Boise State scrimmage: questions that need answering

The Boise State Broncos will take the field later this afternoon for the first scrimmage of fall camp, and we could not be more excited. We could also not be more curious.

Over the inexorably long summer, we had plenty of time to sit around and think up open-ended questions about the Broncos upcoming season. And with practices being closed to the public, we have had to cobble together answers based on spotty play-by-play from the local media.

Not today. This afternoon we will finally get a chance to put the pieces together for ourselves about this 2008 Bronco team. Here is what we'll be looking for:

Will Ian Johnson's backup be D.J. Harper or Jeremy Avery? One of these two should be in line to get the scraps of Johnson's carries, and thus far through the first week of camp, they seem to be pretty even. Harper and Avery? Avery and Harper? We'll see in a little bit.

Can we forget the whole "Q" formation ever happened? The Broncos' spring surprise was a version of Nevada's pistol that looked pretty cool right up until the snap when everything fell apart. For that matter, what will shotgun snaps look like? The Boise State centers have had all summer to perfect the art of throwing footballs between their legs, so there should be some improvement. We're willing to reconsider the "Q," but the Broncos are going to have to do an awful lot of convincing.

Do you think we'll recognize Jeremy Childs? Absence makes the heart grow fonder...at least that's what we told ourselves when the girls we liked wouldn't return our phone calls. Childs has been off the field for what seems like an eternity. It will be the highlight of our August to see him running routes beside Titus Young, Austin Pettis, Vinny Perretta, and others.

Could Mike T. Williams and Ryan Winterswyck get sacks on every play? We're pretty sure they could if they wanted to. Out of all the Bronco storylines going into this year, these two defensive ends are the ultimate headliners. Hyperbole alert: they could be the greatest pass rushing duo that the WAC has ever seen! We are literally giddy with excitement.

Which Kyle Brotzman will show up? In spring practice, we saw the inaccurate, complacent Kyle Brotzman, but we really want to see the precise, confident Brotzman from a season ago. We'll attribute the spring misses to Brock Jaramillo's extortion tactics. Let's hope things are better today.

Will Dustin Lapray be wearing a derby with a feather? The Magic Valley Times journalist/poet/worsdworth writes like he has been transported out of 17th century literature, and his BSU blog reads more like a Shakespearean play than a football practice report.

Oh, and we may be a little interested in seeing some of the quarterbacks throw.

Before you head to the scrimmage, make sure to print yourself a roster.