Boise State Now One Year Away from #6 All-Time for Consecutive Eight-Win Seasons

Boise State now is just one season shy of moving into sixth place all-time for the most consecutive eight-win seasons.  The Broncos are seventh in the last 107 years with 15 straight years of eight or more victories.

Nebraska is the runaway record holder with 33 consecutive seasons of eight or more wins. The Cornhuskers accomplished their amazing run from 1969-2001. Michigan recorded eight or more wins from 1985-2004 for 20 straight seasons, while Princeton (1888-1906) and Florida State (1987-2005) are tied with 19 straight years.

Georgia and Texas ended great streaks of 13 and 12 consecutive seasons, respectively, in 2009.  


Here are the all-time leaders in consecutive eight-win seasons:
1.   Nebraska…33 (1969-2001)
2.   Michigan…20 (1985-2004)
3.   Princeton…19 (1888-1906)
3.   Florida State…19 (1987-2005)
5.   BYU…17 (1976-1992)
6.   Pennsylvania…16 (1890-1905)
6.   Michigan…16 (1968-1983)
6.   Tennessee…16 (1989-2004)
9.   Boise State…15 (1999-2013)
10. Virginia Tech…14 (1998-2011)
10. Miami of Florida…14 (1983-1996)
10. LSU….14 (2000-2013)
10. Oklahoma…14 (2000-2013)
14. Yale…13 (1886-1898)
14. Alabama…13 (1971-1983)
14. Georgia…13 (1997-2009)
16. Carlisle…12 (1902-1913)
16. Florida…12 (1990-2001)
16. Texas 12 (1998-2009) 
20. Oklahoma…11 (1948-1958)
20. USC…11 (1972-1982)
20. Penn State…11 (1989-1999)
23. USC…10 (1924-1933)
23. Notre Dame…10 (1969-1978)
23. Oklahoma…10 (1971-1980)

Miller Ties SWR for 3rd

Miller snared another touchdown pass and now has 77 receptions on the season, tying Shane Williams-Rhodes for third all-time.  He is just five catches shy of the school record.

Matt Miller Ties Mike Wilson for 4th

With eight receptions tonight, Bronco receiver Matt Miller has tied Mike Wilson (76 catches in 1992) for fourth all-time in single-season catches.

Miller is one behind teammate Shane Williams-Rhodes, who had 77 prior to suffering a season-ending injury last week.  The school record is held by Jeremy Childs with 82, while Titus Young had 79 in 2009.

Ajaji Moves to 4th on Single-Season Rushing List

With 123 yards thus far, Jay Ajayi has passed former Bronco great Doug Martin for fourth place all-time for rushing yards in a season.  Martin had 1,299 in the 2011 season, while Ajayi now has 1,304.

Ajayi is well short of legend Cedric Minter, who motored for 1,526 yards in a season.

This Week in the Blue Football Through and Through Top 25

We enter the final week of action for most teams.  The conference championships and a few rivalry games are all that remain next week.  Here is this week's schedule:

#1    Alabama (11-0) lost to #3 Auburn 34-28
#2    Florida State (12-0) blasted Florida, 37-7
#3    Auburn (10-1) upset #1 Alabama at home, 34-28
#4    Stanford (10-2) edged Notre Dame 27-20
#5    Ohio State (12-0)  came back to nudge Michigan 42-41

#6    Missouri (11-1) came from behind to beat #22 Texas A&M at home 28-21
#7    Clemson (10-2) lost on the road to #10 South Carolina 31-17

#8    Michigan State (11-1) held off Minnesota 14-3

#9    Arizona State (10-2) ripped Arizona 58-7

#10  South Carolina (10-2) topped #7 Clemson at home, 31-17

#11  UCF (10-1) tipped 2-9 South Florida 23-20

#12  Fresno State (10-2 ) fell to San Jose State 62-52
#13  Oregon (10-2) came from behind in the final seconds to edge Oregon State 36-35
#14  Oklahoma State (10-1) did not play

#15  UCLA (9-3) rocked #23 USC 35-14

#16  Northern Illinois (12-0) pounded Western Michigan 33-14

#17  Louisville (10-1) does not play
#18  Baylor (10-1) edged TCU 41-38

#19  Oklahoma (9-2) is idle

#20  LSU (9-3) edged 3-9 Arkansas 31-27

#21  Wisconsin (9-3) lost to Penn State 31-24 

#22  Texas A&M (8-4) lost to  #6 Missouri 28-21

#23  USC (9-3) fell to #15 UCLA 35-14

#24  Mississippi (7-5) lost to Mississippi State 17-10

#25  Vanderbilt (8-4) edged Wake Forest 23-21

Also:

Boise State woke up in the second half to put away New Mexico 45-17
Utah State whipped Wyoming 35-7

Nevada lost to BYU 28-23

Colorado State smashed Air Force 58-13

UNLV is thrashing Bronco beater San Diego State 45-19 in the 4th

Hawai'i leads Army 42-34 in the 4th

Southern Mississippi defeated UAB 62-27

The 2013 Boise State Seniors: A Record-Breaking Run for A Class Act

The 2013 Boise State Senior Class has accomplished much during its time in Idaho's capital city.  Since 2010, 10 of the Bronco seniors have either earned all-conference honors, All-Academic honors, or both.  With post-season honors still to be awarded, the Bronco Senior Class has received a total of 20 all-conference honors on and off the field.

It has been a record-breaking run for these seniors.

The Broncos broke their own modern record earlier this year for the most wins in a 15-year period.  With at least two games to play, Boise State is 164-28 since 1999.  Florida State held the modern mark of 160-23-1 from 1987-2001 until Boise State broke it last year, going 163-29 from 1998-2012.   

The Boise State seniors also made sure they extended the school streak of seven or more victories to 15 consecutive seasons.  They moved the school up to 17th in college football history with that streak.

Entering the final week of the regular season, these seniors have led Boise State to a 42-8 record over the last four years.  That mark is ahead of LSU (42-9), ahead of Florida State (42-10), ahead of Oklahoma (41-10), ahead of Ohio State (29-8), in fact ahead of every college football team in the nation except Alabama (46-5), Oregon (45-6), Stanford (44-7) and Northern Illinois (46-8).

Besides being the fifth-best senior class in America, the 2013 Bronco senior class is the 12th straight class at Boise State to win 40 or more games in four years.  The Bronco seniors helped the team to a 12-1 record, culminating in a 26-3 win over Utah in the Maaco Bowl.  The following year, Boise State went 12-1, with a 56-24 victory over Arizona State in the Maaco Bowl.  Last season, the Broncos finished with an 11-2 mark, beating Washington 28-26 in the Las Vegas Bowl.  And Boise State is 7-4 this season.

But this class's achievements go far beyond the playing field.  For three years in a row, Boise State's football team has ranked among the nation's top 10 percent for Academic Progress Rate or APR, which measures eligibility and retention of a team's student-athletes.  Boise State is one of just seven schools to accomplish that feat, with the others being Clemson, Northwestern, Duke, Rutgers, Rice and Ohio State.  

Leading up to their senior year, the Broncos had a four-year score of 993 (a school record), which was second in the nation to Northwestern (996).  Boise State was tied for second last year with Duke, both with scores of 989.

The 2013 Bronco seniors also left Boise State with the best winning percentage of all-time among major college schools: Boise State is 176-50 (77.88%) as a major college football team, besting Michigan (73.36%), Notre Dame (73.34%), Oklahoma (71.99%), Ohio State (71.86%), Texas (71.61%) and Alabama (71.51%).
By clinching a winning season several weeks ago, the 2013 class also preserved Boise State's lead for the highest percentage of winning seasons as a major college school.  The Broncos have finished with winning seasons in 16-of-18 years (88.89%), to top Michigan (87.90%), Alabama (87.27%) and Ohio State (87.25%).

Join Bronco Nation Saturday in Bronco Stadium to salute these 16 great Bronco seniors:

#17 Geraldo Boldewijn, Wide Receiver

Geraldo made his first career start as a freshman in 2010, and finished the year with 11 catches for 160 yards (14.5 yards per catch).  In 2011, Boldewijn started three games, and finished the season with 19 receptions for 266 yards (14.0) and two touchdowns.  Last year, he started four games, and finished with 18 catches for 197 yards and two scores.

Boldewijn has set career highs in 2013 with 34 catches for 474 yards (13.9 per catch) and two touchdowns.  Starting every game this season, Geraldo has combined with Shane Williams Rhodes (77 receptions) and Matt Miller (68) to set the school record for receptions by a trio with 179.

In his Bronco career, the gifted Boldewijn has caught 82 passes for 1,097 yards (13.4 yards per catch) and six TD's.  Boldewijn currently ranks 32nd in Boise State history in career receptions (82) and 30th in career yards (1,097).

#32 Jonathan Brown, Linebacker

In 2010, Brown was credited with 16 tackles, 5 of them solo, with .5 tackles for loss and two passes defended.  He was named to the Western Athletic Conference All-Academic Team.  The following year, Jonathan earned four starts, and finished the year with 19 tackles, 9 solo, 2.5 for loss, a forced fumble, and an interception.  Brown was once again an All-Academic performer, this time in Boise State's new conference, the Mountain West.  In 2012, Brown had 10 tackles, 7 solo, with 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, and a pass defended, and was named to the Mountain West All-Academic Team.

Coming back after a season opening injury, Jonathan has seven tackles, .5 for loss, this year.

Brown has posted 52 tackles, 26 of them solo, with 3.5 tackles for loss, three passes defended, one sack, two forced fumbles and an interception in his Bronco career.

#76 Jake Broyles, Offensive Line

In 2010, Broyles played in five games.  The following year, Jake made three starts before a season-ending injury.  In 2012, Broyles made one start and played in four games.

Jake has played in four games this season.

#18 Aaron Burks, Wide Receiver

Burks played in 10 games as a freshman, and grabbed six catches for 58 yards.  He played in all 13 games as a sophomore, winding up the season with six receptions for 57 yards.  Last season, Aaron made two starts and played in all 13 games, finishing his best season with 17 catches for 319 yards and his first touchdown as a Bronco.

So far in 2013, Burks has played in eight games with one start, and caught 16 passes (fifth on the team) for 286 yards and three TD's.  Burks leads the Broncos in yards per catch with 17.9.

Entering the final stretch of his career, Aaron has hauled in 45 receptions for 710 yards (15.7 yards per catch) and four touchdowns.  Burks ranks 19th in school history for yards per catch.

#77 Spencer Gerke, Guard

Spencer played in three games in 2010.  In 2011, he made two starts and saw action in all 13 games, helping the Broncos lead the nation for the fewest sacks (.62 per game) and finish fifth in scoring (44.23 points per game).  Spencer was named to the All-Academic Team in the Mountain West Conference.

Gerke has started every game this season, helping the Bronco offense rank 14th in the country in first downs (280), 18th in scoring (38.2 points a game) and 20th in third-down conversion percentage (48.3%).

#14 Trevor Harman, Punter

In 2010, Harman was the kickoff specialist, kicking off 82 times for an average of 63.8 yards, including nine touchbacks.  He also punted 10 times for 447 yards (44.7 average).  Four of those kicks were over 50 yards, and three were inside the opponents' 20-yard line.  Against Idaho, Harman set a school record by averaging 53.2 yards on five kicks, including one for 64 yards.  At the conclusion of the year, Trevor was named to the WAC All-Academic Team.  The next year, Harman averaged 65.2 yards on 97 kickoffs, including 17 touchbacks, and was credited with six tackles, five of them solo.  Once again, the studious Harman was named to the All-Academic Team, this time in the Mountain West. 

Last season, Harman became the Broncos' full-time punter, averaging 41.2 yards on 42 punts.  He booted 11 punts over 50 yards, and 8 inside the opponents' 20-yard line.  He also kicked off 56 times for a 60.6 average, including 10 touchbacks, and had 4 tackles, 3 of them solo.  Harman also ran the ball 21 yards on a fake punt.  Harman was named to the conference All-Academic Team for the third straight year.

This year, Trevor has punted 25 times for a 43.1 average with a long of 67 yards, six kicks over 50 yards, and nine punts inside the 20.  Harman and Sean Wales have combined to place Boise State 32nd in the country in net punting (39.3 yards per punt).

In his Bronco career, Harman has punted 77 times for 3,255 yards for an average of 42.27 yards per punt.  To this point, Harman is right behind Kyle Stringer (197 punts for a 42.3 average from 2003-2006) for fourth place at Boise State.  He has 21 punts over 50 yards to his credit, and 20 of his punts have resulted in the opponent starting out shy of their 20-yard line.  Harman has kicked off 235 times for 14,954 yards an average of 63.63 yards.

#56 Dustin Kamper, Linebacker

Kamper walked on to Boise State, and played in three games as a freshman.  The following year, Kamper played in one game, the Maaco Bowl, against Arizona State.  In 2012, Kamper played in six games and posted three solo tackles.  At the end of the year, Dustin was honored to be on the Mountain West All-Academic Team.

This year, Kamper has played in nine games and has nine tackles, two solo, one interception that he returned for 20 yards, and a pass defended.

In his Bronco career, Kamper has 12 tackles, 5 of them solo, with an interception and a pass defended.

#78 Charles Leno, Jr., Tackle

The latest in a long line of great Bronco offensive tackles, Leno played in two games as a freshman, then started every game in 2011, helping Boise State lead the nation with .62 sacks per game, and rank fifth in scoring at 44.23 points per game.  In 2012, Leno extended his starting streak to 26 games, helping  Boise State allow just .77 sacks per game.  Charles was named Second Team All-Mountain West at the end of the year.

This season, Leno has started every game, and helped the Bronco offense rank 14th in the country in first downs (280), 18th in scoring (38.2 points a game) and 20th in third-down conversion percentage (48.3%).

#87 Gabe Linehan, Tight End

In 2009, Gabe was named as Boise State's Special Teams Scout Player of the Year as a redshirt.  He hit the field strong in 2010, making 4 starts and playing in 12 games, finishing the season with 6 catches for 82 yards and a touchdown.  Linehan was named to the WAC All-Academic Team.  In 2011, Linehan started nine games, finishing with 23 receptions for 252 yards and 5 touchdowns.  Last year, Gabe had one start and played in four games before a season-ending injury that limited his totals to one catch for 23 yards.

Injuries have hampered Linehan most of his senior year, but he has made the most of his two catches--38 yards for an average of 19.0 yards per catch.

In his Bronco career, Linehan has 32 receptions for 395 yards (14th in school history among tight ends) and 6 touchdowns.  

#37 Ebo Makinde, Safety

In his freshman season, Makinde played in eight games, making four tackles, two of them solo.  He was named to the WAC All-Academic Team.  In 2011, Ebo made four starts and played in seven games, recording 16 tackles, 9 of them solo, 1 tackle for loss, a forced fumble, an interception and 3 passes defended.  Ebo earned All-Academic honors in the Mountain West.  The next year, Makinde played in 10 games, posting 7 tackles, 6 of them solo.  Once again, Ebo was named to the Mountain West All-Academic Team.

This year, Makinde has played in five games with six tackles, five of them solo.  

In his four-year career, Ebo has registered 33 tackles, 22 of them solo, with one tackle for loss, a forced fumble, an interception, and three passes defended.

#48 Kharyee Marshall, STUD

Marshall played in 10 games as a freshman, making an immediate impact with 10 tackles, 5 of them solo, 2 tackles for loss, and a sack.  Marshall played in five games as a sophomore before a season-ending injury.  In 2012, Kharyee played in 11 games, posting 18 tackles (8 solo), with 1.5 tackle for loss and a forced fumble.

Kharyee has saved his best season for last, starting every game and posting 29 tackles, 19 of them solo, with 6.5 tackles for loss, .5 sacks, and a pass defended.

In his Bronco career, Marshall has 57 tackles, 32 solo, 10 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a pass defended.

#34 Kirby Moore, Wide Receiver

Kirby started two games as a freshman and played in all 13 games, grabbing 21 passes for 242 yards and 2 touchdowns.  He redshirted the next year, then started three games as a sophomore, with 22 catches for 247 yards and a touchdown.  Kirby was named to the Mountain West Academic Team, and was honored as a 2011-2012 Mountain West Scholar-Athlete.  Last season, Moore made three more starts, finishing the year with 36 catches for 368 yards and 4 touchdowns.  Once again, Kirby made the Mountain West All-Academic Team.

Despite being injured a good part of his senior year, Moore has still managed to snare 29 passes (third on the team) for 206 yards and two touchdowns.

In his Bronco career, the dependable Moore has 108 receptions to his credit for 1,063 yards and nine touchdowns.  Kirby is 14th in Boise State history with 41 catches by his sophomore season.  Moore recently passed T.J. Acree and ranks 23rd in career catches.

#65 Matt Paradis, Center

Paradis was named Boise State's Defensive Scout Player of the Year as a redshirt freshman in 2009.  He made the move to offense the following year and played in one game.  In 2011, Paradis saw action in eight games, starting one.  He helped the Bronco offense lead the nation with .62 sacks per game, and rank fifth in scoring with 44.23 points a contest.  Last season, Matt was the go-to guy at center, starting in every game and earning All-Mountain West Conference honors.  He helped Boise State allow .77 sacks per game, and finished the year being named to the Mountain West All-Academic Team.

This year, Paradis helped the Bronco offense rank 14th in the country in first downs (280), 18th in scoring (38.2 points a game) and 20th in third-down conversion percentage (48.3%).  Matt has started every game this season.

#16 Joe Southwick, Quarterback

Southwick played in eight games as a freshman, completing 17-24 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown.  Joe was named to the WAC All-Academic Team that year.  In 2011, he continued to serve in backup duty, completing 23-30 passes for 198 yards and one touchdown against one interception.  He also rushed one time for 16 yards.  Joe earned All-Mountain West Academic honors again, and was named as a 2011-2012 Mountain West Scholar-Athlete.

Southwick took the reins of the Bronco offense last season, and completed 248-371 passes for 2,730 yards (14th in Bronco history) and 19 touchdowns vs. 7 interceptions.  He also ran the ball 46 times for 121 yards, had one catch for six yards, and punted the ball seven times, five inside the 20-yard line.  

Southwick finished the year with the fifth-best completion percentage (66.9%) in school history, #7 in completions (248), and ranked seventh for the most completions in a single season.  With his 121 rushing yards last season, Southwick ranks 14th, compiling 2,851 yards of total offense.  Joe's quarterback rating of 141.8 is the 16th best at Boise State, and his interception ratio of 1.89% (7 in 371 pass attempts) is #6 in school history.  Southwick recorded the sixth-best single game in Bronco history, when he completed 17 of 20 passes (85.0%) against Colorado State on the road.  Joe did all this while once again earning Mountain West All-Academic honors.

Prior to being injured on the first play from scrimmage against Nevada this season, Joe completed 149-of-206 passes (72.3%) for 1,589 yards and 11 touchdowns against 5 interceptions.  Southwick ranks third in the Mountain West with a quarterback rating of 149.9.  Joe has also run the ball 42 times for 111 yards this season.  

Combining with replacement Grant Hedrick, Southwick helped Boise State rank third in the nation for completion percentage (70.5%, 280-397).

In his Bronco career, Southwick has completed 437 passes (6th all-time) in 631 attempts (8th at Boise State) for 4,719 yards and 32 touchdowns vs. just 13 interceptions.  He has also run 89 times for 248 yards.  Southwick ranks seventh in Boise State history in career passing yards (4,719), seventh in 200+ yards passing games (11), seventh in 300+ yards passing games (3) and is tied with Joe Aliotti for 10th all-time in career TD passes (32).  Southwick passed Cedric Minter earlier this year and stands eighth all-time in total offense with 4,967 career yards.

Depending on what Southwick does in his remaining games, he has a chance to break Kellen Moore's school record completion percentage (69.6%).  To this point, Southwick has completed 69.26% of his passes (437-631).  Joe is within range of Moore's school record for a season as well (74.3% in 2011), with a percentage of 72.3% thus far.

Southwick is also on pace to surpass Ryan Dinwiddie with the second-lowest career interception ratio in Bronco history.  So far, Southwick has thrown just 13 interceptions in 631 attempts (2.06%).  Dinwiddie stands second only to Kellen Moore with a 2.1% from 2000-2003.

#43 Ricky Tjong-A-Tjoe, Defensive Tackle

Ricky played in 12 games as a freshman, recording 24 tackles, 11 of them solo, 6.5 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks.  The next year, Tjong-A-Tjoe played in seven games, posting 15 tackles, 7 of them solo, 3 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks.  Ricky TAT become a key cog in the Boise State defense in 2012, starting 11 games.  He finished the year with 37 tackles, (18 solo), with 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 2 passes defended and a fumble recovery.

Ricky is the fifth-leading tackler on the Bronco defense in 2013, registering a career high 48 tackles, 19 of them solo, with 1 tackle for loss, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble and 4 passes defended.  He has started every game except one, in which an injury kept him out.

Tjong-A-Tjoe has 124 career tackles, tying Billy Winn for 26th among defensive lineman, 55 of them solo, 15 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 recovery, and 6 passes defended.

#62 Chris Tozer, Guard

Chris came to Boise State as a junior college transfer.  He redshirted in 2011, then played in one game the following season.

Tozer has played in ten games as a Bronco senior.


You can look all across college football and not find a finer class of seniors.  Thank-you for all the hard work you have put in, with special congratulations for your academic work.  You have been an inspiration to future classes of Broncos!

Shane Williams-Rhodes, Matt Miller and Geraldo Boldewijn Break Boise State School Record

Shane Williams-Rhodes, Matt Miller and Geraldo Boldewijn have broken the Boise State school record for catches by a trio in a season.

SWR had 77 catches prior to his season-ending injury, Miller has 68 thus far and Boldewijn 34, for a combined 179 catches with a minimum of two games to play.  The trio broke the school record against San Diego State, topping the record of 174 set in 2010 by Titus Young, Austin Pettis and Tyler Shoemaker.

Congrats to this great trio of Bronco receivers!

Former Boise State Broncos in the NFL: Week 12

Here are the results for former Boise State players in the NFL.  We're seeing more and more that the teams that use former Broncos the most have the best chance to win.  In other words, if they're given a chance, they produce and help their team to victory, just as they did at Boise State.  This will be updated as results come in.

Chase Baker--Minnesota Vikings (no statistics in Minnesota tie)
Richie Brockel--Carolina Panthers (no statistics in Carolina win)
Chris Carr--New Orleans Saints (one solo tackle in Saints win)
Ryan Clady--Denver Broncos (out for the season with an injury)
Daryn Colledge--Arizona Cardinals (starting lineman for Arizona in win)
Tyrone Crawford--Dallas Cowboys (is out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon)
George Iloka--Cincinnati Bengals (bye week)
Jeron Johnson--Seattle Seahawks  (bye week)
Doug Martin--Tampa Bay Buccaneers (out for the season)
Shea McClellin--Chicago Bears (1 solo tackle in Chicago loss)
Quintin Mikell--Carolina Panthers (4 tackles, 3 of them solo, in Panther win)
Kellen Moore--Detroit Lions (college football's all-time winningest quarterback was on the sidelines the entire game, watching as Detroit's starter threw four interceptions in Detroit loss)
Austin Pettis--St. Louis Rams (did not play in St. Louis win)
Nate Potter--Arizona Cardinals (lineman for Arizona in win)
Orlando Scandrick--Dallas Cowboys (2 solo tackles and a pass deflection in Dallas win)
Jamar Taylor--Miami Dolphins (no stats in Miami loss)
Kyle Wilson--New York Jets (1 solo tackle, and the Jets failed to use one of Boise State's all-time top punt returners in their loss)
Billy Winn--Cleveland Browns (2 solo tackles and one tackle for loss in Cleveland loss)

Miller Tied for 8th for Single-Season TD Receptions

With his great catch in the end zone Saturday, Matt Miller has tied Austin Pettis (2010), Titus Young (2009) and John Smith (1974) for 8th all-time with 10 touchdown catches in a season.  Next target for Boise State's gifted receiver--#5 Rodney Smith (1997), Ryan Ikebe (1994) and Smith (1975), all of whom had 11 TD catches.

Shane Williams-Rhodes Now 3rd for Single-Season Receptions

SWR caught six passes Saturday and now leads the Broncos with 77.  He passed Mike Wilson (76 in 1992) and Jeremy Childs (72 in 2008) and is now behind only Childs (82 in 2007) and Titus Young (79 in 2009).

Ajayi Tied with Doug Martin, Ian Johnson and Chris Jackson

All have 16 rushing touchdowns in a single season.  Martin did it in 2011, IJ in 2007 and Chris Jackson in 1987.  They are tied for third all-time at Boise State.

Ajayi Now in 8th for Single-Season Rushing

Ajayi had 103 yards against San Diego State (whatever happened to the adage the team with a 100-yard rusher usually wins the game?!), giving him 1,181 for the year.  He passed Jon Francis (1,147) and Jeremy Avery (1,151) and is now in 8th place all-time at Boise State.

Telling Results Shuffle Blue Football Through and Through Top 25

The #1 factor in ranking teams is their Biggest Wins, losses are most damaging if they are to unranked teams.  This encourages teams to schedule other Top 25 teams.

This poll had Clemson, UCLA, Auburn and Michigan State ranked before anyone else "in the know".  And, everyone now knows how solid those four teams are.  On the other hand, this poll was the last poll to put Baylor into the Top 25, at a time when every other poll in America had them in the Top 10.  The reason is that they hadn't accomplished wins of any stature until they beat Oklahoma.  But last night's humiliating loss to Oklahoma State shows why we were hesitant to give credit to the Bears.  

Fresno State had a good win, but they were hurt when their previous biggest win (over Boise State) was severely diminished with the Broncos' loss.  Now, Fresno State's biggest win is over Rutgers, and as a result, the Bulldogs, which were primed to jump high because of losses ahead of them, were held back.  Fresno State lost its advantage ovr UCF when the latter routed Rutgers.  The entire SEC was hurt bad when Florida lost to an FCS team.  A&M's loss to LSU gave them an 8-3 record, and if two teams have the same record, the winner head-to-head must always be ranked ahead.  See if this poll is the only one that makes sense today in that regard.

We don't consider Duke (which lost to Pittsburgh and Georgia Tech), because they lost to Pittsburgh and Georgia Tech and their biggest win is over an unranked Miami of Florida.  We don't consider Cincinnati (which was creamed by Illinois and lost to South Florida), because they lost to Illinois and South Florida.

Unlike the polls, the Blue Football Through and Through Top 25 uses logic.  Mississippi must be ahead of LSU because both teams have the same record and the Rebels beat the Tigers.  The polls seem to forget the actual results.  We don't.

The SEC has seven teams in the Top 25, while the Pac-12 has five.  Those are (by far) the top two conferences in the nation this year.

1-1.    Alabama (11-0) shut out Chattanooga 49-0, Biggest Wins over #20 LSU, #21 Texas A&M and #24 Mississippi 
2-2.    Florida State (11-0) outclassed Idaho 80-14, Biggest Win over #7 Clemson
4-3.    Auburn (10-1) was idle, Biggest Wins over #21 Texas A&M, #24 Mississippi and Georgia, Lost to #21 LSU
6-4.    Stanford (9-2) whipped California 63-13, Biggest Wins over 9 Arizona State, #13 Oregon, #15 UCLA and Washington, Lost to #24 USC and Utah
8-5.  Ohio State (11-0) beat hapless Indiana 42-14, Biggest Win over #20 Wisconsin

10-6.    Missouri (10-1) topped #25 Mississippi 24-10, Biggest Wins over #25 Mississippi and Georgia, Lost to #10 South Carolina
11-7.  Clemson (10-1) took care of The Citadel 52-6, Biggest Win over Georgia, Lost to #2 Florida State

12-8.  Michigan State (10-1) clobbered Northwestern 30-6, Biggest Win over Michigan, Lost to Notre Dame

20-9.  Arizona State (9-2) scored a big win with a 38-33 upset of #15 UCLA, Biggest Wins over #15 UCLA, #20 Wisconsin and Washington, Lost to #4 Stanford and Notre Dame

13-10.  South Carolina (9-2) ran up the score on Coastal Carolina 70-10, Biggest Wins over #6 Missouri and #11 UCF, Lost to Georgia and Tennessee

15-11.  UCF (9-1) routed Rutgers 41-17, Biggest Win over #17 Louisville, Lost to #10 South Carolina

14-12.  Fresno State (10-0) routed New Mexico 69-28, Biggest Win over Rutgers 

3-13.    Oregon (9-2) was creamed by Arizona 42-16, Biggest Wins over #15 UCLA and Washington, Lost to #4 Stanford and Arizona

22-14.  Oklahoma State (10-1) ripped #18 Baylor 49-17, Biggest Wins over #18 Baylor and Texas, Lost to West Virginia

9-15.    UCLA (8-3) lost to #9 Arizona State on the road 38-33, Biggest Wins over Washington and Arizona, Lost to #4 Stanford, #9 Arizona State and #13 Oregon

17-16.  Northern Illinois (11-0) came from behind to beat Toledo 35-17, Biggest Win over Ball State

18-17.  Louisville (10-1) edged 3-7 Memphis 24-17, Biggest Win over Houston, Lost to #11 UCF

5-18.    Baylor (9-1) was humiliated by #14 Oklahoma State on the road 49-17, Biggest Win over #22 Oklahoma, Lost to #14 Oklahoma State

19-19. Oklahoma (9-2) toppled Kansas State 41-31, Biggest Win over Notre Dame, Lost to #20 Baylor and  Texas

23-20.    LSU (8-3) shocked #20 Texas A&M 34-10, Biggest Wins over #3 Auburn and #21 Texas A&M, Lost to #1 Alabama, #24 Mississippi and Georgia

21-21.    Wisconsin (9-2) mauled Minnesota 30-7, Biggest Win over BYU,  Lost to #5 Ohio State and #9 Arizona State

7-22.    Texas A&M (8-3) fell to #19 LSU 34-10, Biggest Win over #24 Mississippi, Lost to #1 Alabama, #3 Auburn and #19 LSU

24-23.    USC (9-3) crushed Colorado 47-29, Biggest Wins over #4 Stanford and Arizona, Lost to #12 Arizona State, Notre Dame and Washington State

16-24.  Mississippi (7-4) lost to #6 Missouri 24-10, Biggest Wins over #20 LSU and Texas, Lost to #1 Alabama, #3 Auburn, #6 Missouri and #21 Texas A&M

25-25.    Vanderbilt (7-4) prevailed over Tennessee 14-10, Biggest Win over Georgia, Lost to  #6 Missouri, #10 South Carolina, #19 Texas A&M and #24 Mississippi

Dropped Out: None

Also Considered:

Texas (7-3) was idle, Biggest Win over #19 Oklahoma, Lost to #14 Oklahoma State, #24 Mississippi  and BYU

Notre Dame (8-3) Biggest wins over #8 Michigan State, #9 Arizona State and #23 USC, Lost to #19 Oklahoma, Michigan and Pittsburgh

Georgia (7-4) blasted Kentucky 59-17, Biggest Wins over #12 South Carolina and #24 LSU, Lost to #5 Auburn, #7 Missouri, #11 Clemson and Vanderbilt

Washington (7-4) blew away Oregon State 69-27, Biggest Win over Arizona, Lost to #4 Stanford, #9 Arizona State, #13 Oregon and #15 UCLA

Arizona (7-4) Biggest Win over #13 Oregon, Lost to #15 UCLA, #23 USC, Washington and Washington State

Matt Miller Ties Don Hutt for 3rd All-Time in Career Receptions

Miller's first catch tonight ties legendary Don Hutt for third place all-time with 189 career receptions.  The school record is held by Austin Pettis with 229.

Miller finished with 8 catches for 80 yards and a touchdown, in which he brilliantly reached over the defender's head and came down with the ball.  He thus now has 196 catches and is eight behind second-place Titus Young.

Douglas Fourth Bronco To Get a 100-Yard Kickoff Return

Douglas joins John Broadous (1981 vs. Idaho), Titus Young (2009 vs. Idaho) and Doug Martin (2011 vs. Arizona State in the Las Vegas Bowl) to take a kickoff back 100 yards.

Boise State Four Wins Away from 400 as a Four-Year School

In 2005, my research showed that Boise State was the fastest school in the modern era to win 300 football games as a four-year school.  The Broncos won their 300th over San Jose State about midway through that season.  

Since that win, Boise State has won 96 games, giving them 396, just four shy of their 400th win as a four-year school.  It just so happens that the Broncos can win four more games this season if they win out--really something for them to shoot for.

If these Broncos don't get it done, Boise State very likely will get their 400th very early in the 2014 season.

Yet Another Boise State Commitment

No doubt David Moa read that Boise State had broken its own modern record for wins in a 15-year period, because shortly after that, Moa gave his word to Boise State that he would enroll at the school and play football for the Broncos.

Moa is a 6-4, 260-pound defensive lineman, an area that Boise State is very thin in.  He has starred at Kearney High School in San Diego, and Coach Petersen and his staff has been extremely interested in Moa for several years.  

Moa chose the Broncos over offers from BYU, Colorado, Montana and Portland State, and interest in USC, Oregon and California.

This Week in the Blue Football Through and Through Top 25

As we wind down the college football season, teams are jockeying for position, not only in conference play, but in the rankings and bowl projections.

#1    Alabama blanked Chattanooga 49-0
#2    Florida State curbstomped Idaho 80-14
#3    Oregon lost to Arizona 42-16 
#4    Auburn is idle
#5    Baylor is in trouble, losing to #22 Oklahoma State 35-10 in the 4th
#6    Stanford poured it on Cal 63-13
#7    Texas A&M may not be as good as people think.  They lost to #23 LSU 34-10.
#8    Ohio State beat hapless Indiana 42-14
#9    UCLA lost to #20 Arizona State on the road, 38-33
#10  Missouri downed #16 Mississippi 24-10 
#11  Clemson creamed the Citadel 52-6
#12  Michigan State put away Northwestern 30-6
#13  South Carolina ran it up on Coastal Carolina 70-10
#14  Fresno State blew out New Mexico 69-28
#15  UCF blasted Rutgers 41-17
#16  Mississippi lost to #10 Missouri 24-10
#17  Northern Illinois rebounded to top Toledo 35-17
#18  Louisville held on for a 24-17 win over 3-7 Memphis 
#19  Oklahoma topped Kansas State 41-31
#20  Arizona State upset #9 UCLA at home 38-33
#21  Wisconsin downed Minnesota 20-7
#22  Oklahoma State showed up #5 Baylor 49-17
#23  LSU shocked #7 Texas A&M 34-10
#24  USC topped Colorado 47-29
#25  Vanderbilt beat Tennessee 14-10

Also:
Boise State lost to San Diego State 34-31
UNLV stopped Air Force 41-21
San Jose State lost to Navy 58-52 in three overtimes
Wyoming squeaked by Hawai'i 59-56 in overtime
Utah State stopped Colorado State 13-0

BYU fell to Notre Dame 23-13
Southern Mississippi fell to Middle Tennessee 42-21

Former Boise State Broncos in the NFL: Week 11

Here are the results for former Boise State players in the NFL.  We're seeing more and more that the teams that use former Broncos the most have the best chance to win.  In other words, if they're given a chance, they produce and help their team to victory, just as they did at Boise State.  This will be updated as results come in.

Chase Baker--Minnesota Vikings (3 tackles, 2 of them solo, in Minnesota loss)
Richie Brockel--Carolina Panthers (no statistics in Carolina win)
Chris Carr--New Orleans Saints (4 solo tackles and a pass deflection in New Orleans win)
Ryan Clady--Denver Broncos (out for the season with an injury)
Daryn Colledge--Arizona Cardinals (starting lineman in Arizona win)
Tyrone Crawford--Dallas Cowboys (is out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon)
George Iloka--Cincinnati Bengals (4 tackles, including 1 solo, and a pass deflection in Bengal win)
Jeron Johnson--Seattle Seahawks  (3 solo tackles in Seattle's 10th win of the year)
Doug Martin--Tampa Bay Buccaneers (out for the season)
Shea McClellin--Chicago Bears (no stats in Chicago win)
Quintin Mikell--Carolina Panthers (3 tackles, 1 solo, in Carolina win)
Kellen Moore--Detroit Lions (yet another game without taking a snap for college football's all-time winningest quarterback, and yet another loss for Detroit)
Austin Pettis--St. Louis Rams (bye week)
Nate Potter--Arizona Cardinals (lineman for Arizona in win)
Orlando Scandrick--Dallas Cowboys (bye week)
Jamar Taylor--Miami Dolphins (1 solo tackle in Miami win)
Kyle Wilson--New York Jets (1 solo tackle in Jets loss)
Billy Winn--Cleveland Browns (1 solo tackle in Cleveland loss)

Troy Bacon Gives His Word to Boise State

Troy Bacon, a 6-4, 280-pound offensive guard from Apple Valley High School in California has given his word to Boise State that he will sign a letter of intent with the Broncos.  

He is an outstanding, tenacious blocker, who will be warmly welcomed in Boise.  Bacon chose Boise State over offers from TCU, Washington State and Colorado State and interest from Arizona, California, Fresno State, Nevada, New Mexico State, Oregon, Oregon State, San Diego State, Stanford, UCLA and Wisconsin.

Congrats, Troy on a great choice--we look forward to seeing you on in one of the best football stadiums in America!

Shane Williams-Rhodes With 6th Best Receiving Game

SWR had 12 receptions last night, tying several former Broncos for sixth-place all-time on the single-game receiving list.

Super Game from Matt Miller Moves Him Into 9th for Career Receiving Yards

The talented junior now has 2,191 career receiving yards at Boise State, passing both Jay Swillie (2,161) and Eric Andrade (2,097) for ninth place at Boise State.

Boise State Breaks Own Modern Record for Wins in a 15-Year Period

When you judge the top college football teams in history, certainly longevity has to rank among your most important factors.

With Boise State's 48-7 win over Wyoming last night, the Broncos have now eclipsed their own modern record for the most wins in a 15-year period. Boise State broke Florida State's record last year, compiling a 163-29 mark from 1998-2012. The great Seminole teams from 1987-2001 held the existing mark of 160-23-1 prior to Boise State topping them.

But with last night's win, Boise State is now 164-27 since 1999 with at least three games to play.

Ajayi Now Tied for 6th All-Time in Single-Season Rushing Touchdowns

Jay Ajayi has tied D.J. Harper (2012) and Doug Martin (2009) for sixth place all-time in single-season rushing touchdowns at Boise State.  The trio all scored 15 rushing TD's in a season.

Seventh Heaven

Boise State consistently shows up in the all-time Top 10 in several football categories, but Boise State's run of success has lasted scarcely over a decade.  This list showing consecutive seasons with seven or more victories requires more consistency.  The teams that make this list are generally the landmark teams, the giants of college football.  Boise State has been a great 15-year phenomenon, and has been doing this for a very short time compared to the Michigan's, the Ohio State's, the Alabama's.  But to land in the Top 25 is still impressive.

For the Broncos to truly get respect, however, they will need to stay consistent for at least another decade.  Given that they land near the top in about every other category, if the Broncos can reach the Top 10 in this list, most will feel at that time that they belong.  There will of course be a scattering of skeptics.  But you can't please everyone...

Nebraska put together the most amazing run in the history of football by winning seven or more games every year from 1969 to 2003, an incredible streak of 35 straight seasons. That all came to a crashing halt when the Cornhuskers finished 2004 by winning just five of 11 games.

Florida State has compiled a streak of 32 straight seasons that is still current. The Seminoles have won seven or more games every year since 1982. Michigan had a great recent streak of 23 years that ended in 2008 when the Wolverines were 3-9. Florida’s streak of 25 consecutive seasons that began in 1988 is still current but in jeopardy. Oklahoma put together a streak of 22 straight seasons; the Sooners were highly consistent from 1970 to 1991.  Coach Frank Beamer has guided Virginia Tech to seven or more wins every season since 1993, giving the Hokies 21 consecutive seasons.

BYU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State and Miami of Florida each achieved the feat 17 straight seasons, with the Cougars winning seven or more from 1976-1992, the Wolverines winning seven or more from 1968 to 1983, the Fighting Irish recording the feat in the years 1964-1980, the Nittany Lions putting together seasons of seven or more wins from 1967 to 1983 and the Hurricanes doing it from 1980 to 1996. Tennessee’s streak of 16 straight seasons (1989-2004) ended when the Volunteers went 5-6 in 2005. 

Ohio State’s best streak came between the years of 1972 and 1986, when the Buckeyes ran through 15 consecutive seasons of seven or more wins. Oklahoma's current run from 2002-2013 has matched Boise State for 15 straight seasons.  The Sooners also put together a run of 14 straight years from 1946 to 1959, the 20^th best streak of all-time. LSU started their current run a year after Boise State and Oklahoma and the Tigers now stand at 14 straight years.  Virginia racked up seven or more wins from 1987-1999, 13 consecutive seasons. Alabama put together streaks of 13 (1971-1983), 12 (1985-1996) and 10 (1959-1968). 

Mississippi won seven or more from 1952 to 1963, a streak of 12 seasons, matched by Notre Dame’s run from 1938 to 1949 and more recently by Boston College's streak from 1999-2010.  Another streak of 12 consecutive seven-win seasons ended in 2010 for Texas when the Longhorns were 5-7.  USC has now set a school record with 12 consecutive seasons of seven or more wins (2002-13) and Wisconsin matches USC with their run from 2002-2013.  Washington’s most successful years came from 1977-1987 when they too won seven or more games in eleven straight seasons. Texas A & M matched the Huskies’ streak from 1985 to 1995. Arizona State enjoyed ten consecutive seasons of seven or more wins from 1955-1964. Alabama (1959-1968), USC (1924-1993), Colorado (1987-1996),Colorado State (1994-2003), Ohio State (1989-1998), Pittsburgh (1974-1983) and Duke (1932-1941) also had ten seasons of seven or more wins. 

Yale dominated football in the 19^th century and the first part of the 20^th century, winning seven or more games for 28 straight seasons (1882-1909). Princeton strung 27 such years together (1881-1907) and Pennsylvania (1888-1912) and Harvard (1886-1910) both had 25 consecutive seasons in roughly the same time period. Carlisle, which featured running back Jim Thorpe, won seven or more games from 1902-1913, a streak of twelve seasons.

The top streaks in the history of college football are featured below. 

Consecutive Seasons of Seven or More Wins:

1.  Nebraska…35 (1969-2003)

2.  Florida State…32 (1982-2013)

3.  Yale…28 (1882-1909)

4.  Princeton…27 (1881-1907)

5.  Harvard…25 (1886-1910)

5.  Florida…25 (1988-2012)
7.  Pennsylvania…25 (1888-1912)
8.  Michigan…23 (1985-2007)
9.  Oklahoma…22 (1970-1991)
10.  Virginia Tech…21 (1993-2013)
11.  BYU...17 (1976-1992)
11.  Miami of Florida…17 (1980-1996)
11.  Notre Dame…17 (1964-1980)
11.  Penn State…17 (1967-1983)
15.  Michigan…16 (1968-1983)
15.  Tennessee…16 (1989-2004)
17.  Ohio State…15 (1972-1986)

17.  Boise State…15 (1999-2013)

17.  Oklahoma…..15 1999-2013 
20.  Oklahoma…14 (1946-1959)

20.  LSU...14 (2000-2013)
22.  Alabama…13 (1971-1983)
22.  Georgia…13 (1997-2009)
22.  Georgia Tech…13 (1997-2009)
22.  Virginia…13 (1987-1999)
26.  Alabama…12 (1985-1996)
26.  Boston College…12 (1999-2010) 
26.  Carlisle…12 (1902-1913)
26.  Mississippi…12 (1952-1963)
26.  Notre Dame…12 (1938-1949)
26.  Texas…12 (1998-2009)

26.  USC...12 (2002-2013)
26.  Wisconsin...12 (2002-2013)