see what options other schools might have to offer to get a feel for whether or not he made the right decision.
Say it ain't so, Ebo!
With all this discouraging news, it would be nice to have something optimistic to talk about. How 'bout a Jeremy Childs update? He is listed on the Boise State roster, which means he is either on the team or that the someone in the BSU administration office does not proofread. At this point, we'll take whatever we can get.
Other links:
Video tour of new Bronco Stadium Sky Club [KTVB.com]
Sadly, it will be the closest we come to getting there any time soon.
Wal Mart does not follow college football [KTVB.com]
But their PowerAdes sure are cheap!
Boise State good at marketing, too [Statesman]
Is there anything our teams can't do?
Not all Idaho players are worthless [Nevada Appeal]
Adam Korby broke the mold.
LaTech could be a sleeper [Times-News]
If sleeper means boring, then yes.
BSU a big game for Southern Miss [EDSBS]
Not losing as badly as last year would be sorta like a win.
The new BSU numerical roster is available on the BroncoSports website, finally giving us a chance to pre-order our Raphiel Lambert replica jersey. Get BroncoShop on the phone, Jeeves!
The biggest change on the updated roster is RB D.J. Harper's switch from #34 to #6--an obvious ode to Denver QB Jay Cutler. Seriously though, Harper will look pretty awesome running over defenders with a single digit on his back.
Doug Martin will indeed be wearing #22, and the rest of the skill position players stayed put with their same numbers. The only other big changes were CB Brandyn Thompson switching to #13 and DT Billy Winn going to #90.
Lambert and the other incoming freshmen were listed, which really makes them feel like part of the team for the first time. Now we actually have an excuse to get way too amped up about them.
Bronson Durrant, OG, #79
Greg Grimes, DL, #68
Byron Hout, LB, #69
George Iloka, S, #8
Tyler Jackson, S, #29
Joe Kellogg, OG, #61
Chandler Koch, TE, #86
Darren Koontz, DT, #95
Raphiel Lambert, CB, #38
Brenel Myers, OG, #64
Chris Potter, WR, #81
Tommy Smith, LB, #33
Tom Swanson, OT, #74
Jamar Taylor, CB, no number
Faraji Wright, OT, #75
Junior college transfer LB Daron Mackey will be wearing #45.
After a summer of rest, the Bronco Nation N.O.W. podcast has resumed. Listen to JT Ray from BNN, Drew from Fight Fight BSU, and Matt Rodgers from Statue Left as they discuss the latest news and information. OBNUG took the Bush Hamdan route and politely declined.
Stream it from the website. Download it to your iPod. Burn it on a disc and take it to a rave. Or do all three.
You may enjoy watching the Boise State Broncos, but the Broncos do not necessarily enjoy being watched.
That is the feeling we get from the release of the Fall Camp schedule. In addition to the common practice of banning the public from regular practice sessions, the team is extending its Joe Schmo prejudice even further. Observe the scrimmage information:
Monday, Aug. 11 from 3-5:30 p.m. at Bronco Stadium
Saturday, Aug. 16 from 7-9 p.m. at Bronco Stadium
The team also will hold a closed scrimmage at Eagle High School on Aug. 22.
Who closes scrimmages to the public? We're actually a little bothered by this, considering that Bronco Nation has been nothing but supportive. We just want to see our team play! We promise to leave the video cameras and Nevada scouts at home this time.
The Broncos will hold 24 practices in the three weeks leading up to the Idaho State game. When Fall Camp ends on August 24th, Boise State will spend the next week getting ready for Idaho State. Not that they'll need a whole week.
Other links:
Top 5 rivalries for non-BCS teams [ESPN.com]
Fresno State-Boise State may be the most lopsided rivalry ever. Unless you still consider Idaho-Boise State a rivalry.
Yeah, another bowl is a great idea [Washington Business Journal]
Congressional Bowl will feature Navy, ACC school, and an ambivalent sigh from the rest of the country.
Exodus from newspapers to online [From the Bleachers]
Little known fact: OBNUG used to have a print edition.
The WAC's hate meter [ESPN.com]
Graham Watson's glass must be half empty.
An epic WAC season? We're not sure about that [Arbiter]
Glad to see college journalists not afraid to make broad blanket statements.
Child-rearing tips from Dan Hawkins [CUBuffs.com]
"Sometimes you’re a potter, other times a blacksmith." Uh...
Will Hoenike finds wormhole in the fabric of time [ISZ]
At least, that's where the last optimistic Vandal conversation was heard.
A new perspective on bowl games [Bowlology]
Would a Boise State-Texas Tech Sun Bowl have ended any better?
Previewing the WAC seems like a good job for an intern. Unfortunately, we do not have an intern. Ugh. Today: San Jose State
San Jose State
Team motto: "Attack the lower tier of the WAC"
Two years ago, the San Jose State Spartans were 9-4 and winners of the New Mexico Bowl. Last year, the Spartans were 5-7 and winners over UC Davis. In the immortal words of Mike LaFontaine, "Wha' Happened?"
The 2007 Spartans had a lot working against them. They opened with a difficult schedule that saw them start out 0-3. They lost starting running back Yonus Davis for the season to injury. They forgot to recruit impact players. Taking Hawaii to overtime was a good sign, but scoring a combined seven points against Fresno State and Boise State wasn't. When all was said and done, the Spartans were stuck in WAC mediocrity, not good enough to scare anyone but not bad enough to be confused with Idaho. Enjoying the Dick Tomey era yet, Spartan fans?
Five Questions
Is Kyle Reed the next Steve DeBerg or Jeff Garcia?
Forget DeBerg and Garcia. The Spartans would be ecstatic if Reed was the next Adam Tafralis. A transfer from Cal, Reed is battling for Tafralis' old QB spot with Myles Eden and Jordan LaScela. He may have the upper hand simply because he did, at one point, have Pac-10 talent. That should be good enough to fill Tafralis' "Don't blame me, I complete 62 percent of my passes" shoes.
What were you thinking when you chose Jeff Schweiger as your preseason WAC defensive player of the year?
Thinking outside of the box is good, provided that the box is full of Hawaii players. Schweiger seemed like a good pick because we see him and the SJSU defense being a key to the Spartans' "success" this year. Schweiger, a transfer from USC, and Coye Francies, a CB transfer from Oregon State, will take on the responsibility of the departed Dwight Lowery and Matt Castelo. A better question might be why Pac-10 players want to transfer to San Jose State.
Will I have to wake up at 9:00 a.m. to watch the SJSU-Boise State game?
Fortunately, no. The Spartans love to start their Saturday games smack dab in the middle of Dragonball Z, but they won't have the luxury of catching the Broncos mid-Pop Tart this year. The two teams face off on a Friday night ESPN2 telecast. Guess we'll have to tape the Bill Engvall Show.
Tell me a joke.
What do the San Jose State offensive line and George O'Leary's resume have in common? Both are unreliable and full of holes.
Is Yonus Davis the first person in the history of football to miss an entire season due to a sprained ankle?
Yes, probably. Davis suffered the injury on the Spartans' first offensive play last season, and he was barely heard from again. His final numbers: 3 carries, 1 yard, 500 rolls of Ace bandage. Davis was awarded a sixth year of eligibility, giving him one more chance to run over WAC defenses and call dibs on the rehab hot tub. Tommy Boy quote!
Tommy: You know, a lot of people go to college for six years. Richard: I know. They're called doctors.
Over/Unders
+/- 76 Times Kevin Jurovich is wide open and nobody sees him
+/- 4 How many games it takes for us to regret picking Jeff Schweiger as WAC defensive player of the year
+/- 10 SJSU third-down conversion percentage
Recognizing what went wrong last year should help the Spartans creep back toward moderate respectability. An easier schedule should help (Hey there, San Diego State!). The return of Yonus Davis won't hurt (not the last time you'll see "hurt" and "Yonus" in the same sentence this season). And the addition of impact transfers on offense and defense should make a difference.
Still, unless the Spartans have plans to upset one of the top teams in the WAC, they will continue to tow the line just above awful, just below talented, and all over ordinary.
Perfect situation:
Stanford and Nebraska forfeit their non-conference games, Kevin Jurovich grows six inches and learns to throw go routes to himself, Jeff Schweiger becomes an All-American, and San Jose State goes to a bowl other than the New Mexico Bowl.
Reality:
The San Jose offense struggles with a new quarterback and porous offensive line, the defense guts out wins over San Diego State and Hawaii, the Spartans get to 6-3 before losing their final three games, and Dick Tomey's lobbying for a New Mexico Bowl berth falls on deaf ears.
ESPN's Graham Watson posed an interesting question on her blog yesterday: Is Ian Johnson the WAC's best running back? If Watson knows, then she's not telling as her story politely skirted the issue with open-ended statements, facts, and Johnson quotes.
But is he the best running back in a stacked WAC?
"I've seen a lot of these guys and you look at (Nevada's Luke) Lippincott and all the guys from La Tech and even the guys from Fresno, these guys are very different running backs from myself," Johnson said during WAC Media Days last week.
Johnson was the best running back in the WAC during his glory year in 2006 and was even considered a darkhorse for the Heisman Trophy. But those numbers trailed off last season as Johnson was plagued with injuries.
We live in a black-and-white world, so this article, with all its grayness and ambiguity, was hard to deal with. The answer, in our opinion, is clear: Ian Johnson is not the WAC's best running back. He lost that title last year when he struggled with injuries and effectiveness. Let the angry emails fly.
Remember, Johnson was not very good at times last year, and Bronco Nation openly questioned what was wrong with him. Sure, he is saying all the right things and doing all the right things this offseason, and to be honest, we are confident that he will regain the mantle of WAC's top running back this season. But in the meantime, we feel he is no longer the top dog.
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