September 10, 2016, 10 years ago today: Boise State nabs its first win ever over Washington State, holding off the Cougars 31-28 in an ESPN2 game on the blue turf. The Broncos burst out to a 14-0 lead, with the first touchdown coming on an electrifying 85-yard interception return by Tyler Horton.
There’s a lot of talk at Boise State of “playing to the standard.” Last season, despite a third straight conference championship, was not the standard.
It might be a good game on Saturday. It might not be. But regardless of what happens, the Boise State-Oregon series will always occupy a special place in Broncos lore. So let’s enjoy (and wish Braxton Fely well at Oklahoma).
September 3, 2011, 15 years ago today: Six years to the day after falling flat in its first appearance on a big national stage, Boise State avenges its 2005 rout at Georgia with a dominating 35-21 victory over the Bulldogs at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
Saturday at Oregon, it’ll come down to Boise State punching above its weight on both sides of the ball. But that starts with the front seven, which made the biggest difference outside of Ashton Jeanty two years ago in a game the Broncos should have won at Autzen Stadium.
September 1, 2019: Justin Verlander joins the “three no-hitters” club in the Houston Astros’ 2-0 win at Toronto. The 36-year-old veteran struck out 14 Blue Jays and issued just one walk. It was the first time a hurler had no-hit the same team in its home stadium twice.
August 31, 1996, 30 years ago today: Boise State and Idaho make their debuts in Division I-A, now the FBS. The Broncos fell at home to Central Michigan 42-21 while coach Pokey Allen was away in Vancouver, BC, undergoing alternative cancer treatment.
August 28, 1981: Sebastian Coe of Great Britain sets his second world record for the mile run in nine days, lowering the standard to 3:47:33 at the prestigious “Golden Mile” in Brussels, Belgium.
August 27, 1994: Venezuela wins the Little League World Series for the first time, with the team from Maracaibo defeating the U.S. representative from Northridge, CA, 4-3. The footnote was a 10-year-old named Yusmiero Petit, a backup second baseman who spent most of the Series on the bench.
I don’t know how many people counted on Boise State wide receiver Ben Ford being back in time for the Oregon game, but it was a minority. How about Ford now going full-on in practice, 10 months after tearing his ACL (again) last season against UNLV?
