Offense wins Blue-Orange game

The Boise State offense got back on track tonight in the Blue-Orange game. Freshman QB Kellen Moore had another fine performance, leading several long drives, and Doug Martin scored the only touchdown of the evening on a short TD run.

We were very pleased with how the Broncos looked. The defense showed some good signs, basically shutting down the running game. All four QBs made one or two good plays when they had their chance. And we even finagled our way into the scrimmage without paying.

Here are some of our first impressions:

• Either our kick return is great or our kick coverage is awful.
• Kellen Moore to Titus Young looks awfully good. Young beat Cedric Febis down the sideline and Moore hit him with a beautiful over-the-shoulder rainbow. Good stuff.
• Jeremy Childs made an appearance on the sideline.
• Bush Hamdan showed great mobility, although he took off a few times when he still had plenty of opportunity to throw. He either went through his reads too fast or got antsy.
• The tackling was stellar from the defense. On multiple occasions, there was one man left between the ball carrier and the end zone, and the defensive player made a sure tackle.
• D.J. Harper may be the hardest back to bring down on the team.
• The D-line continues to get great penetration. Shea McClellin and Chase Baker had especially good nights.
• There were fewer bad snaps from the shotgun, although several still either rolled back to the QB or went over his head.
• It was nice to see the Broncos run some traditional sets instead of all shotgun and "Q".
• Doug Martin as the goalline back could be groundbreaking.
• A chant of "Paul J" started late in the scrimmage.
• Brock Jaramillo nailed both of his field goal attempts, and he looked good doing it.
• Moore's first drive of the scrimmage showcased his ability to scramble and make plays. It was fun to watch.
  

WIR: Spring football comes to a close

Week in Review (WIR) can hardly believe that spring football is over already. After the Blue and Orange game tonight, there will be no more Bronco football until August. Thank goodness for NCAA Football '05 on the Gamecube.

• Blogosphere abuzz over 2nd scrimmage.
• We don't care for Robb Akey and Mike Prater.
• ESPN gives its take on QB race.
• Safeties and kickers round out the OBNUG roster.
• Johnson for Heisman!
• There are no losers when scholarships are involved.
• Bronco radio conspiracy?
• Scrimmage scoring and extortion.
• Broncos crack Top 25 (note: not a real Top 25).
• Derrell Acrey popular again.

We'll see you all tonight at the Blue/Orange game, and we'll have a hastily-written recap later this weekend. See you then, Bronco fans.

Public Enemy #1: Mike Prater's case

OBNUG is in the process of deciding who should be this website's most hated villain. We'll be presenting the cases for all of the candidates over the next few weeks. Enjoy.

Mike Prater

When it comes to the sports editor of Idaho's largest newspaper, some might expect an objective, temperate journalist. Not us. We want the biggest homer around.

Mike Prater, the Statesman's sports editor since 2001, is not that homer. Sure, he does a fine job running the sports section, but he does so with a decidedly non-partisan flair. Where are the op-ed columns from Buster Bronco? Where is the photo collage of Brock Jaramillo? Where is the blue? Where is the orange?

We want someone running the sports section who loves Boise State football as much as we do. Instead, we have a Vandal apologist. And that reason alone is enough for this website to despise him.

We could forgive him for the complete lack of Bronco flair on the sports page. We can even forgive his part in the yukfest that is Caves & Prater. But we simply cannot overlook his unforgivable sin of not hating the Idaho Vandals.

And really, he leaves us no choice. He knows full well that defending the Vandals is a crime against Bronco Nation, and his doing so in the city of Boise only magnifies his betrayal. How far off is the day when Robb Akey and Nathan Enderle take the Broncos off the front page? Not as far as one might think.

Prater's Vandal vivality has dug himself a pretty big hole. He might never be able to repair the damage he has done to his reputation with Bronco fans, but there's no harm in trying.

Want to get off of our bad side, Prater? Vote Boise State #1 in your pre-season AP poll. Want to spend the next year as our Public Enemy #1? Keep right on doing what you're doing.

Milk: it does a workout good

The Boise State football team has never been shy about trying new things. Zen coaching, rugby punts, and senior starting QBs immediately come to mind.

The latest trend, according to the Idaho Press-Tribune, is drinking milk after workouts.

Many Broncos are seen shuffling through the halls of the football facilities with a bottle of chocolate milk coming out of the weight room.

“I have no idea how or why it works, but it does,” sophomore defensive end Ryan Winterswyk said. “I do know if you try and drink a ton of it right afterward, you feel like puking.”

Oh, to be young and lactose intolerant.

Not just push-ups and sprints [Press-Tribune]

Acrey making name for himself in spring

Kellen Moore isn't the only BSU player who has people talking.

Derrell Acrey, the sophomore middle linebacker, has had a wonderful spring, showing the dominance and skill that many expected to see last year. We felt he was the best defensive player in the most recent spring scrimmage, making plays all over the field and really delivering some crunching hits. Just don't try telling him that he's just now living up to expectations.

“I try not to listen to all that stuff, but of course word gets around,” Acrey said. “That kind of fuels me now. I don’t want people just to think of my potential. I want to perform and meet my own expectations I have for myself.”

Many considered Acrey to be a candidate for a breakout season last year, but it didn't happen. His performance thus far in the spring has given the coaches optimism that Acrey will arrive this season and significantly improve a unit that was a team weakness last fall.

"He plays with passion," defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox said, "and sometimes he needs to be able to control that and unleash it at the right times. That's a skill. He's definitely gotten better. He's got a lot of room to grow, but we're excited about where he's going."

We're excited about not giving up 67 points to Nevada again.

Buzz surrounding BSU's Acrey [Statesman]
Acrey finds a new outlook [Press-Tribune]