History: First, lets start with recent history, and the 2 game series between Oregon and Boise State. The games were played in 2009 and 2010, and the results were the same. Whether the game was played in Oregon or in Boise, it didn’t matter both times Boise State walked away with the win. Some might say this doesn’t matter in fact, talk to any Duck fan and they will still say that 8 out of 10 times they win the game (Just not 2 out of 2 times). The media will tout how a move to Eugene is a huge upgrade for Coach Pete, but how big of a jump is it really? When you play a school and win both times in recent history it is hard to perceive the jump is really that much. In fact, it just shows that it is not the money or uniform combinations that make a team. It is also the pedigree, tradition, and recruiting that he has already established in Boise.

Job Security: In the world of coaching how many people can say they are safe in their position? Even Mack Brown at Texas has people wanting him to resign after a couple of average seasons. That being said, I can say with 100% confidence that Chris Petersen is secure in his job at Boise State unlike he could ever be at any other school. The fans of Boise respect Petersen for more than his coaching, its his commitment to the community as well. It’s his donations to hospitals, the school, and his time attending and orchestrating community events like “Beat Coach Pete”. The city of Boise is 100% behind Chris Petersen and winning is only a portion of the reason for it. If he takes a job at Oregon I am sure Eugene would love and appreciate these things, but if Chris Petersen goes and stumbles and has a GASP 7 or 8 win season, the calls for his job won’t be silent, they will be heard. When you are tempted with a unlimited back account you are expected to deliver unlimited expectations. Something that will never be a problem for Chris Petersen in Boise, everything earned in Boise will be by Pete’s doings. He is already a legend in Boise everything from here on out is just adding to his mystic.

Recruiting: No I am not talking about stars or the type of players you can get when at Oregon compared to Boise. I am talking about timetable. I am talking about promises made to players and families when on the recruiting trail. National letter of intent day is February 1st. That is days away, Chris Petersen has at this point all but wrapped up his incoming class. A class that already had questions about coaching and who would and would not be at Boise State when they arrived. What was said directly to these recruits I can’t say, but it has been reported that many directly asked if Coach Petersen would be their coach when they arrived, and the answer has been the same every time it was asked, that answer is yes. To some coaches this might not mean much, if Nick Saban said it, most would say it worthless. Chris Petersen on the other hand has never shown a reason to not take his word as law. He has always stayed true to his word and I for one find no reason to start questioning that now. I can’t imagine a scenario where he has a kid from Florida (QB Nick Patti), enroll in school early, who has offers to stay on the east coast and play football, tells that kid he is staying, and he turns around and leaves that kid hanging. It is just not Chris Petersen’s style.

Coaching Vacancies: Pease gone, Yates gone, Wilcox gone, Harsin gone. All men looking to move up in the coaching profession and seeing no chance at being a head-coach at Boise State anytime soon. The feel of these men who worked with Chris Petersen every day is he is going nowhere. If they felt there was a chance he was leaving they could stay and be in line for a head coaching interview in no time. The reality however is different, they saw no chance of moving up and had to seek outside employment for a chance to improve their chances at a head coaching job. Not only that, but with so many key loses to this coaching staff in the past two years, I can’t see Chris Petersen leaving Boise State with little to nothing to maintain its success once he leaves.

In the end, you never know what is going to happen with coaches. They come and go and nobody can blame them for doing so. The job is crazy, the money is outrageous, and the security in most cases is slim to none. Oregon is no doubt going to be enticing for Chris Petersen, but then again I am sure Stanford was as well, as was UCLA, Penn State, and every other job that has called and he has turned down. What he has in Boise though is not something that can be duplicated, no matter how much the media and other fans will scream it can, being a Boise State fan you know differently. Sure Oregon will have a lot to offer, and that is for the most part all you will hear from now until the job is filled (If Chip Kelly does in fact leave). You won’t hear a ton about the possible NCAA sanctions coming to the University of Oregon for possible recruiting violations. Nor will you hear much about the great things Boise State has to offer and has offered Chris Petersen. Chris Petersen signed a 5 year extension for a reason, he has new facilities on their way. A new conference in the Big East, and continued success staring him right in the face. Chris Petersen has “his kind of guys” here in Boise now, something it will take time to establish anywhere else. And considering some of the news regarding the recent behavior of some of the Oregon  players, that might be something to consider all by itself. Only time will tell if Chris Petersen leaves, but considering everything, despite what you will hear, I think the chances of Coach Pete being a Bronco next year are pretty good.

Records & Series Meetings:

#7 Boise State:  11-1 (6-1 MWC)

Arizona State:  6-6 (4-5 Pac 12 South)

Last Meeting: 56-7 Arizona State in 1996

All Time Series Record: 1-0 Arizona State

Last game:

Boise State defeated New Mexico 45-0 in Boise, ID (Dec 3)
Arizona State lost to California 47-38 in Tempe, AZ (NOV 25)

Coaches:

Boise State:

Chris Petersen is in his Sixth season at Boise State with an overall record of 72-6, 38-2 in the Western Athletic Conference and 6-1 in the Mountain West Conference.

Arizona State:

Dennis Erickson was let go by Arizona State on November 28 but will coach the Sun Devils in the MAACO Bowl Las Vegas.  Erickson spent five years in the desert compiling a 31-30 overall record and a 21-25 record in the PAC 12.

Arizona State in Cyberspace:

Twitter
Facebook
Athletic Website 

Arizona State Offense:

Offensive Analysis: From a talent standpoint Arizona State has as much talent as any team in the country but unfortunately for them, it has not translated into as many wins as they would have liked.  The Sun Devils have had a pretty good year offensively as they have averaged 450.92 yards a game which ranks them 25^th in the nation.  The Sun Devils are 11^th in the nation in throwing the ball averaging 310.17 yards a game and are 78^th in the nation in running the ball with 140.75 yards per game.

Quarterback: Arizona State is home to the tallest QB in the nation in 6’8 240 pound junior Brock Osweiler.  Osweiler has done a great job for the Sun Devils this season as he has a QB rating of 140.09 and has thrown for 3,641 yards with 24 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.  For being such a big guy, Osweiler is able to take off and run if he needs to as he is credited with 75 rushes for 286 yards on the season.

Wide Receivers: Arizona State has a very deep and experienced wide receiver core as they have had a great deal of production from their main three targets in senior Gerell Robinson, senior Aaron Pflugrad, and junior Jamal Miles.  Robinson has been the go to target for Osweiler as he has hauled in 64 receptions for 1,156 yards and six touchdowns ranking him 15^th in the nation among receivers.  Pflugard, has hauled in 40 catches for 620 yards and five touchdowns while Miles has caught 60 balls for 361 yards and six touchdowns.

Running Backs: Arizona State has a big time workhorse in junior running back Cameron Marshall.  On the season, Marshall has carried the ball an astounding 219 times for 1,083 yards and 18 touchdowns.  Giving Marshall a breather from time to time has been sophomore Kyle Middlebrooks as he has ran the ball 42 times for 175 yards and zero touchdowns on the season.  

Offensive Line: Arizona State has a very deep and experienced offensive line as they start three seniors a junior and a sophomore.  The Sun Devil Offensive line has done a good job of protecting Osweiler and opening holes for Marshall as the stats indicate.  However, from time to time opposing defenses have been able to get pressure on Osweiler by giving up 24 sacks and opposing pressure is also part of the reason Osweiler has so many rushing attempts on the season.

Arizona State Offense vs. Boise State Defense:

What Boise State will get from the Sun Devils will be an opponent who has the ability to move the ball up and down the field and they will probably see the most talented offense that they have seen all season.  However, Arizona State has been extremely undisciplined by killing drives with stupid penalties and mental mistakes which is why they couldn’t put anybody away and lost six games.  The Broncos will have a challenge with the athleticism of the Sun Devils but I think we can expect the same Arizona State team we have seen all year and against this stout Boise State defense, Arizona State will have a difficult time recovering from the mental mistakes.

ASU Total Offense:  450.92ypg (25^th)   Vs. BSU Total Defense: 315.58 ypg (16^th)
ASU Passing Offense: 310.17 ypg (11^th) Vs. BSU Passing Defense: 195.50 ypg (25^th)
ASU Rushing Offense: 140.75 ypg (78^th) VS. BSU Rushing Defense: 120.08 ypg (22^nd)
ASU Points Per Game: 33.92 ppg (24^th) VS. BSU Points Allowed: 18.25 ppg (10^th)

Arizona State Defense:

Defensive Analysis: The Sun Devils defense is just as gifted as the offense but lack of discipline and mental mistakes have cost them dearly during the 2011 campaign.  On the season, the Sun Devils are giving 418.92 yards a game which ranks them 88^th in the country.  In addition to giving up 26.33 points a game, the Achilles heel for the Sun Devils has been their pass defense where they are giving up 270.92 yards per game which ranks them at 107^th nationally.

Defensive Line: The Sun Devils will start two sophomores and two seniors up front where part of the problem has been the lack of a pass rush and getting pushed around as evidenced by giving up 148 yards a game.  The Sun Devils are pretty light up front averaging 269 pounds one of the lightest defensive line units the broncos have faced this season.

Linebackers: The line backing core is the most talented group on the defensive side of the ball for the Sun Devils.  Junior Vontaze Burfict came into the season with several of the experts calling him the best linebacker in the country.  Although Burfict hasn’t had the season he had hoped, he will probably be the best linebacker the Broncos have faced this season.  Down the stretch, Burfict has been plagued by frustration and personal fouls which has led to some of the Sun Devils troubles.  Senior Shelly Lyons and senior Collin Parker who play on either side of Burfict are very capable linebackers who have the ability to give opposing offensives fits.      

Defensive Backs: The defensive backfield has had to battle the Injury bug this season much like the Broncos have had to do.  For the Bowl game, the Sun Devils will be starting two seniors, a junior and a sophomore.  Not only has the Arizona State secondary had to battle injuries, they have had to battle the lack of a sufficient pass rush which will defiantly challenge them versus the Broncos.  

Arizona State defense Vs BSU Offense:

Arizona State is giving up a lot of yards in the air and on the ground which does not bode well for them versus a balanced attack like the broncos.  Often times after a two or three week layoff, it takes a while for an offense to get into sync like last year’s Vegas bowl where the Broncos offense was nonexistent during the first quarter versus Utah.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Broncos take a quarter to get in sync, but the Arizona State defense will have a difficult time containing the Bronco offense for four quarters.

ASU Total Defense:      418.92 ypg (88^th)   Vs. BSU Total Offense:      483.08 ypg (9^th)
ASU Pass Defense:       270.92 ypg (107^th)   Vs. BSU Passing Offense:   310.33 ypg (10^th)
ASU Rushing Defense: 148.00 ypg (59^th) VS. BSU Rushing Offense: 172.75 ypg (40^rd)
ASU Points Allowed:    26.33 ppg (64^th)   VS. BSU Points Per Game:  43.25 ppg (7^th)  

Arizona State Special Teams:

For the most part, the Sun Devil special teams units have been pretty solid.  On the season, the Sun Devils are averaging 41.75 yards per punt; they were 14 out of 21 on field goal attempts and are averaging 26.27 yards per kickoff return.  Their best area has been their punt return unit where they rank fourth in the nation averaging 15.33 yards a return.  Overall, the Sun Devils don’t hurt themselves on special teams and with such a good return average; they are able to change momentum during the game.  

Final Thoughts: A couple key questions need to be answered going into this game which will have an impact on the way the game goes.  First, the Broncos had hopes even with one loss of an at large BCS bowl.  How will the Broncos respond to playing in a lower tier bowl?  This Bronco team under Coach Pete has always prepared well and played well no matter the circumstances.  I don’t think this situation will be any different and they will make the most of the opportunity to play a PAC-12 opponent.  On the other hand you have Arizona State who has a four game losing streak and a lame duck coach in Dennis Erickson.  Will this team even want to play given their circumstances?  We will find out early on Thursday night.  Personally, and on paper the Broncos should win this game because they play hard and smart, something the Sun Devils are not doing right now.  This should be a fun game to watch and one last opportunity to see this great senior class in bronco blue one more time.

• Coach Pete weighs in on what the Big East Move Means
• Chris Petersen shares his thoughts on the BCS
• 19 Boise State Football Players Graduated this Semester
• Coach Brent Pease is a candidate for the vacant Houston head coaching position
• Plus the MAACO Bowl Breakdown and much Moore.

This episode is brought to you by The Blue and Orange Store and by the iOS App Bronco DB

If you wish to leave an audio comment, drop me a line at 208-991-2672 or send an email comment to questions@bronconationpodcast.com and follow the Bronco Nation Podcast on Twitter.

First the Game Details

The Maaco Bowl Las Vegas will be held Thursday December 22 at 6:00 PM Mountain time at Sam Boyd Stadium.  Your Boise State Broncos (11-1) will be taking on the Arizona State University Sun Devils (6-6).  Tickets are available through Idahotickets.com unlv.tickets.com and StubHub along with some other less reliable websites and street corners.  The game will be televised on ESPN.

How will I get there?

We are a little over one week before the game so at this point you are probably thinking you will have to drive your Geraldo Boldewijn special down or hoof it.  Not so fast my friend!  One really good deal still available is through Bronco great Alex Guerrero’s Bronco Bus Tours.  You can spend as little as $150 for a ride down and pass out on the floor of the Palms, or for as little as $225 you can have a room to not hang out in at the Alexis Park Hotel and Resort across from the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, the official team hotel.  Email Alex at broncotours@gmail.com if you have any questions.  If you are rollin’ in money and want to fly down there are still tickets available.  If you really got it going on you can always charter a flight.

Where will I crash?

If you choose not to trust your accommodations to Alex Guerrero and company, as previously mentioned the team hotel is the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.  As of this writing there are still rooms available.  Of course there are many other options in Vegas, and if you can’t find a place to stay you are either not trying hard enough or don’t really want to sleep.

Its 2:00am and I just realized I haven’t ate yet

My favorite place to eat when normal people are sleeping?  The Carnegie Deli at The Mirage.  Try the Woody Allen.  It is not as cool as the one on 7^th Ave in New York but not much beats a lot of cold cuts on a little bread with a cold one at 2:00 in the morning.  Want to eat at normal hours?  Try L’Oriental at The Venetian or Mon Ami Gabi at Paris, two of my favorite restaurants on the strip.  Of course for all budgets at all hours you should always be able to find a buffet.  The best one in my opinion is the Riv Buffet at the Riviera.  If you have the time and the money try all four of these suggestions.

How do I get to the game?

If you book through Bronco bus tours your price includes transfers to and from the game.  If not here are the directions from the Hard Rock to Sam Boyd Stadium.  Keep in mind the stadium is quite a ways away from the strip so plan ahead.  It may take you awhile to get there.

Have fun and be safe!  It is the last time to watch the Broncos and our last time ever to see Kellen Moore in a Boise State uniform.  Enjoy your trip to Las Vegas!