This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2007, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Boise State Broncos owed Utahns something, and they delivered.
I mean, this was the least those guys could do for us. If the Broncos could win 13 football games in a row against Utah schools in recent years and beat two of them by a total of 72 points this season, our state deserved to have them do what they did to Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl in suburban Phoenix.
Suddenly, those losses don't seem quite so embarrassing, do they?
After playing wonderfully, then crumbling in the fourth quarter Monday night, the Broncos responded with a miraculous, tying touchdown in the last seven seconds of regulation. Then, after scoring on another trick play in overtime, they won it with a clever two-point conversion, 43-42.
The Broncos' dramatic victory is worth huge credibility for teams outside the Bowl Championship Series-affiliated conferences.
Going into this game, there were genuine fears of Boise State's being blasted by Oklahoma and undoing the good that Utah did for non-BCS schools two years ago by crushing Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl.
The Broncos blew it, then tied it, then won it. Through it all, they showed they more than belonged on the field with storied Oklahoma, the Big 12 Conference champion. In that way, the Broncos accomplished even more than Utah did - which is certainly not the Utes' fault.
They did what they were supposed to do by pounding an inferior opponent. It's just that Pitt was basically the default qualifier from a weakened Big East, a conference in transition between the departure of Miami and Virginia Tech and the arrival of Louisville.
It was a different story for Boise State. These were the fabled Sooners, with running back Adrian Peterson healthy. Yet for three-plus quarters, Oklahoma acted like the program that was out of place.
Oklahoma quarterback Paul Thompson lost four turnovers as the Broncos took a 28-10 lead. Utah and Utah State knew how the Sooners were feeling, having lost to Boise State by a combined 85-13 this season. The Broncos have also swept Brigham Young, Weber State and Southern Utah in occasional meetings since 1998, so all the state's schools could do Monday was hope the Sooners shared their frustration.
That's what happened, right down to the end.
The Broncos' showing has to help the Western Athletic Conference and the Mountain West. Poll voters should be more likely to vote for non-BCS schools and bowl officials with BCS at-large spots should look more favorably on teams that are eligible, even if they fail to qualify automatically.
Boise State did a favor to future teams from Utah and BYU that could find themselves in similar position. It was an acceptable New Year's Day, vicariously speaking, even if not everything went perfectly for Utahns.
Stewart Bradley and the rest of the Nebraska defense deserved better in the Cotton Bowl. A linebacker from Highland High, Bradley registered a sack and a fumble recovery and led the Cornhuskers with seven tackles as they held Auburn to 178 total yards. The Tigers converted two turnovers into short touchdown drives in a 17-14 victory.
Even with his collegiate career over, Utah defensive back Eric Weddle just kept looking better. Georgia Tech's Calvin Johnson caught nine passes for 186 yards in a Gator Bowl loss to West Virginia, a year after Weddle held him to two receptions in the Emerald Bowl.
And with some help, the Mountain West could claim a share of the Bowl Challenge Cup, which goes to the conference with the highest winning percentage in postseason play. If Louisville loses to Wake Forest in the Orange Bowl tonight, the Big East, the WAC and the MWC each will finish 3-1.
The only local loser of the Fiesta Bowl? Utah State. The Aggies have to play both Boise State and Oklahoma in 2007.