BOISE, Idaho — Wednesday Weekly…January 10, 2024.
I’m not sure anyone expected a low-scoring game with high-flying Colorado State in town, but that’s what the announced crowd of 12,058 got Tuesday night. It also got a 65-58 Boise State win over the 17th-ranked team in the land, the third-highest ranked win in Broncos history—higher than the electric victory over San Diego State last February. The Rams were the top-scoring team in the Mountain West, but the Broncos held them to just 21 first-half points while building a seven-point lead and kept them at bay in the second half. O’Mar Stanley led the way again with 17 points and 11 rebounds—on the all-important defensive end he had three steals and a block. It was Boise State’s 22nd consecutive victory in ExtraMile Arena, extending the nation’s longest home winning streak.
ANDERSON’S IMPORTANT BOX SCORE
EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED IN THE MW
The Mountain West began this week with not one, not two, but three teams in the AP Top 25. Boise State is not one of them, of course. Aforementioned Colorado State has that No. 17 ranking, while San Diego State is No. 19 and Utah State No. 20. Only the Aztecs were expected to be there. And there’s another mild surprise from the conference waiting in line. It’s Nevada, which the Broncos are tasked with facing Friday night in Reno. Following their 67-54 home win over Air Force Tuesday night, the Wolf Pack are 15-1. When Nevada is good, it’s usually gets it done on offense. But going into the game against the Falcons, the Pack led the conference in defense. They can score, too, though. Jarod Lucas, the one-time Oregon State standout, is fourth in the Mountain West, averaging 17.8 points per game.
EXPECTATIONS RUNNING A BIT HIGH
There seems to be a lot of folks who think Boise State is just going to waltz into the College Football Playoff now that Malachi Nelson, Cam Camper, Jeremiah Earby and Tavion Woodard are aboard. But as The Band sang in “The Weight,” their 1968 classic: “Wait a minute, Chester.” Nelson has to shake off the rust, partially from a year-old torn labrum that reportedly dogged him during Trojans practices this past fall. And Camper is recovering from a cleanup procedure in November on an old torn ACL. And even with Earby in the secondary and Woodard on the defensive line, the Broncos have a lot of challenges to overcome after a spotty 2023 on defense. No question—Boise State’s chances of representing the Group of 5 in the CFP have taken a quantum leap. But the journey will be difficult. Let’s at least dial it back a bit.
AND THEY MIGHT NOT BE DONE
One more transfer was added to Boise State’s portal haul Monday: kicker-punter Jarrett Reeser from San Diego State. Reeser had previously committed to the Broncos, but he has now signed, with three years of eligibility left. Reeser couldn’t have better mentors this season. He knows Jonah Dalmas is in his final season as kicker—and you never know, this could James Ferguson-Reynolds’ last year as punter. It not inconceivable that JFR could declare early for the NFL. Dalmas, of course, needs 18 field goals next season to break the NCAA career record of 97 held by North Carolina State’s Christopher Dunn. Some may want an asterisk on that because Dalmas will have had five seasons, but remember that he was shortchanged during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, when Boise State played only seven games.
JFR IS THE WINNER BY FAR
THE KELLEN WATCH
As of this writing, Kellen Moore is still the offensive coordinator of the L.A. Chargers. But the NFL club interviewed Moore Tuesday for its head coaching job after firing Brandon Staley last month. As much as we like Kellen around here, it wouldn’t be a splashy hire for the Chargers after they finished 18th in total offense and 21st in scoring this season. Then again, you may have seen this from Tom Pelissero of NFL Network late last week. The NFL Players Association asked over 1,700 players to rate the coordinators they play for on a scale of 1-10, and the beleaguered Moore was in the top five. In other Kellen Moore news, he wasn’t named as a College Football Hall of Fame inductee Monday for the third straight year. But one Treasure Valley resident was: former Nebraska and Ohio coach Frank Solich, who lives in Eagle.
GOOD TIME FOR THE STEELIES TO STRAIGHTEN THINGS OUT
This Idaho Steelheads season has been acting a bit like two seasons ago lately. The Steelheads have lost four of their last six games (although they’re coming off a 5-2 win over Reading last Saturday). But the Steelies are still 23-9-1 going into the three-game series against Kansas City beginning tonight in Idaho Central Arena. Idaho and K.C. are tied atop the ECHL Mountain Division with 47 points in the standings, two behind the Toledo Walleye for the best record in the league. The Steelheads have three individual league leaders: Mark Rassell is still tops with 22 goals, and Ty Pelton-Byce and Wade Murphy are tied for the lead in plus-minus at plus-20.
MERRITT TEES IT UP AGAIN
Troy Merritt’s autumn rally got him an automatic entry this week into the Sony Open in Hawaii, where he’s started many a calendar year on the PGA Tour. In fact, it was at Waialae that Merritt debuted as a tour pro in 2010 and made a big splash by tying for 20th. This year, the former Boise State star is there because he finished in the top 125 on the FedExCup Fall Points List after a shaky spring and summer on the tour. Merritt posted top 10 results at the Fortinet Championship in September and the Sanderson Farms Championship in October.
FRESH LEGS LIFT THE YOTES
College of Idaho coach Colby Blaine is doing it the way he likes to do it, playing a lot of guys and throwing waves of reinforcements at opponents. The Coyotes are 12-2 going into their road trip at Corban and Bushnell this weekend, and not a single player is logging as many as 26 minutes a game (Samaje Morgan is averaging 25.9). Ten players, however, average at least 10 minutes. Just like last year during C of I’s 36-1 national championship season, it has been paying off in the second half.
THIS DAY IN SPORTS…January 10, 1949:
The birthday of “Big George.” George Foreman’s boxing career spanned 30 years—the first stop toward greatness was a heavyweight gold medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. Foreman was overshadowed at his peak in the 1970s by Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, but he did win the world heavyweight title with a knockout of the previously undefeated Frazier in 1973. Foreman would lose the crown to Ali in 1974 at the famed “Rumble in the Jungle.” But his most amazing accomplishment was reclaiming the title in 1994 at the age of 45, becoming the oldest heavyweight champion in history. Foreman retired in 1997. He was known as the promoter of the popular George Foreman Grill all the while. George Foreman…75 years old today.
(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment during the football season on KTVB’s Sunday Sports Extra and anchors four sports segments each weekday on 95.3 FM KTIK. He also served as color commentator on KTVB’s telecasts of Boise State football for 14 seasons.)
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