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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, September 27, 2009

CFB: Boise State continues on its path


By Brian Murphy
McClatchy Newspapers

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — In the up-is-down world of college football, Boise State remains as consistent as a metronome. The beat goes on and on and on.

It was yet another wacky weekend in college football. Three top-10 teams lost to unranked opponents. Three other top-25 teams shared the same fate.
Then there was No. 8 Boise State. On the road. With a sellout crowd. In an unfamiliar setting. A scoreless first quarter.
No problem. Boise State exploded for 43 points in the second and third quarters before turning to its reserves in a 49-14 thrashing of Bowling Green. Not a hint of the danger than ensnared the Broncos’ highly ranked brethren, some of whom escaped and the unfortunate that didn’t.
“That’s why I can’t stand playing the late game because I have to see all that going on all day. Anything can happen,” Boise State coach Chris Petersen said. “It really can.” Except it doesn’t. Not to this program.
While the rest of the Treasure Valley is making plans for New Year’s in Miami or New Orleans or Pasadena or Phoenix and dreaming up scenarios (no longer far-fetched) for how the Boise State can become the ultimate BCS-buster and crash the national championship game, the Broncos are focused on Monday’s practice.
At least that’s what they say. And you can’t help but believe them. Not when they treat Bowling Green as seriously as they do Oregon. The results indicate they do worry just as much about UC Davis and Fresno State.
“Sometimes players on the team don’t even know what game we’re playing next because we worry about the game that we’re playing now,” said running back-turned-defensive back-turned-running back Doug Martin, fresh off his first 100-yard rushing game as a Bronco.
The one-game-at-a-time-shtick gets old to those outside the program. BCS speculation is much more exciting. Playing with the rankings — now if this team loses to this team, where does it put the Broncos? — is much more entertaining. Boise State could match its highest-ranking ever (No. 5) when the polls are released Sunday afternoon.
Sorry, the Broncos are not willing to engage. One game at a time is not shtick to them. It’s a fundamental as much a staple of the program as the blue turf or multiple personnel packages.
“The moment you start looking ahead or you start looking elsewhere instead of looking in the mirror, that’s when things slip up and things don’t work out as you planned,” senior cornerback Kyle Wilson said, after helping to limit Bowling Green receiver Freddie Barnes, the nation’s top pass catcher, to four receptions and 24 yards.
“You don’t want to have any regrets, so that afterward you have that feeling that maybe we should have done this or maybe we should have done that.”
No regrets here. Not like the ones they have this morning over coffee at Penn State or California or Mississippi. All three were national title contenders. All three facing unranked conference opponents. All three are no longer undefeated.
“It’s crazy college football. You never know what’s going to happens,” said quarterback Kellen Moore, who completed all but four of his 21 pass attempts. “Certainly you’ve got to take care of your business so you’re not one of those guys.”
By those guys he means the ones rushing off the field to avoid getting trampled by students rushing to celebrate the biggest win in school history. There was no dash to the Boise State locker room Saturday night. The only ones in a hurry to were the Bowling Green faithful.