The fine folk over at OBNUG were gracious enough to answer some questions I had about their Broncos and the upcoming bowl game tomorrow.
This should give you a better idea of their mentality entering a game their team is heavily favored to win.
Yesterday, I answered some of their questions and you can read what I put here.
You can read Kevan's answers to my questions after the jump...
1. How utterly destroyed were you after the Nevada loss?
Only sorta utterly. In the moments immediately after the missed FG in regulation, I was beside myself. Overtime felt like a dream, I was so out of it. But as I had more time to think about it, I realized that Boise State was going to have to lose some time, and for this to be the way it went down, well, at least they lost with flair. Afterward I equated it to a Madden game where the computer just decides you're losing and that's all there is to it. I never get too upset at Madden games like that. I just hit the reset button and start over.
2. Since the 2003 season ended, Boise State is 0-4 in non-BCS bowl games. Is this a concern and why the discrepancy recently?
A lot of Bronco fans believe it has to do with injuries/personnel late in the season. Boise State is either banged up or suspending folks by late December. I buy that for the most part, but I'd be lying if I didn't think there was some hidden motivational flaw in this team when it comes to bowls that aren't Fiestas.
My No. 1 reason for the discrepancy is that there isn't one. Boise State's bowl losses are just as close as their bowl wins. Bowl season football is all about good teams playing good teams, and when that happens, games often can go either way. The Broncos were in position to win all four of them, and they just happened to go the wrong way. A bounce here, a made FG there, and Boise State has a six- or eight- or ten-game bowl winning streak.
3. What is the biggest offensive and defensive weakness on your team?
Well, if the past two games are any indication, the run defense for the Broncos is now a weakness. Before those two weeks, I would have said pretty confidently that the Broncos are most susceptible to the short passing game, which can be made a whole lot worse with missed tackles.
On offense, the Broncos struggle with drops, which is weird because you always hear about how great their receiving corps is.
4. How excited are you guys for the move to the WAC 2.0 next year?
I stopped being excited in July.
Seriously though, playing San Diego State, Air Force, TCU (once), and all those new teams will be fun for a few years. Then I'll be done and we can move on to the Big XII.
5. With Utah not actually expected to even take the field Wednesday, how does Chris Petersen keep the Broncos grounded heading into the game?
I think the Broncos can find plenty of motivation on finishing the year strong and sending the seniors out in style. Plus, they are playing for a Top Ten finish and momentum going into 2011. Getting up for this game shouldn't be a problem for the Broncos.
Thanks to Kevan for the interview and here's to a good game tomorrow night (with a Ute victory, of course).