| 25 August 2011
If our Georgia
Bulldogs pull off an upset September 3, they will have accomplished something done by college football teams only twice in the past three years: Beat the Boise State Broncos. In fact, the BSU Senior Class of 2012 has suffered the agony of defeat but twice in their three-year college football careers. This current bunch of Bronco seniors are 38-2, losing only, as freshmen 17-16 to TCU in the 2008 Poinsettia Bowl, and then as juniors 34-31 in overtime to Nevada last year. Two times, that’s it!
This crop of Senior Broncos wins impressively, too. Their average three-year point spread victory: more than 27 points per game. Last year’s average point spread was even better: more than 32 points per game.
What is particularly amazing is how Boise State has pounded its opponents in the First Half. Last year, BSU went into the locker room up at the half on average more than 24 points. That’s a lead of more than three touchdowns, plus three extra points, plus a field goal. After 30 minutes of play.
While the Broncos did not maintain such a torrid scoring pace over the final two quarters, BSU continued to outscore its opponents at the end of each period over the past three years, except for overtime (famously).
For example, in 2010, Boise State outscored opponents 170-31 in the First Quarter and 199-24 in the Second Quarter. The Broncos magic points machine slowed (a little) to 145-53 in the Third Quarter, then a bit more normal in the Fourth Quarter 72-55 when Kellen Moore and Doug Martin were resting up on the bench. BSU was outscored only in overtime and only in one game by Nevada where the point spread was 0-3.
Each season over the past three, Boise State’s First Half point-spread advantage has gotten larger, and larger, and larger.
Boise State’s First Half scoring riches have applied equally when the Broncos were playing a ranked opponent. In the two games the Broncos lost, they actually held leads of 13-0 in the Second Quarter against TCU in the Poinsettia Bowl in 2008 and 17-0 in the Second Quarter in their loss to Nevada last year.
In their 2008 upset of Oregon, BSU gave up a touchdown to the Ducks in the First Quarter, but then roared back with 24 unanswered points in the Second Quarter. In their 2009 Oregon rematch, BSU scored 13 in the Second Quarter for a 13-0 halftime lead.
Then in the 2009 Fiesta Bowl rematch against the Horned Frogs of TCU, the Broncos jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the Second Quarter.
Last year against Virginia Tech, Boise State parlayed a recovered fumble and a blocked punt to take a quick 10-0 lead, then added another touchdown before the end of the First Quarter to lead 17-0.
Finally, in the Las Vegas Bowl, the Utah Utes scored a First Quarter field goal to lead at quarter’s end, but then the Broncos roared back with sixteen unanswered points in the Second Quarter.
Well, what does all this mean for our Georgia Bulldogs in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic in 2011?
I think these statistics speak to the Broncos’ psyche. Boise State fully expects to jump out to a big lead against us early, just as they did against VA Tech, Nevada, Utah, Oregon, and TCU before us. In fact, going back to BSU’s marquee game, the 2006 Fiesta Bowl against the Oklahoma Sooners, the Broncos jumped out to a 14 point lead in the first seven minutes.
The Boise State University Senior Class of 2012 not only is unaccustomed to losing, they are equally unaccustomed even to being much behind. If they don’t jump out to a big First Half lead, they will be in very, very unfamiliar territory. In fact, their plans for us would surely be much disturbed if we don’t start off slow and they don’t jump out to a quick lead. Not having a lead should start to mess with their minds.
Therein, I believe, lies a significant key to Georgia victory. Do not let them take the ball away and build a big early lead like they did last year against both VA Tech and Nevada. Stop them early and show them they are in a football game.
Their big and early leads against the Hokies and the Wolfpack last year notwithstanding, the Broncos are susceptible to teams that play four quarters of hard football.
But Tyrod Taylor and his band of turkeys came up just short last year. Had VA Tech not handed the Broncos a 17-0 advantage early on, Tyrod et al. would not have failed.
We should learn from the Blacksburg Boys’ lesson. No mistakes. No letting them have a big early lead.
Let’s upset the blue-clad horsies of the BSU Senior Class of 2012, in more ways than one!
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