OBNUG roster update: offensive line

Spring football gets OBNUG in the mood to speculate, so over the next few weeks, we will be making blind guesses as to who will be starting for the Broncos in the fall. We’ll do it position-by-position. Today: Offensive line.

Offensive line

Ideal candidate: This kid


Worst candidate: Kyle Brotzman


Actual candidates: Andrew Woodruff, Nate Potter, Chris Byrd, John Gott, Matt Slater, Garrett Pendergast, Paul Lucariello, others

OBNUG picks: Andrew Woodruff and John Gott at guard, Nate Potter and Matt Slater at tackles, Chris Byrd at center

Yesterday, we wrote about the importance of the offensive line, especially as it relates to the quarterback position. This group of guys has little experience (Woodruff is the only one with meaningful playing time), but we feel that they have the talent to get the job done for the Broncos. With senior leadership from Woodruff and Gott, things should go smoothly for the underclassmen, and we could be looking at a dominant bunch in a year or two.

Vandals kick off spring ball

Hope springs eternal in Moscow as the Idaho Vandals take the field for the start of spring practice today. BSU's biggest rivals have several things to be encouraged by:

1. No team ever went 1-11 in the spring.
2. They get to play themselves in the annual Black & Gold game.
3. Media attention will be negligible.
4. No one got fired over the winter (though not from lack of trying).

The continuity of a holdover staff is expected to pay dividends for a team in desperate need of an identity.

Akey said the Vandals will run the same offensive, defensive and special teams schemes that were used last season. Idaho finished the year 1-11, including 0-8 in the WAC.

If it's broke, don't fix it.

No, wait. That's not how the saying goes, is it?

Idaho opens spring football today [Idaho Statesman]

Photo courtesy KBCI 2 News.

OBNUG's trip to Birmingham

When Greg Graham shook hands with Rick Pitino before the game, it dawned on me that we were going to have to compensate for more than just size and speed. It showed from the opening tip when Louisville pressed and did not allow the Boise State offense to get into any sort of rhythm all night long. At least, after Louisville's systematic dismantling of Oklahoma on Sunday, our loss seems to look a little better.

All in all, our trip to Birmingham went pretty well. We took a few pictures. Most were before the game. We found it difficult to take more when the game finally got underway.

A big thanks to my friend Chad Uram, a Michigan fan, who made the trip with me and was an honorary member of Bronco Nation for the day and helped me pass out flyers. If you were at the game, I hope a flyer made its way into your hands. We personally handed one to the WAC commissioner, Karl Benson. We also got a compliment from David Augusto.

All in all, the spirits of the Boise State fans were pretty high before the game, and I think we all appreciated the effort by the team. The Broncos might have come out with a little of the deer-in-the-headlights look, but they rebounded to keep the game respectable.

So, how many days until Idaho State?

Clady scores baker's dozen on Wonderlic

Do Wonderlic scores matter? Not if Ryan Clady's muscles have anything to say about it.

Boise State offensive tackle Ryan Clady had the only disappointing score from the top group of blockers, a 13.

The score is not expected to change Clady's draft status, considering NFL defensive linemen will be demanding the square root of 529 during their pass rush moves. (By the way, the answer is 23.)

Clady's Wonderlic score [Dave's Blog]
NFL teams weigh Wonderlic tests [Chicago Tribune]