This will be an interesting week in Bronco land as the Arizona Bowl approaches Friday. First, did holiday flights affect Boise State’s plans to gather for drills leading into the game against Central Michigan in Tucson?
Degenhart’s Spokane homecoming
(TOM SCOTT’S COLUMN WILL RETURN MONDAY.) Okay, we’re putting the pressure on Tyson Degenhart tonight. The Boise State true freshman is 12 games into his college career—six games in as a starter—and we’re already hyping a homecoming.
Who gets the fry bath?
Kent State may be an underdog to Wyoming and its typically-tough defense today in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, but the Golden Flashes offense is well, flashy.
Arizona Bowl: Last mention of the sponsor
Props to the Idaho Statesman for its editorial on the ills of Barstool Sports. And bad on me for not knowing more about the sponsor of the Arizona Bowl. All I really knew of Barstool was some of its ridiculous and inflammatory tweets.
Not enough room for everybody
Andrew Van Buren has an extra COVID year of NCAA eligibility available to him, but the math doesn’t really work for him to use it at Boise State. Van Buren was No. 3 on the Broncos depth chart all season behind George Holani and Cyrus Habibi-Likio.
Could it have gone any better?
There are new hammer-carriers and flag-bearers at Boise State. Lots of them. One by one, the commitments came in beginning in June, and the Broncos’ 2022 recruiting class climbed the rankings.
A big push from Armus
Mladen Armus led by example Tuesday night, scoring 17 points and pulling down 12 rebounds in Boise State’s 72-60 win over Santa Clara in ExtraMile Arena. Armus played really hard and was unstoppable in the paint, and that was the difference as the visitors wore down late in the game.
Advantage, Broncos
It’s hard to believe, but the Boise State Broncos haven’t played the Santa Clara Broncos in 32 years. The two sets of Broncos will finally meet again tonight in ExtraMile Arena in what I liken to a conference game.
Broncos win the foul-fest
Maybe Prairie View A&M’s foul frenzy was a strategy—if you keep hacking a team that can’t shoot free throws, you keep those guys off the scoreboard. But 40 personal fouls?
Defending Justin Wilcox
Oregon is all over the board in its search for a coach to replace Mario Cristobal. The Ducks have already interviewed BYU’s Kalani Sitake and have been granted permission to talk to Cal’s Justin Wilcox and UCLA’s Chip Kelly (their former coach).