2007 Fiesta Bowl

NCAAFootballSingleGameHeader
Name=2007 Fiesta Bowl
Date=January 1, 2007
Year=2006
Visitor School=Boise State University
Visitor Name Short=Boise State
Visitor Nickname=Broncos
Visitor Record=12-0
Visitor

Visitor Coaches=9
Visitor BCS=8
Visitor Coach=Chris Petersen
Visitor1=14
Visitor2=7
Visitor3=7
Visitor4=7
Visitor5=8
Visitor Total=43
Home School=University of Oklahoma
Home Name Short=Oklahoma
Home Nickname=Sooners
Home Record=11-2
Home

Home Coaches=8
Home BCS=10
Home Coach=Bob Stoops
Home1=7
Home2=3
Home3=7
Home4=18
Home5=7
Home Total=42
Type=bg
Stadium=University of Phoenix Stadium
City=Glendale, AZ


MVP=QB Jared Zabransky & FS Marty Tadman
Odds=Oklahoma by 7½
Anthem=United States Military Academy Glee Club
Referee=Bill LeMonnier
Halftime=University Of Oklahoma and Boise State University bands
Attendance=73,719
US Network=FOX
US Announces=Thom Brennaman, Barry Alvarez, Charles Davis, and Chris Myers
Ratings=8.4
Intl Network=
Intl Announcers=

The 2007 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl was a college football bowl game sponsored by Tostitos. It was part of the 2006-2007 Bowl Championship Series (BCS) of the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Played annually since 1971, first at Sun Devil Stadium on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona through 2006, the game was played on January 1, 2007, at the game's new home field, the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, and pitted the #8 Oklahoma Sooners against the #9 Boise State Broncos. [Rankings from the Coaches Poll on December 3, 2006.] The contest was televised on Fox.

Oklahoma was the designated home team and was favored by 7½ points, but the Broncos won in overtime, 43-42. Oklahoma wore their red home jerseys, while Boise State wore their road white jerseys. Both Boise, Idaho and Norman, Oklahoma are about 15 hour trips from the bowl site. [cite web | url=http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&saddr=Boise,+ID&daddr=Glendale,+AZ&sll=35.84257,-84.256472&sspn=0.007427,0.014269&ie=UTF8&z=5&om=1 | title=Google Maps - Boise, ID to Glendale, AZ | publisher=Google | format=HTML | language=English | accessdate=2006-12-16 ] [cite web | url=http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&saddr=Norman,+OK&daddr=Glendale,+AZ&sll=38.576124,-113.797775&sspn=14.650301,29.223633&ie=UTF8&z=5&ll=34.524661,-104.80957&spn=15.431704,29.223633&om=1 | title=Google Maps - Norman, OK to Glendale, AZ | publisher=Google | format=HTML | language=English | accessdate=2006-12-16 ]

Pre-game buildup

. They won that game 21-7 and were given an automatic berth to represent the Big 12 in the Fiesta Bowl.

The Boise State Broncos, who returned more starters from 2005 than any other team in NCAA Division I-A football, [cite web|url=http://www.nmnathletics.com/attachments1/1622.pdf?SPSID=56240&SPID=4061&DB_OEM_ID=9900 |title=2006 Bronco Football Media Guide | publisher=Boise State Broncos Football | accessmonthday=December 5 |accessyear=2006] began the year with high hopes; according to one major source, anything less than a BCS Bowl berth would have been a disappointment. [cite web | title= 2006 Boise State Preview | url=http://story.scout.com/a.z?s=451&p=2&c=557688 | publisher=Scout.com | format=HTML | language=English | accessdate=2006-12-04 ] First-year head coach Chris Petersen led this perennially strong non-BCS conference school to an undefeated 12-0 record. Some of the Broncos key wins this season came over Oregon State of the Pac 10 Conference, Hawaii and Fresno State. Boise State was the champion of the Western Athletic Conference.

New stadium

The Fiesta Bowl has been played annually since 1971, and since that time, the game was hosted in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil Stadium, home stadium to the NFL's Arizona Cardinals and Pac-10's Arizona State Sun Devils. In 2006, the Cardinals completed a new home stadium in Glendale, Arizona and was named University of Phoenix Stadium. The new stadium is state-of-the-art with an inclined retractable roof and fully retractable natural grass playing surface. The stadium was also host to 2006 season BCS National Championship Game held on January 8, 2007 and hosted Super Bowl XLII in 2008. The capacity of the new stadium is 63,500, although for this game and the BCS National Championship Game, extra seats were added in the south end of the stadium to increase capacity to about 70,000.

coring summary

;First quarter
*Boise State Drisan James 49 yard touchdown pass from Jared Zabransky. (Anthony Montgomery kick good) (9:06) 7-0 Boise State
*Boise State Ian Johnson 2 yard touchdown run (Montgomery kick good). (7:28) 14-0 Boise State
*Oklahoma Manuel Johnson 7 yard touchdown pass from Paul Thompson (Garrett Hartley kick good). (0:26) 14-7 Boise State

;Second quarter
*Oklahoma Garrett Hartley 31 yard field goal. (5:38) 14-10 Boise State
*Boise State Drisan James 32 yard pass from Jared Zabransky (Montgomery kick is good). (0:32) 21-10 Boise State

;Third quarter
*Boise State- Paul Thompson pass intercepted by Marty Tadman of Boise State, returned for a 27 yard touchdown (Anthony Montgomery kick good). (8:05) 28-10 Boise State
*Oklahoma- Adrian Peterson 8 yard touchdown run (Hartley kick good). (4:29) 28-17 Boise State

;Fourth quarter
*Oklahoma- 28 yard field goal by Garrett Hartley. (14:57). 28-20 Boise State
*Oklahoma- 5 yard touchdown pass from Thompson to Quentin Chaney (2 point conversion good, 6 yard pass from Thompson to Juaquin Iglesias.) (1:26) 28-28 Tie
*Oklahoma- Jared Zabransky pass intercepted by Marcus Walker of Oklahoma, returned 34 yards for a touchdown (Hartley Kick good). (1:02). 35-28 Oklahoma
*Boise State- 15 yard pass completed from Zabransky to James. James lateral to Jerard Rabb for the 35 yard touchdown run (Montgomery Kick good). (0:07). 35-35

;Overtime
*Oklahoma- 25 yard touchdown run by Peterson. (Hartley Kick good). 42-35 Oklahoma
*Boise State- 6 yard touchdown pass from Vinny Perretta to Derek Schouman. (2 point conversion good, Johnson 3 yard rush from the famous Jared Zabransky Statue of Liberty play). 43-42 Boise State

Game summary

The game was highlighted by an 18-point comeback by Oklahoma in the second half, a combined 22 points scored in the final 1:26 of regulation, and three trick plays that helped Boise State win the game.

Oklahoma fell behind 14-0 early in the first quarter after a costly fumble deep in their own territory by quarterback Paul Thompson, which led to an Ian Johnson touchdown run two plays later. Boise State scored a touchdown on its final possession of the first half to take a 21-10 halftime lead. Late in the 3rd quarter, with Boise State leading 28-10, Oklahoma recovered a punt which struck the leg of a Boise State player deep in Broncos territory. A few plays later, Oklahoma star tailback Adrian Peterson scored his first touchdown of the game to cut the Boise State lead to 28-17. The Sooners followed up with a Garrett Hartley field goal a few series later to close the gap to 28-20.

The final 1:26

Wide receiver Quentin Chaney caught a tipped 5 yard TD pass from quarterback Paul Thompson with 1:26 remaining in the fourth quarter.

In a sign of the wildness to come, Oklahoma would require "three" attempts to complete the two-point conversion necessary to complete its 18-point comeback. The first attempt was unsuccessful, but Boise State was called for pass interference. The second attempt was successful, but Oklahoma was called for illegal shift (two players in motion at the time of the snap, only one player is permitted to be in motion under football rules). Finally, Thompson completed a pass to wide receiver Juaquin Iglesias on the third attempt, this time with no penalties.

After the ensuing kickoff, on the next play from scrimmage, Boise State quarterback Jared Zabransky was intercepted by Marcus Walker, who returned it 34 yards for a touchdown. After the extra point, Oklahoma led 35-28 with 1:02 left.

On the ensuing drive Boise State drove to the OU 42, but was stopped (1st & 10 was a sack for a loss of 8 yards, 2nd down was a dropped pass and 3rd & 18 was an incomplete pass) and faced a 4th down with 18 yards needed for first down, and only 18 seconds left. Zabransky passed for 15 yards to Drisan James. With five Oklahoma defenders playing a "prevent" style defense to prevent the long conversion, James quickly scooped the ball to an in-stride Jerard Rabb, who ran the ball along the left sideline 35 more yards for a touchdown. (The "hook and lateral" play, called "Circus" by the team, allowed for at least two more laterals. Johnson and Zabransky trailed Rabb along the sideline as potential outlets or possibly as blockers.) The extra point tied the game up at 35-35 with just seven seconds remaining in regulation, and the game then went into overtime.

Overtime

, the 2004 Heisman runner-up in his first game back after missing seven games with a collarbone injury. The extra point was good, making the score 42-35 Oklahoma.

On Boise State's drive, the Broncos were down to 4th and 2 on the Sooners' 5 yard line when Boise State ran a wide receiver rollout option. Zabransky ran in motion to his left while backup wide receiver Vinny Perretta, slotted as a running back, took the snap, rolled to his right, then threw a touchdown to tight end Derek Schouman (lined up as a wide receiver) to bring Boise State within one point at 42-41.

Instead of kicking the extra-point to tie the game and send it into a second overtime, Broncos coach Chris Petersen elected to go for the two-point conversion to win the game. He ran a trick play drawn up by backup quarterback Taylor Tharp – after the snap, Zabransky faked a quick pass directly to his right with his right hand (where three receivers were lined up), then quickly handed off the football backhanded with his left hand to running back Ian Johnson, who ran it in to the end zone untouched for the win (this play is a variation of the Statue of Liberty play known to the team simply as "Statue Left"). It should be noted that Boise State coach Chris Peterson indicated that the decision was made to go for 2 in OT due to the fact that he did not think his team could hang with the Sooners should the game continue into further overtimes.

During a postgame interview, Johnson got down on one knee and proposed to his boo, Boise State head cheerleader Chrissy Popadics, on live TV. She accepted.cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/bowls06/news/story?id=2716980 |title=Johnson pops the question after wild Fiesta Bowl win |publisher=Associated Press via ESPN |date=January 2, 2007] He did not have the ring with him because he wouldn't propose if the Broncos lost. The couple married on July 28 2007.

Instant classic

The wild finish has led the game to become an instant classic.

It has been reported that the BSU Athletic Department is selling the rights for a major motion picture about the Broncos 2006 season. [cite news | title=BSU: The Movie? Talks are in the works | publisher=Idaho Statesman | url=http://www.idahostatesman.com/104/story/72204.html | date=2007-02-19 | accessdate=2007-03-02 | first=Chadd | last=Cripe ]

Broncos quarterback Jared Zabransky is featured on the cover of the 2008 edition of EA Sports popular "NCAA Football" video game. [cite news | title=Latest gig for ‘Z' — cover model | publisher=Idaho Statesman | url=http://www.idahostatesman.com/124/story/73641.html | date=2007-03-01 | accessdate=2007-03-02 | first=Mike| last=Prater | coauthor=Brian Murphy] The last play of the game was also the subject of a television commercial for the video game, but with a twist: it featured Adrian Peterson controlling a Sooners player who tackled Johnson before he crossed the goal line.

The 2007 Fiesta Bowl won the 2007 Best Game ESPY Award, and the game's final play won the 2007 Best Play ESPY Award. It also took the #1 spot on ESPN's Sportscenter Top 10 Games of 2007. The final "Statue of Liberty" play also placed 2nd in ESPN's "The Greatest Highlight" hosted by Chris Berman.

Final game facts

Boise State finished their season with a perfect 13-0 record, spurring controversy as to whether teams from non-BCS conferences should have an opportunity to play for a national title. Most of the Boise State players and officials that were asked about it in the immediate aftermath of the game downplayed the controversy and claimed they were just happy to participate in the BCS bowls. Some did say they believed they were good enough to play in the National Championship game against the BCS #1 Ohio State Buckeyes, who later lost to the Florida Gators. The Broncos ultimately received one first-place vote in the final AP poll of the season, released after the National Championship game.

Boise State also became just the second team from a non-BCS conference to both play in and win a BCS bowl game. (Utah was the first, in 2005.) The Broncos' win gave teams from non-BCS conferences a 2-0 record in BCS bowl games (the following year, Boise State's conference rival Hawaiokinai would lose to Georgia in the Sugar Bowl).

However, the presence of Boise State, a non-BCS school, quite possibly led to some of the lowest TV ratings ever for a BCS game. Of the 37 BCS bowl games played through the 2006 season, only two received lower ratings than this game—the 2005 Fiesta Bowl, the only other BCS game up to that time to feature a non-BCS school; and the 2007 Orange Bowl, which featured two non-traditional BCS-conference teams in Louisville and Wake Forest.cite web|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/stewart_mandel/10/10/mailbag/1.html |title=College Football Mailbag: Price of parity |first=Stewart |last=Mandel |publisher="CNNSI.com" |date=2007-10-10 |accessdate=2007-10-12]

Reaction

The dramatic fashion in which the game finished, along with the numerous trick plays and underdog story, immediately generated incredible enthusiasm, and many have since considered it one of the greatest college football bowl games to ever be played.cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=2893905 |title=Boise State-OU destroyed press box professionalism |first=Pat |last=Forde |publisher=ESPN |date=June 5, 2007] cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=2716979 |title=Broncos earn respect with improbable victory |publisher=ESPN |date=January 2, 2007]

ESPN columnist Pat Forde had this to say:

The Valley of the Stun was the stage as an indomitable bunch of dreamers in orange pants landed the mightiest populist blow of college football's modern era. They were Hickory High in helmets, George Mason in cleats. They knocked off a gridiron giant one decade to the day after the burial of Pokey Allen, the beloved Boise coach who brought the program up to Division I-A status just 11 years ago.

Stewart Mandel of "Sports Illustrated":cite web|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_blogs/football/ncaa/2007/01/boises-thrilling-win-landmark-moment.html |title=College Football Blog: Boise's Thrilling Win a Landmark Moment |author=Mandel, Stewart |publisher="Sports Illustrated" |date=January 2, 2007]

How do you sum up one of the most remarkable endings any of us will ever be fortunate enough to see? How do you sum up one of the most exciting bowl games ever contested? And how do you sum up what will one day be viewed as one of the most significant moments in the history of college football? I’m not exaggerating....Boise State beating Oklahoma in a New Year’s Day bowl game is college football’s equivalent to George Mason reaching the Final Four, with one extremely significant difference: George Mason had its chance to compete for the national title; Boise State does not. Like it or not, Boise State 43, Oklahoma 42 just became the single biggest argument to date for a college football playoff....Not only did they get in the game, they made a major statement on behalf of their mid-major brethren that none of us will soon forget.

Arash Markazi, also of "Sports Illustrated", who covered the Broncos throughout their stay in Arizona:cite web|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/arash_markazi/01/02/inside.boise/index.html |author=Markazi, Arash| title=Behind the scenes with Boise |publisher="Sports Illustrated" |date=January 2, 2007]

When it was over, even Hollywood couldn't have scripted a more dramatic ending. This was the ultimate underdog story of a team that believed from the start, refused to give up even when it looked bleak and pulled off the improbable. It's one thing for a Cinderella team to upset a heavily favored opponent, but c'mon, this was ridiculous....Boise State's mind-numbing 43-42 victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl on Monday night had everything and will go down as one of [the] best games in college football history. It was as big as George Mason getting to the Final Four and is proof that mid-majors can play with the big boys in football, too.

Chris Dufresne of the "Los Angeles Times":cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-nufiesta2jan02,1,6349132,full.story?coll=la-headlines-sports |author=Dufresne, Chris| title=A perfectly incredible ending |publisher="Los Angeles Times" |date=January 2, 2007]

Crazy, zany and loony are three apt words to describe the end of Monday night's Fiesta Bowl at the University of Phoenix Stadium. You thought it would never end, but it did, with one of the most gutsy calls and remarkable plays in the history of college football.

Pete Thamel of "The New York Times":cite web|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/02/sports/ncaafootball/02fiesta.html?_r=2&ref=sports&oref=slogin&oref=slogin |author=Thamel, Pete| title=Playbook Full of Tricks Gives Boise State Dramatic and Defining Victory |publisher="The New York Times" |date=January 2, 2007]

... [A] hook-and-lateral, a Statue of Liberty play and a halfback toss launched the Boise State football team to an upset that will long resonate in college football lore....Johnson’s proposal capped a dizzying, riveting, back-and-forth game that will be remembered as one of the most exciting in college football history.

ee also

* Fiesta Bowl
* Boise State Broncos football
* Oklahoma Sooners football
* NCAA football bowl games, 2006-07

References

External links

* [http://www.fiestabowl.org Official Fiesta Bowl website]
* [http://www.soonersports.com/ Oklahoma Official Sports Information]
* [http://www.broncosports.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPID=4061&DB_OEM_ID=9900 Boise State Official Sports Information]
* [http://sports-ak.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?confId=&gameId=270010201 ESPN Game Recap]
* [http://www.sportsline.com/collegefootball/gamecenter/recap/NCAAF_20070101_BST@OK CBS Sportsline Game Recap]