This should be a very good game. Boise State is looking to prove they belong with the big boys again, that they aren't your average mid-major. And I truly believe they aren't. They've recovered from the loss of a great coach and are back. Arizona might be feeling some letdown with the way the season ended. They were right on the cusp, on the verge of big things if they could beat a team in Oregon they had beaten in their last two games. To go from that to facing Boise is a bit of a come-down.
Boise State is the highest-ranked team not from one of the big five conferences. Coming off an 11-win season, they earned a major bowl berth on the heels of a great season. First-year coach Bryan Harsin has whipped this Boise State team back close to its glory years of several seasons ago. Gunning for their 12th win, they are a heck of a team--they can run and throw the ball well and even play some defense. In their last game before this bowl game on December 6, they beat Fresno State, 28-14, to win the Mountain West Conference championship. The Broncos need to run the ball, which they usually don't have much trouble doing with RB Jay Ajayi. Once he gets rolling, QB Grant Hedrick can open up with the passing attack with some little trick plays thrown into the mix. Senior quarterback Grant Hedrick has been solid this season. His accuracy is excellent, as he has completed 71% of his throws, along with 22 TD throws and 8 on the ground. It's good enough for an average of 40 points per game and I love them this afternoon as Boise Wins this bowl game today.